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

A what Lark now?

A full day tour with two guests ended on an interesting bird, interesting in that I had almost no clue what it was when I first got my eyes on it! We were looking at a few Red-throated Pipit at Long Valley, the sun was setting and we've just had excellent views of a few Greater Painted Snipes. Just as we were about to call it a day, I noticed a small bird feeding along the edge of a muddy field. It was clearly a lark, but I was not entirely sure what kind of lark it was. Traditionally, Eurasian Skylark is our default lark species, while Oriental Skylarks are rare, along with other larks. Although I have never seen one before, this bird struck me as a good candidate for a Short-toed Lark of some kind. I scrambled for some photos, hoping to get as many details of the bird as I possibly could. We had it in good view for over 15 minutes, before it flew off to another field and disappeared. Ultimately, I narrowed it down to either an Asian or Mongolian Short-toed Lark, given the lack of primary projection, it seems more likely to be the latter. Geoff Carey later sent the photos to Per Alstrom for his comments, and he also think it is a Mongolian Short-toed Lark. If accepted, this will likely be the forth record in Hong Kong, a great way to start spring migration with a lifer in Hong Kong! Sadly the bird was never refound the next day, so I felt blessed to have been able to see this rarity!

Mongolian Short-toed Lark - a real surprise and short staying rarity

Oriental Pratincoles are also a typical spring migrant, I saw a few at my survey site, but many have reported upward of a few dozens in various fish pond areas. Its always lovely to see them glide around gracefully.

Oriental Pratincole

There wasn't anything 'new' around Mai Po, so I didn't really take any photos. The best bird was perhaps the long staying Brown-headed Gull, which i managed to see one day out on the mudflat, but it was too far for any photos. An Eastern Buzzard perched at close range provided good photo opportunity of this common raptor. A Eurasian Kestrel came through Lok Ma Chau village one afternoon and perched on the houses nearby, before getting mobbed by a few starlings and flew off.

Eastern Buzzard

Eurasian Kestrel

Otherwise, Tai Po Kau have been my 'go to' place lately. It is conveniently close for me, and the range of species on show have been quite good of late. The star bird of course being the White-spectacled Warblers, here are two different individuals, first an intermediate morph with slight greyish tint to the crown, and a full green crown morph for comparison. I have not been able to get any good photos of the proper grey-crowned morph despite having seen it a few times in the last few months.

White-spectacled Warbler - intermediate morph

White-spectacled Warbler - green crowned morph

The Hume's Warbler around picnic area two never showed very well, often staying too high up to get a proper view. It came down a bit lower one day for me to at least grab a record shot, while Hume's Warbler looks very similar to Yellow-browed in general, the call is often easy enough to identify, and often the safest way to separate between the two species.

Hume's Warbler

Chinese Barbets have been calling almost constantly of late, although seeing it remains a real challenge, got lucky with one calling near the top of the red walk, where trees are slightly lower, it still took us nearly 15 minutes to locate it, once located it showed amazingly well for as long as we wanted.

Chinese Barbet - a real treat to get good looks at

Its been an absolutely terrible winter for thrushes, there were not many around and those that were around never showed very well. Both Grey-backed and Japanese Thrushes can be found around Tai Po Kau, although without a fruiting tree chances of seeing them well is low. Other remaining winter visitors such as Rufous-tailed Robin and Verditer Flycatchers are perhaps slightly easier to see, with some of the robins now in song as their departure approaches.

Grey-backed Thrush

Japanese Thrush

Black-winged Cuckooshrikes, Grey-headed Canary-Flycatchers, Verditer Flycatcher and Rufous-tailed Robins are all regular winter visitors, with spring fast approaching I believe some of them will depart Hong Kong soon enough, with some of the robins now in song as their departure approaches.

Black-winged Cuckooshrike

Grey-headed Canary Flycatcher

Verditer Flycatcher - male

Rufous-tailed Robin

Rhodolea blooms are coming to an end, with just a few flowers remaining. Flowering Bombax now takes over, and those around Tai Po Kau Park attracts a good variety of birds to visit, including a Black Bulbul.

Orange-bellied Leafbird - male

Black Bulbul

The "standard" cast of local birds are always great fun to watch, and challenging at the same time to get good views of each of them. But, the sense of relieve and accomplishment is hard to compare when you finally get a good look at these forest dwellers. Funny how things have changed and Speckled Piculet is now part of the regular birds in Hong Kong.

Mountain Bulbul

Silver-eared Mesia

Huet's Fulvetta

Streak-breasted Scimitar-Babbler

Velvet-fronted Nuthatch

Black-throated Laughingthrush

Pygmy Cupwing

Grey-chinned Minivet - female

Asian Tit & Grey-chinned Minivet

White-bellied Erpornis

Speckled Piculet

Finally, a singing Chinese Hwamei in full view, certainly a common species that I don't get to see that often. These songsters do become more active in spring, their melodious song can be heard around shrubby hillsides, at Tai Po Kau I only really see them around the lower reaches and bushes near the park.

Chinese Hwamei

Rhodolea in Full Bloom

The Rhodolea Trees around Tai Po Kau are now in full bloom, attracting many nectar loving species to the area, Orange-bellied Leafbirds are of course the most notable and often the noisiest of the bunch. Colourful males are always a lovely model, but the bright green females are also quite interesting to look at.

Orange-bellied Leafbird - male

Orange-bellied Leafbird - female

A few Hair-crested Drongos were also attracted to the tree, being a species that are seen mostly high up near the canopy, it is always nice to see them feeding low down and at close range, where you can appreciate their peculiar plumage and crest.

Hair-crested Drongo

The various flowering trees plus lower temperature lately means birds are generally quite active, Blue-winged Minlas for example are showing very well lately, Mountain Bulbuls which rely heavily on nectar have also been very active.

Blue-winged Minla

Mountain Bulbul

Along with other 'usual suspects', Tai Po Kau is always worth going. You cannot go wrong with seeing a bird wave up close, when numerous species dances around you at close range, even if they are our common species.

White-bellied Erpornis

Huet's Fulvetta

Silver-eared Mesia

Yellow-cheeked Tit - male

Speckled Piculet

Grey-chinned Minivet - male

You are almost guarantee to see a Rufous-tailed Robin at this time of the year if you put some effort in, while not every encounter end up with a good photo, it is not too difficult to get a good look at this wintering species. Bumping into Indochinese Yuhinas however require a lot more luck, this winter visitor is more of an eruptive species, some years  you may see them everywhere, and some years you only see a few flocks, this winter seems to be the latter, and I haven't seen them as often as other winters.

Rufous-tailed Robin

Indochinese Yuhina

Getting good photos of common species like Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker is also no easy task, they generally show better if there are fruiting mistletoe plants around. Got quite lucky with this male at the car park of Tai Po Kau, where it showed exceptionally well, a real treat!

Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker - male

Over at Tai Tong, a Forest Wagtail had been reported. I went to give it a go the other day, and found it walking along the barbecue site casually. Unfortunately, this bird seems to have a deformed or broken bill, but otherwise looks healthy. It was able to catch and swallowed a grasshopper during my observation, so hopefully it is well enough to survive through the winter.

Forest Wagtail

The Black-capped Kingfisher out on the Deep Bay mudflat have been showing very well, unlike previous years where they would be hiding in the mangroves for prolonged period of time, this one perched right out in the open sometimes, occasionally flying out to catch fiddlers crabs or mudskippers, a real gem of a bird to see!

Black-capped Kingfisher

You do get a good selection of birds at this time of the year in Mai Po, while it is generally nothing hugely rare or exciting, they are some quality wintering species. Here are a few examples...

Grey Plover

Eurasian Wigeon

Black-faced Spoonbill

Black Kite & Imperial Eagle

Taiga Flycatcher

Temminck's Stint

Falcated Duck - male

Northern Lapwing

White-cheeked Starling

Oriental Storks are always a highlight of the day if you get to see them well, some days we don't see them at all, but they more often than not turn up around the reserve at some point, either resting on the scrape or soaring past our heads.

Oriental Storks

While the Black-necked Grebe is still present at Tai Sang Wai, I have not bothered taking much photos of it since it never came very close. The Bluethroat is still around, but now abandoned by the photographers, therefore retreating back into the cover, you can still see it along the track though. Zitting Cisticolas are in good numbers there, you can get quite good views of them sitting on the tall grass. You can always count on Tai Sang Wai as a regular spot to see Collared Crows, this vulnerable species can often be seen foraging around the fish ponds.

Bluethroat

Zitting Cisticola

Collared Crow

The Brown Shrike at Lok Ma Chau have stayed on and continued to show well around the farm fields, although it is becoming more unpredictable and may hide for prolonged period of time occasionally. The long staying Citrine Wagtail have also been showing quite well, it seems to get chased around by the Eastern Yellow Wagtails there, luckily it still likes to stick around the cabbage field there.

Brown Shrike

Citrine Wagtail