2018年5月21日 星期一

A Big (Working) Year in HK Wetland Park: 2017-18

The Hong Kong Wetland Park is a place where ‘helped’ me meeting my beloved Wing Tung years ago, a memorable place for me and no one could predict I would work here after my graduation in Msc. My contract started on 22 May 2017, after a year, I still think this is a boring job and ‘not my cup of tea’ but I still recorded around 180 species, with some unexpected species while also dipped many expected birds.

I mainly went out during lunchtime while sometimes also in late morning or afternoon. I never try to bird at night or late evening so I did not hear or see any nightjar species. Waders were mainly recorded in spring because of the ‘habitat management’ and other passage migrants (like Yellow-rumped Flycatcher, Oriental Cuckoo or Oriental Scops Owl) usually not stayed for more than a day (or even an hour). Many trees were cut this spring so I expect there will be fewer and fewer forest birds here in future, especially when the construction nearby is done, the buildings will cause much more disturbance to the migrants. For the raptors, it is very clear I had a better autumn than spring, though missed some common species.

For the one I dipped, I expected I could see but finally missed like Temminck Stint and Whimbrel (common waders in HK), Black-capped Kingfisher (wintering in HK), Asian Azure-winged Magpie (an introduced species in Northwest HK), Japanese Sparrowhawk and Grey-faced Buzzard (uncommon passage migrants in HK), Eurasian Kestrel (the remaining falcon species in HK!), Narcissus, Amur and Japanese Paradise, Grey-streaked, Blue-and-white and Mugimaki Flycatcher (which are all common passing or wintering flycatchers in HK), also many bunting species like Little Bunting, Yellow-breasted Bunting, Black-headed Bunting etc.... I also dipped some species which recorded by others, like Greater Painted Snipe, Eurasian Skylark, Chestnut Bunting, Eurasian Jay (real one?), Oriental Pratincole, Lesser Coucal and more...

my route on 21 May 2018. My birding route in HK Wetland Park is more or less the same everyday, only affected by the tide and bird condition. There are three birdwatching hides in HKWP, I usually visit at least one, sometimes even three. In this route, I didn't go to the Northwest part and the River Hide in HKWP (not enough time with an hour lunchtime!). Birds only recorded there include Blue Whistling Thrush, Two-barred Warbler, Fujian Niltava, Chinese Spot-billed Duck etc.

For the one I have seen, the following four should be the best of the year for me in order (I cannot think of the 5th because nothing really exciting as I could not find any Manchurian Reed Warbler...):
1. Sakhalin Leaf Warbler (a tickable calling bird, the sonogram aids identification)
2. Yellow-legged Buttonquail (a skulker but finally managed to get a record shot)
3. Oriental Scops Owl (seen well in daytime)
4. Himalayan swiftlet (my first HKWP 1st, but seen several times including 5 birds for once, the bird survey team clearly overlooked many species in the past)


Here is the list for the species I saw or heard this year from 22 May 2017 to 21 May 2018 (extract from eBird), I did not bring camera everyday so not all species with photos:

1. Garganey Spatula querquedula 

2. Northern Shoveler Spatula clypeata

3. Falcated Duck Mareca falcata
- one female seen in winter

4. Eurasian Wigeon Mareca penelope

5. Eastern Spot-billed Duck Anas zonorhyncha
- one seen in autumn and winter, probably same individual

6. Northern Pintail Anas acuta

7. Eurasian Teal Anas crecca
- the Eurasian Teal is the defaulted species in HK

8. Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula

9. Japanese Quail Coturnix japonica
- one seen in autumn

10. Chinese Francolin Francolinus pintadeanus
- unexpected species, flushed a female for several times in reedbed in autumn

11. Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis

12. Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo

13. Yellow Bittern Ixobrychus sinensis

14. Schrenck's Bittern Ixobrychus eurhythmus
- one seen in autumn

15. Cinnamon Bittern Ixobrychus cinnamomeus
- common here, possible breeding


16. Grey Heron Ardea cinerea

17. Purple Heron Ardea purpurea

18. Great White Egret Ardea alba

19. Intermediate Egret Ardea intermedia

20. Chinese Egret Egretta eulophotes
- one joined a mixed egret flock (mainly Little Egret) in autumn

21. Little Egret Egretta garzetta

22. Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis

23. Chinese Pond Heron Ardeola bacchus

24. Striated Heron Butorides striata

25. Black-crowned Night-Heron Nycticorax nycticorax

26. Malayan Night-Heron Gorsachius melanolophus
- one immature seen in autumn

27. Eurasian Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia

28. Black-faced Spoonbill Platalea minor
- highest count 134 birds on 22 Dec 2017

29. Osprey Pandion haliaetus
- winter visitor

30. Crested Serpent-Eagle Spilornis cheela
- resident

31. Greater Spotted Eagle Clanga clanga
- winter visitor

32. Imperial Eagle Aquila heliaca
- winter visitor, less commoner than Greater Spotted Eagle

33. Bonelli's Eagle Aquila fasciata
- one adult and one immature seen in autumn

34. Eastern Marsh Harrier Circus spilonotus
- one immature seen in autumn

35. Pied Harrier Circus melanoleucos
- one immature seen in autumn

36. Crested Goshawk Accipiter trivirgatus
- one seen in autumn

37. Chinese Sparrowhawk Accipiter soloensis
- seen in both autumn and spring

38. Besra Accipiter virgatus
- resident

39. Eurasian Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus
- one adult female seen in winter

40. Black Kite Milvus migrans
- resident

41. White-bellied Sea-Eagle Haliaeetus leucogaster
- adult and immature seen several times in autumn

42. Eastern Buzzard Buteo japonicus
- winter visitor

43. Brown-cheeked Rail Rallus indicus
- one seen several times in autumn

44. White-breasted Waterhen Amaurornis phoenicurus

45. Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus

46. Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus

47. Pied Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta

48. Grey Plover Pluvialis squatarola

49. Pacific Golden Plover Pluvialis fulva
- spring only

50. Lesser Sand Plover Charadrius mongolus
- spring only, include one atrifrons group

51. Greater Sand Plover Charadrius leschenaultii

52. Little Ringed Plover Charadrius dubius
- with one breeding pair

53. Pheasant-tailed Jacana Hydrophasianus chirurgus
- two seen in autumn

54. Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata

55. Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa
- spring only

56. Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres
- spring only

57. Red Knot Calidris canutus
- spring only

58. Broad-billed Sandpiper Calidris falcinellus
- spring only

59. Sharp-tailed Sandpiper Calidris acuminata
- spring only

60. Curlew Sandpiper Calidris ferruginea
- spring only

61. Long-toed Stint Calidris subminuta
- spring only

62. Red-necked Stint Calidris ruficollis
- spring only

63. Asian Dowitcher Limnodromus semipalmatus
- spring only

64. Long-billed Dowitcher Limnodromus scolopaceus
- one wintering here

65. Eurasian Woodcock Scolopax rusticola
- one seen in autumn and winter, probably same individual

66. Common Snipe Gallinago gallinago

67. Swinhoe's / Pintail Snipe Gallinago megala / Gallinago stenura
- flushed several birds in autumn

68. Terek Sandpiper Xenus cinereus
- spring only

69. Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos

70. Green Sandpiper Tringa ochropus

71. Grey-tailed Tattler Tringa brevipes
- spring only

72. Spotted Redshank Tringa erythropus

73. Common Greenshank Tringa nebularia

74. Marsh Sandpiper Tringa stagnatilis

75. Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola

76. Common Redshank Tringa totanus

77. Yellow-legged Buttonquail Turnix tanki
- one seen in autumn

78. Black-headed Gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus

79. Marsh Tern Chlidonias species
- some unidentified Chlidonias species seen in spring

80. Rock Dove Columba livia

81. Oriental Turtle Dove Streptopelia orientalis

82. Eurasian Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto

83. Red Collared Dove Streptopelia tranquebarica

84. Spotted Dove Streptopelia chinensis

85. Asian Emerald Dove Chalcophaps indica
- two seen in autumn

86. Greater Coucal Centropus sinensis


87. Asian Koel Eudynamys scolopaceus

88. Plaintive Cuckoo Cacomantis merulinus
- heard only

89. Large Hawk-Cuckoo Hierococcyx sparverioides

90. Indian Cuckoo Cuculus micropterus

91. Oriental Cuckoo Cuculus optatus
- one seen in autumn

92. Collared Scops Owl Otus lettia
- one seen in daytime in autumn

93. Oriental Scops Owl Otus sunia
- one seen in daytime in autumn

94. Asian Barred Owlet Glaucidium cuculoides
- several seen in daytime, include one breeding pair

95. Himalayan Swiftlet Aerodramus brevirostris
- several seen in autumn, highest count 5 birds

96. House Swift Apus nipalensis

97. Common Kingfisher Alcedo atthis

98. White-throated Kingfisher Halcyon smyrnensis

99. Pied Kingfisher Ceryle rudis

100. Blue-tailed Bee-eater Merops philippinus
- three seen in autumn

101. Amur Falcon Falco amurensis
- seen in autumn including adult male

102. Eurasian Hobby Falco subbuteo
- one seen in autumn

103. Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus

104. Scarlet Minivet Pericrocotus speciosus

105. Ashy Minivet Pericrocotus divaricatus
- heard only

106. Brown Shrike Lanius cristatus

107. Long-tailed Shrike Lanius schach

108. Black-naped Oriole Oriolus chinensis
- seen in autumn

109. Black Drongo Dicrurus macrocercus

110. Hair-crested Drongo Dicrurus hottentottus

111. Red-billed Blue-Magpie Urocissa erythroryncha

112. Common Magpie Pica pica

113. Large-billed Crow Corvus macrorhynchos

114. Collared Crow Corvus torquatus

115. Pale Sand Martin Riparia diluta
- one seen in autumn

116. Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica

117. Red-rumped Swallow Cecropis daurica

118. Japanese Tit Parus minor

119. Chinese Penduline-Tit Remiz consobrinus


120. Red-whiskered Bulbul Pycnonotus jocosus

121. Light-vented Bulbul Pycnonotus sinensis

122. Sooty-headed Bulbul Pycnonotus aurigaster


123. Chestnut Bulbul Hemixos castanonotus
- heard only

124. Asian Stubtail Urosphena squameiceps

125. Mountain Tailorbird Phyllergates cucullatus

126. Manchurian Bush Warbler Horornis borealis

127. Brownish-flanked Bush Warbler Horornis fortipes

128. Dusky Warbler Phylloscopus fuscatus

129. Pallas's Warbler Phylloscopus proregulus

130. Yellow-browed Warbler Phylloscopus inornatus

131. Arctic Warbler Phylloscopus borealis
- safely identified by call and song in autumn and spring

132. Two-barred Warbler Phylloscopus plumbeitarsus


133. Pale-legged Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus tenellipes
- safely identified by call, mainly in autumn

134. Sakhalin Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus borealoides
- one bird in autumn safely identified by call

135. Black-browed Reed Warbler Acrocephalus bistrigiceps

136. Oriental Reed Warbler Acrocephalus orientalis

137. Pallas's Grasshopper Warbler Locustella certhiola

138. Lanceolated Warbler Locustella lanceolata

139. Large Locustella species
- one seen in Autumn

140. Russet Bush Warbler Locustella mandelli
- heard only

141. Zitting Cisticola Cisticola juncidis

142. Golden-headed Cisticola Cisticola exilis
- heard only

143. Common Tailorbird Orthotomus sutorius

144. Yellow-bellied Prinia Prinia flaviventris

145. Plain Prinia Prinia inornata

146. Japanese White-eye Zosterops japonicus

147. Masked Laughingthrush Garrulax perspicillatus

148. Chinese Hwamei Garrulax canorus

149. Asian Brown Flycatcher Muscicapa dauurica

150. Oriental Magpie-Robin Copsychus saularis


151. Fujian Niltava Niltava davidi
- one female seen in autumn

152. Rufous-tailed Robin Larvivora sibilans

153. Blue Whistling-Thrush Myophonus caeruleus

154. Siberian Rubythroat Calliope calliope

155. Yellow-rumped Flycatcher Ficedula zanthopygia
- one first winter male in autumn

156. Taiga Flycatcher Ficedula albicilla

157. Daurian Redstart Phoenicurus auroreus


158. Stejneger's Stonechat Saxicola stejnegeri

159. White's Thrush Zoothera aurea
- one seen in winter

160. Grey-backed Thrush Turdus hortulorum

161. Japanese Thrush Turdus cardis

162. Chinese Blackbird Turdus mandarinus

163. Brown-headed Thrush Turdus chrysolaus
- one seen in winter

164. Black-collared Starling Gracupica nigricollis

165. Red-billed Starling Spodiopsar sericeus

166. White-shouldered Starling Sturnia sinensis

167. White-cheeked Starling Spodiopsar cineraceus

168. Common Myna Acridotheres tristis

169. Great Myna Acridotheres grandis
- two seen in winter, introduced species

170. Crested Myna Acridotheres cristatellus

171. Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker Dicaeum cruentatum

172. Fork-tailed Sunbird Aethopyga christinae

173. Eastern Yellow Wagtail Motacilla tschutschensis

174. Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea

175. White Wagtail Motacilla alba

176. Richard's Pipit Anthus richardi

177. Olive-backed Pipit Anthus hodgsoni

178. Black-faced Bunting Emberiza spodocephala

179. Yellow-billed Grosbeak Eophona migratoria

180. Eurasian Tree Sparrow Passer montanus


181. White-rumped Munia Lonchura striata

182. Scaly-breasted Munia Lonchura punctulata



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