You could see some shorebirds with colour flags in Deep Bay areas during this spring, please note flag(s) colour(s), position(s), species and percentage of breeding plumage of the birds. We could see these shorebirds with local flags (White over Yellow) and overseas flags (e.g. orange, orange over yellow, yellow, black over white, etc). Members are encouraged to submit these sightings of leg-flagged shorebirds, especially to those with overseas leg-flags. Such information could be posted here, or through email (bfspoonbill @hkbws.org.hk) or PM.
[ Last edited by lkatherine at 5/04/2012 17:12 ] Author: ddavid Time: 17/04/2012 17:19
Mai Po Boardwalk April 17, 2012
Curlew Sandpiper - Yellow flag on right tibia with the letters BTD. Metal ring on left tarsus.
The bird was mainly in non-breeding plumage with a few summer scapulars.
David Author: John Holmes Time: 17/04/2012 18:20 Subject: Flagged Waders at boardwalk April 17th 2012
I haven't reported any of these directly myself....
The Sanderling is from South Australia (combination orange over yellow).
I have made some enquiries about the unusual attachments (cable ties?) on the Curlew Sand, to see if anyone knows where this birds might have been marked. Author: John Holmes Time: 19/04/2012 21:27 Subject: Flagging interest
All the pics below were taken on 18th April 2012 from the boardwalk hides..
And (no photo) Curlew Sandpipers Yellow Flag DDM, DME
[ Last edited by John Holmes at 19/04/2012 21:37 ]
It seems that the Curlew Sandpiper with cable ties on the legs (rather than flags) is one of 18 birds trapped on 19 and 20 September 2007 at Wonorejo, Surabaya, Indonesia.
We have previously had Curlew Sandpipers flagged in Hong Kong reported at Wonorejo. Author: lrichard Time: 20/04/2012 16:19
Hi Kinni. I have received details for Great Knot RDZ.
This bird was flagged at Roebuck Bay, Broome, north-west Australia on 1st August 2010. It has been resighted nine times around Broome, but this is the first sighting outside Broome. Thank you for posting the sighting. Author: hkinni Time: 2/05/2012 21:00
Hi John, it's so glad to know about the [RDZ],thank you for the information Author: cthomas Time: 3/05/2012 23:38
Red-Necked Stint Orange flag and A76 metal ring
1/5/2012
Mai Po
Hi Thomas. Unfortunately not all of the stint flag is visible, and I don't think it will be enough to recognise the individual. I will send it to the relevant contacts in Victoria, Australia to see if there is anything they can do, but if you have any other photos of the bird's leg at different angles it may be very useful. Author: AjaA Time: 8/05/2012 16:56
Today at the scrapes:
Red Knot: right yellow 83, left red-orange and metal, colour rings on tibia , metal on tarsus
Terek Sandpiper: right yellow BU on tibia Author: Sze Time: 19/08/2012 00:41
One flagged Dunlin seen on 19 Dec 2012 at Mai Po, Hong Kong.
Green/Orange and the flag was located upside the knee. Author: lrichard Time: 4/04/2013 21:57
4 April 2013
Terek Sandpiper blue over white flag on upper right leg, Mai Po boardwalk
Curlew Sandpiper 80% b/p orange flag on upper right leg, Mai Po scrape Author: lrichard Time: 7/04/2013 12:44
Mai Po boardwalk, 7 April 2013
Curlew Sandpiper, 100% b/p, small red rectangular flag (no alpha-numerical)
Curlew SAndpiper, 20% b/p, dull orange over dull orange leg flag (no alpha-numerical) - could it be faded HK flag? Author: lrichard Time: 12/04/2013 16:18
Mai Po scrape, 12 April 2013:
Bar-tailed Godwit, > 20% b/p, single yellow plastic ring with no alphanumerical, Mai Po scrape
Original posted by lrichard at 12/04/2013 16:18
Bar-tailed Godwit, yellow flag, DXE
Bar-tailed Godwit, yellow flag, JJV
Great Knot, yellow flag, VYR
Some information on these birds:
Bar-tailed Godwit, yellow flag, DXE: Was flagged as a first summer on 3rd July 2010 at Broome, Western Australia. Was seen in Broome in July and August 2010, and in December 2011.
Bar-tailed Godwit, yellow flag, JJV. Was flagged as a second winter on 6th March 2012 at Broome, Western Australia. Was seen in Broome in March, April and November 2012.
Great Knot, yellow flag, VYR. Was flagged as a first winter also on 6th March 2012 at Broome, Western Australia. Was seen in Broome in April, May and July 2012
I also had a colour-ringed Bar-tailed Godwit on Friday, but haven't received details back about that bird yet. It would have been ringed either at Broome or at 80 Mile Beach, also in WA.
Based on these sightings, it seems highly likely that the influx of Bar-tailed Godwit (and smaller numbers of Great Knot) that arrived last week had come from Broome, where large numbers of these species spend the (northern) winter. Author: Paux Time: 19/04/2013 10:52
18-4-2013
Mai Po boardwalk(new hide)
Ruddy Turnstone from Tasmania ? (orange over blue)
It seems that the orange flag is engraved. Do you have any more photos which may show the engraving clearly? Author: lrichard Time: 19/04/2013 18:33
Mai Po boardwalk, 19 April 2013
Ruddy Turnstone with orange over blue leg flags, the orange inscribed DAM
Presumably the bird that was photographed yesterday Author: Paux Time: 19/04/2013 22:06
When I took the photos of this pair of Ruddy Turnstone, it was raining heavily outside & I was not aware of the leg flags. Therefore my camera didn't focus on the flags! Luckily Richard managed to note the engraving today! Author: Beetle Time: 20/04/2013 00:25
The same Turnstone DAM was seen by Tung, Ivan and me on 15 April.
Grey-tailed Tattler : blue over yellow rectangular flags on right leg, (blue ?) ring above the knee on left leg Author: ajohn Time: 23/04/2013 08:54
An unusual record. The blue over yellow combination indicates Bohai Bay. The ring on the left leg is probably a normal metal ring that has discoloured/corroded (this happens sometimes, especially I think with the rings used in mainland China) Author: lrichard Time: 30/04/2013 13:52
Mai Po scrape 30 April 2013
Red-necked Stint orange flag on right leg x 3 individuals
Curlew Sandpiper yellow flag on right leg
Red Knot yellow flag on right leg Author: garykctse Time: 30/04/2013 23:43
Mai Po ("new" birdhide), afternoon 2013/04/27, Terek Sandpiper (Yellow E1)
Author: ajohn Time: 1/05/2013 08:56
I think this is actually a Hong Kong-flagged bird that has lost the lower flag. We have had this problem on a couple of Terek Sandpipers because we initially flagged them above and below the 'knee', and the lower flag has been lost (probably broken on rocks or eroded by sand). We have now started using narrower flags, both above the 'knee' to solve the problem.
Thank you for the report. Author: lrichard Time: 3/05/2013 10:14
Sharp-tailed Sandpiper orange flag on right leg
Red-necked Stint orange flag on right leg
Red Knot yellow flag on right leg - 2 individuals (one with the flag plain, the other with numbers/letters on the flag but too distant to read) Author: HFCheung Time: 9/05/2013 19:52
There are actually 3 Red-necked Stint with orange flag on 4 May from Boardwalk. One of them was photoed and posted by Natalie. The second one was very similar to the posted photo (very low % of breeding feathers). The third one had about 50% breeding feathers.
HF Cheung Author: HKBWS Ivan Time: 10/05/2013 15:56
Up to 10 May 2013, we have collected a total 55 sighting records of overseas leg-flagged shorebird from BBS and the counts by our staffs in this spring. 15 of them are flagged by single orange flag from Victoria of Australia and 24 of them are flagged by single yellow flag from SW western Australia. But there are some interesting birds flagged in Thailand (Upper/Lower: Black/Green) and Tasmania of Australia (Orange/Blue). But the migration period is still going on, we still need bird watchers to help submit your sighting records on BBS or to our email: legflags@hkbws.org.hk. Thank you very much. Author: John Holmes Time: 13/05/2013 17:10 Subject: WA leg-flagged Red-necked Stint