Ng Tung Chai, Hong Kong (4 Viewers)

Mark Bruce · Nov 27, 2006

Tanny said:
I could not find any reference to the "Lesser Shotwing"

Lesser Shortwing actually. Brachypteryx leucophrys, also called Mrs La Touche's Shortwing or Baihou duanchidong in Mandarin.

Here's a link to a photo in the BF database
http://www.birdforum.net/bird_view.php?bid=4619

The Taiwan race of Hwamei was split from the mainland species and given full endemic species status in August and is now called Taiwan Hwamei or Taiwan Melodious Laughingthrush Garrulax taewanus(ref: Ibis 2006, 148, pg 698-706).

Tanny · Nov 27, 2006

Thank you for that, Mark, I checked out the photograph and the bird is sertainly one I had never seen or heard of before. It looks a little bit like a Pitta in build, am I to asume it's a close relative, I'me bound to find something about it on the net.
Another name I will have to hunt up is, "Mrs la Touche", quite a facinating French sounding name.
Throughout my life I have made the study of birds my main hobby, and I still have so much to learn about them. Thanks to the Bird Forum, and the Internet I can fill in the missing gaps.

Mark Bruce · Nov 27, 2006

It does look a little Pitta like in the photo but the family is Muscicapidae (Thrushes, Shortwings, Old World Flycatchers and Chats). The subfamily is Turdinae (Thrushes and Shortwings).

I suspect that the name of Mrs La Touche is linked to the famous Oriental naturalist, John David Digues La Touche 1861-1935. I'm very familiar with La Touche's wonderful and very descriptive writings of his two Formosan (Taiwan) expeditions: Notes on Southern Formosa and its Birds, Ibis 1895; and Notes on Northern Formosa and its Birds, Ibis 1898, but I don't know too much detail about his expeditions and work in China.

MKinHK · Nov 30, 2006

Mark Bruce said:
I suspect that the name of Mrs La Touche is linked to the famous Oriental naturalist, John David Digues La Touche 1861-1935. I'm very familiar with La Touche's wonderful and very descriptive writings of his two Formosan (Taiwan) expeditions: Notes on Southern Formosa and its Birds, Ibis 1895; and Notes on Northern Formosa and its Birds, Ibis 1898, but I don't know too much detail about his expeditions and work in China.

Just back from a short non-birding trip to Taiwan but managed a few hours of birding and added Varied Tit to my China list and the endemic Taiwan Blue Magpie (including a very close flock of 20 - fantastic!) and Taiwan Whistling Thrush as lifers. Many thanks to Mark for suggesting Wulai as a good spot to bird and keep my non-birding girlfriend happy.

La Touche is best known among HK birders for a landmark avifauna - "A Handbook of the Birds of East China", and for being the first person to systematically note migration at Beidaihe - a now famous migration watchpoint (especially for cranes).

The Handbook is a superb work that still holds good today in its descriptions and taxonomic decisions of E China birds, despite being more than 70 years old. Its also full of wonderful anecdotes of the old days.
I have a photocopied version and the Hong Kong Bird Watching Society has a couple of original copies which can be used for making reproductions. I understand that he was a customs official. I'm very interested to hear that La Touche was also in Taiwan. Are they available online anywhere?

Anyway, back to Ng Tung Chai . . . a late visit this morning confirmed the arrival of two more first autumn records, with the highlights being single Grey-backed Thrush and Red-flanked Bluetail.

I also saw 3 different Rufous-tailed Robins, and had wonderful views of another melodious skulker - Pygmy Wren Babbler, which aproached very close and sang at me! Other good birds included a female Buff-bellied Flowerpecker.

Cheers
Mike

Mark Bruce · Nov 30, 2006

Good to hear you had a good visit to Wulai. Taiwan Blue Magpie is a super bird. I've never been lucky enough to have seen a large flock. I dream about seeing a flock of ten plus all flying in that distinct bill to tail train formation. I've had wonderful views of Magpies but always four or less. The North is good for magpies. I've attached a shot of one I took last week.

Taiwan Whistling Thrush is another lovely one. I hope you had views in good light. Varied Tit is also another lovely one and race castaneoventris is really pretty.

La Touche's Formosan writings are very descriptive. It was his early work and he was very passionate about what he was doing. They are really well worth reading. I think you could get online copies from Ibis.

Seems as our thrushes are arriving too. I saw my first Scaly Thrush of the season on Sunday.

MKinHK · Dec 1, 2006

There was a fruiting tree right by the school at the start of the Tong Hou River birding walk. They were in there with about the same number of Grey Treepies. Red-billed Magpie is pretty rare round my house so seeing a big noisy group was a real pleasure

The tree and the nearby cemetary were just superb - in a stunning ten minutes I got the magpie, the treepie, Varied Tit, Maroon Oriole, the Barbet, Grey-capped Woodpecker, Bronzed Drongo, Black Bulbul, Streak-throated Scimitar Babbler and a bit later Manchurian Bush Warbler! Several bamboo partridge called from very close-by, but refused to show.

Ng Tung Chai was quiet this morning - the only good bird seen was the male Black-naped Monarch, but there were definitely more thrushes around this morning, although I only got onto a single male Grey-cheeked Thrush.

I also had a possible Radde's Warbler on the way out of the village to the office, but views were brief and bin-less.

Mark Bruce · Dec 2, 2006

MKinHK said:
There was a fruiting tree right by the school at the start of the Tong Hou River birding walk. They were in there with about the same number of Grey Treepies. Red-billed Magpie is pretty rare round my house so seeing a big noisy group was a real pleasure

The tree and the nearby cemetary were just superb - in a stunning ten minutes I got the magpie, the treepie, Varied Tit, Maroon Oriole, the Barbet, Grey-capped Woodpecker, Bronzed Drongo, Black Bulbul, Streak-throated Scimitar Babbler and a bit later Manchurian Bush Warbler! Several bamboo partridge called from very close-by, but refused to show.

Ng Tung Chai was quiet this morning - the only good bird seen was the male Black-naped Monarch, but there were definitely more thrushes around this morning, although I only got onto a single male Grey-cheeked Thrush.

I also had a possible Radde's Warbler on the way out of the village to the office, but views were brief and bin-less.

Wow, Mike ! Maroon Oriole is a real treat. It's not seen very often and the endemic race Ardens is rather lovely and distinct. Swinhoe first described the species in 1862 and took his specimens from that area, so you really got to see the species in the right place.

I must spend a bit of time in the Huben forests and see what I can find in the way of thrushes. Scott Lin tells me he's been seeing fair numbers during his work on the Spot-breasted Scimitar Babblers.

Tanny · Dec 2, 2006

G'day, Iv'e just popped in to check you guys out again, and as usual you have made my mouth water with so many new bird names for me to look up. Bluetails, Babblers and Flowerpeckers etcetra. I've increased my weekly expense on lottery tickets, hoping to win so that I can get over to you and see these birds for myself. Well, thers no harm in dreaming. Thanks for the entertainment fellas :t:

MKinHK · Dec 3, 2006

Another new one for you Tanny, but not so exciting - an Asian House Martin (patch year tick no 140) showed briefly this morning at the edge of the forest, while 2 male Grey-backed Thrushes seen well were an indicator or many more thrushes being present.

The Grey Treepie called again, and Grey-headed Flycatcher and Yellow-browed Warbler outside the forest suggested that the cold overnight weather had brought new birds in. In fact the morning was somewhat disappointing as only an Asian Brown Flycatcher was any better than routine.

MKinHK · Dec 4, 2006

An immature Striated Heron was NTC year tick no 141 this morning. This species is interesting in Hong Kong - they are resident at Mai Po, but in the winter birds we think are from a migrant population appear on some of our larger upland streams.

There were more thrushes around, and I'm getting better at seeing them - I got onto three Grey-backed Thrushes on the deck and had another three flying over.

The Asian House Martin was surprisingly still around - they're not exactly known here for hunting over forest!

The other highlight was seeing the male Black-naped Monarch in bright sunshine for a couple of minutes. just a stunning bird - and with the largest blck tuft on the back of the crown that I've ever seen.

Mark Bruce · Dec 4, 2006

MKinHK said:
The Asian House Martin was surprisingly still around - they're not exactly known here for hunting over forest!

Interesting, Mike. Ours are a pretty common resident (actually, it has long been suspected that we get wintering birds too) and are frequently active over forests, including higher altitude forests like Meifong.

MKinHK · Dec 4, 2006

Your comment reminded me . . . in Hong Hong they are normally seen over fishponds and farmland, but the breeding colony I've seen at Wuyi Shan in Fujian definitely hunts over forest.

Cheers
Mike

MKinHK · Dec 5, 2006

A slightly warmer morning seemedto be to the liking of the wintering phylloscopus warblers. There were at least 7 Pallas' Leaf Warblers, 3 Yellow-browed and one each of Blyth's Leaf Warbler and a rather dull Greenish Warbler.

The other newly arrived bird was a female Verditer Flycatcher, which I hope will stay around the village for a while as one did last winter - there is also a male which has been in the forest for at least a month now (see previous posts). The male Black-naped Monarch has decided it likes me and again gave great views this morning - from above the black tuft was split into 2 bunches astride a centre parting.

A possible Siberian Rubythroat on the way to work this morning - but the call was pretty muted and will have to go into the "pending" file - it would be only my thrid record here.

Mark Bruce · Dec 5, 2006

MKinHK said:
A possible Siberian Rubythroat on the way to work this morning - but the call was pretty muted and will have to go into the "pending" file - it would be only my thrid record here.

Good to hear. Ours should be around now, too. I think I need to spend sometime in the river scrub near the house.

MKinHK · Dec 7, 2006

A relatively quiet day with few changes in the birds. Male Verditer and female Black-naped Monarch were a reverse of Tuesday's order, and one each of Red-flanked Bluetail and Rufous-tailed Robin suggested that last week's birds only stayed a day and that these (more than a week later) were new.

I tried to string a Hainan Bulbul out of a juvenile Chinese Bulbul, but wiser heads pointed out that juv Chinese can look very dark-headed.

A Hair-crested Drongo showed well as I headed off to work - just a few records this year.

MKinHK · Dec 9, 2006

This morning in NTC Pale Thrush and a male Red-flanked Bluetail were new for the winter, and both Mountain Bulbul and Black-winged Cuckoo shrike made a reappearance after some time away out of sight.

MKinHK · Dec 9, 2006

Lots of good birds at Mai Po Marshes this afternoon:

Black-faced Spoonbill + 30

Imperial Eagle- 1 imm
Greater Spotted Eagle - 1 1st winter
Eastern Marsh Harrier - 5

Lesser White-fronted Goose - 2 (HK's 1st record 2 weeks ago)
Lesser Treeduck - 1

Saunder's Gull - 5

Carrion Crow - 1
Daurian Jackdaw - 1

MKinHK · Dec 13, 2006

29 Chinese Blackbirds (turdus merula mandarinus) flew past my house today - a sure sign winter is here.

MKinHK · Dec 15, 2006

6 Chinese Grosbeaks (or Yellow-billed Grosbeak, or Black-tailed Hawfinch) flew over my head on my way out of the village this afternoon - no 141 for the year and new bird 171 for the patch.

Long overdue as this valley is a well-known site where I have seen them several times, both above and below my village.

MKinHK · Dec 17, 2006

A very cold clear day afer the passage of a major front brought a few old friends out of the woodwork, but surprisingly nothing new. Speckled Piculet topped the poll, returning after 10 week gap, and in the same, magical "Don't Dip Dell" the White-throated Fantail made an uncharacteristically silent appearance.

I also had repeat views of the Blyth's Leaf and Greenish Warblers, plus the female Black-naped Monarch and 3 Grey-headed Flycatchers.

An Emerald Dove was a slight surprise, but they are resident in the vally - just shy and unobtrusive most of the time.

Ng Tung Chai, Hong Kong (4 Viewers)

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