Not just birds: 2018

2018年12月31日星期一

Mai Po & Tai Po Kau 31 Dec 2018 - birding with Blackpipi

Our birding friend of Taiwan - Blackpipi Pan has come to HK this week so we went birding with him today - on the final day of 2018, first to Mai Po and then Tai Po Kau, seeing completely different species.

Migrants are somehow similar between HK and Taiwan so not really many lifer ticks in Mai Po. We saw Asian House Martin, an escaped male gumgum - Yellow-fronted Canary and other noticeable founds were two Greater Spotted Eagle, Kestrel, some Western Osprey, Eastern Marsh Harrier and Eastern Buzzard. Tide was not good so we did not go for boardwalk.

Blackpipi also found a strange bird, though we couldn’t see that - a blue-and-yellow flycatcher which its yellowish underparts do not extend to the chin, probably a Chinese Blue Flycatcher, which has been recorded before in Mai Po too.

The best ‘lifer’ in Mai Po should be a very big python with its diameter larger than 20cm.......

We then made a quick visit to Tai Po Kau at around 2pm. As expected not really very birdy but the green-crowned White-spectacled Warbler (but still untickable view!), Hartert’s Leaf Warbler, plenty Chestnut Bulbul were the best of boring forest!

Wish you have a good time in HK and see you soon again in Taiwan!

Checklist of Mai Po: https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S51109126
Cheklist of Tai Po Kau: https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S51110847

Greater Spotted Eagle by iPhone

2018年12月30日星期日

Lung Fu Shan 30 Dec 2018 - White-tailed Robin

White-tailed Robin is a common breeder in East and SE Asia, but unexpectedly uncommon in HK, especially some records were treated as escapees. There has been a female being fed well in Lung Fu Shan and so we made a short visit this morning. This is not a HK tick nor lifer but we were willing to get some photos which are much better than the Cheung Chau female last time.

Checklist with nothing more special: https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S51069260

White-tailed Robin

White-tailed Robin - this species is really common outside HK....

White-tailed Robin - the diagnostic tail pattern makes no difficulty in ID

White-tailed Robin - this is a first winter female, as seen by the overall brownish plumage and pale tips in greater coverts. Male should show at least some blue in this time of year. Many White-tailed Robin records in HK were treated as escapees. For this one, plumage is perfect, at least the 12 tail feathers are good-looking - wild!

White-tailed Robin - feeding on ground as other robin

2018年12月24日星期一

Mount Davis 23 Dec 2018 - rainy streaky

A hard day yesterday so we preferred easy birding, Mount Davis is a good choice for HK Island residents like us. Our target is simple, the ID debating Yellow-streaked Warbler. To me, the ID is quite straight forward even we couldn't get National Geographic shots.

And more important, without Chelsea's help, these photos would be much more unacceptable.... Millions thanks!

Checklist: https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S50885228

Yellow-streaked Warbler - the yellow streaks are very hard to be seen... but bill is smaller and more pointed than Radde's

Yellow-streaked Warbler - can you see my streaks

Yellow-streaked Warbler

Yellow-streaked Warbler - to us, the call and morphology are very Yellow-streaked. A difficult identification question but no doubt that this cutie gave us a relaxing day.

Yellow-streaked Warbler - maybe wing formula can help?

Red-whiskered Bulbul - a fatty one

2018年12月22日星期六

Tai Po Kau 22 Dec 2018 - winter festival

Today is the day with the longest darkness in the year, we spent our half day in Tai Po Kau, not a very productive day. Bird of the day should be a Seicercus (now is rerecognised as Phylloscopus), probably a White-spectacled, but very brief view so remain unidentified, a species we could never tick together.

The full list: https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S50855105

Huet's Fulvetta

2018年12月20日星期四

Tai Po Kau 19 Dec 2018 - the forestry season started

23 times for the White-spectacled Warbler and all failed should be an impressive birding record for Tung and me. Recently there were (again) plenty White-spectacled Warbler and few Sulphur-breasted Warbler recorded in Tai Po Kau so we made a first visit this season, and mainly for better photos of the latter.

The result? Brown Shrike, Black-winged Cuckooshrike, Pygmy Cupwing etc etc. No White-spectacled nor Sulphur-breasted, the only Phylloscopus were Yellow-browed, Pallas's, 2 Two-barred, Eastern-crowned and Hartert's goodsoni. Together with the bulbuls, not a bad day indeed.

Checklist: https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S50792515

Eastern Crowned Warbler

Mountain Bulbul

Pygmy Cupwing

https://www.hbw.com/ibc/sound/pygmy-cupwing-pnoepyga-pusilla/song-bird-seen

alarm call (?) of Fork-tailed Sunbird

https://www.hbw.com/ibc/sound/fork-tailed-sunbird-aethopyga-latouchii/alarm-call

2018年12月18日星期二

Po Toi 18 Dec 2018 - Thick-billed Green Pigeon

An escape from that 'life' today and we went PT, mainly for the Thick-billed Green Pigeon, a species Tung and I have seen well before but male only, while female this time

On the island, nothing interesting except a very tame racing Rock Pigeon (bird of the day!) and at least 2 (or 4) Brown-headed Thrush. A boring day until Peter found the Thick-billed Green Pigeon after ferry boarding and the ship started departing! A female tick for us, thanks Peter!

racing Rock Pigeon - a very tame one

Thick-billed Green Pigeon - don't give up even the last second!! A photo taken from ferry~!

2018年12月14日星期五

Mount Davis 14 Dec 2018 - Yellow-streaked Warbler

A sick leave today for the afternoon medical check, so I have a morning to bird.

I chose to visit Mount Davis for my third attempt of Yellow-streaked Warbler (fourth this year if including another birding spot) after a cup of Happy Gingerbread. Surprisingly, I was able to hear and see the bird once when I arrived the spot! I was alone today, not many bird photos taken but managed to take some recordings. No Russet Grasshopper Warbler today, only good views of several cute Yellow-browed Warbler and Japanese White-eye fifi at the same spot. And i suspected there was a Hume’s Warbler but the view was bad and did not hear a ‘safe’ IDable call or song.

Besides the target, a Radde’s Warbler was seen chasing the Yellow-streaked; two flying Common Emerald Dove and a Chinese Grosbeak, nothing mega but still a successful twitch at last.

The checklist of today: https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S50650497

Yellow-streaked Warbler - first view

a great crop of the bird

Yellow-streaked Warbler - showing finer bill and more distinct supercilium than Radde's Warbler

Yellow-streaked Warbler - the bill is really slimmer in field

Yellow-streaked Warbler - the yellow streaks on underpart are often hard to see, especially in field!

Yellow-streaked Warbler - to tell from Radde's Warbler still the best by call

Yellow-streaked Warbler comparing to the Radde's Warbler

lovely Red-whiskered Bulbul

Red-whiskered Bulbul - common beauty

Chestnut Bulbul

call of Fifi

https://www.hbw.com/ibc/sound/japanese-white-eye-zosterops-japonicus/call

call of female Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker

https://www.hbw.com/ibc/sound/scarlet-backed-flowerpecker-dicaeum-cruentatum/female

call of Black-throated Laughingthrush

https://www.hbw.com/ibc/sound/black-throated-laughingthrush-garrulax-chinensis/call

alarm call (?) of Black-throated Laughingthrush

https://www.hbw.com/ibc/sound/black-throated-laughingthrush-garrulax-chinensis/alarm-call

call of both Radde's and Yellow-streaked Warbler (Yellow-streaked in background)

https://www.hbw.com/ibc/sound/raddes-warbler-phylloscopus-schwarzi/soft-call-background-yellow-streaked-warbler

call of Yellow-streaked Warbler - the best ID feature!

https://www.hbw.com/ibc/sound/yellow-streaked-warbler-phylloscopus-armandii/call

call of Yellow-streaked Warbler

https://www.hbw.com/ibc/sound/yellow-streaked-warbler-phylloscopus-armandii/call-0

2018年12月13日星期四

Mount Davis 11 Dec 2018 - dip dip again

A day off. As expected, we dipped the Yellow-streaked Warbler, even was reported same day, again.

Two Radde’s Warbler were seen, both called so the identities were no doubt.

A Little Bunting and Black-winged Cuckooshrike showed well without photos too.

What else today? Another cup of Happy Gingerbread.

The full list as here: https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S50606264

Radde's Warbler - some can show pointed bill in different angle, also narrow supercilium

Radde's Warbler - thick bill is distinctive in good angle. This is another individual with thicker supercilium

Radde's Warbler

female Daurian Redstart

Russet Grasshopper Warbler

Red-whiskered Bulbul picking flowers

pangolin cloud

2018年12月10日星期一

Guangdong 6-7 Dec 2018 - a Laridae weekend

We have received news of Sandwich Tern Thalasseus sandvicensis recently, a rare vagrant species in E Asia, only few records in Taiwan and Japan. Thanks to Carrie's arrangement, we could make a weekend twitch! Even we had only 3 hours to bird in that spot, we still managed to see plenty Laridae - Heuglin's, Arctic Herring, Black-tailed, 1 Mew, 2 Relict, Black-headed, Saunder's Gull; Caspian, Gull-billed, Greater Crested, the target Sandwich and also two bonus Chinese Crested Tern! (Tung's dream tick) A great habitat there, we hope to revisit again to try the Little Gull and Spoonie!

The traffic to the spot, it was a pity that we couldn't try the HK-Guangzhou high speed railway:
6 Dec
G6258 (1902-1938) Shenzhen North to Guangzhou South
D7487 (2030-2328) Guangzhou South to Zhanjiang West

7 Dec
around 2 hours drive to Dongliao Dao
D7470 (1338-1645) Zhanjiang West to Guangzhou South
G6001 (1729-1758) Guangzhou South to Shenzhen North

The full list of the 3 hours birding: https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S50485947