Ng Tung Chai, Hong Kong (6 Viewers)

[MKinHK]

I was woken this morning by a short sharp spring shower, that was immediately followed by the distinctive "New Zealand . . . New Zealand" call of a Large Hawk Cuckoo.

I know they are usually supposed to say "Brain Fever", but "New Zealand" really does fit better.

Cheers
Mike

 

[MKinHK]

At long last . . . I spent a couple of hours actually birding the patch this afternoon.

At lunchtime a flock of 70-odd House Swifts was my highest ever count. I was hoping to a Pacific Swift or a needletail in the flock, but no such luck. and during the course of the afternoon an interloping male Stejneger's Stonechat was chased round the veggie patch by the male that has held the claim all winter.

As the sun had come out for the first time in 3 weeks various cuckoos were calling, and by the end of the day I had notched up Large Hawk Cuckoo, Plaintive Cuckoo, Koel, Lesser Coucal and Greater Coucal.

I walked down to Lung A Pai following a tip from Dylan that he had seen two Chinese Water Snakes in a pathside stream yesterday. I had no luck with that, but poking about in an old lychee orchard at the edge of the forest I turned over a foam-plastic board and found a Rufous Burrowing Snake, bringing my snake patch list to 22. I was then gutted to come home and discover that my landlady had found and buried a dead Burmese Python - another snake I've not seen in the valley. You can't have it all.

Some of the birds that were about included two different Crested Serpent Eagles, a displaying pair of Crested Goshawks, Ashy Drongo, Grey-chinned and Scarlet Minivets getting frisky and a pair of White-browed Laughingthrushes.

As dusk fell I decided to wait to see if the Brown Wood Owl would call. While I was waiting Himalayan Leaf-nosed Bats began hunting while there was still plenty of light in the sky. I've seen these before, but one of my neighbours, who is a herp and mammal expert was able finally to put a name to it. At 6:38 the Brown Wood Owl called softly four times, which justified the mosquito bites (spring is not all good here!) and on the way home a Dog-faced Fruit Bat flew across the path in front of me.

Cheers
Mike

 

[Gretchen]

Wow, birds plus! Sounds like good birding and good batting (?!?) with a nice picture of your Rufous Burrowing which does have lovely rufous coloring.

 

[Dong Bei]

22 species of snakes on your patch?! Wow. I do remember you having a kind of cobra not that long ago. Nice looking photo as well.

 

[MKinHK]

The snakes are waking up as the frogs have woken up and started calling.

I was birding off-patch on Sunday morning so didn't add much at home, but it was another sunny day and the Oriental Honey Buzzard was soaring with a Crested Serpent Eagle, while a couple of Besras were also taking advantage of the thermals.

This morning I heard three of four buntings callings, but could not get onto them. Despite that the indicate passage, which is exciting enough after the dullest winter I've had in the valley.

The Brown Wood Owl was also going sometime in the wee small hours.

The flycatchers should start arriving this week . . .

Cheers
Mike

 

[thirudevaram]

Ashy minivets and Asian paradise flycatchers are spotted in good no's this year @ south India but they are still around there. Even a dark sided flycatcher was recorded.

So, i have to wait little longer than you for the flycatchers:t:

 

[MKinHK]

I'm still waiting Dev!

I went out this morning hoping for a Blue-and-White, Narcissus or Ferruginous Flycatcher, all of which have appeared earlier than this in the past, but didn't get a single spring migrant.

Compensation came in the form of two singing Pallas' Leaf Warblers, two singing Rufous-tailed Robins and a Black-winged Cuckooshrike. I also enjoyed a male Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker, perched in a sunbeam, the crown glowing an almost flourescent red.

Earlier in the week the Brown Wood Owl was giving its 3-note call around midnight.

The big news here was the discovery that a Needletail photographed yesterday on Po Toi is Brown-backed - a completely unexpected first record for Hong Kong. Pix can be seen on the HKBWS website.

Cheers
Mike

 

[thirudevaram]

Owls. Owls, Owls. Damn, i'm so unlucky with them in China.

 

[Frogfish]

I also enjoyed a male Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker, perched in a sunbeam, the crown glowing an almost flourescent red.

i saw these tiny birds for the first time down in Hainan and absolutely fell in love ! Beautiful.

 

[MKinHK]

A good morning in Ng Tung Chai, with five more birds for the patch year list after a very quiet start to the year. First up was an unusually confiding Lesser Shortwing - coming out to sing in full view at very close range, and a Blyth's-type Leaf Warbler singing oddly and not wing-flapping in the tree above. I only had my digicam video to record it. It here on Youtube. NB the bird is invisible - ignore the Lesser Shortwing and Rufous-capped Babbler. Any thoughts much appreciated.

Other good birds on the way up included a male Yellow-cheeked Tit, a singing Rufous-tailed Robin, an equally vocal Eastern Crowned Warbler (86), my first Blue Whistling Thrush(87) for a good long while, a typically curious Black-throated Laughingthrush (of the dark-cheeked colour morph) and heralding the beginning of the peak migration season, a Ferruginous Flycatcher(88) at the junction of the paths just above the temple.

One more of the five other singing Lesser Shortwings showed well, while at least four Montain Tailorbirds also showed themselves and a pair of Great Barbets were in fine voice from somewhere near the ridgeline.

On the descent a Grey-cheeked Fulvetta(89) rattled from cover and at the edge of the village a pair of Orange-bellied Leafbirds(90) were collecting nesting material.

Cheers
Mike

 

[MKinHK]

A short trip up Tai Om Shan today was disappointingly unproductive - although I did hear a Rufous-tailed Robin giving its rippling "Little Grebe" song from deep cover and n the way down some gribbling from deep cover proved to be a typically rufous-capped Manchurian Bush Warbler (91). I also had a female Black-faced Bunting on the veggie path as I arrived home.

The Barn Swallow below was perched conveniently close to the path at eye level.

the other pix show a wierd and wonderful insect I've never come across before, an elegant creeper (anyone know what it is?) and two different generations of development in the village.

Cheers
Mike

 

[thirudevaram]

Classic shot of Barn swallow! Great news about the flycatcher. I can expect some by the end of this week.

 

[Dong Bei]

Sounds like you'll have no problem reaching your target of 100 then.

 

[etudiant]

The insect is very interesting.
It looks somewhat like a species of Lacewing judging by the head and thorax, but the flat wings and the large setae on the abdomen are suggestive of something else.
It would be nice to get some expert input.

 

[MKinHK]

Thanks Dev.

The target is 150 for the year Tom. The target of 100 was for the end of February, which has long been missed. Hoping that a decent spring will fill some of the holes, but other will have to wait for a good influx of thrushes etc in December.

I will post the insect pic. on HKWildlife.net and report back if I get an answer.

Cheers
Mike

 

[Gretchen]

Very nice birding on Sunday it seems like. By the way, do you know what is "changeable" about the changeable lizard? I just saw a reference to that type recently - hadn't heard of them before. How long was yours more or less?

 

[MKinHK]

Turns out the insect is a stonefly, but I don't know which species.

A late start saw me down the lower end of the valley around She Shan this morning. The only new migrant was a Little Bunting (in addition to a solitary Dusky Warbler seen yesterday morning during another bout with the hula hoop from hell) in the tree nursery, but there was a mix of winter lingerers, breeding activity and scarce visitors to the valley to keep me interested.

I was delighted to find two Chinese Pond Herons prospecting possible nests in the bamboo stand by the car park and surprised to hear and then see a typically scruffy Yellow-browed Warbler and a trio of White-rumped Munias - very much hope they breed in the bamboo too!

The grassed over trashed land at She Shan held a solitary Richard's Pipit and a couple of Zitting Cisticolas, as well as 15-odd Olive-backed Pipits, but was enlivened by the calls of a couple of Large Hawk Cuckoos and a Plaintive Cuckoo. Other good birds knocking about included a pair of Red-billed Blue Magpies (91), a Stejneger's Stonechat, a Collared Crow and a pair of Black-winged Cuckooshrikes.

And finally . . . one pleasure of this spring has been the constant presence of White-browed Laughingthrushes around the veggie patch. They must be nesting nearby, but I am yet to nail down the exact spot. However they are source of irritation to the larger and more aggressive Masked Laughingthrushes who regularly chase them off shrieking away at high volume.

Cheers
Mike

 

[Frogfish]

I've never seen one of those Chinese Pond Herons .. nice.

 

[Dong Bei]

Mike,

I used to fly fish a lot and was thinking your insect resembled a stonefly but was totally unfamiliar with anything from your area. Reading about the call of a Plaintive Cuckoo...I've spent some time in Cambodia and remember the call well. Sounds like you had a decent morning out.

 

[etudiant]

Turns out the insect is a stonefly, but I don't know which species.
Cheers
Mike

Thank you for the follow up.
Very beautiful specimen, I've never seen one that color either. Here in North America they tend to be more dingy gray, at least the few I've seen.