San Tin and Long Valley 8 Nov 2018 - Scaup and Greenfinch

We went to San Tin and Long Valley today and did some causal birding. The Pallas's Reed Bunting has gone, but we still managed to see Pied Harrier, a Japanese Quail and the Greater Scaup - a species I forget when did we see last time, probably the one which Fai Gor told me to see, but no memory.

Common Pochard - a long staying female

Eurasian Teal - sometimes I think too much about the identification and get wrong in common species

Japanese Quail - only photo... we still need better photos

Greater Scaup - the head pattern is quite distinct among the Tufted Duck

Greater Scaup - compare to other Tufted Duck we could see the head structure difference, which is more rounded in Greater Scaup

Greater Scaup with two Tuftie

Raptor time - Greater Spotted Eagle, very distant...

Pied Harrier - came to say hi again

Pied Harrier

Afternoon, Long Valley was quieter. Again the Japanese Quail, a single Black-headed Bunting and Brown-cheeked Rail. We saw two Oriental Greenfinch in flight too - another species I forget when did we see 'ticked', luckily, we got our eBird record today.

Black-headed Bunting - note the strong bill and streaky crown, also yellow vent. Not as tame as the Red-headed Tung and I saw in LV few years back.

Brown-cheeked Rail as Eastern Water Rail - Tung and I tried to wake at 4am to twtich some crakes in LV, but no need now. Brown-cheeked Rail is getting commoner and commoner in HK

San Tin:
https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S49749501

Long Valley:
https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S49750521