The Magic Roundabout (1 Viewer)

Taking advantage of the public holiday I headed back to the Roundabout this morning,and although it seemed quieter than last week I still racked up 42 species, including a Eurasian Hobby (155) that was new for my patch list.

I started well at the southern roundabout where an Asian Brown Flycatcher and a male Taiga Flycatcher with a nice red throat were sharing a stand of trees with a Brown Shrike and a Long-tailed Shrike. The same area also held what I believe was last week's Black-backed Wagtail , but in a more advanced state of moult as there was much more grey on the back.

The grassy strip was still birdy, but at a lesser scale - delivering three or four each of Asian Brown Flycatcher, Black-browed Reed Warbler and Oriental Reed Warbler, plus a Wryneck that explored the tree ant next in the one dead tree, and the leucopsis x alboides White Wagtail which was just round the corner in the carpark.

The golf course itself offered a new high counts of 12 Red-throated Pipits and eight Stejneger's Stonechats, plus a female Yellow-breasted Bunting and three or four macronyx Yellow Wagtails as new arrivals for the quarter. Other than that there seemed to be fewer Black Drongos and Red Turtle Doves, but the fine male pandoo Blue Rock Thrush showed well. The White-throated Kingfisher was shyer, but three Cattle Egrets, three LRPs and a second Brown Shrike added to the usual mix of ardeids.

The Northern Edge of the main roundabout delivered the first of two Greenish Warblers, while the Core Area held the day's fifth Black-browed Reed Warbler , a calling Wryneck and a Yellow-browed Warbler, plus a sixth Dusky Warbler.

I also learned from Chris Campion, who I covered the latter parts of the route with that he'd also had a Northern Skylark earlier in the week - adding one more to the grip list.

Cheers
Mike

The clear out had continued overnight, although I started well with a Black-browed Reed Warbler, a Dusky Warbler, two Greenish Warblers, a Yellow-browed Warbler and two Asian Brown Flycatchers on the Core Area, a nicely confiding Lanceolated Warbler on the Eastern Tangle, a Pale-legged/Sakhalin Leaf Warbler on the Western Tangle and another Asian Brown Flycatcher and a Taiga Flycatcher on the Northern Edge.

I also had my first Japanese White-eyes in several months - a small flock blew through Western Edge.

The grassy corridor along the western edge of the golf course was quieter, but still held a second Lancy, two more each of Black-browed Reed Warblers and Asian Brown Flycatchers. There were also three Cattle Egrets and the same mix of pipits and wagtails on the golf course.

There was just a solitary Black Drongo on the golf course, and looking down from the office it was clear that the ponds are drying up fast as a Grey Heron was wading in the deeper part.

Cheers
Mike

After yesterday's clearout, this morning's visit started with a true winter visitor - a rather flighty Chinese Blackbird - was on the Core Area, chakking a couple of times before giving the distinctive "teuuu"call note. I had brief views as it came round again, but there will hopefully be plenty more over the winter. I'm was also delighted t learn earlier this year that it has now been split from European Blackbird. Even for someone as resistant to the proliferation of genetic-based splitting, this one is long long overdue.

Other migrants included a male and a female Stejneger's Stonechat on the actual Roundabout, and the first of a new record of 10 Asian Brown Flycatchers on the Grassy Patch. The Core Area also held a Wryneck, a couple of Yellow-browed Warblers, a Dusky Warbler and a Greenish Warbler that I heard but could not see.

The Eastern Tangle continues to host the beautifully marked Sakhalin/Pale-legged Leaf Warbler which has been around for over a week now. It has a lovely blue-grey head contrasting with rather deep green upperparts, a very clean white belly and super, two distinctive wing bars, pale tipped pink-based dark bill, and the usual crazy pale pink feet. I tried the playing the songs of both species between the noise of the aircraft, trains and buses, but disappointingly it did not respond in any way at all.

The second new arrival was a typically confiding female Daurian Redstart on the Northern Edge, where there was also a Taiga Flycatcher.

The grassy strip held a couple of Black-browed Reed Warblers and an interesting-looking wagtail (see pix) and a newly-in Buff-bellied Pipit were on the golf course along with the smart Black-backed Wagtail from a week ago, a Swintail Snipe, an Oriental Reed Warbler and another Black-browed Reed Warbler. By the time I'd got all the way round the Dusky Warbler count was up to nine, the Cattle Egrets to six, and the Black Drongos and Red Turtle Doves were maintaining a presence at five and four respectively.

Cheers
Mike

a good candidate for baicalensis...

Which one Jonathan?

there are more pix of the first bird here:

http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=313849

Cheers
Mike

MKinHK said:

The Magic Roundabout's moment in the sun is becoming something of a two-edged sword as no less than five species have been added in the last three days that I've never seen - well four I've never seen, and one I've never seen alive.

There have now been three different reports of Yellow-legged Buttonquail, a Slaty-legged Crake was picked uninjured and taken to Kadoorie Farm for rehab, a Watercock was by the golf course this morning (the only previous record was of a bird found dead in October 2012), an Oriental Cuckoo was there yesterday, an Amur Falcon flew over the course yesterday morning. Had no-one else been here I'd be none the wiser, but a good part of me is feeling rather gripped (ya buggers!)

Click to expand...

I wouldn't complain, Mike. Given that, you scored most of the species during the afternoon slog hours.

Between, i'm seeing so much similarity in terms of species which i have seen here in Shanghai and you have in roundabout.

Mike, I was thinking the first one, but I think the head pattern is too marked for baicalensis...so very likely ocularis or lugens... hard to see the yestripe shape on this, and the rump seems to show some blackish spot on it which would better fit lugens...

Many thanks Jonathan.

After a frustrating two-week break on account of being out of town for work (and agonisingly being gripped by the discovery of a Sulphur-breasted Warbler as I was going through customs) I was back on the roundabout this morning for a swift couple of hours.

Bird of the morning was a rather late Asian Paradise Flycatcher on feeding on a flowering acacia by the golf course, in an area that also held my first Eastern Buzzard and Olive-backed Pipit of the autumn, plus some patch quality in the form of a male Fork-tailed Sunbird (just my third record) and a Feral Pigeon (also just the third record!)

Other migrants included Lanceolated Warblers on the Core Area and in the grassy corridor, two Oriental Reed Warblers, an Asian Brown Flycatcher, a Black-browed Reed Warbler, 7 Dusky Warblers, a YBW, a Wryneck heard on the Core Area, a Chinese Blackbird and three Cattle Egrets, plus a few Richard's Pipits and a Yellow Wagtail on the golf course.

Long-stayers also on show were headlined by the singing pandoo Blue Rock Thrush, Kestrel and a Brown Shrike on the golf course.


Cheers
Mike

I wondered whether it was worth going out on another hot day that seemed little different from the day before . . . and demonstrably proved that it was. Yesterday's Asian Para and Fork-tailed Sunbird had gone, while Himalayan Rubythroat and a Mugimaki Flycatcher both rare on the patch showed within five minutes of each other on the edge of the golf course, and a trio of Sooty-headed Bulbuls brought the list for this quarter to 78 - the second highest ever. There are still a full 50 days to go to beat the old record of 82 (from Oct - Dec 2013).

Other highlights included the adult Black-backed Wagtail again on the golf course, one or possibly two Daurian Redstarts and a Wryneck on the Core Area, and another of the latter in the same tree as the Mugi, along with Yellow-browed, Greenish (heard only) and Dusky Warblers.

The Black-Browed and Oriental Reed Warblers were still in the grassy corridor, along with a snipe sp. that shot up and out way too fast for an ID.

Ten Great Egrets, three Little Egrets, a Grey Heron and a Chinese Pond Heron had joined the five Cattle Egrets on the golf course, while on the turf there was only a single taivana Yellow Wagtail and three Red-throated Pipits among the Richard's Pipits and leucopsis White Wagtails.

Both the Eurasian Kestrel and the Eastern Buzzard showed overhead, the [I]pandoo[/I] Blue Rock Thrush zipped noisily past a couple of times and a fine male Stejneger's Stonechat put in a brief appearance.

Cheers
Mike

MKinHK said:

Many thanks Jonathan.

After a frustrating two-week break on account of being out of town for work (and agonisingly being gripped by the discovery of a Sulphur-breasted Warbler as I was going through customs) I was back on the roundabout this morning for a swift couple of hours.

Click to expand...

You might need to create a new grip list for the roundabout :-O

Indeed I should Dev - and its only getting longer as a Chestnut Bittern was found on the airfield while I was away on business!

On a more positive note, a visit on Sunday morning was headlined by my first Asian Stubtail (156) on the patch, which was trotting about on the floor of the Western Tangle in a typically confiding manner. Other migrants included a fine male Silky Starling flying over the golf course, a Lanceolated Warbler,, a female Daurian Redstart, half a dozen Dusky Warblers, Asian Brown Flycatcher a rather pale Brown Shrike, a male Chinese Blackbird, the pandoo Blue Rock Thrush, and heard, but frustratingly unseen, my first Grey-backed/Japanese Thrush of the winter.

Other bits and pieces included the leucopsis x alboides White Wagtail on the Northern Edge, Great, Little and Cattle Egrets on the golf course with a Grey Heron, a Chinese Pond Heron and the Eurasian Kestrel, and a Black Kite over the Core Area. A heavier-looking warbler also flushed from the grassy corridor by the golf course, but despite never looking quite right it always sounded exactly like a Black-browed Reed Warbler.

Cheers
Mike

Top bird today was female Fork-tailed Sunbird, which would have been more exciting if it were not for the male that turned up last week. However this one came really close on the Western Tangle, and allowed excellent views for a few seconds.

It was otherwise rather quiet - the Daurian Redstart count being increased to two by a fine male on the golf course - and highly frustrating - a probable female Black-faced Bunting, the unidentified chunky warbler seen last week, and what looked like a small pale accro. that flipped out of the grass into into deep cover -all within 50 metres of each other in the grassy corridor by the golf course.

Cheers,
Mike

A day of fits and starts produced my first Grey-headed Canary Flycatcher for two years (and only my second ever here) on the Western Tangle, along with a Wryneck, a Dusky Warbler and a couple of Yellow-browed Warblers.

I was hoping to find a Chestnut Bulbul as there are pix circulating here of birds landing on two different boats in waters within 1 or 2km of the airport yesterday.

Eight Great Egrets were lurking around the landing lights jetty (visible from the sea wall) and the leucopsis x alboides White Wagtail was initially on the lawn by the Northern Edge and later on the golf course. A bird I presume was one of his offspring (and therefore a leucopsis X alboides x leucopsis!) was actually my first bird on the Grassy Verge. I've included a pic of Dad for comparison. A bunch of Tree Sparrows, Crested Mynas and Crested Bulbuls were also here enjoying the sprinkler.

I had another run of birds on the golf course, where the pandoo Blue Rock Thrush, a male Stejneger's Stonechat and a Little Ringed Plover were all on the edge of one of the greens, while a Chinese Blackbird lurked a little further down.

The OBPs have arrived for the winter too . . .

Cheers
Mike

The Grey-headed Flycatcher was on the Core Area - this time with a Daurian Redstart, an Asian Brown Flycatcher and a Yellow-browed Warbler in close attendance, plus a looser gaggle of Japanese White-eyes and three Eastern Great Tits - attracted perhaps by its chattery exuberance.

A male Grey-backed Thrush that whizzed by me without even knowing I was there was my first this winter and - much rarer on the patch - three Chestnut Bulbuls working their way along the edge of the golf course were another good addition and . . . drumroll . . . breaking the previous record for the maximum number of birds in a quarter (82).

A quick look over the sea produced a solitary Pacific Reef Egret flying above the sea near the the reclamation and a bush on the northeast corner by the Marriott held a Yellow-bellied Prinia were the other new additions, making the potential of bringing up the ton in the remaining 40 days a far from impossible proposition.

Other bits and pieces included a new high of a dozen Red-throated Pipits on the golf course, along with six taivana Yellow Wagtails and a solitary macronyx, three Chinese Blackbirds, a pristine male Red Turtle Dove and something that made a weird call I couldn't place but thought was in cover, but then the evil sod flew off from above my head towards the Roundabout, dispelling my hare-brained theory that it was an odd-sounding Rubythroat.

As I was leaving a lone Barn Swallow flew over the Roundabout.

Cheers
Mike

Following up Saturday's visit with an earlier start on Sunday kept the ball rolling nicely as I added a Magpie and a Zebra Dove(157)on the golf course to the list for the quarter. Much more significant the Zebra Dove turns out to be the first record for Hong Kong!

This is not quite as executing as it sounds. While nothing can take away from the fact that it is a beautiful small dove, it occurs naturally no closer than southern Thailand and Myanmar, but there are feral/introduced populations into Laos Vietnam and Thailand.

The bird was foraging on the ground right at the end of the grassy corridor, but I did not see it until it flew up into a tree and stared down at me for a couple of minutes, allowing me to get some photos with which to submit the record.

The Grey-headed Flycatcher was again busily present on the Core Area, as were an equally colourful and noisy group of Chestnut Bulbuls, which are part of a significant influx this winter. An Oriental Reed Warbler was something of a surprise on the Eastern Tangle and I was pleased to register a Siberian Rubythroat, philippensis Blue Rock Thrush and the Black-backed Wagtail again on the golf course, plus a new patch high count of three Wrynecks and on the golf course a very solid eighteen Red-throated Pipits.

An Eastern Buzzard was made most unwelcome by the long-staying Eurasian Kestrel, which did condescend to pose nicely for me just as I was leaving, but the golf course edges delivered five more Silky Starlings and a Chinese Starling to the flock of a dozen of the former as I stepped off the bus. Three each of Chinese Blackbird and Daurian Redstart and very confiding Chinese Pond Heron and Olive-backed Pipits added somewhat to the winter spirit - even if the seemingly eternally hot weather was not exactly co-operating!

Cheers
Mike

Mike, I haven't commented much recently, but congrats on such terrific sightings these days. I wonder if you initially expected your "patch" to take you to work on the weekends!

Lovely pic of the Chestnut Bulbul. Very interesting about the Zebra Dove, which I've seen in northern Thailand. How do birdwatchers in HK categorize this type of sighting?

Many thanks Gretchen - it has certainly been an autumn to remember. I have to admit it is becoming a bit obsessive, but with clock ticking on the the golf course I'm keen to drain the last drop of goodness out of it while I can.

The Zebra Dove will almost certainly be classified as an escape as there are no previous records from China and it is really a bird of southern Thailand, Malaysia and points south, with introduced populations in Central and Norhtern Thailand and the Philippines, where it is also a popular cage bird. Having said that there was no evidence of cage damage, but in the end it would astonish me if the Records Committee were to conclude it were a genuinely wild bird.

I was again out and about yesterday lunchtime. It was much quieter, but I was pleased to find the Grey-headed Flycatcher still in residence on the Core Area and the long-staying Oriental Reed Warbler back in the grassy corridor next to the golf course. It was a good day for Yellow-browed Warblers, with at least 5 present across the site, and more frustratingly I failed to nail what was probably a Pale Thrush on both the Eastern Tangle and the Core Are, plus an extremely shy warbler in the grassy corridor might well have been a bradypterus of some description.

Three Cattle Egrets continue to grace the golf course along with the odd Great Egret and Grey Heron, but as I didn't have my key I didn't get onto the course.

Other bits and pieces included a Stejneger's Stonechat, Wryneck calling and a couple of Daurian Redstarts and my old friend the alboides x leucopsis White Wagtail was again on show.

It's about time we had a cold front come through and shake things up a bit.

Cheers
Mike

The shear variety of birds you get at the Magic Roundabout is just awesome. I've also not commented much recently (college work and such) but just had a good read and catch-up on what you've had over the past month or so. Nice work Mike

And lo there came from the northeast a cold wind that cleareth the sky and a droppeth the temperature yea unto a bracing 16 degrees centigrade, and flungeth across the face of the Hong Kong SAR a plenitude of feathered finery. A verily they did include Hong Kong's first Franklin's Gulls, and third Water Pipit and yea even the seventh Greater White-fronted Goose. Full joyful were the birders there gathered to behold - at least they that dippeth not, nor gripped by their fellows were cast down. And behold even unto Lantau, where questing far and wide, Sir Alcock espyeth at Pui O's be-drenched sward both von Schrenck's Bittern . . . and Siberian Thrush withal!

Sore gripped wast MKinHK, and grumbleth unto himself "Is't meet that other men should revel in such wondrous creatures' apparition while this lonely,drudging,bird less patch I tread? Yet stay, what graces yonder bough? Could'st be? three Oriental Turtle Doves Behold! . . .

OK enough. The doves were my first for a year - on the Core area with the Grey-headed Flycatcher that a week into its stay finally sat long enough for a decent shot. A Grey-backed Thrush, the first of five Daurian Redstarts and a Dusky Warbler were on the Eastern Tangle.

The grassy corridor was barer that Mother Hubbard's cupboard, until . . . at the far end where the grass gives out and the Zebra Doves start, three or four Dusky Warblers were feeding by the fence. One of them was obviously different, but did not match my mental picture of Radde's Warbler - being more fine-billed, olive-tinged and small-headed than I expected. I spent the next half hour getting pix and a short video, and was amazed how different these made it look. A couple of these appear to show some yellow streaks on the flanks and possibly on side of the breast, but I just don't know enough about Yellow-streaked to nail this, so any advice would be most welcome. There's also a short video on my FaceBook page here.

Stop press: thanks to Mark Andrews et al for confirming this indeed a Radde's Warbler (158)

Other birds included a flock of 100-odd Silky Starlings, a Common Sandpiper on the golf course and a few regulars including a philippensis Blue Rock Thrush, the leucopsis x alboides White Wagtail, three YBWs, the Brown Shrike, a Cattle Egret, the usual pipits and wagtails and the female Kestrel.

Cheers
Mike

Another Red Letter Day for the Magic Roundabout as I added three patch ticks in a terrific session that delivered a whopping 52 species - and another personal record for a single day. Much of this was down to meeting Chris Campion and Graham Talbot on-site, so that three pairs of eyes were covering the ground.

The star birds of the morning were a female Brambling, (159) a male Bluethroat (160) (both found by Graham) and at least three and possibly as many as five Little Buntings (161), plus two Pale Martins and a Green Sandpiper which were both just the second record for the patch, and peak counts of Oriental Turtle Dove (13), Little Ringed Plover (12), and a fine family of five Magpies. Further strong support came from a fine male Chestnut-eared Bunting and a grottier Yellow-breasted Bunting, a handsome male White-shouldered Starling and a dozen Silky Starlings and in the mooring sunshine the White-throated Kingfishers adding a dazzling burst of azure blue as they skimmed across the fairways.

Adding to the general birdiness were six Daurian Redstarts, five Dusky Warblers, three YBWs, three Stejneger's Stonechats, and the usual spread of Richard's, Olive-backed and Red-throated Pipits, plus Great, Little, Cattle and Reef Egret, plus Grey and Black-crowned Night Herons.

Cheers
Mike

PS many thanks Gus - it has been an amazing run since late August, so I've been neglecting my other sites to make the best of the Roundabout before the golf course becomes shopping centre.