HK Wetland Park 28 Oct 2018 - Watercock again

Today's weather was much better than yesterday, but I needed to go back to office.

Quick birding resulted my first Daurian Redstart this season, two Lanceolated Warbler, many Black-browed Reed Warbler still, Crested Serpent Eagle and 3 Eastern Buzzard. Two flying Sand Martin (formerly recognized as Pale Martin in HK), and a single Oriental Pratincole, the latter was a new in my patch for me.

Crested Serpent Eagle

Oriental Pratincole - not a Collared because of no white trailing edge, nor Black-winged because of no black underwing (I have 0.5s thought of Black-winged as this photo showed 'blackish' underwing)

and clearly this is just lighting problem

Sand Martin - their status (together with Pale Martin) and identification still need more study

I also flushed an interesting bunting, large-sized and very pale, probably Black/Red-headed Bunting in winter plumage.

Surprisingly, the female Watercock was still there (what a skulking bird), but again just flushed....

trust me, this is a Watercock

Mai Po 27 Oct 2018 - European Golden Plover

Wing Tung and I twitched the first European Golden Plover in HK few years back, a very memorable twitch in autumn. This year, another bird came and we went for it today, especially Brenda needed this one. Also, we could try cycling in Mai Po as well!

first time cycling in Mai Po, and first time trying sharebike as well!

The day began with some common waders, and not long before we found the European Golden Plover! 

Whimbrel with strange bill length and shape

Common Redshank with crab

our first view of the plover. The 23X scope is not bad indeed...

European Golden Plover - a photo by liveview of D850

European Golden Plover - the twitch last time was much more exciting

European Golden Plover as see here, much bulkier look

European Golden Plover, far but closer than our twitch last time

and the distinctive white axillaries of European Golden Plover, separated from greyish axillaries of Pacific Golden Plover

Greater Sand Plover

Common Sandpiper

Eurasian Curlew

nice perching White Wagtail

Black-faced Spoonbill with Little Egret

Black-faced Spoonbill in flight

Good twitch for Brenda but still bad air quality and lighting!

Some more birds but really nothing interesting.. Nice male Siberian Rubythroat, some Eastern Marsh Harrier.... Hopefully better birds in Nov.

The full list as here: https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S49484047

HK Wetland Park 26 Oct 2018 - normal day normal owl

Weather was not really good for birding today, hot with heavy air pollution.

greyish sky

Nothing special, as expected, no Amur Falcon, no bittern. Collared Scops Owl should be the most interesting found of the day.

it is always difficult to bird inside bamboo....

until you find an owl - Collared Scops Owl

Chinese Pond Heron

Black-winged Stilt, Northern Pintail and Garganey

HKUST 23 Oct 2018 - annual lecture

We dipped the Green-backed Flycatcher in Ho Man Tin, as expected, so wait for the next one like the Manchurian Reed maybe. A very boring morning and nothing worth mentioning as you can see here:
https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S49386661

Anyway, we did have a nice breakfast...👻

In afternoon, it was my honor to be invited by Dr. Cheng for giving a talk in UG course again this year. I did learn a lot when sharing our experience too. And I walked an hour after the lecture, the best bird was White-bellied Sea Eagle, a species we watched together here too.

a route Tung and I visited plenty times, even nothing rare were seen, watching common residents was one of our way to relax from academic stress.

HKUST is definitely one of the most memorable places for me (and also the best university to me). Wing Tung was not graduated from here, but we did laugh, cry, learn, bird, eat.. together, and she accompanied me in my whole university life.

I seldom buy flowers as gifts. I prefer taking photo, this is for Tung.

Blue Whistling Thrush - I showed Tung my 'iphone digiscoping' skill in the same spot, with the same species. After few years, my skill maybe the same but different binoculars. 

Photo by iPhone 6+ with Noctivid

Full moon today, digiscoping again. Without Wing Tung's support, I will never be a better man. 

A wish to the moon, wish I can sacrifice for her in any circumstances. 

Full list in HKUST today:

https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S49388352

HK Wetland Park 22 Oct 2018 - Yellow-legged Buttonquail

Turnicidae is one of our favorite families, they are super cute and Wing Tung and I bumped into several Yellow-legged Buttonquail before but getting one photo is extremely difficult, until a record shot last year.

I was told there was a buttonquail species was seen in my patch today so I went to have a look in lunchtime, finally saw one Yellow-legged Buttonquail in good view but bad photo (my second time to take a shot).

Yellow-legged Buttonquail - still can see the yellow leg....

No hobby today but 5 Amur Falcon were seen after flushing the button.

5 Amur Falcon

Amur Falcon

Amur Falcon

For other migrants, the Sakhalin, Two-barred and Eastern-crowned Warbler were still there. 

two Common Snipe

the same Chinese Pond Heron

Twitching mode is on and wish us the best.

HK Wetland Park 21 Oct 2018 - extra working day

Today was my extra working day, so I did some ‘extra birding’.

The most unexpected founds were Lesser Coucal, my 201th, an immature bird flushed and Eastern Crowned Warbler, my 202th.

Eastern Crowned Warbler - note the crown, greyish head, pale lower mandible and the yellowish vent

Two-barred Warbler - supercilium reaching base of bill, pale lower mandible, two wing bars, dark legs, still best confirmed by call

and some raptors..

Besra - female showing yellowish iris, and the evenly distributed black-and-white tail bar separated from Japanese

Japanese Sparrowhawk - five fingers and long wing

Eurasian Hobby - saw quite a number this season

some land birds too👾...

where is the bird? Answer below

Richard Pipit - longish bill and median coverts pattern separated from Blyth's. Again, best by call as here. The habitat in my patch looks good for Blyth's though.

Scaly-breasted Munia - best photo of the day

no good birds but nice sky

Two checklists today:
https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S49331945
https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S49334032

HK Wetland Park 19 Oct 2018 - #200

Not a really special or fruitful day but I finally met the #200 mark in my patch, a good ending in my working life here.

The 199th is Yellow-breasted Bunting, a nice male perched on reed. I am surprised this was my only second (identifiable) Emberiza species here, the first one was Black-faced Bunting.

male Yellow-breasted Bunting - birds here are never photoable

Chinese Pond Heron with Geolocator

My 200th in this patch is Common Kestrel, the final Falco species (we don’t have Merlin [one of Tung's dream birds] or Saker [one of my dream birds], yet), a distant hovering falcon which left the only choice.

Common Kestrel - hovering to hunt

HK Wetland Park 18 Oct 2018 - normal day with two owls

A really boring day with just a distant Falco - probably Eurasian Hobby as the long winged shape, and an immature Japanese Sparrowhawk.

long-winged falcon

Bubuls have keen eyes and they mobbed two Collared Scops Owl, which made the day.

Collared Scops Owl