MohoNobilis
Member
Hey, everyone. You may have realised that I have not posted an update on here in ages. This was mainly due to my declining mental health, which led to my decreased motivation in recording my sightings whenever I go casual birding (as well as sharing my sightings and adventures on this site). I do apologize for the inactivity, but as I am currently recovering, things will be going well after I return to Hong Kong by the end of this month - and you may even get more status updates from time to time!
Recap: What happened in 2024, as of June?
So far, I have seen many birds that I have previously seen last year (a bunch of year ticks!) as well as many new ones, both in the UK as well as in Hong Kong and mainland China. I have paid two visits to Hong Kong Wetland Park in 2024 for birding purposes (with the second trip being two days apart from the first), and yes, I did end up with at least a few more lifers in my list!
From hearing my first cuckoo of the year in England to finding stonechats hanging out in sand dunes in Wales, this year was a great birding year in the UK so far. My trips to Venus Pools this year mostly led to me leaving in vain, but I still expected my future birding trips to be better than then.
Of course, my predictions were right. I have always wanted to go seabirding in the UK (as the waters in Hong Kong are way too polluted, which led to me being disappointed multiple times), and I am glad to say that I had gotten two opportunities to head to Penmon Point during my trip to Anglesey just a few days ago - and of course, I used these chances wisely! (More about this trip will be stated in the favourites below.) In the end, I was able to snag a few low-quality images (I don't do bird photography but I take photos of the birds that I have seen to document my sightings) of the seabirds and the sunset (as seen in the attached images).
2024 Statistics
All of the statistics below were recorded from January 1 to June 18.
Lifers seen in 2024: 29
Year list: 104
Year ticks: 104 - 29 = 75
Favourites
All of the favourites below are based on the statistics above!
Favourite lifer (UK): Northern gannet
I have always wanted to see a northern gannet since the summer of 2023, and I have always regretted not looking for them when I was at North Berwick back when I went to Scotland in 2019 - when I never cared about birds (and hated the ocean). During my trips near the seaside in 2023 and in 2024, I have constantly attempted to search for a gannet even when all I could see were gulls, gulls and... you guessed it, more gulls.
Things quickly changed during my very recent visit to Anglesey, however. I accidentally signed up for a trip to a seaside headland because i had nothing to do that night, and I must admit that this was the happiest accident that had happened this year (and maybe even my entire life), as I quickly found out that we were heading to Penmon Point. As I hastily checked for bird sightings while heading to Penmon Point, I was overjoyed to find out that I might just be able to finally see a northern gannet.
Obviously, there were a lot of gulls after I had arrived, but as I sat on a rock and stared off into the distance with my binoculars, I patiently waited for something to happen. As the Manx shearwaters and Sandwich terns flew over the sea, I suddenly saw a large seabird flying over from the right. There was just something special about that bird - something vaguely familiar about it. White wings with black tips and a smudge of yellow on its head and neck... could it finally be?
My deductions were correct - it was indeed a gannet that was flying over to the feeding frenzy that was occurring near the lighthouse. As more started appearing, I was overjoyed, even though I was well aware that gannets are common seabirds in the UK.
The sightings don't end here, however. I signed up for the trip yet again the day later, wanting to see more gannets. This time, I was a bit more successful than last time. Twenty minutes in and I already spotted a northern gannet flying overhead - and even diving into the sea, which I have not fully witnessed the last time! Throughout the two hours of my evening stay that day, I witnessed a few gannets soaring over the horizon and their constant attempts in diving. For a person who had wanted to see a gannet for what seemed like ages, this was definitely the highlight of my current birding year.
Favourite lifer (Hong Kong): Purple heron
As I was visiting Hong Kong Wetland Park in April and seeing nothing out of the ordinary in the birdwatching hide with the most birds (and birders), a heron suddenly joined the crowd of grey herons and black-faced spoonbills present in the mudflat. It was only until a few minutes later that some of the more experienced birders spotted that something was different about this heron after we all thought that it was just the average grey heron. After some further examination using cameras and binoculars and other viewing devices present, an experienced birder identified it to be a purple heron that had most likely flown from Taiwan to Hong Kong. We stared at the purple heron for a while as it went to blend in with the bushes, and then continued on with our day.
Favourite year tick (overall): Eurasian wren
The iconic Eurasian wren, a small bird with a loud song. Though its plumage may be considered drab to many, it has been one of my all-time favourite birds ever since I first saw it in 2023 due to its adorable appearance and its little tail that is constantly stuck up in the air. The fact that it can be seen all around the UK just makes it even better. I have seen it many times due to it being so common, and hearing its song in the morning just makes me feel really happy.
Favourite overall bird seen this year: Northern gannet
Well, after I had typed all about what had happened just a few days ago while I was in Anglesey, what else can I say? I've always loved northern gannets due to various reasons (such as how they are quite relatable to me as well as the fact that I love how they dive), and finally being able to see one just made me finally feel carefree for once after a bunch of hardships and stress that I had to overcome due to my declining mental health and how I constantly had to compare myself to others. The gannets may not know it, but they have made my life so much better just by flying within my sight.
Conclusion
In the end, this birding year has been quite successful so far, seeing over 100 species in just a span of six months. Though this number will not be increasing by a lot due to how I've already seen most of the common birds in both the UK and Hong Kong, I think that this year has already been better than the last. From birding in the pouring rain with my friends to wading through a salt marsh with sandpipers nearby and red kites flying overhead, this year was full of surprises, and I'm glad that at least I wasn't as confined to the same birding spot as last year and am finally able to head out into nature and experience the joy of casual birding at its finest.
Recap: What happened in 2024, as of June?
So far, I have seen many birds that I have previously seen last year (a bunch of year ticks!) as well as many new ones, both in the UK as well as in Hong Kong and mainland China. I have paid two visits to Hong Kong Wetland Park in 2024 for birding purposes (with the second trip being two days apart from the first), and yes, I did end up with at least a few more lifers in my list!
From hearing my first cuckoo of the year in England to finding stonechats hanging out in sand dunes in Wales, this year was a great birding year in the UK so far. My trips to Venus Pools this year mostly led to me leaving in vain, but I still expected my future birding trips to be better than then.
Of course, my predictions were right. I have always wanted to go seabirding in the UK (as the waters in Hong Kong are way too polluted, which led to me being disappointed multiple times), and I am glad to say that I had gotten two opportunities to head to Penmon Point during my trip to Anglesey just a few days ago - and of course, I used these chances wisely! (More about this trip will be stated in the favourites below.) In the end, I was able to snag a few low-quality images (I don't do bird photography but I take photos of the birds that I have seen to document my sightings) of the seabirds and the sunset (as seen in the attached images).
2024 Statistics
All of the statistics below were recorded from January 1 to June 18.
Lifers seen in 2024: 29
Year list: 104
Year ticks: 104 - 29 = 75
Favourites
All of the favourites below are based on the statistics above!
Favourite lifer (UK): Northern gannet
I have always wanted to see a northern gannet since the summer of 2023, and I have always regretted not looking for them when I was at North Berwick back when I went to Scotland in 2019 - when I never cared about birds (and hated the ocean). During my trips near the seaside in 2023 and in 2024, I have constantly attempted to search for a gannet even when all I could see were gulls, gulls and... you guessed it, more gulls.
Things quickly changed during my very recent visit to Anglesey, however. I accidentally signed up for a trip to a seaside headland because i had nothing to do that night, and I must admit that this was the happiest accident that had happened this year (and maybe even my entire life), as I quickly found out that we were heading to Penmon Point. As I hastily checked for bird sightings while heading to Penmon Point, I was overjoyed to find out that I might just be able to finally see a northern gannet.
Obviously, there were a lot of gulls after I had arrived, but as I sat on a rock and stared off into the distance with my binoculars, I patiently waited for something to happen. As the Manx shearwaters and Sandwich terns flew over the sea, I suddenly saw a large seabird flying over from the right. There was just something special about that bird - something vaguely familiar about it. White wings with black tips and a smudge of yellow on its head and neck... could it finally be?
My deductions were correct - it was indeed a gannet that was flying over to the feeding frenzy that was occurring near the lighthouse. As more started appearing, I was overjoyed, even though I was well aware that gannets are common seabirds in the UK.
The sightings don't end here, however. I signed up for the trip yet again the day later, wanting to see more gannets. This time, I was a bit more successful than last time. Twenty minutes in and I already spotted a northern gannet flying overhead - and even diving into the sea, which I have not fully witnessed the last time! Throughout the two hours of my evening stay that day, I witnessed a few gannets soaring over the horizon and their constant attempts in diving. For a person who had wanted to see a gannet for what seemed like ages, this was definitely the highlight of my current birding year.
Favourite lifer (Hong Kong): Purple heron
As I was visiting Hong Kong Wetland Park in April and seeing nothing out of the ordinary in the birdwatching hide with the most birds (and birders), a heron suddenly joined the crowd of grey herons and black-faced spoonbills present in the mudflat. It was only until a few minutes later that some of the more experienced birders spotted that something was different about this heron after we all thought that it was just the average grey heron. After some further examination using cameras and binoculars and other viewing devices present, an experienced birder identified it to be a purple heron that had most likely flown from Taiwan to Hong Kong. We stared at the purple heron for a while as it went to blend in with the bushes, and then continued on with our day.
Favourite year tick (overall): Eurasian wren
The iconic Eurasian wren, a small bird with a loud song. Though its plumage may be considered drab to many, it has been one of my all-time favourite birds ever since I first saw it in 2023 due to its adorable appearance and its little tail that is constantly stuck up in the air. The fact that it can be seen all around the UK just makes it even better. I have seen it many times due to it being so common, and hearing its song in the morning just makes me feel really happy.
Favourite overall bird seen this year: Northern gannet
Well, after I had typed all about what had happened just a few days ago while I was in Anglesey, what else can I say? I've always loved northern gannets due to various reasons (such as how they are quite relatable to me as well as the fact that I love how they dive), and finally being able to see one just made me finally feel carefree for once after a bunch of hardships and stress that I had to overcome due to my declining mental health and how I constantly had to compare myself to others. The gannets may not know it, but they have made my life so much better just by flying within my sight.
Conclusion
In the end, this birding year has been quite successful so far, seeing over 100 species in just a span of six months. Though this number will not be increasing by a lot due to how I've already seen most of the common birds in both the UK and Hong Kong, I think that this year has already been better than the last. From birding in the pouring rain with my friends to wading through a salt marsh with sandpipers nearby and red kites flying overhead, this year was full of surprises, and I'm glad that at least I wasn't as confined to the same birding spot as last year and am finally able to head out into nature and experience the joy of casual birding at its finest.
