The Magic Roundabout (2 Viewers)

thrush · Oct 16, 2014

Another fun read. I like how you give equal time to all birds, no matter how common. Some observations:

MKinHK said:
... an Arctic Warbler with incredibly poor judgment of a secure bolt-hole called from a banyan in the central reservation between the highway lanes. It did however pose just long enough for the superzoom to reach out and nail it. ...

The bird in your photo gives every indication of being Arctic-type.

MKinHK said:
... up in the tops of the acacias two different Greenish Warblers ...

I'm betting you're meaning Two-barred Warbler (Phylloscopus plumbeitarsus). Greenish Warbler (P. trochiloides) would be quite a find down your way.

Finally, it'd be good for you to explain from time to time what the Magic Roundabout is--its location, size, vegetation type, distance from sea, etc. You've probably described it before, but your thread goes back a ways and I must have missed the description.

On an unrelated note, I have a flimsy but perhaps interesting record of a Locustella warbler. If forced to bet, I'd put my money on Gray's Grasshopper Warbler. Does the description of the bird I saw match the possible Gray's that you saw? This is from my report from my trip to Yangkou (Rudong), 4-14 Sept. 2014:

Locustella warbler II: 1 along sea-wall road S of Yángkǒu on 2014-09-10. Large (size of robin), unstreaked, extremely skulking. Brownish. Silent. Struck me as "slim" (long-tailed, long-winged). Bird was atop low (< 1 m high) wall separating meter-wide strip of scrub along road from top of sea wall. Viewed for perhaps 2 seconds while I was sitting in car looking out at mudflats. Bird jumped back into strip of scrub along road and was not seen again. Possibly Gray's Grasshopper Warbler (L. fasciolata), but Pleske's Warbler (L. pleskei) cannot be discounted.

MKinHK · Oct 17, 2014

Hi Craig

Our Greenish Warblers are indeed plumbeitarsus, although I was not aware they have been split. Good news if they have as the only first for Britain I've seen was a Two-barred Greenish on the Isles of Scilly some thirty years ago!

Gray's Grasshopper Warbler is another one that the DNA dabblers are messing with. IOC have agreed a split on somewhat tenuous grounds of Sakhalin Warbler from Gray's. Separating the two is far from straightforward especially as there seems to be a high degree of overlap in the plumage and structure. My description currently runs to nine pages and even so it is unlikely I will get it accepted as Gray's sensu stricto. I'd be happy to share my paper once HKBWS records committee have had their wicked way with it.

Given the additional diffilculties in separation from Styan's your bird sounds like it might best be put down as "one that got away".

I'll provide a link to the posts with a map of the roundabout in a separate post.

Cheers
Mike

MKinHK · Oct 17, 2014

Craig - a map of the roundabout and my walking route can be found at post 114.

Cheers
Mike

MKinHK · Oct 20, 2014

A great start to the week on the Magic Roundabout as a walk down the overgrown verge between the golf course and the highway (oh the romance!) immediately popped out a pair of Black Drongos, a Chinese and a female Red Turtle Dove, plus three Asian Brown Flycatchers, two Arctic Warblers and three Dusky Warblers. The big highlight was a pair of Plain Prinias (126) that my mate Geoff has seen for some time on the golf course, but have never appeared for me until today. Hardly an exciting bird, but a patch tick is always a patch tick . . .

The Red-throated Pipit count on the golf course was down to two and the Richard's Pipit down to four.

The Northern Edge was having a major haircut - tonnes of flensed vegetation was lying in heaps around the roadside and the landscaping crew were hard at it clearing out the rest. I still picked up a fourth Asian Brown Flycatcher but that was it until a medium-sized dark chestnut bird shot up from the floor and out of a gap in the canopy - Eurasian Woodcock! (127) - all too brief but certainly enough for a second patch tick on the day.

Just before heading back to the office a Wryneck and a Greenish Warbler appeared briefly on the Core Area.

Cheers
Mike

MKinHK · Oct 21, 2014

And the streak goes on . . . I added a new species to the patch list for the third visit in a row today - this time a spanking Hoopoe (128) in the trees alongside the golf course, which just a few minutes earlier had also delivered my first White-breasted Kingfisher in more than a year, the Black Drongos again and what I guess was the same Wryneck as had been on the Core Area the previous day.

Two House Swifts over the golf course were new for the quarter, the Red-throated Pipits had declined to a single bird and an Oriental Reed Warbler scrambled out of the grass and bounced around on the fence in a very helpful way. Other bits and pieces included an Asian Brown Flycatcher and a couple of Dusky Warblers.

The Hoopoe was my first for several years and just my second self-found bird so I was delighted that it sat tight in its tree, about 10 metres away, had a preen, changed branches and cocked its crest and eventually, some ten minutes later dropped onto the ground and out of sight - presumably to feed.

The rest of my walk was pretty quiet, with just a single Asian Brown Flycatcher on the Northern Edge and nothing except a solitary Dusky Warbler in the Tangles and Core Area. Three Black Kites overhead was a pretty good number.

Cheers
Mike

PS - I'll post pix later.

MKinHK · Oct 23, 2014

Just collected my newly repaired Leica Trinovids today . . . and they are better than new! This warranty really is amazing - fully repaired + new armour and coatings and a round trip to the factory in Germany . . . for free! Huge kudos to Leica.

I was utterly unable to resist trying them out and a sundowner visit to the strip of grass by the golf course once again delivered. First up were a pair of Black-faced Buntings (129) that popped out of the grass and perched nicely in view as a Plain Prinia grotted in the background. This was swiftly followed by two warblers that flipped up from the grass - one of them probably lanky and the other most certainly a Black-browed Reed Warbler - which after sulking in the grass and the palms, finally showed in the bottom of a weed of some sort - bringing the patch total to 130 and the streak to six patch ticks in four visits.

And that was far from all. Four White-shouldered Starlings had obviously just dropped in, the two Black Drongos were again hawking from the course-side trees and on my return a juvenile Japanese Sparrowhawk -(just my second ever on the patch) enraged a lurking Dusky Shrike as it zipped the strip in search of dinner.

A scan across the fairway near the clubhouse delivered a fine pale ocularis White Wagtail loitering with a female leucopsis White Wagtail but I could not pick out a Red-throated Pipit among the Richard's Pipits. A Sooty-headed Bulbul was my first of the quarter, bringing the score to 53 species. This leaves me 31 short of the record 84 species in same quarter last year with another 2 months (plus tomorrow) to go. If I weren't heading off to Sri Lanka I'd be a lot more gutted about missing the next two weeks on the patch. We all have our crosses to bear!

The ret of the loop was pretty quiet, with the exception of an adult male Daurian Redstart on the Northern Edge and the Hair-crested Drongo, which showed on both halves of the tangle as the gloom descended.

Cheers
Mike

The third pic is taken from the elevated walkway and shows the banyan (small tree with pale trunk in the central reservation) where the Arctic Warbler posed for a pic.

thrush · Oct 23, 2014

MKinHK said:
... a sundowner visit to the strip of grass by the golf course once again delivered.

More good stuff! Congrats on your refurbished binocs, and have a good time in Sri Lanka.

MKinHK · Oct 24, 2014

What a week this has been! Today I added a sixth new patch tick in four outings this week plus a seventh on the previous visit on Wednesday last week.

Today's addition was a female-type Black-naped Monarch (131), which was hunting in the mid-storey on the Western Tangle just seconds after filling my bins with a very poorly hidden Pallas's Grasshopper Warbler and ten minutes after collecting a Lanceolated Warbler and the Black-browed Reed Warbler along the golf course strip.

As I crossed into the Eastern Tangle a magnificent Siberian Rubythroat showed nicely on the deck, a very pale Oriental Reed Warbler with a very weak super cilium almost drew me into stringing it into a Thick-billed Warbler and a second Lanceolated Warbler also failed to realise its hidey hole in some tall grass was not very hidey.

The Core Area finished things off nicely with an Asian Brown Flycatcher, an Arctic Warbler and the Greenish Warbler again.

I head out for a two week break with the list for the quarter at a very healthy 57, with almost two full months - and most of the winter birds - still to come.

Cheers
Mike

Gretchen · Oct 24, 2014

Lots of fun! Are you having some unique weather patterns there? Enjoy Sri Lanka!

Jos Stratford · Oct 24, 2014

MKinHK said:
Good news if they have as the only first for Britain I've seen was a Two-barred Greenish on the Isles of Scilly some thirty years ago!

We must have crossed paths back in those days :t:

Great spell on your patch of late ...good work, always a good read.

thirudevaram · Oct 30, 2014

MKinHK said:
Today's addition was a female-type Black-naped Monarch (131), which was hunting in the mid-storey on the Western Tangle just seconds after filling my bins with a very poorly hidden Pallas's Grasshopper Warbler and ten minutes after collecting a Lanceolated Warbler and the Black-browed Reed Warbler along the golf course strip.

Holy Hell. You are about to turn this airport into the most birded airport ever! And please don't bring the leopards! :king:

MKinHK · Nov 7, 2014

First day back at work and back on the patch after a terrific trip to Sri Lanka -my report will be posted on the Vacational Trip Reports page in due course.

HK has had some very good passage in the last week, especially of buntings, so I had high hopes for a good haul at lunchtime today. It didn't turn out quite like that. The grassy strip by the golf course held a Chinese Pond Heron, a couple of Dusky Warblers, a female Daurian Redstart and a quartet of Sooty-headed Bulbuls, while a taivana Yellow Wagtail was the star bird on the golf course among the Richard's Pipits.

After a substantial gap the leucopsis x alboides White Wagtail was back on the pavement at the northern edge, smart in his winter moult, and with a suitably besotted female leucopsis White Wagtail in close attendance.

The highlight of the day was a very curious Lanceolated Warbler on the Western Tangle that first hoped up into a low bare bush and then waddled down the leaf-choked gutter stopping to look back over its shoulder to make sure I was still paying attention.

A couple of Dusky Warblers were on the Eastern and Western Tangles, while the former held a second female Daurian Redstart and the latter something that hopped away under the grass without giving me a proper look.

The Core Area was bird less, but just as I was giving up for the afternoon a latish Black-browed Reed Warbler poked its head out of a low hedge of oleanders next to the airport limo park, nicely rounding off a gentle return to the patch.

Cheers
Mike

PS . . . and there were no leopards

MKinHK · Nov 10, 2014

After least week's relatively quiet return to the patch today's visit was a completely different kettle of buzzards (fish are so passé, evolutionarily speaking).

The grassy strip along the golf course kicked off well with ten Scaly-breasted Munias feeding on grass seeds and a briefly flushed Lanceolated Warbler popped and dropped in much more characteristic style than last week's show-off. Adding to the sense of the turning season my first Chinese Blackbird - a nice male - popped up on the fence and called a couple of times, and a rather dazed-looking Oriental Turtle Dove was wandering about in the nearest bunker.

As I headed on down the strip I heard and very briefly saw a Hair-crested Drongo, Dusky Wabler , Plain Prinia and Yellow-browed Warblers all called, and a White-breasted Kingfisher flashed overhead. The half-dozen Richard's Pipits on the golf course had pulled in a taivana Yellow Wagtail, but best of all was a splendid Northern Lapwing (132) that emerged from the direction of the carpark, flew along the edge of the golf course, showing beautifully, before frustratingly dropping out of sight.

The leucopsis x alboides White Wagtail was back on its familiar stomping ground near the lee electricity substation, where a Dusky Warbler was hunting in the short grass and the first of four female Daurian Redstarts posed, typically curious.

My newly elevated seawatch point delivered another new, but not unexpected bird - a Common Kingfisher (133) perched on a pole sticking out of the sea wall - and a couple of Black Kites perched on the landing lights. The Tangles produced a couple more Daurian Redstarts, a somewhat unexpected Asian Brown Flycatcher and another Dusky Warbler, and the first two Olive-backed Pipits of the autumn, foraging were on the Grassy Patch near the taxi stand were my sixth new species for the quarter.

A few regulars - Chinese and Crested Bulbuls, Crested Mynas, Black-collared Starlings, Tree Sparrows, a Magpie Robin and a Common Tailorbird, leucopsis White Wagtails and a Grey Heron beating slowly eastwards combined for a pretty good day list of 27.

Cheers
Mike

Gretchen · Nov 11, 2014

Great day! Nice to have two new ticks!

Really like the pic of the bulbuls - lots of character in that shot.

thirudevaram · Nov 14, 2014

MKinHK said:
As I headed on down the strip I heard and very briefly saw a Hair-crested Drongo, Dusky Wabler , Plain Prinia and Yellow-browed Warblers all called, and a White-breasted Kingfisher flashed overhead. The half-dozen Richard's Pipits on the golf course had pulled in a taivana Yellow Wagtail, but best of all was a splendid Northern Lapwing (132) that emerged from the direction of the carpark, flew along the edge of the golf course, showing beautifully, before frustratingly dropping out of sight.

Seriously, A Northern Lapwing in the roundabout? It took me 3 years to tick them in my local patch:C
I'm curious what else can turn into the airport.8-P

Dong Bei · Nov 14, 2014

Not too many airports with 133 species in a roundabout Mike! Well done on your patch work. Great to see Pallas's Bunting there as well.

Tom

MKinHK · Nov 17, 2014

It has been a terrific spell - thanks for the encouragement!

Having said that last week was bit of a nightmare as Amur Falcons were being reported all over Hong Kong, and - the same as last year Morten (a pilot for Dragonair) had three birds as he was taxiing along the runway. These birds were however on the North Runway, which is in sight of the office and the Roundabout making it an absolutely terrible day to leave my bins at home!!

To make matter worse, on Friday morning I spotted a falcon out of the window of the PR manager who was briefing me for an interview. There was absolutely no way I could rush to the window and see if it was an Amur and I showed astounding restraint in not even craning past her left shoulder to extend the view. Hmmm!

If I were I type of sausage there's no doubt, I'd be a dipolata.

Today started with releasing a Dusky Warbler that had found it's way onto the totally enclosed platform of the Airport Express. Then a brown blob on the bush that might have been an owlet but on zooming in with the SX50 turned out to be a falcon, and it was of course a female Eurasian Kestrel.

This was the first of a fine count of 28 species on the day and the only addition to the list for the quarter. Also on the golf course grassy strip were a White-throated Kingfisher along with a couple each of YBW and Dusky Warblers, plus a couple of Scaly-bellied Munias, a Black-browed Reed Warbler in the grass, the first of three female Daurian Redstarts and an Asian Brown Flycatcher.

The Northern Edge added a Grey Heron on the landing lights and a Chinese Pond Heron plus half-a-dozen OBPs - the formation of the winter flock. Coming round the corner into the Western Tangle the long-staying Lanceolated Warbler again performed like a champion, scuttling about in the leaf litter like secretive stripy olive mouse.

The Core Area has been quiet for a few visits, but was again birdy, with a final Dusky Warbler, two YBWs and a fine male Daurian Redstart plus another female perched decoratively on the counterweight of the barrier rail.

Cheers
Mike

MKinHK · Nov 18, 2014

Not so many species, but still a good day on the patch with five new species on the list for the quarter. These started with a Common Buzzard that flew across the sea, landed on the seawall and very conveniently flushed a Common Sandpiper.

Round the corner on the Western Tangle there was no sign of the Lancy, but a 'weep' up the slope revealed a male Japanese Thrush through a tiny gap in the foliage a couple of minutes before a Brown-flanked Bush Warbler 'tikked' and did its best to hide its silvery grey super as it bounced around uncharacteristically just out of view. The new additions were rounded off with a big and very chestnut Manchurian Bush Warbler that buzzed and then bounced into view after a couple of pishes.

Other bits and pieces included the female Kestrel again on the golf course - an older female judging but the strength of the moustaches - and another on the landing lights, a Black-faced Bunting in the grassy strip by the golf course, which also still held the Asian Brown Flycatcher and Chinese Blackbird and the first of two Daurian Redstarts.

Cheers,
Mike

MKinHK · Nov 26, 2014

After another frustratingly long break it was good to get back on the roundabout under sunny skies at lunchtime today. The grassy strip was a little disappointing - the best birds being a pair of Plain Prinias and a group of four Scaly-breasted Munias, while I had to work very hard for the two Richard's Pipits I eventually picked up on the golf course.

The Northern Edge was better, with a female Daurian Redstart, an Asian Brown Flycatcher, five OBPs, a fly-by Grey Heron and Hong Kong's most famous wagtail - the leucopsis x alboides White Wagtail with a new admirer. A Dusky Warbler and an Eastern Buzzard lurked on the Tangles, but the highlight of the day was a splendid male Verditer Flycatcher (134) that zipped over my head and posed beautifully on the Core Area.

Other birds here included a male and female Daurian Redstart, the last of three Yellow-browed Warblers and a second Asian Brown Flycatcher.

Cheers
Mike

Dong Bei · Nov 26, 2014

That's a sharp looking flycatcher Mike!

The Magic Roundabout (2 Viewers)

Craig Brelsford (&#22823;&#23665;&#38592;)

Mike Kilburn

Mike Kilburn

Mike Kilburn

Mike Kilburn

Mike Kilburn

Attachments

Craig Brelsford (&#22823;&#23665;&#38592;)

Mike Kilburn

Well-known member

Eastern Exile

Trapped in mist ***s

Mike Kilburn

Mike Kilburn

Attachments

Well-known member

Trapped in mist ***s

Tom

Mike Kilburn

Mike Kilburn

Attachments

Mike Kilburn

Attachments

Tom

Similar threads

Users who are viewing this thread

Craig Brelsford (大山雀)

Craig Brelsford (大山雀)