HK Wetland Park 26 Aug 2018 - early flycatchers

An adult Yellow-rumped Flycatcher was reported yesterday in my patch, a plumage which we haven’t seen before (Tung and I saw or ringed plenty female or first winter male), so I tried this morning and lunchtime mainly for the adult male flycatcher.

Workers were cutting grass this morning so did not manage to see anything in yesterday’s spot. Still, the first flycatcher of the day was a Brown-chested Jungle Flycatcher in exactly where I saw the paradise and male hainan few days ago, sadly only seen briefly, but the overall brownish plumage with a clean white throat, rather striking longish bill help making the ID (I was attracted by the bill and throat at first moment so didn’t notice the leg color, which should be distinctively pinkish, while the bill was a bit dirty, unlike a full adult which showing yellow lower mandible hence very likely to be a first winter bird).

Shortly after the flycatcher, another pink-legged bird showed - a Pale-legged/Sakhalin Leaf Warbler. The warbler didn’t call at all so not good for an ID. However, it looked like more responsive to PL’s playback than Sak’s so I ‘bet’ for Pale-legged.

Pale-legged / Sakhalin Leaf Warbler - most of the features were blocked.. lucky not many phyllo showing pinkish legs

I spent my whole lunchtime in the spot where I saw the different flycatchers recently and finally bumped into the male Yellow-rumped Flycatcher, and allowed me to get a record shot. It is quite impossible to identify an adult male YR wrongly (!) even without a photo, anyway a beautiful male.

Last migant of today was a female Hainan Blue Flycatcher, showed a bit longer than the BC Jungle Flycatcher so I could take a photo. (the male Hainan and Amur Paradise were clearly gone)

I only saw 3 flycatcher species in my patch last whole season (Asian Brown, Taiga and Yellow-rumped) while I already got 4 before Sept (Amur Paradise, Hainan, Jungle, YR), hopefully it will be a much better season than the last boring year, 14 species more to go to reach my 200th mark before I leave. [Swinhoe’s Snipe please, or I don’t mind a Gray’s Grasshopper]

adult male Yellow-rumped Flycatcher

female Hainan Blue Flycatcher - showing much more buffish underpart and shorter bill than Brown-chested Jungle Flycatcher, which is also a Cyornis. Maybe I can get a better focus if I buy the D850 and 500 PF?

best of the shot of today: Fifi