Ng Tung Chai, Hong Kong (1 Viewer)

[Mark Bruce]

That must be pretty painful, Mike, but always good to add a patch tick. Hope you come right without too much pain. We've got Typhoon Krosa blowing in so no birding this weekend. I was up in Hsitou yesterday and there were Taiwan Barwing everywhere. I've only seen them singerly or in pairs before. Yesterday a came across quite a few trios and even a flock of seven. Barwing is unusual for this time of the year in Hsitou. They're normally found higher up until mid winter.

 

[Tanny]

That's called birdwatching dedication Mike. A bust nose with watering eyes and still watching the skies for birds. Great stuff mate.

 

[MKinHK]

Amazingly the bust nose has not hurt at all! Played another full game of hockey today wth no unfortunate nudges and no pain, and my fiance decided it was funnny that I had a big "panda-eyes" double bruise across my face today.

More importantly, I went birding this morning and had interesting time between the temple and the lower falls:

Scarlet Minivet - 55 - these flocks are a regular feature of the autumn and early winter - keep hoping to pick out Swinhoe's Minivet or Ashy among the more regular Scarlet and Grey-chinned. Swinhoe's would be a patch tick, and I have just one record of Ashy here.

At least three Lesser Shortwing were singing lustily this morning, but today one of them responded very well to my pishing and came in close to give a wonderful extended view in the open.

On the migrant front an Eastern Crowned Warbler was a routine autumn bird, while I suspect the Japanese Paradise Flycatcher may have been the same bird as was present on Thursday.

More interesting the White-throated Fantail returned for its thrird or fourth winter, giving me just two burstsof its distinctive song before showing well in the dell before the first stone staircase. It is currently considered an escapee, but this regular return only for the winter months is extremely unusual behaviour in an escaped or released bird.

Cheers

Mike

 

[MKinHK]

More than a week after my last birds, and after I'd more or less given up hope for this year there were 5 splendid Dollarbirds on the wires across the valley this morning. These bring my total to 34 birds this autumn and a new record for me by five!

Of such small triumphs is patch birding made wonderful!

Cheers
Mike

 

[MKinHK]

One more Dollarbird yesterday, and two this morning are pushing the record bravely onwards. I wonder if the light rain this evening will drop some goodies. . .

 

[Hanno]

Wow, that is more than I have seen in Vietnam!!!!!

 

[MKinHK]

And another Dollarbird this morning Hanno - Now up to 38 for the autumn here , plus one seen by another birder, but not by me.

I also had the following in the forest:

Lesser Shortwing - 1 seen briefly and heard, and another singing

A mini fall of warblers held 2 Arctic a Pale-legged/Sahkahlin Leaf Warbler, and my first Yellow-browed of the autumn, and on the way down there was an Eastern Crowned Warbler in the same area. A lone Striated Yuhina must have been the "tail end charlie" of a larger flock

A juvenile Sooty Flycatcher with fine round spots on the breast was also present, and as I was going down the hil to work two more muscicapa flycatchers whipped past, but gave no clue as to their identity.

Three Red-billed Leiothrix gribbling away in a thicket were my first for a week or two, and a Velvet-fronted Nuthatch rattled briefly in the big tree above the car park this morning. Finally, a Hair-cresed Drongo helpfully flew past me as I went down the hill after lunch.

Cheers
Mike

 

[Mark Bruce]

Good birds, Mike ! Just got back from Kenting. The weather hasn't been good for the raptor migration. Did see Lanceolated Warbler and Chestnut-cheeked Starling. Thousands of Cattle Egret returned to Kenting from the south when the weather turned yesterday morning. I haven't heard of any Dollarbird sightings for this autumn so it would seem the typhoon has changed or delayed things a bit.

 

[MKinHK]

A wonderful early morning freebie on the tree outside my house was this superb male Black-naped Oriole - my second on the patch this year after a female loitered for a week in the spring - but only my third ever here. Nothing like digiscoping from the comfort of your own living room!

The faffing about getting pix also allowed time for a couple of Dollarbirds to emerge and fly up onto the power lines - 40 for the autumn. . . and counting.

In the forest I had my first Asian Paradise Flycatcher of the year, having drawn a blank during the spring, and more routinely, an Asian Brown Flycatcher, and Arctic, Eastern Crowned and Yellow-browed Warblers

As I came back out of the forest a young Crested Serpent Eagle with barred primaries and no strong white subterminal band had me dreaming abut Mountain Hawk Eagle, but the yellow facial skin and the fact that it was soaring companionably with an adult bird put the kibosh on that brief fantasy.

Final bird of the morning was a Besra, also enjoying the good soaring conditions.

Cheers
Mike

 

[MKinHK]

Two more Dollarbirds this morning and my first Black-winged Cuckooshike this autumn on the patch. It was in the same tree as the Oriole, but too briefly to get a shot this morning.

 

[MKinHK]

Another day with a nw arrival - my first Olive-backed Pipit of the autumn was in the Oriole tree this morning, the Black-winged Cuckooshrike made an even briefer appearance than yesterday, but three Dollarbirds on the power lines kept the total for the autumn passage (45) ticking along nicely.

Cheers
Mike

 

[MKinHK]

Quiet in the last couple of days - a lone Dollarbird on each day - just three more for the autumn half-century - and the male Black-naped Oriole disappeared into a trees as I looked towards the big tree at the back of the carpark.

Cheers
Mike

 

[MKinHK]

Its getting a little monotonous now, but with not much chance to get into the forest while my straightened nose sets, scanning forDollarbirds is all there is to do at present. There was another one this morning, and perched on one of the wires down in the valley rather than up on the power lines.

I trundled out with the scope and coolpix and, true to form, it flew off as I was attaching the one to the other.

STOP PRESS just as I was writing this I cast a glance up at the power lines and found a dark shape with a startling pale face and a much slimmer,longer-tailed silhouette. My dream bird for the autumn is Amur Falcon, which passes through HK in mid-late October (as does Hobby), so I whipped the scope onto it and whacked the zoom up to 60x.

It was immediately possible to eliminate adult Hobby as it had light buffy undertail coverts and thighs (it helpfully scratched its chin a few times), but at 1km range with heat haze adding to the difficulties it was never going to be easy. I had about 5 minutes of views, in which time I saw large white cheek patches which extended onto the rear ear coverts and above , making for a distinct dark cap. It also showed a clear nuchal spot.

I got the impresson that the cere was yellow and the legs possibly darker, but these were no more than impressions at this range.

There was no sign of a supercilium, nor of barring on the back, but at this range and against the light there features may easily have been absorbed into the general dark colour of the back.

Don't really know what to decide on this bird, so it will have to go down as Hobby/Amur Falcon, unless anyone has great insight that would determine the matter one way or t'other. All views welcomed.

While I was hoping it would return a second Dollarbird alighted on the powerlines, leaving me needing just one more for the half century this autumn.

Cheers
Mike

 

[MKinHK]

Today was all about one bird - my 50th Dollarbird of the autumn!

Having utterly failed to photograph the one that roosted low down yesterday, took over 100 shots this morning of this beauty, until it flew of strongly to the SW - the correct direction for migration. Another was up on the power lines as I left home a couple of hours later.

I also had my first Dusky Warbler of the autumn.

Cheers
Mike

 

[MKinHK]

A good day for migrants without any startling discoveries:

Presumably the same Dollarbird was on the lower wires this morning, and later two were seen high up on the power lines, while I was surprised to see the same maleBlack-naped Oriole from earlier in the week looping across the fields on the north side of the carpark.

Other migrants included brief views of a Striated Heron, which I hope will stay to winter and a Common Kingfisher along the river, two Asian Brown and one Sooty Flycatcher, two Yellow-browed Warblers, and my first Common Buzzard of the winter. Single of Dusky Warbler and Olive-backed Pipit were each the second of the autumn.

Other good birds included a flock of 20 Striated Yuhinas was the highlight, while a sigle "gaakakkada" betrayed a skulking Grey Treepie - my first of the autumn.

Cheers
Mike

 

[Mark Bruce]

Sounds as if you're doing well with the migrants, Mike. I was in meetings all weekend so haven't been out. I did manage a few hours in Hsitou forest on Thursday and had a flock of about eight Rusty Laughing Thrush and then the usual Taiwan Sibias, Yuhinas, Barwings and Steere's Liocichlas.

 

[MKinHK]

Another 4 Dollarbirds over the last three days (now 55 this autumn) and a few other migrants including the first Chinese Blackbirds, a Hartert's Leaf Warbler(P. goodsoni) , and my first Grey-chinned Minivets for several months - 2 females with a male Scarlet Minivet of the winter this morning. I also had a single Asian Brown Flycatcher on the tree in front of the house

For the first time this autumn Chestnut Bulbuls showed well and a flock of about 6 birds also carried a couple of Mountain Bulbuls.

It was another good day for Lesser Shortwing - at least 5 singing and I had good views of one - curious of my pishing, it came and sat close-by and cocked its tail a few times before sidling away, and another showed briefly under the big tree at the first bend above the village.

Besra and Crested Serpent Eagle were overhead.

Also, yesterday 4 Hair-crested Drongos stopped for too short a time to get a photo. As they came out of the tree they flew directly over my headabout 10 feet up - giving superb views. A Greater Coucal was also in the lower branches of the tree.

Cheers
Mike

 

[MKinHK]

After a long gap (at the wrong time of year for long gaps, but with the very good excuse of getting married and having a honeymoon in Spain - see the vacations thread shortly) the following birds were seen in the last couple of days (and there will be no more Dollarbirds for at least 6 months- promise!).

On my first morning back in HK my wife was ill, so instead of abandoning her for the forest I went onto the roof for a spot of girth control (no typo) with the hula hoop from hell. This (it will come as no surprise to the married men) is my wife's idea. Rather than try to describe it I'll post a pic in the next couple of days. This is relevant because as the hoop winds its wicked way around my wobbling waist I look and listen for birds as the sun comes up.

On Thursday morning I heard my first Russet Bush Warbler of the winter "zee-bit"ing away, had a Chinese Blackbird in the Oriole tree, while reacquainting myself with the more usual fare of Chinese and Red-whiskered Bulbul, Black-necked Starling, Crested Mynah, Grey and White Wagtails, Common Tailorbird, Tree Sparrow, Large-billed Crow, Magpie and Olive-backed Pipit.

This morning I fled the hoop for a couple of hours proper birding in the forest with my mate Richard. While there were no fireworks it started well with a very bright Pallas' Leaf Warbler on a low bush and shortly after a Grey-headed Flycatcher gave its "sil-ly bil-ly" call that is such a distinctive sound of the winter here.

Other good birds included a flock of 50-odd Grey-chinned Minivets, with a couple of male Scarlet Minivets in close attendence, 25 Striated Yuhinas, which were uncharacteristically quiet as they swooped between two treetops below the path, a briefly seen Red-throated Flycatcher, and a better-seen Pygmy Wren Babbler.

Most interesting were the White-throated Fantail, which Richard connected with for the first time, and a mystery bird, which we got onto simultaneously. We thought initially it was a Crested Goshawk, but through the trees and against the light we both made out a too-short tail and rather laboured flight and both suspected it might have been an owl - possibly Brown Hawk Owl (or one of the recent splits therefrom) - but what it will remain is one that got away.

Cheers
Mike

PS married men will also not be at all surprised to hear that my wife is annoyingly right about the flab-fighting powers of the hula hoop from hell.

 

[Hanno]

Welcome back Mike, and belated congratulations from Ha and myself (good luck with the hula-hoop from hell. Personally, I prefer running, lost 7 kilos since we met in HK).

 

[MKinHK]

Haven't had the chance to get out into the forest for a few days, but a flock of 66 Chinese Blackbirds dropped in when I was hula hooping on the roof two mornings ago, and this morning I noticed the bulbuls scattering from the Oriole Tree and found a female Bull-headed Shrike - a year to the day since one turned up for a couple of days last winter (see posting 76 on this thread), and just my second record here.

Cheers
Mike

PS running in the heat of the Mekong Delta, Hanno - no wonder you've lost weight!