Picking Up the Pace - Lesser and Greater White-fronted Geese at Mai Po

Things are finally picking up pace here, starting with a proper rarity in form of a Lesser White-fronted Goose found by Benjamin Li, which is only the 2nd record in Hong Kong since a pair turned up in 2006. I was lucky enough to see the first two in Hong Kong back in 2006, but being such a rare species and also not really that common a species globally, I was quite happy to be able to catch up with this one. It stayed quite far while I was at Mai Po, but showing all diagnostic features of this species, being quite small, with very short and stubby bill, the yellowish eye-ring is also diagnostic.

Lesser White-fronted Goose - 2nd record in HK

It's also been a good year for Greater White-fronted Geese, with a few scattered throughout Deep Bay area, 6 of them have now taken up residence at Mai Po, although always staying very far. So, two species of Geese in Mai Po at the moment which is not something we are used to!

Greater White-fronted Goose - 6 individuals in total

There's been a good selection of birds around Mai Po, out on the mudflat Black-capped Kingfisher is back again, this is another species which numbers seems to be decreasing in recent years. A Chinese Egret was seen, a species I don't see that often in autumn. There were good selections of waders, Far Eastern Curlew being one of them.

Black-capped Kingfisher

Chinese Egret

Far Eastern Curlew

The rice WWF planted seems to have worked wonders in attracting numerous Yellow-breasted Buntings, although you can only see them from afar here, it is still a wonderful sight to see them flying around. Eastern Marsh Harriers are back and patrolling the scrape occasionally. Oriental Reed Warblers can be seen with relative ease at the moment, I do scan for Thick-billed Warbler but have had no luck.

Yellow-breasted Bunting

Eastern Marsh Harrier

Oriental Reed Warbler

A single Grey-headed Lapwing dropped in on the scrape, a species I only see in Mai Po occasionally. I know they are being reported near Nam Sang Wai, so I guess it is not so surprising that the occasional one drops in for a visit.

Grey-headed Lapwing

Along the footpath at Mai Po, Asian Brown Flycatchers are plentiful at the moment. I saw an odd looking Wagtail, which had an eyestripe and a signs of a darker mantle. I initially thought this could be a good candidate for a lugens, however, the breast pattern seems to look off, so I am actually thinking this may well be a leucopsis x lugens hybrid. While I am not 100% confident, these hybrids do happen occasionally. The ficus trees are attracting quite a lot of birds, mostly bulbuls, but occasionally you may find a few Starlings in there, such as this White-cheeked Starling.

Asian Brown Flycatcher

White Wagtail - possibly leucopsis x lugens

White-cheeked Starling

Great Cormorants numbers have increased a lot during the month, hundreds of them now filling up our skies once again. Here's one cooling off under the midday sun.

Great Cormorant

The farmland at Lok Ma Chau village have been relatively productive, I had a Northern Lapwing briefly which never landed, possibly flew off to find somewhere more suitable elsewhere. Common Snipes are plentiful there, with the odd Pin-tailed Snipe. Red-throated Pipits in good numbers as well! Over at Ho Shueng Heung, a few Yellow-breasted Buntings were present.

Northern Lapwing

Common Snipe

Red-throated Pipit

Yellow-breasted Bunting - female

Over at Ma Tso Lung, nothing too impressive. Oriental Magpies which are now more difficult nowadays seen at close range. Common Kingfishers are always a good photography subject. A pair of Black-faced Spoonbills were found on the drained pond, which gave relatively good views. A few Red-collared Doves were also present.

Oriental Magpie

Common Kingfisher

Black-faced Spoonbill

Red-collared Dove - male

Tai Sang Wai have been quite productive of late, while waiting at the Jacana pond, a Black-winged Kite flew over being chased by a Large-billed Crow. At dusk I counted over 50 Collared Crows roosting together towards Lut Chau. I did not bother taking more photos of the Pheasant-tailed Jacanas, but a distant Bailon's Crake on the same pond was a welcoming sight.

Black-winged Kite chased by Large-billed Crow

Collared Crow rookery

Bailon's Crake

A drained pond towards Lut Chau also created plenty of photo opportunity during sunset, as the water reflects the light beautifully, and Egrets all feeding on the fish pond, a few Black-faced Spoonbills flying over certainly adds to the magic.

Black-faced Spoonbill

Little Egret in the sunset

Grey Heron

Over at Tai Po Kau, things are generally quiet, with only a few notable migrants such as Japanese Paradise Flycatchers, Eastern Crowned Warblers and Pale-legged Leaf Warblers. Even common species seems quite difficult to get good views of lately, although Pygmy Cupwings seems quite active. Velvet-fronted Nuthatch is always fun to watch, while Ashy Drongos are now back, here was a rather confiding one hawking for insects low down in the morning.

Pygmy Cupwing

Velvet-fronted Nuthatch

Ashy Drongo - leucogenis