wgeoff

First Week in May

A new thread for a new month.

This may be my shortest ever week on Po Toi. I arrived at 12.30 yesterday and quickly learned from Aaron and Mei Ling that there was nothing to be seen on land. So I headed for sea-watching. After four hours also with nothing, I watched the Ferry leave from my sea-watching point. At least I’m alone, I thought – I didn’t realize how true that was.

I slowly made my way back to the village – no street lights, strange, it’s rather late for the generator to start. As I rounded the corner by Mr Ng’s house, the whole harbour was dark except for the restaurant. When I got there, I learnt – the generator had caught fire on start-up. Hearing the news, everyone had left on the last ferry, except those few in the restaurant. I really was alone, and the prospect of two nights without lights, air-conditioner or even fans loomed – not a nice thought. I’ve stayed on Po Toi before without the generator but that was in November when the nights were cool and I was properly prepared with headlights and lamps.

Fortunately it was a public holiday and the restaurant boat was still in the harbour, so I quickly booked a place on their boat, leaving at 8.30pm. I went back to my place in the darkness. I tried cooking a meal – chaos, tripping over unseen things on the floor, unable to find anything once you had put it down. I gladly returned at 8.30, and was eventually home by 10.30, 12 hours after I left.

I asked my wife, who lived in rural China as a child – ‘how do you live without electricity?’ She simply said ‘When you’ve never had it, you don’t notice’.   

I expect them to fix the generator by the weekend (this is PCCW, not the Government) so I will return on Sunday for a few days.

tsheunglai

Dear Geoff

It is all that, though rarely happens in today's HK, happens in a lot of places outside HK. Even in Sabah's capital Kota Kinabalu which has been out of electricity for a second day due to generator problems.

Anyhow, if you've time, give me an e-form for bird report 2011. I've already PM you and probably if you
haven't paid attention which I fully understand.

Cheers

S L Tai

wgeoff

I went back to Po Toi on Thursday - I wanted to see what happened with the change in weather forecast for Thursday night. The generator wasn’t fixed (it seems a new generator is needed), I intended to sleep out in the cool night breeze but I forgot – mosquitoes don’t need generators, they can find you in the dark with their eyes closed. Painful lesson. By 2am, it was cool enough to go inside and get some sleep.

As it happened, the weather change didn’t come until Friday night but when it did, everything cooled down and sleeping inside was fine.

So, was it worth the pain? – yes, of course, even seeing nothing is important if you are keeping records. Actually not quite nothing. On the land, a Black Bulbul on Thursday, possibly an escape although Avifauna has records up to 3 June.



A Black Bittern was migrating off-shore on Friday and the change in weather brought a fall of 35 Brown Shrikes on Saturday but not much else. A single Schrenck’s Bittern, a Lanceolated Warbler but only two Grey-streaked Flycatchers and no Arctic-type Warblers!

Brown Shrikes were coming in off the sea on Saturday morning, some made it but some didn’t




At sea, a single Short-tailed Shearwater very early on Friday morning and not much else



The next two weeks should be the peak period for the shearwaters, maybe up to 15 a day around next weekend. Let's hope.

PS Mr Tai, I've sent you an email

[ Last edited by wgeoff at 13/05/2012 16:07 ]

AjaA

Po Toi today Sunday 9am to 6pm:

Brown Shrike 24 counted in the forenoon, maybe more in the evening
Grey-streaked Flycatcher 6
Yellow-browed Warbler 1
Arctic Warbler 7 (will return to recordings later)
Little Bunting 2
Black-naped Oriole 1
Yellow Wagtail 2
Oriental Reed Warbler 1

Seawatch 13.00-17.10 (with Brendan, easterly wind, force 3, visibility first 3km, later 10km), not a great success:

White-winged Tern 8 east
Little Tern 1 northwest
Tern sp 1
Curlew Sandpiper 40 east
Crested Mynah 26 in one flock high
Cattle Egret 2 singles (on two ships going west)

[ Last edited by AjaA at 6/05/2012 20:24 ]

brendank

Not really on Po Toi but there was a Swinhoe's Egret on the breakwall of Aberdeen Harbor on the ferry coming back from Po Toi.

vivian

I took some photo in 5 May in Po Toi

Dark-Sided Flycatcher X 2


Grey Streaked Flycatcher X 3


Little Bunting X 1


Brown Shrike X 3


Yellow Wagtail X 1


Black Drongo X 2


Hair-Crested Drongo X 1


[ Last edited by vivian at 9/05/2012 21:58 ]

lpaul

The Asian Brown Flyc is an adult Siberian Flycatcher

wgeoff

I believe this is the first official spring record of Dark-sided (Siberian) Flycatcher in Hong Kong since 1994.

vivian

Thanks lpaul & wgeoff

corrcent it

AjaA

For an analysis of the Arctic Warbler recordings Antero did, see:

http://www.elisanet.fi/antero.li ... borealis/AW_HK.html

wgeoff

Thanks Annika and Antero, I think we will come back to this issue shortly.

I'm finding it extremely difficult going to Po Toi at the moment. Without the generator, which now seems several weeks away from replacement, staying overnight is very tiring. I'm only going because I want to count Short-tailed Shearwaters and small bitterns.
So, what's the score this week

Short-tailed Shearwaters - five althogether on Friday and Saturday up to mid-day, Brendan had another five later on Saturday and let's hope for more today and next week. Only one came close enough for a half-decent photograph



For bitterns, with Home Affairs Department busy digging up the lagoon, only the lower columbarium remains to see them - but I had at least two Schrenck's Bitterns and one Yellow Bittern there. Plus this Cinnamon Bittern freshly arrived on the South Peninsular




Also seen this week, Chinese Goshawk, Brown Hawk Owl, some large flocks of swifts and swallows including more than 50 Pacific Swifts and at least one Red-rumped Swallow, a Pale Martin in off the sea, a new fall of Brown Shrikes with more than 30 around the area but not much else.

I think next week will be my last to stay on Po Toi this spring, a very disappointing spring all round. I'm hoping for good numbers of Short-tailed Shearwaters to make it a bit exciting, but the way this spring has gone, I guess I'm likely to be disappointed.

[ Last edited by wgeoff at 13/05/2012 16:37 ]

lchunfai

Geoff,

I also got a Ruddy Crake yesterday.

wgeoff

Thanks Fai jai, a good record

brendank

12-13 May 2012
Saturday I mostly spent my time seawatching. It was reasonably good with 5 Short-tailed Shearwater, 3 Greater Crested, 8 Aleutian, 4 Roseate, 4 Bridled and 1 White-winged Tern. The Roseate Terns I suspect are returning local birds since I saw one early Sunday morning heading south.

Sunday Morning seawatching was more quiet--just 4 Short-tailed Shearwater, 10 Black-naped, 6 Bridled, 1 Roseate (heading south) and 3 White-winged (also heading south) Tern. However, over two hours of seawatching in the evening produced exactly zero birds. Some of the shearwaters were reasonably close though--at least close enough for photos.

On land 2 Schrenck's Bittern were in columbarian today and a late female Hainan Blue Flycatcher was by the upper school today.

Here are photos of a pair of Short-tailed Shearwater which passed shortly before 1500 on Saturday, another Shearwater from this morning and the Hainan Blue.

shear1.JPG (65.68 KB)

13/05/2012 21:38

shear2.JPG (74.76 KB)

13/05/2012 21:38

hainanblue.JPG (58.77 KB)

13/05/2012 21:38

I agree with Geoff on both accounts. Sleeping on Po Toi without airconditioning is terribly hot and this spring has been quite disappointing. I think the reason this season, despite there being two Hong Kong first in March, feels poor is that there been very few passerine migrants. It seems to me (without data) the numbers of thrushes, flycatchers and buntings have all been poor.

[ Last edited by brendank at 13/05/2012 22:16 ]

Ronaldo

On land this Sunday:
Indian Cuckoo 2x
Asian Brown Flycatcher 1x
Grey-streaked Flycatcher 3x
Arctic Warbler 4x
Blue Magpie 1x
Brown Shrikes plenty

wgeoff

A good week this week, at least by the standards of this spring.

Tuesday was quiet but birds started arriving with the overnight rain on Tuesday night and more during Wednesday.

First were two Himalayan Swiftlets which flew in off the sea at my seawatching station very early in the morning. Mid-May is a regular date for this species, with previous records in 2008 and 2009.



They stayed on the island all day, usually around the Sisters Cafe, and then left early on Thursday morning as I was sea-watching, heading for the north of the Dangan Islands.

Also coming in during the day, a single Blue-tailed Bee-eater, a Golden-fronted Leafbird, unfortunately an obvious escape, and a very late Little Bunting



The Bee-eater also left early next morning, heading for north Dangan.

Small herons and bitterns were present all week, mostly in the lower columbarium valley or on the fishponds in the harbour - two each of Schrenck's Bitterns, Yellow Bitterns and Striated Herons. The Schrenck's were very secretive but I managed photos of the other two



At sea, nothing much to show for 10 hours sea-watching (apart from the migrants above). A few late terns, Aleutian, Common and Gull-billed but no Short-tailed Shearwaters which was a big disappointment.

There may be some small bitterns on the island this weekend, with today's rain. They promise to fix the generator on Saturday.

brendank

20 May 2012

Afternoon seawatching was cut short today for the rain. Only thing was 64 Bridled Terns and a Grey-tailed Tattler. Most of the Bridled Terns were flying south so I suppose they might be local birds from Mirs Bay or perhaps some migrants feeding in the area. The Grey-tailed Tattler came in from the sea and flew in close but decided the rocks weren't suitable and left heading to the west.

On land very quiet, just an Arctic Warbler and Brown Shrike.

tattler.JPG (33.08 KB)

20/05/2012 21:04

wgeoff

Regarding the Bridled Terns. 64 is a high number to see from Po Toi but I would still expect them to be local breeders from eastern coastal areas, since they were flying south.

Bridled and Black-naped Terns seem to have different feeding strategies. Bridled Terns are often seen during mid-summer off Po Toi, flying south and then returning north later, in groups of up to 10. It appears they have feeding grounds to the south of Lamma Island and will travel quite long distances to feed there. Black-naped Terns appear to feed within a short distance of their breeding grounds - I noticed this particularly when they were breeding on the rock near to Po Toi.

brendank

Yes that does seem to describe the behavior yesterday. There was even a group of 17 terns at one point.

wgeoff

I did not go to Po Toi this week – I had other things to do and I thought there would be nothing much there given the forecast of hot sunny weather. As it turned out, the wind was much stronger easterly than I expected so maybe I missed some seabirds but not landbirds.

I have been thinking about why spring and particularly April this year has been so poor. How poor can be seen from this chart showing how many spring migrant species I have seen cumulatively over each spring since 2007.  



As you can see, spring 2012 started fairly normally up to the end of March but then fell away and I am now 20 to 30 species below previous levels.

Some particular species which are missing (for me) which I would normally expect to see in spring are Swinhoe’s Egret, Malayan Night Heron, Japanese Sparrowhawk, White-breasted Waterhen, Ruddy Turnstone, Common Snipe, Red Turtle Dove, Oriental and Plaintive Cuckoo, Koel, Black-capped Kingfisher, Eurasian Hoopoe, Pechora Pipit, Common Stonechat, Eyebrowed Thrush, Eastern Crowned Warbler, Mugimaki, Red-breasted and Japanese Paradise Flycatcher, Tristram’s, Yellow-browed, Yellow-breasted, Chestnut and Japanese Yellow Bunting and Purple-backed Starling. I appreciate that some of these have been seen on Po Toi this spring, but mostly only a single bird which is why I have missed it. Also, there have been no major or even small falls of Chinese Goshawk or Grey-faced Buzzard which come in April when they occur. I’ve just had two small falls of Brown Shrike in May.

So what could be the reason? The species are quite a mixed lot, Philippine and SE Asia winterers, not much clue there. There was lots of rain which is usually good for seeing migrants. I always look at the weather, particularly in spring, and I think the clue is here in this description of April 2012 given by HKO

"With the prevalence of the warm maritime airstream for most of the time except the early part of the month, April 2012 was warmer than usual… Affected by frequent passages of troughs of low pressure across the South China coast, there were also several heavy rain episodes in the month"

So, it was unusually warm with a mostly southerly airstream. There was lots of rain, but rain from depressions not cold fronts. In fact, there was not a single cold front in April 2012, which is why the month was warmer than usual.
This chart shows the number of Cold Fronts, Depressions and Typhoons in April since 2006.



There is quite a good correlation between the number of April Cold Fronts and April Species Numbers in the first chart – 2007 and 2010 were good years for April species numbers and had the most cold fronts, similarly 2011 and 2012 were poor years for April species numbers and had the least cold fronts. So it seems the number of cold fronts in April is important.

Previously I had considered cold fronts and depressions equal in their migrant effect, but clearly it is cold fronts (with rain) which are more important in April, probably because the winds with cold fronts are more northerly, so having more effect. But by May, cold fronts have mostly gone and it is depressions in May which bring in the late migrants, including small bitterns.

Don’t forget – this is not an exact science. Some cold fronts don’t cause migrants to arrive and some depressions in April are very effective (like the one just before Easter this year which gave us a good Easter). But cold fronts with rain in April are usually the most effective systems to bring us migrants, and this year we just didn’t have any.

Is the lack of cold fronts in 2011 and 2012 a chance occurrence or a result of old Nino again or a trend? – only time will tell. I’m still waiting for as good a spring on Po Toi as 2006 and 2007 – and that’s not just an old man being nostalgic about the past.

[ Last edited by wgeoff at 25/05/2012 08:05 ]

wgeoff

The British Trust for Ornithology has been tracking the movements of five Eurasian Cuckoos from UK to Africa and back again over the last year. You can follow their movements by clicking on their blogs on the following website

http://www.bto.org/science/migra ... ies/cuckoo-tracking

Of the five, all survived the winter in Africa but only two have made it back to UK, the other three are presumed to have died on the way back, one in Spain, one in North Africa and the other in West Africa.

This kind of survival rate indicates how perilous life is for a migrating bird and why preserving stop-off points like Po Toi is so important.

[ Last edited by wgeoff at 25/05/2012 06:02 ]

brendank

26 & 27 May 2012

Stayed over on Po Toi this weekend.

Seawatching was quite good still. On Saturday 5 Short-tailed Shearwater, 2 Gull-billed, 22 White-winged, and 5 Common Terns. Sunday the flight of terns improved with 28 Aleutian Tern, 20 Common Tern, 5 Greater Crested, 1 Little, 3 White-winged Terns plus 6 Short-tailed Shearwater and a subadult Jaeger which judging by size (compared to Aleutian Terns), flight style and shape was a Pomarine. Both days there were good numbers of Bridled Terns, Black-naped and a few Roseate all which most be breeding close by. In fact, Black-naped Terns appear to be breeding on the rocky outcrop seen from the ferry on the way to Po Toi. Another surprise sight was several birders on a boat cruising past Po Toi.  

Here are a Shearwater, the Jaeger, an Aleutian Tern and Black-naped Tern.

shear_27may.JPG (29.73 KB)

27/05/2012 22:05

skua2.JPG (27.46 KB)

27/05/2012 22:13

aluetian_tern.JPG (28.52 KB)

27/05/2012 22:05

bntern.JPG (16.91 KB)

27/05/2012 22:05

On land it was rather slow. On Saturday, there was a Schrenck's, a Cinnamon and two Yellow Bittern in the Columbarium and another Yellow Bittern in the Lagoon. On Sunday, the Bitterns seemed gone and I just saw a single Grey-capped Greenfinch on the south peninsula, a Red-billed Starling in the Columbarium and a pair of Peregrine Falcons mobbing Black Kites--likely nesting somewhere on Po Toi.

bittern.JPG (47.58 KB)

27/05/2012 22:05

redbilled.JPG (42.69 KB)

27/05/2012 22:05

peregrine.JPG (15.57 KB)

27/05/2012 22:05

[ Last edited by brendank at 27/05/2012 22:13 ]

wgeoff

Each week more than 100 individuals read this blog on Po Toi. If you’ve enjoyed reading these reports, there is now something you can do to help preserve Po Toi - for this and future generations of bird lovers.

You are probably aware that the Government is reviewing the status of Po Toi following the illegal construction of a columbarium in the valley past the sisters café. HKBWS has made a submission supporting Po Toi as a Country Park and Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) to protect the main migrant bird areas. The Company which built the columbarium has also made a submission supporting its use as a columbarium.

At the moment, the columbarium company has managed to get more supporters than HKBWS! so we need your support for the HKBWS submission. The numbers of supporters is an important consideration for the Government.

We need you to show your support for Po Toi and the migrant birds. It’s easy to do and it doesn’t take more than five minutes.

The steps you need to take are

1. go to this website

http://www.info.gov.hk/tpb/en/plan_making/draft_plan.html

and you will see the following picture



2. Find ‘Po Toi Islands’ and click on ‘Make Comments’

3. Enter the website by typing the Text shown and clicking ‘I Agree’ and ‘Next’

4. On the next page shown, enter your name and email or postal address. Your addresses will remain confidential. Then, in the ‘Details of Comments’ section, enter

‘TPB/R/DPA/IPTI/1-4’ in the left column Representation Number and

‘I support Hong Kong Bird Watching Society's representation (TPB/R/DPA/IPTI/1-4)’ in the right column Details of Comments.

You can do it by Copying and Pasting the above
Then click ‘Submit”

5. The website will ask for your confirmation. Click ‘I Confirm’

That’s all you have to do. Please do it and help us protect Po Toi.
We need your support.

Thanks.

[ Last edited by wgeoff at 29/05/2012 06:49 ]

thinfor

I've done it.  Thanks very much Geoff.

wgeoff

Thanks Manson. I hope everyone can follow Manson's example and we can get protection for Po Toi

Jonathmartinez

done it too... really takes 2 minutes, a very easy help, for such an important thing..

Stonechat

I've just done it. Geoff, thank you for reminding.

james10

Done it. Thank you Geoff for making things so easy for us.

subbuteo

Thanks for all your reports this year- and I've signed!

Dylan

wgeoff

Thanks to everyone. Let's keep it going - 100 supporters would be a powerful voice

fai584

I've done it too.

msamuel

Done.  The process was easy.  I advocate others to do the same

fkkc

Done.   Lets keep it going.

iherman

Done

kkoel

Done and thanks Geoff for facilitating all this! Let's support the petition together so that Po Toi can get the protection it deserves.

kkitty

Support and done.

tgraham

Support and done

HKBWS Chuan

翻譯及編輯自Geoff昨天的回覆 Edited and translated from:  http://hkbws.org.hk/BBS/viewthre ... amp;page=3#pid49653

Each week more than 100 individuals read this blog on Po Toi. If you’ve enjoyed reading these reports, there is now something you can do to help preserve Po Toi - for this and future generations of bird lovers.

You are probably aware that the Government is reviewing the status of Po Toi following the illegal construction of a columbarium in the valley past the sisters café. HKBWS has made a submission supporting Po Toi as a Country Park and Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) to protect the main migrant bird areas. The Company which built the columbarium has also made a submission supporting its use as a columbarium.


At the moment, the columbarium company has managed to get more supporters than HKBWS! so we need your support for the HKBWS submission. The numbers of supporters is an important consideration for the Government/Town Planning Board.


We need you to show your support for Po Toi and the migrant birds. It’s easy to do and it doesn’t take more than five minutes.

The steps you need to take are


1. go to this website

(EN) http://www.info.gov.hk/tpb/en/plan_making/draft_plan.html
(中文) http://www.info.gov.hk/tpb/tc/plan_making/draft_plan.html

and you will see the following picture

未命名-1.jpg (217.91 KB)

30/05/2012 15:32

2. Find ‘Po Toi Islands’ and click on ‘Make Comments’

3. Enter the website by typing the Text shown and clicking ‘I Agree’ and ‘Next’

4. On the next page shown, enter your name and email or postal address. Your addresses will remain confidential. Then, in the ‘Details of Comments’ section, enter
‘TPB/R/DPA/IPTI/1-4’ in the left column Representation Number and
‘I support Hong Kong Bird Watching Society's representation (TPB/R/DPA/IPTI/1-4)’ in the right column Details of Comments.
You can add you own comments or refer to the below

Quote:

1. Po Toi has high scientific value and conservation value, the Board should designate "Site of Special Scientific Interest" for Po Toi. Hong Kong Bird Watching Society's detailed submission have proven the conservation value of Po Toi.
2. More than 300 species of birds have been found on Po Toi including many Hong Kong 1st Records;
3. Po Toi is a natural habitat for Romer's Tree Frog and the government should provide extra protection;
4. Po Toi has high value in landscape and recreational activities and the Government should designate it as a Country Park. By doing such, the government has the responsibility to promote tourism and improve the public utilities on the Island;
5. The illegal activities on the island has damaged Po Toi's ecological and landscape value. The Lands Department has been carrying out enforcement actions and other relevant authorities should control these activities.

Then click ‘Submit”



5. The website will ask for your confirmation. Click ‘I Confirm’

That’s all you have to do. Please do it and help us protect Po Toi.
We need your support.

Thanks.







每星期有超過100人觀看這個關於蒲台島的帖子。
如果你喜歡閱讀這些報告,現在你也可以做一點事幫忙保護蒲台。

在早前發現有人在坤記士多對開非法興建一個疑似骨灰龕場之後, 政府現正檢討蒲台島的規劃, 香港觀鳥會亦提交了一份建議書, 支持蒲台納入郊野公園範圍及劃作「具特殊科學價值地點」保護遷徙候鳥的主要棲息地。
發展商亦為了支持其發展項目,提交了一份意見書。
直至目前為止, 發展商比香港觀鳥會找到更多支持者!
我們需要你們支持香港觀鳥會的建議, 因為支持者的數量是政府/委員會的重要考慮。

為了蒲台島及賴以為生的遷徙雀鳥, 我們需要你們的支持。表達支持只是舉手之勞-不消5分鐘便可以做到

請按以下步驟:

1. 到以下城規會網站

(EN) http://www.info.gov.hk/tpb/en/plan_making/draft_plan.html
(中文) http://www.info.gov.hk/tpb/tc/plan_making/draft_plan.html

2. 找「蒲台群島」及按下「提交意見」

Po Toi.jpg (164.05 KB)

30/05/2012 15:32

3. 鍵入圖片所示的文字, 按一下「我同意」及「繼續」

4. 在下一頁, 輸入你的姓名、電郵(或郵寄地址), 你的聯絡資料將會保密。
申述編號請填:「TPB/R/DPA/IPTI/1-4」;
意見詳情: 「我支持香港觀鳥會(TPB/R/DPA/IPTI/1-4)的申述」
意見詳情亦可隨意加入個人意見或參考以下

Quote:

1. 蒲台島擁有極高生態價值及科學研究價值，城規會應劃設具特殊科學價值地點(SSSI)，香港觀鳥會的詳細申述文件亦已證明蒲台的生態價值；
2. 蒲台島曾發現300種以上的雀鳥，當中包括多個香港首次記錄的品種；
3. 蒲台島是盧氏小樹蛙的棲息地，當局應加以保護；
4. 蒲台島擁有高康樂及景觀價值，支持劃設蒲台島作郊野公園；劃作郊野公園後當局亦有責任改善當地的設施及推廣旅遊；
5. 早前島上的非法活動已破壞該區的景觀及生態價值，地政署亦正採取行動，當局應予以管制。

5. 網站會要求你確認, 按下「確定」完成。

向城規會提交意見只是舉手之勞，請幫忙保護蒲台，我們需要你的支持。



from HKBWS Conservation Officer 本會自然保育主任的小建議
==============================================================================================================
Apart from making comments to the Town Planning Board, we also hope that you would like our facebook page "支持蒲台郊野公園 Support Po Toi Country Park", keep updated about latest news and share your views on Po Toi.
除了以上之外, 我們亦希望大家"LIKE" "支持蒲台郊野公園" Facebook page, 留意蒲台的最新消息及你對蒲台島的意見。
http://www.facebook.com/SupportPoToi
==============================================================================================================

matthewchin

done and fully support

cywong

I have done it too.

wgeoff

Thanks to all those who have already sent in their support for the HKBWS submission on Po Toi. There's still time for any others, please take the time if you support Po Toi.

This week I focussed almost entirely on seabirds, following Brendan's success last weekend, and it proved worthwhile. Although there were long periods of boredom when listening to the BBC News on the radio was all I could do, the buzz when I saw what was obviously a new bird for me was fantastic.

As soon as I saw what I thought was a small dark shearwater coming the wrong way (all migrant seabirds in spring fly from the direction of Lamma Island, this one was going in exactly the opposite direction), I knew I had something good even though I didn't know what it was. Some panic set in as I tried to find the bird through my camera viewfinder, fortunately it looked so black it was quite easy to spot and I just kept firing away hoping the focus and everything else was working. And it was, these modern cameras and lenses are just superb for a technical dumbo like me. And here it is, a Swinhoe's Storm-petrel



It took less than one minute to fly past but I was on a high for a long time after, even though I couldn't tell from my camera display exactly what it was. These are the moments that make all the time spent watching an empty sea worthwhile.

For more photos and a discussion on this bird, go here

http://www.hkbws.org.hk/BBS/viewthread.php?tid=16569

There were still three Short-tailed Shearwaters to see, the latest date I've ever had for the species



plus Aleutian and Great Crested Terns, and on land one Schrenck's Bittern, five Yellow Bitterns and an unexpected Savanna Nightjar.

This will be my last week on Po Toi this spring, as I have things to do mid-week in June. Not a great spring, but a great finish.

[ Last edited by wgeoff at 1/06/2012 18:19 ]