2018年4月19日 星期四

Mai Po 19 Apr 2018 - wader day again

We went to Mai Po again today mainly for the Styan's Grasshopper Warbler (Brenda needs a better tick), the same individual was still there but sadly just a poor view today.

The tide was above 2.6m today, making photography and wader watching challenging as the birds rushed back to the inner ponds. The best bird of today was no doubt the Spoon-billed Sandpiper in breeding plumage, found by Brenda (a compensation for the naughty Styan's?), but also a bird I dipped..... The spoonie just came and landed less than 10 seconds, even shorter than the Buff-breasted Sandpiper, which was the first HK 1st for me and was found exactly the same day three years ago... (my beloved also dipped for the BBS but luckily we saw the second one together later)

The full checklist is here: https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S44713822

Terek Sandpiper, a rather easy wader species

Terek Sandpiper, the orange legs are diagnostic

Sharp-tailed Sandpiper with Terek Sandpiper, reddish cap is one of the features of Sharp-tailed Sadnpiper

Red-necked Stint, as you can see there is no webbing between toes, eliminate the western peeps (This bird showed a thick bill, with mud maybe, giving me an impression of Semipalmated Sandpiper at first! Of course, other features are wrong)

two Curlew Sandpiper, there were so many flying insects when the tide rushing in


Common Redshank, in summer plumage, very different to the Spotted Redshank

few species in one shot: Black-faced Spoonbill, Greater and Lesser Sand Plover, Gull-billed Tern and a Black-headed Gull

Far-eastern Curlew, an endangered species, with a Gull-billed Tern

a Common Sandpiper in summer plumage, more strongly pattern above. The tide covered this patch finally.

Little Curlew, my second time to see this species in Mai Po, told from Whimbrel by shorter bill and paler lore

how many waders species here? the main character is Nordmann's Greenshank, the paler one on the right, the upperparts pattern is different to similar Common Greenshank, also shorter legs and smaller body. I haven't seen any full breeding Nordmann's nor taken any good shots of Nordmann's in any plumage, so needa try more before writing an ID post. (here is a good reference for separating the two Greenshank: http://www.shanghaibirding.com/2016/09/18/nordmanns-primer/

Greater White-fronted Goose, a long staying goose in Mai Po

last bird of today, Stejneger's Stonechat (molting to summer plumage. In stonechats, the summer plumage is probably 'molted' by abrasion). The presumed stonechat in Hong Kong is Stejneger's Stonechat stejnegeri, but the similar Siberian Stonechat maurus (some authors treated as two separated species) can come to Hong Kong in theory. This male showed a very bright white rump and reminded me to do more study about the identification of chats (I admit I love shorebirds and gulls more, also warblers) Should I reclassify all stonechats I see into 'Siberian Stonechat species' before more research?




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