Ng Tung Chai, Hong Kong (1 Viewer)

[MKinHK]

Thanks for the condolences Frogfish. If we do move there it will certainly be a big change.

This morning I went back to the same patch of weeds at Gau Liu Ha and although there was no biggie there was another good mix of skulking warblers and I added another patch year tick - a Lanceolated Warbler (116) that had sufficiently forgotten itself as to be caught at the top of the patch rather than grotting about in the base. The streaks on its fast-disappearing flanks and undertail were more than enough to clinch the ID.

Other birds here included two Oriental Reed Warblers (one of which I digiscoped with unexpected competence!), four Black-browed Reed Warblers and the Brown Shrike again (I'd be very happy to hear any dissenting voices on the ID), half a dozen Dusky Warblers and a couple of Stejneger's Stonechats.

All but one of the Black-browed Reed Warblers were in the patch of weeds to the left of my scope in the photo below. Te woodland behind held the Asian Paradise Flycatcher and laughingthrushes from a few days ago, and I hear Mountain Tailorbird and Pygmy Wren Babbler every time I come here.

An early-rising Crested Serpent Eagle also posed nicely on top of a pylon.

Cheers
Mike

 

[MKinHK]

This has been a good week for the patch, with the top bird being a male White-throated Rock Thrush and a suspected Alstrom's Warbler (one of the Gold Spec.s)and other good birds including Japanese Quail, Woodcock and Yellow-breasted Bunting.

Unfortunately none of them were seen by me. Partly that was my fault as I was a bit slow out of the blocks this morning and it was petty hot by the time I got to She Shan.

There were still two Black-browed Reed Warblers and four Little Buntings in the weedy patch and a Red-throated Flycatcher was loitering around the fung shui wood. None of these were new this autumn, but a Grey Heron (117) flying casually over was a nice addition to the patch year list, and my first since April 2010, and just my third ever. There were also at least ten Dusky Warblers about.

This is the week that Stejneger's Stonechat became established on the veggie patch and I twice had Ashy Drongo on the trees in the grassland in the early morning. I also had Black Drongo on two days, and on Thursday morning the second of these was chased on by a gang of four Hair-crested Drongos.

The real highlight of the morning was a Grass Lizard - a herp lifer for me. It's one of those lizards which really can't decide if it actually wants to be a snake as its tail is 3-4 times the length of its body and its legs are thin and appear to be little-used. I completely messed up with the coolpix as the lack of attcahed photos so eloquently illustrates!

Cheers
Mike

 

[MKinHK]

Another hot and polluted day, but nonetheless a few more drift migrants made it worthwhile a) to get out of bed, and b) to get out and go birding!

The first part may seem unnecessary, but I didn't even need to leave the flat before picking up the first Chinese Blackbird of the winter, a male, tooting as it flipped over the grassland and perched with a group of Chinese and Crested Bulbuls. It was not until looking at the pic this evening that I realised the bird in the bottom left corner was a male Common Rosefinch! Since Malayan Night Heron got onto the HK list without ever being seen (or heard) - but only from a camera trap image, I figure it's a keeper, even if its highly unsatisfactory - I've never seen a male on the patch!

A Common Mynah was less exciting, but allowed a rare photo.

Even better was a female Grey Bushchat (118) in the veggie patch. As I mentioned a Stejneger's Stonechat has recently taken up residence, and the predictable battle for the best perches ensued, providing a few photo opportunities. It also allowed a direct comparison between these two chats.

Adding more quality a moulting male Yellow-breasted Bunting (119) perched in a bush just beyond the veggies, removing the doubt cast by the two buntings that flew unidentifiably overhead a few minutes earlier.
I was also asked to inspect a White-lipped Pit Viper (I much prefer the vernacular Bamboo Snake) that had clearly fed well overnight. It was unimpressed at being disturbed from its nice safe shady patch beneath the foliage covering the fence and merely coiled tighter when uncovered, and completely refused to show its head.

Forsaking the chance for an hour's steep climb in search of the probable Alstrom's Warbler I again headed for the weed patch at Kau Liu Ha, picking up a Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker and a fine Blue Whistling Thrush as I came through the village.

A different Brown Shrike took off as I approached the weed patch from along the river and two Little Buntings, an Oriental Reed Warbler and several Dusky Warblers failed to play hard to get, but there were no Black-browed Reed Warbler calls, and presumable they had moved on. The highlight here was another Yellow-breasted Bunting.

The She Shan grassland held three Red Turtle Doves (120), including a couple of bright males and the tree nursery held its by now well-established Red-throated Flycatcher and Asian Brown Flycatcher. A white-throated Kingfisher I'd seen off anon all morning was also hiding here.

I'm happy to see the patch list for the year creeping towards respectability, and Dylan raised expectations again by pulling a Hoopoe out of the bag late in the afternoon while I was away winning my hockey match.

Cheers
Mike

 

[MKinHK]

A monster morning on the patch!

I kicked off with an adult White-cheeked Starling (122 - Common Rosefinch is 121) in the Dusky Thrush Tree. This was just my second record in Lam Tsuen, and even allowed a dodgy pic.

Building on the good form of the last few weeks I again headed down to Gau Liu Ha, which had lots of Scaly-breasted Munias and Dusky Warblers, a distantly perched adult Crested Goshawk and a Common Kingfisher on the concrete channel, but nothing to really hold my attention.

There was not much more along the river, but just as I got to the end of the track a large tawny brown warbler flew up and landed briefly on a branch, where it sat for a few seconds, showing a white face with a large dark eye, short ginger-tinged tuft, and . . . NO SUPERCILIUM!. . . before disappearing into a tangle, showing a brief side view that confirmed the lack of super, then never to be seen again. THICK-BILLED WARBLER! (123). This was huge - my first Hong Kong tick for almost two years (although the Po Toi Varied Tit might sneak through), self-found, on the patch, and no chance of being tossed out for being an escape. Although not a lifer, this was my first since a couple of bedraggled migrants lurking in a wind-blown bush at Beidaihe in October 1990.

I sat and waited a bit for it to come out, and was rewarded with a fly-over Black-winged Cuckooshrike and the rattle of a Red-throated Flycatcher. I also pished a Black-browed Reed Warbler into view, but something else with a dryer, more consistent rattle stayed stubbornly hidden (I was hoping for Manchurian Reed).

A few other bits and pieces included my first Black-faced Bunting of the autumn, a second Black-browed Reed Warbler, two Asian Brown Flycatchers and an second Red-throated Flycatcher in the tree nursery and two Eurasian Skylarks (124) dust bathing on the path just next to it, while a half-dozen Richard's Pipits strutted about on the turf.

Adding to a fine morning, last weekend's female Grey Bushchat was again on the spare bean poles stacked along the fence at the edge of the veggie patch and a magnificent Birdwing butterfly drifted over.

Cheers
Mike

 

[Dong Bei]

Mike.

Good stuff with the Thick-billed Warbler and that little piece of earth near the airport in your other thread sounds like a great lunch place! Male Rubythroats always make the observer do a double take don't they!

Did you see the GPS trackers on the Oriental Honey Buzzards from Japan? Check this out: http://hachi.sfc.keio.ac.jp/home_e.html

Tom

 

[MKinHK]

Another good day on the patch . . .

Since Brendan was down at She Shan looking for the Thick-billed Warbler and Dylan was at Ng Tung Chai I went up to Tai Om Shan to provide the maximum coverage of the valley.

The top bird of the day was a Radde's Warbler (125)that popped out of the grass where my first Russet Bush Warbler (126) of the winter had just disappeared. It gave very nice close views, allowing me to see lots of features including the thicker and stubbier bill, mottled cheek, longer super,

I flushed something small, drab and interesting-looking off the path, which may have been a Lancy but the only bird of interest around the abandoned village was a very perky Pygmy Wren Babbler, which "Takk"-ed a couple of times, and even showed briefly.

On the way down a female Grey-chinned Minivet was my first for a few months and two unidentified and rather drab thrushes had me dreaming of Grey-sided, but were more likely to have been Eye-browed.

Going back through the wooded part of the path I picked up a brown-plumaged Pale-legged/Sakhalin Leaf Warbler , and the female Grey Bushchat was again being chased round the veggie patch by a female Stejneger's Stonechat. I'd also had a Red Turtle Dove showing substantial damage to the feathers on the head on the veggie patch that morning.

Dylan and Brandon also did OK - Dylan got an early Brownish-flanked Bush Warblerand the first Daurian Redstart and Grey-headed Flycatcher in the valley this autumn, and Brandon gripped me off with a Manchurian Reed Warbler in the weedy patch down at Kau Liu Ha - a first record for the valley.

Cheers
Mike

 

[MKinHK]

Today was Chung Yeung - grave sweeping festival - and that meant a day off and another chance to go for the Manchurian Reed Warbler (I dipped yesterday before work yesterday, but did get four Black-browed Reed Warblers.

This morning I was a bit late out of the blocks and added three more Black-browed Reed Warblers without a viable Manchurian candidate, but compensation came in the form of a few new migrants. A flyover Red-throated Pipit (127)and four Chestnut Buntings (128) were the first this year, and two Common Buzzards were the first of the autumn, and a Black-faced Bunting, and a Little Bunting added some colour.

Another birder got brief views and a record shot of the Thick-billed Warbler and a Chestnut-eared Bunting.

After a couple of hours standing around in the heat I wet into the woods for a break in the shade and was delighted to find two Grey-headed Flycatchers (129) in a mixed flock of forest species including five Greater Necklaced Laugingthrushes, a couple of Hair-crested Drongos and some Rufous-capped Babblers. The flycatchers were a big find as I didn't get a single bird last winter. While I was enjoying these an Ashy Drongo flipped up onto the overhead wires, cackling, whistling and flicking its tail.

After coming back out I gave the weedy patch another baking half hour before heading home via the tree nursery, where the highlight was a fine pair of Daurian Redstarts chasing each other about. The other usual suspects - two Asian Brown Flycatchers and a Red-throated Flycatcher were still present, and a White-Throated Kingfisher looked to be very attached to the wood.

XXXX

I had another go in the evening, picking up another male Daurian Redstart, three Bright-capped Cisticolas and a Hong Kong first - Monk Parakeet (130) - as I walked down the valley. Five Chinese Blackbirds were lurking next to the wet fields at She Shan, but the big surprise was watching a Eurasian Skylark drop into the river channel for wash and a drink.

The Manchurian Reed Warbler remained elusive, and has probably gone, but while waiting with a group of birders hoping the Blunt-winged Warbler would reappear I found a kettle of 14 Black Kites which looked like newly arriving migrants. A few minutes later another Black Kite was trailing a falcon in its wake, which as it got closer it revealed itself to be an Amur Falcon (131)! As I was watching it another appeared rather closer, allowing better views of the long-winged short-tailed jizz that enabled Common Kestrel and Hobby to be eliminated - and it was never in any danger of being heavy enough for a Peregrine.

Cheers
Mike

 

[Dong Bei]

Congrats on the Amur! Quality patch bird in Hong Kong!

 

[Gretchen]

Sounds like an excellent day - really a good time of year for a day off, huh? Five patch year birds plus lots of other fun stuff to watch.

By the way, what's with the snail - that is quite interesting looking.

 

[MKinHK]

Delighted with the Amurs, Tom, and hoping for a few more birds from the excellent passage you're enjoying!

It's been a very good week Gretchen - and very much hoping for more of the same in the next few days.

These snails have always perplexed me. Why go to the trouble of building a protective shell, if you're only going to disguise yourself as a slug again by covering it up?

A brief twenty minutes yesterday morning in a final despairing hope for the Manchurian Reed Warbler delivered a single Black-browed Reed Warbler, a couple of Little Buntings and a wire-high Ashy Drongo, but it felt like there had been a bit of a clear-out.

In compensation I'm posting a couple of pix taken by Koel Ko - one of the Thick-billed Warbler he took on Tuesday morning, and one of a Lancy from a few days earlier. There are pix of the Manchurian Reed Warbler on the HKBWS website, but since I'm still getting over dipping on it . . . a link is the best I can manage.

Cheers
Mike

 

[MKinHK]

After getting Collared Scops Owl (132) three nights in a row this week, and a fine Red-necked Keelback (sorry Jeff!), I was back down at Kau Liu Ha and She Shan for another go this morning.

Expectations were high with some overnight rain and looming cloud cover. Even before I left home a distant sickle-winged speck flying SW behind the powerlines may have been another Amur Falcon, and a Chinese Blackbird was claiming dominion of the big camphor tree just above the carpark.

It started pretty quiet, with the first of three Black-browed Reed Warblers taking a while to show and precious little else in the weedy patch.

Things picked up as I walked up to She Shan, with four Black-faced Buntings lurking in some weeds, and then a female/juv Watercock (133) flew over the road and disappeared into a tangle. This was in exactly the same spot as Dylan and I had seen a male last autumn, and continued my good run of year ticks.

A speculative pish of the grass-filled drainage channel came up trumps with no less than three Lanceolated Warblers buzzing back at me, and the middle one gave my best ever views (and even a dodgy photo) of this notorious skulker. I also had a disturbingly silent and crown-striped Yellow-browed-type phyllosc but couldn't do anything with it.

There were half-a-dozen Chinese Blackbirds, a Red-throated Flycatcher, Greenish Warbler (the latter two heard only) and a moulting Red Turtle Dove around She Shan and a Common Buzzard that headed over to the far side of the valley on a long straight glide.

There were again singleton Red-throatedand Asian Brown Flycatchers in the tree nursery and a female Daurian Redstart looks like it ma also settle in for the winter.

Cheers
Mike

 

[MKinHK]

A quieter day today and for a change I started with the She Shan tree nursery and worked my way down to the weedy patch.

The best of the early spoils were a Lanceolated Warbler and a Black-browed Reed Warbler flushed from the wet grass on the dumped land and an Asian Brown Flycatcher and eight Olive-backed Pipits in the tree nursery. The same area held the first three of five Stejneger's Stonechats seen that morning.

There was not much along the river except a couple of Back-faced Buntings, and just a single Black-browed Reed Warbler in the weedy patch.

The real action was up on the Wo Hop Shek ridge where five each of Collared Crows and Large-billed Crows were hassling any migrant raptors that wandered by a Hobby and a Common Buzzard, while a Besra seemed to be joining in the mobbing just for fun.

I was delighted to find that both the Stejneger's Stonechat and the Grey Bushchat were in the veggie patch, and a Scarlet Minivet in the egretry was my first in the village for a few months.

Cheers
Mike

 

[MKinHK]

This morning started very well with three Daurian Redstarts and the Grey Bushchat all in the veggie patch before I'd even had breakfast!

Dylan texted me saying he had four flycatchers around his house shortly after dawn, but by the time I arrived I could only find a single Red-throated Flycatcher, but the escaped Monk Parakeet was again in the same area. I did pick up a flyover Black-winged Cuckooshrike on the way.

Tin Liu Ha held another couple of Daurian Redstarts and my first Siberian Rubythroat of the autumn - a typically skulking male that helpfully called and hopped up inside its bush in response to my pishing. I also had a flyover Grey-capped Greenfinch (134) which was too high for me to see much except the forked tail, but thankfully it called.

She Shan grassland again delivered - this time with yet another Lanceolated Warbler and a Eurasian Skylark, plus good views of a couple of Bright-capped Cisticolas. I also enjoyed the flock of half a dozen Chinese Blackbirds and a fine male Silky Starling, plus the usual Asian Brown and Red-throated Flycatchers in the tree nursery.

The bummer of the morning was a flock of seven short-tailed buff-coloured birds that flew north before I could get on them properly. My best guess is Eurasian Starling (juveniles of this race are very buffy) , which would be new for Lam Tsuen.

Cheers
Mike

 

[Dong Bei]

Short-tailed buff-coloured birds......not Hawfinch then?

 

[MKinHK]

No wingbars . . .

I also thought about Waxwings . . .

Cheers
Mike

 

[subbuteo71]

A waxwing, one of these days, Mike, one of these days. Hopefully, before mid-December!

Still don't know what the other two flycatchers were, not enough light and no binoculars! I went out early again this morning but no luck.

Dylan

 

[MKinHK]

After a break of two weeks and another dose yesterday afternoon of how overflowing with birds Long Valley is, it was time to try the forest again and I headed up to Tai Om Shan for a couple of hours this morning.

There was an Ashy Drongo atop the big camphor tree in the playground in Tai Om village, but it was otherwise quiet until the first of four Asian Stubtails popped out behind the graves above the grassland half-way to the village.

As I came down a Raddes Warbler was amazingly friendly - popping up to chak at me a few times. As it was not especially big-billed and rather neat-looking I did wonder about Yellow-streaked Warbler, but it didn't stick about long enough for an exhaustive tract by tract dissection.

On the way back down an Asian Paradise Flycatcher flipped out of the bamboos and stopped on a branch at eye level for a fantastic few seconds, a Brownish-flanked Bush Warbler tail-cocked, started the geiger counter ticking and disappeared without giving proper views and a Greenish Warbler called a few times and convinced me that one I'd heard earlier really was one.

Two female Daurian Redstarts added to the male in the veggie patch and the female on the neighbour's roof to make four for the day.

Cheers
Mike

 

[MKinHK]

A quiet evening at She Shan / Kau Liu Ha was most notable for the flock of 27 Great Cormorants (135) circling close to the Hong Lok Yuen Roundabout - just the second record for the valley.

On a very hot day the few other migrants included three Black-browed Reed Warblers in the grass-filled flood channel, a couple of unseen Siberian Rubythroats, female Daurian Redstart and Grey Bushchat (still on the veggie patch) and five Stejneger' Stonechats.

Cheers
Mike

 

[Condor305]

Checking in

Hi Mike, continuing to enjoy the chronicles of your patch. Glenda and I are taking a break from Winter in Bend, Oregon. She resigned her management position after five years, having become a bit weary of the headaches of management. She has reconnected with the company she previously worked for and has a three month contract in Ft pierce, Florida starting on the 27th of Nov. We hit the road on Thursday. I am looking forward to a change in bird diversity. She intends to continue the travel nursing for the next 18 months before she hopes to retire. Should be a good ride, I may try for another North American big year next year. Would be fun to break my previous record of 474.

I just read back to discover your impending move :=(

 

[MKinHK]

Not sure you can get a bigger change from Bend than Florida, Jeff!

The move edges closer, but I'm determined to make best use of these last few months on the patch, and today the year list crept up by two more . . .

I still haven't given up on clawing-back a Manchurian Reed Warbler and again headed down to Kau Liu Ha / She Shan, hoping that the drop new cold front might have dropped in something good. Pretty much the same birds were still present along the river and in the weedy patch, but the grassland delivered a Red-throated Pipit(136) and then a Japanese Quail (137) in short order.

Back at home the female Grey Bushchat and male Daurian Redstart were again on the veggie patch and a Common Buzzard drifted over - a few hundred metres in front of a soaring Crested Goshawk.

Cheers
Mike