Kowloon Peak 26 May 2019 - untickable (?) cuckoo

We visited Kowloon Peak as an annual event for the Chinese Grassbird and dipped again annually. Weather is fine at the summit, but nothing at all except two Lesser Coucal and a singing Richard’s Pipit.

On the way back a Hodgson’s Hawk Cuckoo was heard and later we bumped a non-vocal cuckoo which was responsive to the Hodgson’s call I played.... I managed to take a record shot before the rain came but still couldn’t make a firm ID in field.

HK big year is 245... The checklist: https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S56743023

little bit foggy

Lesser Coucal - going to feed chick in fog

Lesser Coucal

Lesser Coucal

Lesser Coucal

Richard's Pipit

Blue-winged Minla

Hodgson's Hawk Cuckoo (very likely) - the only photo of this non-calling bird. When it perched and faced me for 1 second, I had a brief view of the reddish streaks. The size is rather small, broad wing and brownish tip of the tail are good for Hodgsons's, rather than Large which is commoner. The key is, this individual was hyper when I played Hodgson's call.... Asked John as well, he thinks this is Hodgson's, because of short tail, yellow base to upper mandible and white feathers on scapulars, while not easy to tell from Northern Hawk. Um.... I am quite sure this is not a Northern because of the streaks. 

So should I tick...?

Beijing 14-18 May 2019 - a business trip

This was my first ever business trip, not for birding. I had 2 hours free time in Temple of Heaven (天坛公园), targeting the Snowy-browed Nuthatch but failed.

No lifer in this trip and hopefully I can do real birding and photographing in Beijing soon.

Checklist of Temple of Heaven: https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S56431389

a delayed flight

not very bad comparing the one back to HK

Hotel Park Plaza, a big room

and this one not bad

and good coffee

duck dinner

with perfect wine

lamp and chicken wing, 5 RMB and 10 RMB each respectively

no trip without beer!

and no trip without ice cream!!

milk ice cream

more beer

and more beer

and this one is great too

while this one is bad, not really recommended

breakfast with bear

before dark and dinner, we made a visit to Tiananmen Square

hot pot dinner

wine, left one is better

and beer

during the two hours free time I visited the Temple of Heaven, wishing for Snowy-browed Nuthatch but really so hard to find one.....

Red-bellied Tree Squirrel

the temple of heaven, I did not buy a ticket to enter

not easy to bird here especially wrong season

surprisingly, we could take the earlier flight (because the scheduled flight was possible to be cancelled)

the meal when back

Bird list in 5 days (following eBird)

Mallard Anas platyrhynchos

Rock Dove Columba livia

Spotted Dove Streptopelia chinensis

Spotted Dove - they looked bigger than HK one

Indian Cuckoo Cuculus micropterus

- heard only

Common Swift Apus apus

Common Swift - the lighitng and weather were real poor for flight photos

Common Swift

Common Swift

Common Swift - they are real common here

Common Swift

Eurasian Hoopoe Upupa epops

a hoopoe feeding, too close for the 500mm

falco species

- several Hobby or Amur Falcon seen in flight

Grey-capped Woodpecker Yungipicus canicapillus

Grey-capped Woodpecker - busy feeding and showing the grey cap

Grey-capped Woodpecker

Great Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos major

Great Spotted Woodpecker

Great Spotted Woodpecker - female

Great Spotted Woodpecker - enjoyed watching its back

Great Spotted Woodpecker - feeding on the ground

Great Spotted Woodpecker - feeding with Spotted Dove

Azure-winged Magpie Cyanopica cyanus

Azure-winged Magpie

Azure-winged Magpie

Azure-winged Magpie - very common

Oriental Magpie Pica serica

Oriental Mapie - they are everywhere in Beijing city

Oriental Magpie - and they were quire friendly

Large-billed Crow Corvus macrorhynchos

Marsh Tit Poecile palustris

Marsh Tit - seems no Willow Tit in Beijing so ID is a bit straight forward (?)

Light-vented Bulbul Pycnonotus sinensis

Yellow-browed Warbler Phylloscopus inornatus

Taiga Flycatcher Ficedula albicilla

Taiga Flycatcher - black bill, black upper tail coverts and also the typical call

Chinese Blackbird Turdus mandarinus

Chinese Blackbird - again singing

White-cheeked Starling Spodiopsar cineraceus

Crested Myna Acridotheres cristatellus

White Wagtail Motacilla alba
- heard only

Yellow-billed Grosbeak Eophona migratoria

female Yellow-billed Grosbeak - also my first time to hear their song

Yellow-billed Grosbeak - male, also called Chinese Grosbeak

Oriental Greenfinch Chloris sinica

Oriental Greenfinch - taking off

Oriental Greenfinch

Oriental Greenfinch - sang like a bunting

Eurasian Tree Sparrow Passer montanus