Late Spring Push

Po Toi Island been quite the talking point for birders the past week or so, due to a Ruddy Kingfisher which was seen very briefly by Akki and Roman on the 27th. This was only the 2nd record for Hong Kong and a very attractive species that is surely a dream bird for any Hong Kong birder. A group organized a boat to Po Toi on the 28th to hopefully get a chance for this rarity. Naturally, the Kingfisher never showed and quite likely already moved on the very same day, but the island was active with many bird activity, the main attraction of the day being a Japanese Paradise Flycatcher in breeding plumage, plus another without the long tail, likely a 1st summer bird? Both showed quite nicely, although I didn't manage the best photo, I was still very happy to see them in action.

Japanese Paradise Flycatcher - breeding male

Japanese Paradise Flycatcher - likely 1st summer male?

Other birds present were a 1st year male Mugimaki Flycatcher, at least two male Blue-and-White Flycatchers plus a female near the helipad. A few Streaked Flycatchers were also seen. Other birders also saw Narcissus Flycatcher, although I couldn't relocate the bird while on the island.

Mugimaki Flycatcher

Blue-and-White Flycatcher

Grey-streaked Flycatcher

Other birds throughout the day include a few Chinese Sparrowhawks, Black-naped Oriole, Dollarbird, and numerous Hair-crested Drongos. Other birders had luck with Japanese Sparrowhawk and Chestnut Bunting. All in all, a pretty decent day on Po Toi despite dipping on the main target.

Chinese Sparrowhawk

Hair-crested Drongo

Closer to home along Tai Mei Tuk Catchment, there were not a lot of movements, best was a Two-barred Warbler and a pair of Hainan Blue Flycatcher which showed fairly well. At Wu Kau Tang, Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker evidently already had their first brood of the season, and a few Hodgson's Hawk Cuckoo calling and flying around before dusk was more than entertaining.

Two-barred Warbler

Hainan Blue Flycatcher - male

Hainan Blue Flycatcher - female

Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker - juvenile

Hodgson's Hawk Cuckoo

I missed the Pectoral Sandpiper at San Tin, but had a few Whiskered and White-winged Tern instead, both a common sight during spring migration. While two Oriental Cuckoos were found at Mai Po car park, although by the time I got there they were not showing well at all, and kept flitting about towards the far back, where I managed a very poor record shot.

Whiskered Tern

White-winged Tern

Oriental Cuckoo

At Long Valley, I went three times hoping to find Yellow-breasted Buntings in breeding plumage. Failed miserably the first two times, only moderate success with a few migrants of interest, including a very shy Brown Shrike, flock of Eastern Yellow Wagtail had me scanning for Citrine Wagtail, and successfully connected with one.

Brown Shrike

Eastern Yellow Wagtail

Citrine Wagtail

Red-rumped Swallows were still visiting the shallow ponds looking for nest building materials, carrying beakful of mud away. Quite a few Richard's Pipits were around the fields. The long staying Chestnut-eared Bunting was still around, although not being particularly cooperative.

Red-rumped Swallow

Richard's Pipit

Chestnut-eared Bunting

Finally, on my 3rd try I finally connected with the Yellow-breasted Bunting, although not as friendly as I hoped, 3 were seen together, 2 males and 1 female. One of the male came down the feed on the ground, I managed to get one shot of it through a small gap before it flew off. This critically endangered species is getting increasingly rare, so I certainly feel very privilege that we can still find them with relative ease in Hong Kong every year.

Yellow-breasted Bunting - male

Japanese Paradise Flycatcher - Look at That Tail!

Of the many amazing looking spring migrants in Hong Kong, nothing quite compares to the Japanese Paradise Flycatcher in breeding plumage. Their long tail that cascades down their back gives them a very distinctive look when they hawk for insects in the forest, it is even harder to imagine this magnificent creature flying over oceans during migration from the Philippines back towards Japan! These incredible looking birds don't usually stay long, I was lucky to be tipped by Captain about one at Tai Po Kau late last month, fortunately enough for me the bad weather must have grounded the bird and it stayed long enough for me to relocate it within a bird wave.

Japanese Paradise Flycatcher - male

I have not seen one of these beautiful males since April 2007, so I was very please to see this one so well! It didn't stay long for me, I only had the bird in view for two minutes before it fluttered off back into the depth of the forest. The Japanese Paradise Flycatcher is now listed as Near Threatened due to habitat loss throughout much of its wintering range.

Japanese Paradise Flycatcher - male

Grey-streaked Flycatchers were still in good numbers near the end of April, but saw a decrease in numbers once the weather improved. There must have been over a dozen individuals along the Tai Mei Tuk Catchment. A Chestnut-winged Cuckoo have been frequenting the catchment, although being very shy as usual, despite much effort I ended up with only a record shot through the leaves.

Grey-streaked Flycatcher

Chestnut-winged Cuckoo

At Tai Tong, I encountered a very confiding female Chinese Goshawk, it remained perched even when I walked right up to it, they are a species I very much enjoy seeing every time. Around the reservoir I spotted a juvenile White-bellied Sea Eagle, which gave good flyby views before perching on a tall tree further away.

Chinese Goshawk - female

White-bellied Sea Eagle - juvenile

Other confiding birds at Tai Tong includes a mob of Red-billed Blue Magpies, a common species that I still love seeing up close, a few were feeding in a picnic area on the ground. A large flock of Greater Necklaced Laughingthrush were also unusually confiding, this species is not very often photogenic, but these were feeding just a few metres away from me.

Red-billed Blue Magpie

Greater Necklaced Laughingthrush

I didn't find anything new around my local patch, but a Two-barred Warbler at Tai Mei Tuk Family Walk was a nice bird to see, it however made a very Greenish like call which confused me to begin with, but overall plumage fits Two-barred more. It was seen actively feeding with a few Swinhoe's White-eyes and Rufous-capped Babblers, later it perched up to preen which allowed some decent photos to be taken. This is a fairly late individual which stayed till May, but latest date recorded in Hong Kong is 15th of May.

Two-barred Warbler

Barred Cuckoo Dove and Other Goodies

We are just past mid-way point of Spring Migration, giving us a new sets of migrants. Other than the regular migrants, I received a nice surprise one day at Tai Mei Tuk Catchment in form of an adult female Barred Cuckoo Dove, a rare species in Hong Kong recorded sporadically. This species is widespread in mainland China, I have seen them many times in places like Jiangxi. I found the bird by pure luck, as I must have startled it while it was feeding on a fruiting tree, it flew up and perched on an open branch for around 10 seconds before it flew off, just enough time for me to get a photo! They are a stunning looking species and I do hope they can establish a resident population in Hong Kong someday.

Barred Cuckoo Dove - a brief encounter

The fruiting tree was later identified as Syzygium levinei, a species belonging to the family Myrtaceae, the fruit is obviously attracts a lot of birds as few dozens of Eyebrowed Thrushes, Japanese Thrushes and a single Brown-headed Thrush continues to be recorded here, although none of them really photographable.

Syzygium levinei

Other good birds at the catchment includes Oriental Cuckoos, I believe there were more than one individual, one of which decided to let me take a few photographs. Like all cuckoos, they are usually very shy, so I was very glad this one allowed some good looks before disappearing again up the slope.

Oriental Cuckoo

Another species passing through in great numbers at the moment is the Chinese Sparrowhawk, or as most birders in Hong Kong known as the Chinese Goshawk. This attractive little accipter can be quite approachable sometimes, especially those that just landed, a few of these showed well along the catchment, while many more flew overhead. This species is highly migratory, where some winter as far south as Java and migrate all the way back to China or Korea to breed. This species is sexually dimorphic, males have completely dark eyes while females have yellow eyes, both equally attractive.

Chinese Goshawk - male

Chinese Goshawk - female

I also enjoyed prolonged views of a Crested Goshawk the other day, a common species that I can never get bored of. This species is fairly adaptive and can be found in all sorts of habitats, including urban parks.

Crested Goshawk

Two species of Flowerpeckers have been seen along the catchment, including the very common but beautiful Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker, which I managed a good photo of a male the other day. The other one is the drab looking but scarce Plain Flowerpecker. Flowerpeckers are best detected by their 'tic-tic-tic' calls, but these contact calls are difficult to identify down to species, their songs however are quite distinct and is useful for identification if you don't get a good view.

Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker - male

Plain Flowerpecker

With the Ashy Minivets now gone, only Scarlet and Grey-chinned Minivets remains, both species should be breeding right about now. I also explored the Tai Mei Tuk Family Walk recently, where I found a pair of Orange-headed Thrush, a scarce resident that I hope maybe breeding in the area.

Scarlet Minivet - female

Orange-headed Thrush - female

The peak for most flycatchers ends around late April, Narcissus or Blue-and-White Flycatchers are replaced by dozens of Grey-streaked Flycatchers, I had over 7 birds in just one tree! Hainan Blue Flycatchers remain vocal and abundant, although I have yet seen any breeding pairs in the area.

Grey-streaked Flycatcher

Hainan Blue Flycatcher - male

The first brood of Collared Crow may have already fledged as I saw a juvenile bird the other day, although I couldn't get a photo of it, but I see them along the catchment quite often, I suspect they make their nests further up the slope. Grey Treepies are abundant here as always, for some reason this species is often very shy in Hong Kong, even though they are common along the catchment I don't get to see them everytime, and I am always happy if I manage a decent photo.

Collared Crow

Grey Treepie