Autumn Migrants at my Local Patch

Having been living in Tai Po for nearly five years now, I consider most of Tai Po area close enough to be my local patch, and Tai Po Kau is certainly one of them, being just 15 minutes drive from home, it certainly is an area I visit often. A morning walk there yielded two Siberian Blue Robins, first was a 1st winter female, and the second one a 1st winter male, both showed quite well. Siberian Blue Robins are generally an uncommon passage migrant in Hong Kong, although on some days they can be quite numerous. Unfortunately, its been fairly quiet at Tai Po Kau otherwise, with very few other migrants or even residents seen.

Siberian Blue Robin - 1st winter female

Siberian Blue Robin - 1st winter male

Great Barbets are still quite active around Tai Po Kau Park, but as always they remain high up and difficult to get a good photo.

Great Barbet

Tai Mei Tuk Catchwater have been extremely disappointing, I did not encounter any notable migrants there! Although a friendly Speckled Piculet and a few Scarlet Minivets did allow me to get some good photos, both iconic forest species of Hong Kong.

Speckled Piculet

Scarlet Minivet - male

A bit lower down along the Ting Kok Coast East, many Hair-crested Drongos were around, I always enjoy seeing them at close range, their metallic blue plumage best observed under good lighting. A Besra came through a few times, obviously looking for unsuspected birds, but the local Black-collared Starlings were definitely not happy about its presense.

Hair-crested Drongo

Besra - juvenile

On the mudflat at Ting Kok during low-tide, a few Kentish Plovers and Greater Sand Plovers were present, these are regular passage migrants and winter visitors here. A friendly Grey-tailed Tattler was a welcoming sight, a species that I don't see here very often.

Kentish Plover

Greater Sand Plover

Grey-tailed Tattler

Away from Tai Po, at my survey site at the airport a few White-faced Plovers were present together with many Kentish Plovers. Juveniles and females are not too easily distinguished from Kentish, but I have found that the pale spot at the bill base of the lower mandible to be a good feature if you are close enough to the bird, together with pinkish legs and overall heavier bill and head, they can be separated with Kentish Plovers with a bit of care.

White-faced Plover - juvenile

White-faced Plover

The Oriental Plovers were still present, but they have spread out throughout, a juvenile was particularly confiding and allowed close views. Strangely enough, I haven't heard of any other Oriental Plovers reported elsewhere around Hong Kong at the moment.

Oriental Plover - juvenile

Oriental Plover - non-breeding female

Up to three House Sparrows have been spotted along the fence by the South Perimeter Road, they seem to be residents around the airport now, and follow the main flock of Eurasian Tree Sparrows. Give it a few more years I suspect their numbers may increase if they successfully breed here.

House Sparrow - males with Eurasian Tree Sparrows