Locustella Heaven - Telford Garden

For all warbler fanatics out there, Locustella warblers are always some of the trickiest to see. In Hong Kong you will often find these skulkers in fields, near fish ponds or mangroves, on passage they can literally turn up anywhere, and one of the most peculiar places to find these skulkers is the garden area just outside of Telford Garden mall, an area no bigger than two basketball court, I call it the magic flowerbeds. After the incredible Baikal Bush Warbler back in 2017, Telford have been consistently producing several Locustella each year, usually Pallas's or Lanceolated Warblers. This year, a Middendorff's Grasshopper Warbler turned up, this is only the 9th record for Hong Kong and 3rd field observation record! It is also a lifer for me.

Middendorff's Grasshopper Warbler

On the first day I only managed to see the bird and grabbed a few record shots, it was relatively shy and wasn't easy to see. The bird settled in after a few days and became more and more friendly. On my 3rd visit the bird finally showed well, walking along the edge of the flower beds foraging for food.

Middendorff's Grasshopper Warbler - showing well

With most birders having no or very little field experience with Middendorff's Grasshopper Warblers, the bird caused a little bit of confusion at first. But most features points more Middendorff's than Pallas's, such as no dark streaking on the throat or breast, streaking on mantle also rather faint. This bird also lacks any prominent contrasty markings on the crown, which you will often find on Pallas's. The yellowish tone on the underside of this individual suggests this as a 1st winter bird.

Middendorff's Grasshopper Warbler - a good look at all its key features

For our convenience, at least one or two Pallas's Grasshopper Warbler were always present nearby, occasionally chasing one another. In comparison to the Middendorff's, the Pallas's mantle and crown is heavily streaked, with a more rusty coloured rump, streakings on throat and breast also visible. In the field the Middendorff's looked very slightly chunkier than the Pallas's present, although this may not be particularly useful when seen elsewhere.

Pallas's Grasshopper Warbler

The final Locustella warbler present was a Lanceolated, it showed briefly and skulked within the taller grass, I have always found them to be the most attractive of the bunch, you can see here the more dark olive tone and fine streaking on both flank and breast. Other warblers present was a single Black-browed Reed Warbler, although it didn't allow me to take a photo.

Lanceolated Warbler

The garden is of course filled with many Eurasian Tree Sparrows, of which the warblers often mixed with, being similar sized and colour many photographers get confused...although their behaviour is very much different, whereas the sparrow jumps, the Locustella warblers walks along the ground much like pipits. The most surprising bird there was perhaps a Ruddy-breasted Crake, skulking around in the flower bed, migrating individuals really can turn up anywhere...

Eurasian Tree Sparrow

Ruddy-breasted Crake - no doubt the strangest bird to turn up there so far...

Long Valley - Buntings and A bit More

I've always found November quite a good time to visit Long Valley, with late autumn migrants still passing through as well as arriving winter visitors, it is usually teaming with life. This year it's no exception, with a good variety of interesting birds on show. One of which was the Black-headed Bunting which had been around, I finally caught up with one last week. Funny thing was that a few days later when I visited again the same bird had already been ringed by the bird ringing group of HKBWS, number A13. This species used to be much rarer in Hong Kong, but seems to have became a regular winter visitor ever since they replanted rice.

Black-headed Bunting - before and after ringing

Other buntings were in good numbers, I missed the Yellow-browed Bunting that a few birders saw, but there were plenty of Black-faced Buntings and Chestnut-eared Buntings around the paddies.

Black-faced Bunting

Chestnut-eared Bunting

Of course, you can't leave out the Yellow-breasted Buntings which had been in fairly good numbers, although nothing like what we used to have...I counted a flock of 9 birds flying together, but considering there were probably more in the paddies, my estimated count will be around 15 - 20 birds. I saw plenty enjoying a good meal in the paddies, a clear demonstration why they are called the "rice birds" in China. The other birds also enjoying the extra food at the harvested paddies were a few Oriental Turtle Dove, all of which were pretty confiding as they munched on the left over rice.

Yellow-breasted Bunting - male and female

Oriental Turtle Dove

House Sparrows attracted a few birders to "twitch", a male soon appeared not long after the reported female, they foraged together with the Tree Sparrows. I personally don't find them very exciting, but a nice rarity to have around anyway (yes I guess I can be very ungrateful sometimes). The other rarity on site being the Black Redstart, but since I had already seen it a few times plus taken good photographs I didn't bother too much looking for it.

House Sparrow - male

The Ruddy-breasted Crake had been showing well. It even came out to the open to preen and stretch it's wings for me one afternoon! It was a weekday and no one was around, I guess it feels much safer with less disturbance. Oriental Reed Warblers are also in good numbers, they occasionally showed well like this one, which perched long enough for me to get a good photo. The other species that often attracts a lot of attention from birders are the Chinese Penduline Tits, I think it's because their "panda eyes" are just so cute, a few of them were visiting the same patch of paddies as the crake, one of which gave cracking views.

Ruddy-breasted Crake

Oriental Reed Warbler

Chinese Penduline Tit

Finally, a single Northern House Martin within a flock of Barn and Red-rumped Swallows. Another species that seems to have increased in numbers slightly, something to do with a shift in their migration route perhaps?

Northern House Martin

Some Birds Here and There

There's been some good birds dotted around Hong Kong but I haven't had the time to visit all of them, this is winter birding for you, always action somewhere! But first, you need to have the time to do so. Here is a post of some of the few birds I have seen around the places lately in my limited time for birding. First up are those that have been near me, including a pair of Mugimaki's Flycatchers, my favourite local wintering species! The male was a bit shy but the female provided some good views last week.

Olive-backed Pipits are back, and they can be seen walking along the forest floor at the jogging trail near home, they will fly up to the nearest tree when disturbed. The Red-flanked Bluetails are also back, quite a few of them around, all females though. A pair of Asian Stubtails had also taken up resident down in the gully, along with numerous wintering Thrushes that were all too quick for photographs! We've also seen an increased in Chinese Bulbul numbers, you often see flocks of them travelling together during winter, likely migrant flocks from further north. No Tristram's Buntings to note as yet...

At Long Valley, numbers of common birds were quite good, they all seems to be less shy during winter as well, allowing some quite good photographs taken. Especially the Common Snipe shown below, I got to around 4 meters without setting the "alarm" off! A small flock of very confiding Cattle Egrets had also taken up resident at Long Valley.

I didn't encounter anything spectacular on my visit, but a Ruddy-breasted Crake was a very welcoming sight. It was a bit shy though, not quite as friendly as the one two years ago. Little Buntings were in very good numbers and seems to have taken over as the only obliging Bunting on show at Long Valley. There were a few Black-faced Buntings as well.

Finally, I only managed a single Citrine Wagtail that day, although a rather handsome one by wintering standards. Strangely I haven't seen any at the patch of watercress field which I usually find one or two, instead they have been flying all around the places, dropping in occasionally. This was probably the reason why John missed this species when we were out birding last week, interestingly enough the second time the Citrine Wagtail had eluded him! Maybe on his next visit then...