Ng Tung Chai, Hong Kong (6 Viewers)

[MKinHK]

A pretty dismal morning on the patch was enlivened by putting my foot through a plank and straight into a boggy stream, and my next foot into the water to keep it company.

That followed a morning when the highlight had been my first Collared Crow (74) of the year on the patch, a singing Pygmy Wren Babbler (75) and a briefly seen Hwamei (76) along the river below She Shan.

All the cherry trees were being cut and wrapped for Chinese New Year and most of the flowers had been cut, so the valley was looking rather bare.

At Pak Tin Kong a flyby dove turned out to be the first Eurasian Collared Dove (77) for the valley, but the tail was so knackered that the likelihood of it being an escape is pretty high.

At just about the same time the Oriental Honey Buzzard flew by just a couple of hundred metres away, so at least I finished the morning with one proper good bird. Other bits and pieces included a couple of Black-faced Buntings and a Little Bunting, two Besras , a Black-winged Cuckooshrike grabbing a green caterpillar from the carrots in the veggie patch, a Crested Serpent Eagle and an Ashy Drongo.

Cheers
Mike

 

[MKinHK]

Just an hour on the patch this morning on the way back from birding an area that does have some forest birds (Bride's Pool: Mugimaki, Brown and Hainan Blue Fly, Eye-browed and Japanese Thrushes + Plumbeous Redstart).

A walk through from the She Shan road delivered eight Chinese Blackbirds,an Eastern Buzzard, half a dozen Little Buntings (photographed for the first time on the patch) and a couple of Black-faced Buntings. The pic of the Bunting with the white background is not a hoax - a lady with a white hat walked past at the exact moment I took the shot - honest!

The weather has tuned cold and a female Daurian Redstart picking at the soya meal scattered between the lettuces on the veggie patch at lunchtime was a typically noisy and hungry new arrival.

I also had my first Scarlet Minivet (78) from the bus stop on the way out this morning and the Brown Wood Owl calling a few times in the pre-dawn darkness.

Ng Tung Chai tomorrow morning - and hoping for Japanese Robin, Siberian Thrush and Rufous-Gorgetted Flycatcher - or best of all a Grey-sided Thrush!) in with the colder weather.

Cheers
Mike

 

[Gretchen]

Putting foot through a plank sounds bad, possibly better than through ice - lots of that and very cold water under it here (but I didn't really take any chances when I was out today, though it looked like meters of ice on the ocean).

Like the starlings pic very much and the little bunting - well turned out quite well. See what you mean about the dove's tail. I often wonder what signs of cage living are - that is pretty sad looking!

Sounds like good things have been coming your way! Hope the holiday brings you some more (cold weather plus days off is a good combo I guess!). Happy New Year!

 

[MKinHK]

A misty morning climbing up to the highest falls was better for the walk and the swirling mists than for the birds. The heavy cloud and darkness reminded me powerfully of my first walk up here on Boxing Day 2004, but there was none of the quality (males of Japanese Robin and Fujian Niltava!) I saw on that day.

However three birds for the patch list were all on the same turn in the trail close to the top falls - my first Goodson's Leaf Warbler (79) of the winter, a small gang of Red-billed Leiothrix (80) and, on the way down a couple of Mountain Bulbuls (81) appeared briefly.

Cheers
Mike

 

[MKinHK]

Another quiet day on Tuesday. I went up into Tai Om Shan looking (more humbly) for Red-flanked Bluetail and Grey-headed Flycatcher with no success. A couple of Rufous-tailed Robins and an Asian Stubtail plus a flock of Yellow-browed and Pallas' Leaf Warblers were the best birds on offer and a gang of Striated Yuhinas went through at treetop level with their usual bustling energy without ever giving me a view.

Signs of cold weather included an Ashy Drongo next to the road inside the village, a couple of Yellow-browed Warblers and the Black-winged Cuckoo-shrike and Lesser Coucal in the veggie patch again, plus a hepatic Plaintive Cuckoo (82) which declined to be photographed was one more for the patch year list.

Cheers
Mike

 

[MKinHK]

Finally got out for some birding after being laid up for a weekend . . .

There were no new birds, but it was good to see three Little Buntings, a Red-throated Flycatcher, Ashy & Hair-crested Drongos and Black-winged Cuckooshrike below Dylan's place, plus Lesser Coucal in front of my place.

I also head the Brown Wood Owl calling around 11:30 on Thursday evening.

Edit: One more piece of good news - the Oriental Honey Buzzard I have been seeing was photographed beautifully today (here). Does anyone know how to differentiate the ruficollis and orientalis races?

Cheers
Mike

 

[MKinHK]

A morning walk in Tai Om - the highlights were Asian Stubtail and Mountain Bush Warbler and a calling Great Barbet (83), which was an addition to the patch year list.

Bird of the day was an adult Crested Goshawk that was perched on a branch in the clearing at Tai Om village.

Cheers
Mike

 

[Larry Sweetland]

What on earth are Goodson's Leaf Warblers and Mountain Bush Warblers Mike? I'm falling by the wayside here...

 

[MKinHK]

Hi Larry

Goodson's is part of the Blyth's Leaf Warbler break-up. It has bright yellow breast, face and sometimes much of the belly. The yellowest birds can look like Sulphur-breasted Warbler, but Goodson's always has grey rather than black lateral crown stripes and a white vent/undertail coverts. I've also referred to it as Hartert's Leaf Warbler in previous postings, but this name is not recognized by the HK Records Committee so I've gone back to Goodson's.

Mountain Bush Warbler is the old name for Brownish-flanked Bush Warbler - a name that manages to combine the three sins of being long, vague and unimaginative.

This seems a shame for a perky little Cettia with a terrific song, so it's one of my protests against the north american-driven dull names birding hegemony. Riverchat is another.

I'll stop here before I really get going.

Cheers
Mike

 

[Larry Sweetland]

Thanks for the explanation Mike Mike :t: Have you been over to see the Baer's at Mai Po?

 

[MKinHK]

Not yet Larry - I've seen a few in HK so there is not the same panic for me, although I'd like to see it. The sense of going going gone is as strong for this species as it is for Spoon-billed Sandpiper and I strongly believe its status should be upgraded to critically endangered.

We have our Bird Race this weekend and I hope to see it then.

Cheers
Mike

 

[MKinHK]

Bird race this weekend meant little time on the patch . . . and what a good idea! It was again rather quiet, with an unproductive recce on Friday producing very little of quality while the race itself did give us a few species, including my staked-out Little Buntings, A Green Sandpiper, Crested Goshawk, a calling Rubythroat and White-browed Laughingthrush around She Shan fishponds, plus a couple of Yellow-cheeked Tits, Pallas' Leaf Warbler, Rufous-capped Babbler, Streak-breasted Scimitar Babbler, Black-throated Laughingthrush and Chestnut Bulbul.

The best bird, and the only patch year-tick, was a splendid male philippensis Blue Rock Thrush (84) perching on a roof in Ng Tung Chai village.

We were badly gripped by another team that had a superb Bull-headed Shrike in the orchard below the temple - the first one in the valley this winter.

Cheers
Mike

 

[Gretchen]

Sounds like the bird race did produce some good sightings! Are the results posted anywhere?

Congratulations on the Blue Rock Thrush - a nice addition to your list I would think. Guess it hasn't been an exciting winter this year, but you'll have migrants going north before too long?

 

[MKinHK]

Hi Gretchen

The results of the Bird Race are not posted that I know, but they probably should be.

The wining team scored 157 in 12 hours (6:30am - 6:30pm). My team came third equal with 144.

I'm awayfrom the patch for the next week - arriving in Seattle on Thursday morning and hunting Snowy Owl, Emperor Goose, King Eider and Rock Sandpiper (amongst others - a McKay's Bunting is now being disappointingly elusive) at the weekend, then down to LA for a conference the next week. The hotel in LA is next to the port, so I should at least add Heerman's Gull and hopefully Black-vented Shearwater to my list.

Any advice would be most welcome.

Cheers
Mike

 

[Gretchen]

144 sounds like a lot of birds! Must have been fun.

Hope you have successful sightings in US - that the birds cooperate and you get some good help (have you posted in the local patch forums? sometimes they help... there are some active birders from Seattle and LA here)

 

[thirudevaram]

Have a great trip Mike!

 

[MKinHK]

I had a monster trip thirudevaram (as you can see from my signature).
I've posted my trip report here:http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?p=2376337

Cheers
Mike

 

[Dong Bei]

Mike,

Awesome trip report, a real joy to read. I noticed you mention you next trip a little more north? Let me know and I'll show you around!

 

[MKinHK]

North of Seattle Tom! (but your thread is constantly increasing my desire to bird the Liaoning Peninsula).

It feel like a long time since I last posted about the patch what with being away, but yesterday I was off sick and stayed at home on the first truly sunny day for a very long time.

It was a joy to sit on my roof in a deck chair and watch both Crested Goshawk and Crested Serpent Eagle taking advantage of the warmer weather and much improved visibility for some display.

There were also several Barn Swallows (85) hunting above the trees. They breed every year in the village, but are yet to see the attraction of our house.

Thee are still a few hints of winter - the male Siberian Stonechat is still on the veggie patch, and I saw a Yellow-browed Warbler and heard a flyover Chinese Blackbird yesterday morning.

and finally . . . this morning I heard a Crested Mynah prospecting in the ventilation tube for the kitchen stove.

Cheers
Mike

 

[thirudevaram]

Tempting Mike!

Emperor goose and snowy owl made my day!:t: