Telford, Kai Tak and San Tin 20 Oct 2019 - same stress, different birds

Same stressed mood but I could at least relax a bit by birding.

The first place we visited is Telford, to check any new migrants there, which we saw at least four Black-browed Reed Warbler, two Dusky Warbler and the same Pallas’s Grasshopper Warbler.

Not really super exciting, especially they were not friendly enough for photos, so we moved to Kai Tak, again for newly migrants after the cold front.

The habitat changed a bit, still some newly arrived Black-browed and Oriental Reed Warbler, four unexpected Yellow-breasted Bunting while no sign of the House Crow.

Checklist of Telford: https://ebird.org/checklist/S60768672
Checklist of Kai Tak: https://ebird.org/checklist/S60771473

Black-browed Reed Warbler - we bumped an influx

You cannot expect to find Critically Endangered Species in such place... And Jon and I shared the camera today, before we buy Sony.

We made the afternoon birding in San Tin, hopefully for raptors or buttonquails. Not really super birdy but at least we found many Black-browed and Oriental Reed Warbler, again four Yellow-breasted Bunting, a Pheasant-tailed Jacana in winter plumage, single Sand Martin (default ID) and the bird of the day - Manchurian Reed Warbler, which can be the same bird reported weeks ago (but I do not know the exact spot of that bird).

Not much else and two Amur Falcon ended the day.

Checklist of San Tin: https://ebird.org/checklist/S60777288

2019 HK Big Year is 268.

Whiskered Tern - most of them were immature, like this first winter bird

immature Whiskered Tern

adult winter Whiskered Tern in molt

Pheasant-tailed Jacana in flight

Manchurian Reed Warbler - I knew this was something good by the ginger tone and comparative weaker supercilium (more white but not black) than Black-browed Reed Warbler. The head shape is also distinguishable from Black-browed and the tail here is longer and more graduated as seen above. This may cause a prinia-like jizz so that's also why Jon said Plain Prinia at first!

Manchurian Reed Warbler - the head pattern is also different from Paddyfield Warbler, which will be my lifer. Interestingly this bird was quite responsive to every Accro call.. Anyway, still good to see one of my favourite bird.

Manchurian Reed Warbler - we saw better view last time in Mai Po but this time was closer. (https://lovingthetodiesforever.blogspot.com/2018/10/mai-po-9-oct-2018-manchurian-reed.html)

Amur Falcon

Wood and Green Sandpiper - note the size, shape and pattern difference

birding is relaxed

Sunset

Beer time