HK Wetland Park 15 Feb 2019 - Long-billed Dowitcher again

Still a very boring season.... especially in my place but the Long-billed Dowitcher reappeared after a month (should be wintering here and Mai Po).

Thrush is still poor, only two Turdus were heard today.

Long-billed Dowitcher - always sleeping

Greater Coucal

Grey Heron - probably dead, maybe because it is too boring here

Tai Po Kau 11 Feb 2019 - the 30th failure

That's right, today was the 30th failure for the White-spectacled Warbler......... I really think we can see one in mainalnd before in HK, so Jon please help us. And of course, we still have long way to go.

No matter what, we did have a relaxing day in Tai Po Kau, watching some local or wintering birds brainlessly (together with the Chestnut Bulbul), like Two-barred, Hartert's Leaf, Sulphur-breasted Warbler, Speckled Piculet and Ashy Drongo, even no good photos can be taken.

Checklist is here and my 2019 Big Year is 155: https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S52582153

Hartert's Leaf Warbler - showing less contrasting head pattern, duller yellowish tone and the climbing behavior help separating from Sulphur-breasted Warbler

Brown Shrike - a molting bird

Black-throated Laughingthrush

Sulphur-breasted Warbler - much more lemon-colored (especially the vent) and contrasting head pattern

Speckled Piculet - a naughty one...

our first time to see cows in Tai Po Kau... including a baby one

peaceful Great and Little Egret

KFBG 10 Feb 2019 - where are the birds?

We birded with Catalina today again, in KFBG but sadly the three targets were all missing - Fire-capped Tit, Japanese Robin, Gould’s Sunbird, and more important we missed a wild Barking Deer!!

Still, plenty Fire-breasted Flowerpecker (but not an adult male), well seen Silver-eared Mesia and Red-billed Leiothrix, all local redsidents here. Cool and windy weather, no raptor nor a single thrush.

Let’s have better luck together next time in Singapore or somewhere else!

Today’s checklist: https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S52544850

HK 2019 Big Year is 149 now. We are going to have one more holiday tomorrow but where are the birds???

this was my favorite flower when I was young

female Fire-breasted Flowerpecker

captive Yellow-crested Cockatoo - Happy

Mount Davis 9 Feb 2019 - causal birding

We are too old to be rushing birders so causal birding may be more suitable for us.

Catalina just came to HK again so we went birding this morning, causally, in Mount Davis. No Yellow-streaked Warbler nor Greenish Warbler were seen, but still some local residents like Blue Whistling Thrush, Red-billed Blue Magpie, Fork-tailed Sunbird etc....

Anyway, although a boring winter here, still can have some fun, enjoy! And we are looking forward to bird in Singapore (Band-bellied Crake again!), Panti, Columbia, and more~

The full list is here: https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S52507694

Big Year 2019 is now 146.

Red-whiskered Bulbul

Red-whiskered Bulbul

Fork-tailed Sunbird - a front view show the two bluish moustache

Black-eared Kite

HK Wetland Park 7 Feb 2019 - hottest Chinese New Year

This was no doubt that the hottest Chinese New Year ever....

I had a long walk in my place, resulted my first Lesser Black-backed Gull here, Crested Serpent Eagle soaring for long, an introduced Great Myna again and a Two-barred Warbler which made unusual two-note call.

Full list as seen here: https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S52456691

a really long walk in my place

call of Two-barred Warbler

https://www.hbw.com/ibc/sound/two-barred-warbler-phylloscopus-plumbeitarsus/two-note-call

Mai Po 5 Feb 2019 - first day of Pig's Year

We had a very relaxing morning in Mai Po, on the first day of Pig's Year. No Hen Harrier, but some tame Yellow-fronted Canary, 4 distant Eastern Spotbill, and surprising adult White-bellied Sea Eagle.

My 2019 Big Year is now 144.

the checklist in MP: https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S52395988

Great Cormorant - wing spreading

Yellow-bellied Prinia

Yellow-bellied Prinia - also split as Chinese Prinia in HBW

Yellow-bellied Prinia

3 species here: Cattle Egret, 3 Black-collared Starling and 3 Great Myna

Eurasian Bittern landing

White-bellied Sea Eagle - bad lighting...

escaped Yellow-fronted Canary gumgum

Grey Heron

KFBG & Mai Po 3 Feb 2019 - escaped day

Kadoorie Farm & Botanic Garden Hong Kong (KFBG) is a place we haven't been for long until recently a Fire-capped Tit was found there, as I personally think that is an escaped bird, so we just made a short visit there. Nothing other special than the Bull-headed Shrike and Striated Heron.

A full list in KFBG: https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S52321043

female Fire-capped Tit - not easy to get a side view

Fire-capped Tit - always bad lighting

Fire-capped Tit - to me this bird was an escapee. Fire-capped Tit is a short-distance and altitudinal migrant, breeding between between 1800 m and 3000 m, not really convincing if you saw one in a hot winter like this without other distinct influx. Anyway, just a wild guess. Who knows?

Fire-capped Tit - a record one. Sadly Chelsea only got poor shots because of the 'cheap' filter.... So, we need to retake again maybe

its also time to try the new monopod GM4552L - an ultimate long one, very good for birds in canopy

a very distant Bull-headed Shrike

Striated Heron

Striated Heron and a mirror Heron!

angry Striated Heron

Chelsea and I spent some time on this silly Striated Heron - an ordinary beauty

In afternoon, we went to Mai Po for the Hen Harrier but failed, only 5 Eastern Marsh Harrier, a Plaintive Cuckoo, the Rook and Great Myna (another escapee!) were seen.

time to lunch before birding in Mai Po - and the only photo in Mai Po

A non-full list in Mai Po: https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S52323851

Gear Review - Len2scope 10mm 1:4 eyepiece

Jon suggested me to try this eyepiece (costed me $700 HKD), which can help making your camera lens into a telescope, so I can still bring my big lens to Mai Po while I can have a 'scope' for water birds before buying a car.

The magnification power of the 'scope' can be calculated by the focal length of the lens / 10

For example, 400mm lens equal to 40X scope.

The result was impressive, being a '$700' scope. It is highly recommended for lazy birders like me.

small box of the Lens2scope

a small one, with a tripod mount 

small lens inside

workable with my 16-35mm F/4 IS, hence making a 1.6-3.5X scope, but still far too short for birdwatching

you need to flap the rubber if you wear glass

a digiscoping of White Wagtail with the 16-35mm

digiscoping of reed with the 16-35mm

I also brought the Len2scope to Japan last month: a trial with 400mm 2.8 II with 1.4X III

a perching Greater Scaup far away

which was here...

a digiscoping photo of Greater Scaup with the 400mm and 1.4X: the view was fantastic but it was very difficult to do the digiscoping especially the Image Circle always exists

Mai Po 2 Feb 2019 - Hen Harrier

After today’s fruitful lecture, we went to Mai Po to get the cycling permit and try the Hen Harrier - a first officially documented record in HK. The harrier wasn’t seen for whole day but we waited till the roosting time, and finally, the Hen Harrier showed up together with 3 Eastern Marsh Harrier - I did not bring my camera but Ronye got a record shot, showing the distinctive white rump, barred tail (also strongly barred underwing with my noctivid), the white facial pattern and the landing light of this bird. Not a very good shot but still a good bird to see in this boring winter.

For other raptors, we saw Black-eared Kite, Eastern Buzzard, Greater Spotted Eagle and a Peregrine Falcon.

My 2019 big year is 125 now.

Hen Harrier - photo by Ronye, no photo no tick!