Not just birds

2020年2月22日星期六

Lau Shui Heung, Mai Po and Long Valley 22 Feb 2020 - Hakuna Matata

We visited three places to day, whatever the species, Hakuna Matata, don't worry the ID.

Photo quality? I am waiting the 1DxIII.......

Lau Shui Heung: https://ebird.org/checklist/S64843879
Mai Po: https://ebird.org/checklist/S64844969
Long Valley: https://ebird.org/checklist/S64846088

BigEar2020 is 127.

~~Kloss's Leaf Warbler - hard to take a decent shot for identification~~

Further study and consulting some experts, this should be still a Hartert's Leaf Warbler

~~Kloss's Leaf Warbler - I need 1DxIII~~

Further study and consulting some experts, this should be still a Hartert's Leaf Warbler

~~Kloss's Leaf Warbler - structure is good enough, but D850 is bad enough for the picture quality~~

Further study and consulting some experts, this should be still a Hartert's Leaf Warbler

~~Kloss's Leaf Warbler - can the wing tell its ID?~~

Further study and consulting some experts, this should be still a Hartert's Leaf Warbler

~~another Kloss's Leaf Warbler - more yellowish~~

Further study and consulting some experts, this should be still a Hartert's Leaf Warbler

~~Kloss's Leaf Warbler - another Kloss's Leaf Warbler, showing some white in undertail, still different to some Thailand's birds~~

Further study and consulting some experts, this should be still a Hartert's Leaf Warbler

~~Kloss's Leaf Warbler - there were maybe more than 3 individuals there~~

Further study and consulting some experts, this should be still a Hartert's Leaf Warbler

~~Kloss's Leaf Warbler~~

Further study and consulting some experts, this should be still a Hartert's Leaf Warbler

~~Kloss's Leaf Warbler - feeding with horrible noise~~

Further study and consulting some experts, this should be still a Hartert's Leaf Warbler

~~Kloss's Leaf Warbler - again the best ID features are call, song and DNA~~

Further study and consulting some experts, this should be still a Hartert's Leaf Warbler

~~Kloss's Leaf Warbler - little bit weaker crown stripe than Blyth's type~~

Further study and consulting some experts, this should be still a Hartert's Leaf Warbler

~~Kloss's Leaf Warbler - better undertail but still not as whitish as Thai's birds~~

Further study and consulting some experts, this should be still a Hartert's Leaf Warbler

~~Kloss's Leaf Warbler - showing the undertail~~

Further study and consulting some experts, this should be still a Hartert's Leaf Warbler

~~Kloss's Leaf Warbler - showing the undertail~~

Further study and consulting some experts, this should be still a Hartert's Leaf Warbler

~~Kloss's Leaf Warbler~~

Further study and consulting some experts, this should be still a Hartert's Leaf Warbler

Chestnut-crowned Warbler

Small Niltava

Chinese Grey Shrike

Azure-winged Magpie - seldom to take a shot

Golden-headed Cisticola - my first impression was a grassbird....

Golden-headed Cisticola

Red-and-green Macaw - a pet

Rustic Bunting

Rustic Bunting and Little Bunting

Small Niltava

https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/210909841

Speckled Piculet drum

https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/210909891

2020年2月16日星期日

Mai Po 16 Dec 2020 - where are the gulls?

I practically gave up the Kloss’s Leaf Warbler and went to Mai Po today for the gulls reported yesterday. However, today was windy and rainy and only the normal four species were seen: Saunder’s, Black-headed, Lesser Black-backed and Arctic Herring Gull. Ducks and waders were low too which only Dunlin and some Pacific Golden Plover are highlights.

As expected not much raptor seen too, no Chinese Grey Shrike for us and the best of the list would be Pleske’s Grasshopper Warbler, including a responsive individual but vegetation was too thick to make a view.

Oh, a hybrid wigeon as well, more typical hybrid than the one few years back. I am still waiting a pure American Wigeon to HK but not the accepted hybridised one.

Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S64553549

White-breasted Waterhen

Great Egret

Northern Shoveler

Eastern Marsh Harrier and Lesser Black-backed Gull

Lesser Black-backed Gull - not funny for gulling in HK.. I need tripsssssss

Japanese Tit

https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/209562021

Common Tailorbird

https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/209562061

2020年2月15日星期六

Lau Shui Heung 15 Feb 2020 - tickable and untickable Kloss's

A third attempt to this spot and we finally saw the Kloss's Leaf Warbler clearly, in a tickable view. I was also able to take a rubbish crap record shot (But.... untickable too until I take a singing bird in mainland China or Thailand). For other Phylloscopus, we saw Yellow-browed, Pallas's, Two-barred and two Hartert's. A very brief Chestnut-crowned Warbler as well, but not tickable.

Nothing else in this foggy rainy weather, a first winter male Fujian Niltava was seen but I dipped the call, not countable in the BigEar list.

Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S64488640

BigEar2020 is 121.

Kloss's Leaf Warbler - a really poor record shot but shows comapct structure, pale lower mandible, round head with yellow tone, yellow undertail coverts/vent, and two wingbars; white undertail is hard to see and the crown stripe cannot be shown in this photo. Anyway, the best ID feature will be call and DNA. So... ticked and untickable this time.

Fujian Niltava - pale base of bill and brownish wing show this was a first winter bird. High ISO shot.

Fork-tailed sunbird

https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/209276731

Rufous-capped Babbler

https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/209276751

2020年2月9日星期日

Lau Shui Heung 9 Feb 2020 - no shutter day

Today was so boring that we all did not take a shot of any birds.....

We heard the Speckled Piculet, Kloss's Leaf Warbler, Pale-legged Leaf Warbler and Russet Bush Warbler.

The only interesting species we saw were two Rufous-faced Warbler, a female Hainan Blue Flycatcher and a Chestnut-crowned Warbler. Also a displaying Fork-tailed Sunbird was nice to watch.

Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S64263502

3 lens, 0 photo

2020年2月8日星期六

Ngong Ping and Lau Shui Heung - escaped redstart

A quick twitch for the first winter male Blue-fronted Redstart but sadly to find the bird is very likely to be escaped. Anyway, still a nice bird to watch.

Afternoon round is Lau Shui Heung, where we heard the Kloss's Leaf Warbler called and sang, while only Jon managed to see the bird. Well, even it cannot be my lifer but still on my list of BigEar2020.

Checklist of Nong Ping: https://ebird.org/checklist/S64221525
Checklist of Lau Shui Heung: https://ebird.org/checklist/S64225744

BigEar2020 is 117