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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Ng Tung Chai, Hong Kong (3 Viewers)

Mark Bruce said:
Mike, you're seeing a lot more Dollarbirds than us.

The northern Dollarbirds (mostly race calonyx) seem to move down into southern China for winter with very few Dollarbirds moving out into the Taiwan Strait. I'm not sure if any of the birds from SE Xizang (race cyanicollis) are heading to the Philippines (where race cyanicollis is resident) and these possibly are the handful of birds we are seeing passing through Taiwan.

I'm spending the weekend on two Taiwan Endemic Species Research Institute (TESRI) field stations in the central mountains and will ask if anyone knows anything about the Dollarbirds passing through Taiwan.

The Blue-tailed Bee-eater is another strange one. Spends the summer on the Taiwan controlled island of Kinmen in the Taiwan Strait. Reasonably common on the Fujian coast and resident in the Philippines but not a single record from Taiwan proper, in spite their presence in the Taiwan Strait during typhoon season.
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Hi Mark The only reference I can find to Cyanicollis Dollarbirds is in (the accursed!) Mackinnon. It seems like an extraordinary migration route - I would be very interested to find out more! None in my valley yet - I think the wind (NE monsoon) is so favourable that they are simply not stopping.

No Blue-Tailed Bee-eaters yet either - I suspect for the same reason , although they should be picked up early mornings as they are diurnal migrants.

The patch today offered more of the same:

Eastern-crowned Warbler - 1
Arctic Warbler - 2
Pale-legged/Sakhalin Leaf Warbler - 3 heard

Asian Paradise Flycatcher - 1

This bird gave brilliant close views and allowed me to confirm that I had erroneously claimed it as Japanese Para a couple of days ago - it wasn't nearly dark enough.

The "new" residents also scored today - singing Pygmy Wren Babbler and Lesser Shortwings but best of all were the "Tailorbird Wars" towards the top of my route.

A manky-looking Mountain Tailorbird without a tail, seemed to be getting close attention, but not aggression, from a glorious-looking adult. I have never seen one so showy - coming really close, throwing back its head, puffing out its throat and singing for all it was worth. A Common Tailorbird called and then appeared and the MT semed to get even more excited - no fighting as such, but it seemed that some sort of turf war of the tinys was going on with all three birds bounding about in the open with no regard to me whatsoever!

I was going to go al the way to the top falls, but discovered at first hand how little fun it is to get poked in the eye with a sharp stick when trying to free a tree from creepers. Not fatal, but definitely not recommended!

The weaqther man says there is going to be some rain in the front over the next few days - so here's hoping for some more goodies - an unusual autumn Spoon-billed Sandpiper was at Mai Po yesterday.
 
Hi Mike,

Some more good birds. Would love the Asian Para. Glad you're seeing Arctic Warbler because I'm not and I normally get them in late August.

I got this from Scott Lin at TESRI on the Dollarbirds.

"According to the dollarbird's distribution range, I think the Dollarbirds that appear in Taiwan should belong to Eurystomus orientalis calonyx. There is no data that shows the exact breeding or wintering sites of the migrant Dollarbirds passing through Taiwan so far. As for the E. O. cyanicollis, in China it is a resident and lives in south-eastern Tibet. Wintering Dollarbirds(racecalonyx) are not rare in southeastern Asia, I think the wintering and resident populations may mix in the Philippines."
 
Mark Bruce said:
Hi Mike,

Some more good birds. Would love the Asian Para. Glad you're seeing Arctic Warbler because I'm not and I normally get them in late August.

I got this from Scott Lin at TESRI on the Dollarbirds.

"According to the dollarbird's distribution range, I think the Dollarbirds that appear in Taiwan should belong to Eurystomus orientalis calonyx. There is no data that shows the exact breeding or wintering sites of the migrant Dollarbirds passing through Taiwan so far. As for the E. O. cyanicollis, in China it is a resident and lives in south-eastern Tibet. Wintering Dollarbirds(racecalonyx) are not rare in southeastern Asia, I think the wintering and resident populations may mix in the Philippines."
Click to expand...

Not sure if any Dollarbirds have bene ringed inHK , but would not expect so - so I guess it would be difficult to say where our own birds come from. We do know that they breed pretty close - in the mountains of northern Guangdong, but it seems likely that your birds would come from further north.

Sounds like you have a great weekend in store - the Taiwanese mountaind have some major birds for my Greater China list including the pheasants.

I'm off to Zhejiang to help in a survey of Linan County next week (1-7 October), stopping in Shanghai to look for Reed Parrotbills on Chongming Island. Its voluntary, but costs are covered once you get there. It takes in Tian Mu Shan - a World Heritage site (for its Gingko trees) - and Mukang, which was a summer retreat for the foreigners in Shanghai, so there is some old data, including such megas as White-eared Night Heron!
 
Another new bird on the patch today - and with no effort whatsoever - an immature male Blue Rock Thrush appeared on top of a telegraph pole opposite my flat and sat there long enough for great views. It is certainly a migrant as our resident birds stay on rocky outcrops at altitude throughout the year.

My second patch tick of the week while on Birdforum!
 
Quiet in the valley this morning, and a distinctly blue theme - first birds were a group of feral Blue-winged Minlas. Then "Don't Dip Dell" produced a male Hainan Blue Flycatcher on the way up and very brief views of my second Siberian Blue Robin for the Autumn, this one a female/immature.

I also had a couple of Pale-legged /Sakhalin Leaf Warblers giving their distinctive pinking call, and an Arctic Warbler.

The real highlight however, was the discovery of a colony of the tiny Bamboo Bat. I had stopped to search for a Pygmy Wren Babbler calling close to the path, and saw four or five small "things" flying over the path. I t was immediately clear that they weren't birds, and after coming closer and eliminating insects, it became clear they were very small bats. I watched one settle on a bamboo and then disappear, presumably into a roosting hole (they are the only species to use Bamboo for roosting in Hong Kong).
 
MKinHK said:
produced a male Hainan Blue Flycatcher on the way up and very brief views of my second Siberian Blue Robin for the Autumn, this one a female/immature.

I also had a couple of Pale-legged /Sakhalin Leaf Warblers giving their distinctive pinking call, and an Arctic Warbler.

The real highlight however, was the discovery of a colony of the tiny Bamboo Bat. I had stopped to search for a Pygmy Wren Babbler calling close to the path, and saw four or five small "things" flying over the path.
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Siberian Blue Robin, very nice !

I see Nigel Collar in OBC's Forktail 22 has proposed a split of the Taiwan subendemic Pygmy Wren Babbler (or Scaly-breasted Wren Babbler depending on the author) and others that will give Taiwan some more endemics.

Split from:pygmy/Scaly-breasted Wren Babbler, Pnoepyga pusilla /albiventer
Proposed new species:Taiwan Wren Babbler, Pnoepyga formosana



MKinHK said:
Sounds like you have a great weekend in store - the Taiwanese mountains have some major birds for my Greater China list including the pheasants.

I'm off to Zhejiang to help in a survey of Linan County next week (1-7 October), stopping in Shanghai to look for Reed Parrotbills on Chongming Island. Its voluntary, but costs are covered once you get there. It takes in Tian Mu Shan - a World Heritage site (for its Gingko trees) - and Mukang, which was a summer retreat for the foreigners in Shanghai, so there is some old data, including such megas as White-eared Night Heron!
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Have a good trip !

I had a pretty good trip. Didn't see any of the pheasants but they weren't really target birds on the trip. We did stop at Meifong, which is very good for both the Swinhoe's and Mikado Pheasants, at about 7am yesterday for a few hours but it was a little too late to be seriously looking for them.
 
At long last! I had my first Dollarbird of the autumn on the power lines across my valley at lunchtime today.

Looking back into my records, passage through here is very variable - its before the earliest date from 2003, and after the latest record of 2005. It has however, been a poor autumn so far in HK for Dollarbirds, maybe beacuse it's all yet to come!
 
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MKinHK said:
At long last! I had my first Dollarbird of the autumn on the power lines across my valley at lunchtime today.

Looking back into my records, passage through here is very variable - its before the earliest date from 2003, and after the latest record of 2005. It has however, been a poor autumn so far in HK for Dollarbirds, maybe beacuse it's all yet to come!
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Always nice to see! I've dipped this season on it so far but most of ours go through in the north.
 
One for the record books today . . .

Coming down the hill after seeing the usual autumn fare of Paradise Flycatcher sp. , Arctic, Eastern Crowned and Pale-legged/Sakhalin Leaf Warblers I stopped to look through a loose feeding flock of Babblers - Asian Paradise Flycatchers, particularly, seem to attach themselves to these flocks - and found . . an Asian Paradise Flycatcher! Curious as ever it responded to my pishing and came in to inspect me, giving wonderful close views. I was checking out the Rufous-capped Babblers to see if there were any phylloscs or ther flycatchers with the flock when I got onto a slightly smaller bird with a slightly bronzy tinge to the green on the back (which Common Tailorbird occasionally shows. Thank goodness I stayed on it because it flicked its tail - showing white central tail feathers and black outers!?!

It then turned its head to show a dark mask and moustacial stripe on a white face beneath a chestnut cap ?!? and finally it flipped round to show a green- black-speckled belly! SPECKLED PICULET!!! - and just the third Hong Kong record! and my best ever find at Ng Tung Chai - edging out Rufous-gorgetted Flycatcher (4th HK record + tw others) and last winter's male White-throated Rock Thrush (10th or so HK record).

I had very good views as it sat wiping its bill on a branch for a couple of minutes before flicking off. Back at home I confirmed that the chestnut cap identified it as the Chinese race Picminus innominatus chinensis, reducing the possibility of it being an escape.

To put the icing on the cake, my mate Graham, who had found and shown me the Brown Chested Jungle Flycatcher exactly 3 weeks earlier was able to come straight away and relocated it - in "Don't Dip Dell" - of course!
 
A quiet return to the patch after a 10 day break in China, during which time I nailed Chinese Parrotbill at Dongtan National Nature Reserve on Chongming Island near Shanghai (heartfelt thanks to Choimo and Viator of BF, plus Ms Gan of Fudan University for offering such willing help, both with with the logistics and fidig the parrotbills - China tick no 905 for me!)

I also participated in an orgaised county survey in Zhejiang that will forever make me grateful not to live off a migration route! However, this baseline survey was paid for by the provincial Government and sets a wnderful example for local governments in ther parts of China.

Back at home the principal birds of interest were a couple of Arctic Warblers, an Eastern-crowned Warbler and a very confiding juvenile Dark-sided Flycatcher, which gave superb views at close range. This species is very variable in its breast pattern, with birds showing anything from an all-dark breast to broad streaks, and, like this bird a fine pattern of regularly-spaced spots.
 
Sounds like a you had a good trip. Good to hear about a provincial government paying for a survey.

I'm glad you're seeing Arctic Warblers as I'm not seeing many and there should be quite a few about now.

I'm starting to look out for our first Siberian Rubythroats now.
 
Mark Bruce said:
Sounds like a you had a good trip. Good to hear about a provincial government paying for a survey.

I'm glad you're seeing Arctic Warblers as I'm not seeing many and there should be quite a few about now.

I'm starting to look out for our first Siberian Rubythroats now.
Click to expand...

Very much hoping that the model for the surveys can serve as a case study for other provinces.

I had a male Siberian Rubythroat at Dongtan (Shanghai) on 30th Sept, so I guess the early birds will be in Taiwan already - also the earliest HK record is on 8th October.

We also had our first Rufous-tailed Robin of the winter yesterday - a week earlier than the previous early date.

Slightly surprised by your lack of Arctic Warblers - possibly the weather that's made this such a good early autumn here has diverted them away from Taiwan.

Other goodies in HK while I was away included an Orange-breasted Green Pigeon that stayed arond for a few weeks in the spring, and a Pallas' Reed Bunting - just the second record for HK. As I saw the pigeon in the spring and the Reed Parrotbill was a lifer I feel more than amply compensated.

Cheers
Mike
 
No time to get out this week, bt a Black-winged Cuckoo-shrike in the bare tree opposite my house was a nice surprise this morning - two birds overwintered last year - hope this one stays.

Yesterday the same bare tree played host to a burning hot male Scarlet Minivet - a resident species, put performed wonderfully in bright sunlight for non-birding girlfriend.
 
A changing of the guard this morning as the first late autumn migrants/winter visitors arrived. Best of these was a first winter male Siberian Thrush, my first of the year on the patch. It obviously decided it was far enough away from me to feel safe, and ended up giving prolonged views, especially of the underparts.

It had a strong buffy supercilium which curved round the ear coverts - typical of 1st winter males, with a slightly mucky face and a curious mix of brown spots on the throat and centre of the breast , but reassuring amounts of slate grey on the flanks, and breast sides, and nicely white-tipped undertail coverts.

Another bird also flew from the same spot but I never got onto it.

Other signs of the approaching winter included the first Grey-headed Flycatcher of the winter (doing its distinctive 'Silly billy call), 20-odd Striated Yuhinas in a tight, noisy flock and a wonderful flock around 80 Grey-chinned Minivets with a couple of accompanying Scarlets. Thye pished in very close so I enjoyed superb views of these birds which a dd a wonderful splash of colour to my winter birding every year. I looked in vain for Ashy or Swinhoe's, both of which pass through in small and very small numbers respectively, but no joy. I did, however flight views of have my first Hair-crested Drongo for for several months.

As with all good guard changes there was still a presence from the previous shift - singles each of Asian Paradise Flyactcher and Greenish Warbler showed briefly, and it was good to hear a couple of Lesser Shortwings away from the top spot. With more time a record count of Mountain Tailorbirds (up to 4 with the best areas not covered) was on the cards, but guilt at being late for work finally kicked in and I had to turn back early.

A very nice morning nonetheless!

Cheers

Mike
 
Good to hear that your wintering birds are arriving. I'm expecting ours any day now. Waiting for wintering Brown Shrike and Blue Rock-Thrush in the garden.
 
This morning started with the Black-winged Cuckoo-shrike back in the tree in front of my house, and although lacking the starlet quality of yesterday's Siberian Thrush, it was notable for the continuing good run of autumn passage phylloscopus warbers - with Eastern Crowned and Arctic Warblers both showing briefly.

I once again had an Asian Paradise Flycatcher following a flock of Silver-eared Mesias, the Grey-chinned Minivet flock had thinned out to about 60 birds, and the Grey-headed Flycatcher was singing away further up the valley. I thought I heard White-bellied Yuhina (a scarce bird at Ng Tung Chai) in the same flock, but never got onto it.

I also heard a Pygmy Wren Babbler calling close to the path, but it took exception to my presence and disappeared before I could get a look at it.
 
Sounds like you had a good morning, too, Mike. I woke up to find this little beauty sitting outside my window. Guess our winter birds are here.
 

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Lucionensis Brown Shrikes are terrific birds! The Long-taileds rule the roost here, but a colleague has one in the garden.

A quiet morning in the forest, with Black-winged Cuckoo-shrike in front of my house and Grey-headed Flycatcher, seen for the first time, after two days of calls only, the pick of the bunch. There was also a late Arctic Warbler,and good verbals from some of the residents including Lesser Shortwing - 4 birds a new high count for the year- and Pygmy Wren babbler again close to the path.

Cheers

Mike
 
A great new patch and house tick this morning - a female/immature Black-headed Bunting popped up in the bare tree in front of my house!

There are about 10-15 records of BHB in Hong Kong, all of them in agricultural areas. While not as good a bird as a the Speckled Piculet last month, its the first genuine rarity I've had from my house.

In Hong Kong Black-headed buning is principally an autumn visitor bird to agricultural areas, which is not exactly what NTC is known for, but the fields around the village have attracted flocks of over 100 Little Buntings in past winters, and we have a good range of more common farmland species such as Black-collared Starling, Sooty-headed Bulbul, Plaintive Cuckoo and Crested Mynah.

I 'm happy to say that identification is fairly straightforward. There are no records of Red-headed Buntings in HK, so the only bird to eliminate is immature/female Common Rosefinch, which also comes through HK in autumn, which is hardly rocket science!

Just done a count: My patch year list is 135 out of a total patch list of 166 (4 years of residence plus 10+ visits previously).
 
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