Tuesday, November 19, 2024

Late November- a good number of migrants

Late November had a good influx of both late autumn and early winter migrants, which made for more birds, including a few that was new for my HK list! I had tried for the Daurian Starlings at Lai Chi Kok, but only got a few dozen white shouldered starlings instead. The usual common kingfishers were present too. 

White Shouldered Starling


Common Kingfisher


On a visit to Mai Po, we got quite a few good birds, including the a quartet of Graylag Geese, which showed nicely, but they remained far away.




Graylag Geese

Other birds include a single asian brown flycatcher hawking for insects by the footpath, along with a scaly breasted munia by the footpath.


Asian Brown Flycatcher



Scaly Breasted Munia


Some other interesting birds included a Eurasian Wryneck and a male and female daurian redstart. In addition to that, there was a nice purple heron and collared crow. 


Eurasian Wryneck



Daurian Redstart - male 


Daurian Redstart - female 



Collared Crow 


Purple Heron 

Amur stonechats and black drongos were common all around, hawking for insects and white throated kingfisher perched up on a snag. 


Amur Stonechat


Black Drongo



White Throated Kingfisher

Eastern Marsh Harriers are now back, and they continue to terrorise the smaller waders. On a faraway perch, I spotted two black winged kite perched on the same snag. Black faced spoonbills are now numbering in their dozens, and in the midst of them, I found a few Eurasian Spoonbills. Another interesting find was a gray headed lapwing resting on the scrape.
Eastern cattle egrets pecked at the bugs kicked up by the water buffalos. 



Eastern Marsh Harrier


Black Winged Kite


Black Faced Spoonbill


Eurasian Spoonbills mixed in with BFSs


Gray Headed Lapwing


Eastern Cattle Egret


Over at the rice paddies, there was a flock of yellow breasted buntings, which showed pretty well. There was a oriental turtle dove which flew past. Keeping on the topic of doves, I finally got a chance to photograph a eurasian collared dove and a few red collared doves, as usually I just flush them or they are too far out. 



Yellow Breasted Bunting


Oriental Turtle Dove


Eurasian Collared Dove


Red Collared Dove - male

Temminck's stints were common around the reserve, and most of our wintering duck species are back. Dusky Warbler were heard all around the footpath, one finally popped up in the reeds. A gray wagtail was present on the footpath. 


Temminck's Stint


Mixed duck species- Northern Pintail, Garganey...


Dusky Warbler


Gray Wagtail 


I encountered lots of pied kingfishers, and on my outing to Mai Po, I counted no less the 8 different individuals! Another species which seemed I had luck with was the common snipe, which I encountered over 10 in one pond! The local party of yellow fronted canaries are still hanging round the front entrance, and I bumped into them on the way out. 


Pied Kingfisher


Common Snipe


Yellow Fronted Canary


Over at Long Valley, the species were mainly the same as Mai Po, but some birds that I there I did not see in Mai Po. These birds include little ringed plover, black winged stilt, wood sandpiper and long tailed shrike. 


Little Ringed Plover


Black Winged Stilt


Wood Sandpiper


Although I missed the and reed bunting, (I went before and after) there was still some good birds, such as American pipit, red throated pipit, alexandrine parakeet and oriental pratincole. The cherry on top was a eastern yellow wagtail which perched up on a lotus leaf nicely.


Eastern Yellow Wagtail


American and Red Throated Pipit


Alexandrine Parakeet 


Oriental Pratincole


Although I missed the reed bunting, I still got the tundra bean goose, which was completely unafraid of anyone and allowed some close approach.


Tundra Bean Goose 


A hike in Tai Po Kau didn't provide much birds, the only good bird was a dark sided flycatcher which showed nicely, accompanied by a yellow browed warbler.
 

Dark Sided Flycatcher


Yellow Browed Warbler

On a fruitful outing at Tai Sang Wai, I got all of the new species, including a trio of munias. Two were white headed, and the last one was a chestnut munia. 




White Headed Munia 


Chestnut Munia

There was a low flying eastern buzzard just above the path, and in the ponds were little grebes, common as usual. I found one single whiskered tern which flew a lap around the fishponds before disappearing from view. 


Eastern Buzzard


Little Grebe


Whiskered Tern


On the way out I got good views of a long tailed shrike by the footpath, a chestnut eared bunting which perched by the footpath and a flushed oriental reed warbler. 


Long Tailed Shrike


Chestnut Eared Bunting 



Oriental Reed Warbler














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