Identifying Common Swift Apus apus

There are not many swift or swiftlet species in HK so the identification is simply straight forward. The three commonest species are Pacific Swift, House Swift and Himalayan Swiftlet.

Common Swift should be one of the rarest swift species in HK (even it is called common). Due to its larger size, the only confusing species should be Pacific Swift.

For Common Swift, the identification is easy, just note for a large swift species with overall brownish plumage without white rump. The forehead and throat are pale, and the tail is deeply forked.

The call is also different comparing House and Pacific Swift, like this individual we saw in Jan 2015 in Hong Kong, which I heard its call first.

Common Swift - Jan 2015

Tai Mo Shan 16 Jun 2019 - another trial for Lesser Cuckoo

We went to Tai Mo Shan today mainly for the Lesser Cuckoo, which is in theory a breeder here. Not a good morning as we met a irresponsible Taxi driver, that strength my will for legalizing Uber in HK more.

Anyway, go back to birds, which was essentially nothing today due to the windy weather. Some Brownish-flanked Bush Warbler were seen, many more heard, a displaying Richard’s Pipit, a Eurasian Hobby flew by and a cuculus species flew to me when I playing the Lesser Cuckoo call.

Like the Hodgson’s case, still not a safe tick for me but still, better than none.

Today’s checklist:https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S57415243

Red-billed Blue Magpie

Chinese Hwamei

presumed Lesser Cuckoo - responded to call, the underpart patterns and dark iris

Guangdong 9 Jun 2019 - Black-tailed Crake but failed oriole.....

We did a quick twitch for Black-tailed Crake in Nanling and Silver Oriole in Conghua on last Sun, last year's details as follow: https://lovingthetodiesforever.blogspot.com/2018/06/guangdong-and-guangxi-2-3-jun-2018-two.html

The Black-tailed Crake were easy, a total of 5 birds (3 immature and 2 adults) were seen ultimately well, while we did not have luck for the Silver Oriole (sorry for Koel and Aaron!) as the orioles were fledged last week (a bit earlier than last year), though some other birders from Guangzhou saw 6 birds in other spot of the same area. The birds in Conghua this time were inactive, morning is probably much better than afternoon. Anyway, we shall try again next time.

Nanling list: https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S57210426
Conghua list: https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S57216875

a small lake in Nanling, walked to the far north end of this lake is the spot for the Black-tailed Crake

the immature Black-tailed Crake was really friendly, great view anyway. Photo by phone!

a video of Black-tailed Crake by iPhone 6 plus

the habitat of Black-tailed Crake and the Crake

Conghua spot, again: the village is 23.7347749, 113.8339437, take the path on the left of the restaurant and walk up for 40 mins to the dam.

Birds of whole day (Taxonomy following eBird)

Chinese Bamboo-Partridge Bambusicola thoracicus 
- 1 flushed 2 heard

Common Pheasant Phasianus colchicus
- 1 seen in Nanling

Spotted Dove Streptopelia chinensis

Chestnut-winged Cuckoo Clamator coromandus
- 2 seen in Nanling

Large Hawk-Cuckoo Hierococcyx sparverioides 
- heard only

House Swift Apus nipalensis

Black-tailed Crake Zapornia bicolor 
- 2 adults 3 immatures

Black-tailed Crake - adult, showing red iris. These birds were feeding right in front of us at 6am.

Black-tailed Crake - immature, which is more dull, with duller bill and iris, also dark legs

immature Black-tailed Crake

immature Black-tailed Crake

immature Black-tailed Crake - oh the leaf....

adult Black-tailed Crake

adult Black-tailed Crake

Black-tailed Crake - thanks to Canon we know why this bird is called Black-tailed

adult Black-tailed Crake - showing red legs and greenish bill

adult Black-tailed Crake

adult Black-tailed Crake

immature Black-tailed Crake - showing much duller bill, iris and legs

immature Black-tailed Crake

Black-tailed Crake - front view

immature Black-tailed Crake

immature Black-tailed Crake

immature Black-tailed Crake

Blue-throated Bee-eater Merops viridis

Blue-throated Bee-eater

Blue-throated Bee-eater

Blue-throated Bee-eater

Blue-throated Bee-eater

Blue-throated Bee-eater - no idea why they are so rare in HK

Crested Serpent-Eagle Spilornis cheela 
- 1 seen in Nanling

Black Eagle Ictinaetus malaiensis
- 1 seen in Nanling

Black Eagle - waiting one for HK

Crested Goshawk Accipiter trivirgatus
- 1 seen in Nanling

Great Barbet Psilopogon virens
- heard only

Chinese Barbet Psilopogon faber
- heard only

Scarlet Minivet Pericrocotus speciosus

Long-tailed Shrike Lanius schach

Hair-crested Drongo Dicrurus hottentottus 

Grey Treepie Dendrocitta formosae

Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica

Red-rumped Swallow Cecropis daurica

Japanese Tit Parus minor

Japanese Tit - immature

Red-whiskered Bulbul Pycnonotus jocosus 

Light-vented Bulbul Pycnonotus sinensis

Black Bulbul Hypsipetes leucocephalus

Chestnut Bulbul Hemixos castanonotus
- heard only

Yellow-bellied Prinia Prinia flaviventris

Hill Prinia Prinia superciliaris

Hill Prinia - my lifer, the first view of this bird

Hill Prinia - they are breeder here so the nest is nearby

Hill Prinia - very shy one

Green leaves with Hill Prinia at the back - Canon camera wants to shoot the leaves as always

Hill Prinia

Hill Prinia

Hill Prinia

Japanese White-eye Zosterops japonicus

Rufous-capped Babbler Cyanoderma ruficeps
- heard only

Streak-breasted Scimitar-Babbler Pomatorhinus ruficollis
- heard only

Grey-sided Scimitar-Babbler Megapomatorhinus swinhoei
- heard only

Huet's Fulvetta Alcippe hueti 

Chinese Hwamei Garrulax canorus
- heard only

White-browed Laughingthrush Ianthocincla sannio
- heard only

Oriental Magpie-Robin Copsychus saularis

Slaty-backed Forktail Enicurus schistaceus
- 1 seen in Nanling

Crested Myna Acridotheres cristatellus

Fork-tailed Sunbird Aethopyga christinae
- heard only

Oriental Greenfinch Chloris sinica

Eurasian Tree Sparrow Passer montanus 
- heard only, I really did not look for it

Kung Chau & Tai Mo Shan 7 Jun 2019 - Sooty Tern

The Sooty Tern was first reported on 1 Jun, when I was birding in Wuyuen, which I thought I would dip this one again. We saw a distant bird few years ago but not a tickable one, so this bird could be my lifer.

After nearly a week, we finally made a twitch today and amazingly the bird was spotted right we arrived. A very friendly immature tern, even photos were not good enough due to the strong sunlight, having excellent view of this pelagic tern was fantastic experience. Other tern observed were Black-naped, Roseate, Bridled, Whiskered and a White-winged by Koel only.

checklist: https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S57155005

Kung Chau - a small tern island

Sooty Tern - immature is very smart looking tern: just all dark brownish

Sooty Tern - in flight from above, a uniform dark brownish upperparts

Sooty Tern

Sooty Tern

Sooty Tern

Sooty Tern

Sooty Tern - really sooty

Sooty Tern

Sooty Tern - finding for fish

Sooty Tern - this individual was quite aggressive, always called and chased other Bridled Tern as here

Sooty with mountain

Sooty Tern - sadly the sunlight was too strong

Sooty Tern

Sooty Tern - also lacks the pale collar as Bridled does

Sooty Tern

Sooty Tern

Sooty Tern

Sooty Tern - using the 500mm PF for flight photos is less tiring than 400 2.8

Sooty Tern with Bridled Tern - it only landed for awhile

Sooty Tern with Bridled Tern - the camouflage for immature Sooty Tern is good

Sooty Tern

Sooty Tern - as see the underwing is white like the adult, and not as extensive as Bridled Tern

Sooty Tern

Sooty Tern with Roseate Tern

Sooty Tern - got a big fish

Sooty Tern

Sooty Tern

Sooty Tern

Sooty Tern - we spent around 1.5 hours for this

Sooty Tern - the underparts

Sooty Tern

Sooty Tern

Sooty Tern

Sooty Tern - the bright cap may be confused with Noody but all other features are wrong

Sooty Tern

Sooty Tern - Nikon camera can focus better in green background

Sooty Tern

Sooty Tern - it flew really close to us

Sooty Tern - chasing Bridled Tern again

Black-naped Tern - unexpectedly they seemed to be more uncommon today

Roseate Tern with Whiskered Tern

Roseate Tern with Whiskered Tern

Roseate Tern

Roseate Tern

Roseate Tern

Roseate Tern

Bridled Tern - flight in below, comparing to Sooty, Bridled shows extensive white underwing and white supercilium

Roseate Tern

Roseate Tern

Roseate Tern

Roseate Tern

Roseate Tern mutual preening

Roseate Tern

Whiskered Tern - the tail fork is shallower

a successful morning

After the boat trip, we went up to Tai Mo Shan for an hour walk for the Lesser Cuckoo, a breeder there. We only heard one but not seen. Anyway, still a Chestnut-winged Cuckoo which was quite responsive as a bonus there.

checklist: https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S57154455

My 2019 HK Big Year is 248

Light-vented Bulbul

Chestnut-winged Cuckoo hiding