johnallcock
Well-known member
In response to Mike's year list for Ng Tung Chai, I thought I might try one for myself in another part of Hong Kong. I am lucky enough to work at Mai Po Nature Reserve, so I actually have the opportunity not only to bird the site before or after work, but actually during work as well!
Given the public holiday on 1st, I didn't start the list until this morning, but I arrived bright and early to try a bit of birding before office hours. Just around the reserve car park, I managed to pick up Dusky Warbler, Masked Laughingthrush, Pallas's Leaf Warbler, Japanese White-eye, Oriental Magpie Robin, House Swift, Spotted Dove, White Wagtail and Common Blackbird in rapid succession. A single Black-faced Spoonbill passed over, bringing the total to 10 as I headed towards the reserve.
I opted for the long route to the office to try to pick up a variety of species, and was not disappointed. Within 10 minutes I was already up to 35 species, with the addition of Azure-winged Magpie, Crested Myna, Black-collared Starling, Yellow- browed Warbler, Chinese Bulbul, Great Cormorant, Great Egret, Grey-backed Thrush, Tree Sparrow, Northern Shoveler, Grey Heron, Little Egret, White-throated Kingfisher, Pied Kingfisher, Red-whiskered Bulbul, Greater Coucal, Siberian Rubythroat, Pied Avocet, Northern Pintail, Common Moorhen, Manchurian Bush Warbler, Eurasian Collared Dove, Chinese Pond Heron, Little Grebe and Asian Koel.
Continuing around the perimeter of the reserve gave me Black-winged Stilt, Eastern Yellow Wagtail, Eurasian Magpie, Red-billed Starling, Yellow-bellied Prinia, Cinereous Tit, Tufted Duck, Eurasian Wigeon, Common Greenshank, Collared Crow, Grey Plover, Common Pochard, Daurian Redstart, Black-crowned Night Heron and Eurasian Coot. I managed to pick up Fork-tailed Sunbird, Oriental Turtle Dove, Eurasian Wryneck, Stejneger's Stonechat and Long-tailed Shrike on my way across the reserve.
The Red-breasted Flycatcher seen in the last two days of 2012 unfortunately did not show, but as I looked for this, a brown shape that dashed between two patches of reeds revealed itself to be a Eurasian Bittern and an Intermediate Egret was on the next pond.
Just before arriving at the office came the first surprise of the day - a Himalayan Swiftlet among a small flock of House Swifts by the office. This is tricky species on the reserve, and not one I was expecting to see for the year. This brought the total to 58 species in just over 30 minutes!
The list slowed down a bit while I was working, of course, but I did manage to add White-breasted Waterhen, Red-rumped Swallow and Red-billed Blue Magpie from the office window before lunch. An Accipiter called at one point, but I couldn't see it and couldn't tell if it was a Besra or Crested Goshawk.
Knowing there was a high tide at lunchtime, I dashed out to the mudflat for some wader watching, which proved to be very productive, adding Common Redshank, Common Sandpiper, Eurasian Curlew, Black-headed Gull, Black Kite, Whimbrel, Kentish Plover, Marsh Sandpiper, Terek Sandpiper, Pacific Golden Plover, Greater Sand Plover, Heuglin's Gull, Osprey, Great Knot, Saunders's Gull, Black-capped Kingfisher and Little Ringed Plover. I also added Common Kingfisher and Red-flanked Bluetail on the way back to the office, bringing me to a round total of 80 by the end of lunchtime.
The afternoon was quiet, adding only Eastern Buzzard. After work, I tried again for the Red-breasted Flycatcher and this time it cooperated. It's a good one to get 'in the bag', and is not a species I would normally have expected, so it was a relief that this individual was still around!
As I left the flycatcher site, the pond where I had seen the bittern this morning struck again when I flushed a Cinnamon Bittern. Although I would expect this species at some point in the year, it is unusual here in winter, so was another surprise. A Ruddy-breasted Crake trilled from deep in the reeds of the next pond.
With light fading, I just had time for one more bird - the Oriental Stork that has been present since the summer was just visible in the twilight on the far side of it's favoured pond.
So, the first day of birding brought a total of 85 species. A good total, with a a couple of surprises. There are still several easy birds missing (how on earth did I miss Plain Prinia?), but that just gives me something to look for in the coming days...
Given the public holiday on 1st, I didn't start the list until this morning, but I arrived bright and early to try a bit of birding before office hours. Just around the reserve car park, I managed to pick up Dusky Warbler, Masked Laughingthrush, Pallas's Leaf Warbler, Japanese White-eye, Oriental Magpie Robin, House Swift, Spotted Dove, White Wagtail and Common Blackbird in rapid succession. A single Black-faced Spoonbill passed over, bringing the total to 10 as I headed towards the reserve.
I opted for the long route to the office to try to pick up a variety of species, and was not disappointed. Within 10 minutes I was already up to 35 species, with the addition of Azure-winged Magpie, Crested Myna, Black-collared Starling, Yellow- browed Warbler, Chinese Bulbul, Great Cormorant, Great Egret, Grey-backed Thrush, Tree Sparrow, Northern Shoveler, Grey Heron, Little Egret, White-throated Kingfisher, Pied Kingfisher, Red-whiskered Bulbul, Greater Coucal, Siberian Rubythroat, Pied Avocet, Northern Pintail, Common Moorhen, Manchurian Bush Warbler, Eurasian Collared Dove, Chinese Pond Heron, Little Grebe and Asian Koel.
Continuing around the perimeter of the reserve gave me Black-winged Stilt, Eastern Yellow Wagtail, Eurasian Magpie, Red-billed Starling, Yellow-bellied Prinia, Cinereous Tit, Tufted Duck, Eurasian Wigeon, Common Greenshank, Collared Crow, Grey Plover, Common Pochard, Daurian Redstart, Black-crowned Night Heron and Eurasian Coot. I managed to pick up Fork-tailed Sunbird, Oriental Turtle Dove, Eurasian Wryneck, Stejneger's Stonechat and Long-tailed Shrike on my way across the reserve.
The Red-breasted Flycatcher seen in the last two days of 2012 unfortunately did not show, but as I looked for this, a brown shape that dashed between two patches of reeds revealed itself to be a Eurasian Bittern and an Intermediate Egret was on the next pond.
Just before arriving at the office came the first surprise of the day - a Himalayan Swiftlet among a small flock of House Swifts by the office. This is tricky species on the reserve, and not one I was expecting to see for the year. This brought the total to 58 species in just over 30 minutes!
The list slowed down a bit while I was working, of course, but I did manage to add White-breasted Waterhen, Red-rumped Swallow and Red-billed Blue Magpie from the office window before lunch. An Accipiter called at one point, but I couldn't see it and couldn't tell if it was a Besra or Crested Goshawk.
Knowing there was a high tide at lunchtime, I dashed out to the mudflat for some wader watching, which proved to be very productive, adding Common Redshank, Common Sandpiper, Eurasian Curlew, Black-headed Gull, Black Kite, Whimbrel, Kentish Plover, Marsh Sandpiper, Terek Sandpiper, Pacific Golden Plover, Greater Sand Plover, Heuglin's Gull, Osprey, Great Knot, Saunders's Gull, Black-capped Kingfisher and Little Ringed Plover. I also added Common Kingfisher and Red-flanked Bluetail on the way back to the office, bringing me to a round total of 80 by the end of lunchtime.
The afternoon was quiet, adding only Eastern Buzzard. After work, I tried again for the Red-breasted Flycatcher and this time it cooperated. It's a good one to get 'in the bag', and is not a species I would normally have expected, so it was a relief that this individual was still around!
As I left the flycatcher site, the pond where I had seen the bittern this morning struck again when I flushed a Cinnamon Bittern. Although I would expect this species at some point in the year, it is unusual here in winter, so was another surprise. A Ruddy-breasted Crake trilled from deep in the reeds of the next pond.
With light fading, I just had time for one more bird - the Oriental Stork that has been present since the summer was just visible in the twilight on the far side of it's favoured pond.
So, the first day of birding brought a total of 85 species. A good total, with a a couple of surprises. There are still several easy birds missing (how on earth did I miss Plain Prinia?), but that just gives me something to look for in the coming days...