Autumn Heat Continuing

Autumn is officially here, but the heat decided to linger on longer, as we are still experiencing 34°C temperature regularly. Other birders have started reporting Amur Paradise Flycatcher, Yellow-rumped Flycatcher and Asian Brown Flycatchers to name a few early migrants. I visited Tai Po Kau but didn't yield much in terms of migrants, except for two Eastern Crowned Warblers which were too high up for photos, plus a single Grey Wagtail. For reasons unknown to me, Amur Paradise Flycatcher seems to have become a much harder bird there, whereas back then I would always see one or two while birding there in August. The best bird I managed was probably a Brown-breasted Flycatcher, which was found away from where everyone else have been seeing them, so this could well be a different individual.

Brown-breasted Flycatcher

Around the same area was a male Hainan Blue Flycatcher, a species that is quite easy in spring and gradually becomes trickier to find during the summer months, by the end of summer most of them have fallen silent and you don't hear their beautiful song anymore. You will more likely hear their quiet ticking call at this time of the year, which was how I picked this one up in the first place.

Hainan Blue Flycatcher - male

Other local 'goodies' were present and showed fairly well, although nothing overly excited I sitll enjoy seeing them after a long summer break from local birding.

Streak-breasted Scimitar-Babbler

Silver-eared Mesia

Yellow-cheeked Tit - male

White-bellied Erpornis

Another interesting encounter was with a Red Muntjac, while I couldn't really get a good photo, it was still nice to see.

Red Muntjac

Led a few night walks recently as the heat is slightly more manageable at night. Scolopendra hainanum seems to be out and about in good numbers, these impressive centipedes prey on quite large animals, one evening I actually saw one devouring a Gunther's Frog that it just caught.

Scolopendra hainanum

I don't often see Indian Fritillary sleeping, so it was nice to find one in the evening where I can get right up close for a photo. A Samia wangi was no doubt the most impressive moth we have seen lately, I always enjoy seeing this large and beautiful moth, although this one already had a big chunk of its hind wing likely taken off by a bat.

Indian Fritillary

Samia wangi

Two species of frogs I don't photograph as often as others, the LaTouche's Frog, also known locally as the Brown Wood Frog and the Butler's Pygmy Frog, they are definitely not as common as some of our other species, although a bit of rain usually helps draw them out.

LaTouche's Frog

Butler's Pygmy Frog

Finally, not too many exciting snakes lately, partly because I haven't really taken the time to look for any. So, these were all seen during our night walks, including a few different Mock Vipers, I have included two that I photographed, which shows how much individual variation there are within this species, they can range from yellowish, reddish to rather greyish. A juvenile Red-necked Keelback was also nice to see, I do find them to be more attractive than the adults.

Mock Viper - more yellowish individual

Mock Viper - quite a dark individual

Red-necked Keelback

Spring Migrants - Making Us Work Extra Hard...

The thing with migration is that you never really know what to expect, some years maybe extremely good with migrants everywhere, some years you get a few weeks of practically nothing. This year was one of those, where continued north easterly winds seems to have affected the birds somehow. Things were relatively slow going, the usual migrant magnet at Ho Man Tin been getting barely any flycatchers. My local patch was fairing no better, with very little movements. A Crested Goshawk and Grey-faced Buzzard was about the best I managed at Tai Mei Tuk Catchment.

Crested Goshawk

Grey-faced Buzzard

I tried Ng Tung Chai one day, again it was great habitat with no migrants occupying it. Managed some photos of common forest species, such as some confiding Rufous-capped Babbler and a pair of nesting Streak-breasted Scimitar Babblers, this one carrying a legless Spider back to its young.

Rufous-capped Babbler

Streak-breasted Scimitar Babbler

Lok Ma Chau Village was slightly better, with a few 'Swintail' Snipes feeding on the lettuce field, couldn't get a good photo of their tail fanned out though, so can't confirm their ID. A single Plaintive Cuckoo was in song, flying around the fields and houses. A few Greater Painted Snipes were very well hidden in the fields, while a single Chinese Penduline Tit was all that remains along the reedbed.

'Swintail' Snipe

Plaintive Cuckoo - male

Greater Painted Snipe - female

Chinese Penduline Tit

Things started to improve on 16th, at Mai Po we saw the arrival of a male Ruff, a species that is far more uncommon now than it was used to. Most individuals passing through Hong Kong are juveniles, so a male was quite a nice surprise. Most waders were chased off by an Eastern Marsh Harrier off the mudflat when the tide came in.

Ruff - male with assorted waders

Ruff - inflight

Eastern Marsh Harrier

At least two Chinese Egrets were still present on the mudflat, this is a species I can hardly get bored of, they certainly are the most elegant of all egrets in Hong Kong!

Chinese Egret

While a Japanese Paradise Flycatcher was reported at Tai Po Kau, I couldn't connect with it. A friendly pair of Black Bulbul was probably the best bird I managed here. The pair seems to be engaging in some courtship display and in the process of looking for suitable nest site. While a relatively common winter visitor to Hong Kong, not many of them breed here. This is by far the closest encounter I have with them.

Black Bulbul

Though there weren't that many migrants around, Tai Po Kau is still easily one of the best site for forest birds in Hong Kong, here is a good range of species you can expect to see on a single visit. Other than the common resident species, Hainan Blue Flycatchers make any spring time visit a truly delightful experience.

Velvet-fronted Nuthach

Silver-eared Mesia

Pygmy Cupwing

Huet's Fulvetta

Great Barbet

Hainan Blue Flycatcher - male

Thanks to Captain's tip, I managed to get a male Japanese Paradise Flycatcher at Jordan Valley, this site is not quite known for birds but with suitable habitat it can be a good place to look for migrating flycatchers. This male was a little shy, only showed briefly after I waited nearly three hours. A more surprising find was a juvenile male Yellow-rumped Flycatcher, this species is more common in autumn, and quite rare in spring, unfortunately this was not the adult male I was hoping for. A pair of Blue Whistling Thrush was also nesting nearby, allowing quite close views as they forage along the stream.

Japanese Paradise Flycatcher - male

Yellow-rumped Flycatcher - juvenile male

Blue Whistling Thrush

Summer Variety Show - Birds & Wildlife

 Summer is the quiet season for birds, but it is rarely completely birdless, at Mai Po at least 5 Oriental Pratincoles were present on the scrape, at least 2 of them were young juveniles, which got me wondering whether they are breeding in Hong Kong? Or perhaps these are from somewhere nearby? I missed the Little Curlew that was present for a few days, which was likely the most interesting bird of June.

Oriental Pratincole

A few waders remained, including a few Great Knots, Common Greenshanks as well as numerous Black-tailed Godwits. The Greater Painted Snipes on the scrape were very active, with a few showing well in front of hide 3.

Great Knots & Common Greenshanks

Greater Painted Snipe - female

While there are no confirmed breeding records of Intermediate Egrets in Hong Kong, we do see them throughout the summer months, so perhaps they are breeding somewhere and we are just looking at the wrong places. Yellow Bitterns on the other hand is most definitely a breeder in Hong Kong, where they frequent places like Mai Po with a good coverage of reed beds. 

Intermediate Egret

Yellow Bittern

I explored the area above Nam Chung with much 'success', including many breeding species, Grey Treepies are very common in the area, as well as numerous Hainan Blue Flycatchers in song, Fire-breasted Flowerpeckers are slightly scarcer in the summer months, I was delighted to find quite a few present. Whereas Chestnut-winged Cuckoo continues to be one of the better birds of summer. I encountered quite a lot of Indochinese Green Magpies lately, although none of them were photographable.

Grey Treepie

Hainan Blue Flycatcher - male

Fire-breasted Flowerpecker - male

Chestnut-winged Cuckoo

I also covered the Disneyland Resort over a weekend, although nothing particularly interesting was noted, Sooty-headed Bulbuls, Crested Mynas and Greater Coucals were amongst some of the local resident species that frequents the area.

Sooty-headed Bulbul - juvenile

Crested Myna

Greater Coucal

One of the more interesting 'wildlife' in the area are the increasingly common Blue-crested Lizards, this attractive reptile likely ended up in Hong Kong by hitchhiking on exotic plants. The largest feral population is currently around Disneyland, with several other reported elsewhere. Whether this species have any significant impact on the local wildlife remains to be seen, but its bigger size likely means it will out compete with local lizard species such as the Changeable Lizard.

Blue-crested Lizard

Changeable Lizard

The much needed rain likely revived the breeding of many frogs in Hong Kong, here are a few I encountered on casual outings throughout the month, including Butler's Pygmy Frog, Marbled Pygmy Frog, Hong Kong Whipping Frog and Short-legged Toad.

Butler's Pygmy Frog

Marbled Pygmy Frog

Hong Kong Whipping Frog

Short-legged Toad

I've encountered quite a few snakes of late, but none were quite as friendly and photogenic as this White-spotted Slug Snake, surely one of the most docile snake species in Hong Kong.

White-spotted Slug Snake

I have not been finding many new spider species of late, but my latest addition is perhaps one that's been on the top of my wanted list the longest, the highly unusual Asianopis zhuanghaoyuni, it is related to the Ogre-faced Spider which they share similar appearance. Unfortunately I did not have the proper gear to photograph it's unusual face on that very day, perhaps next time!

Asianopis zhuanghaoyuni

Late last month was also the peak for the firefly Curtos fulvocapitalis, it was quite the spectacle to witness hundreds dancing around the tall grass and abandoned farmland. There are not that many good habitat left for fireflies in Hong Kong, with increasing light pollution these remnant farmland and freshwater wetlands are important breeding grounds for these wonderful creatures.

Curtos fulvocapitalis