sdavid

I was out at the Buffalo Fields yesterday afternoon and the filling is happening at a rapid rate.  Trucks seems to be dumping their loads every 5-10 minutes with the excavator spreading the muck around.  It doesn't much look like topsoil to me though and i can't see how this would be agricultural improvements, especially with the amount of construction waste contained in each load.

At the rate they are going, the Buffalo Fields will be gone by the end of next week.

In addition to importance for birds, this fields support breeding Chinese Bullfrog, another protected species. Doesn't look like they'll be able to breed in these areas next year....

I didn't follow the trucks or take any registration numbers but they are entering in through Cheung Chun San Tseun.

sdavid

EPD and PlanD are investigating the matter thanks to input from WWF and KFBG, but no one is hopeful of a positive resolution as loopholes in the law appear to have been exploited in this recent dumping and historically at the site.

Obviously not the most attractive of the sites to watch birds in Hong Kong, and the writing appears to be on the wall for Kam Tin, but I'm surprised at the lack of response to this thread considering the coverage that other issues receive. I think that HKBWS will need to update the Birding HK site and pamphlet soon - http://www.hkbws.org.hk/archive/frame.html


I haven't been to the site since the photo's from last week so not sure of the extent of dumping coverage now.  I wonder where the Grey-headed Lapwings will be wintering next year....

sdavid

Just some pictures taken the other day at Kam Tin and Shui Mei.  Sad to see so much seasonal wetland habitat being lost and it would appear authorities aren't in a position to do anything due to the land zoning.

I can't say I've seen any GH Lapwing there this winter, though I have seen 21 on the Kam Tin River on one occasion.

sdavid

At least 24 buffalo, including 5 youngsters, were present on an island of vegeation in amongst the building waste that now covers the former Buffalo Fields.

Quite how this dumping of 'topsoil' will benefit agriculture in the future remains to be seen.  I'm not a farmer, but I should imagine stell reinforcing rods, broken plastic piping, pieces of barrier fencing,  broken tiles and toilets cisterns aren't the best of substrates to cultivate crops or rear livestock.  But I may be wrong.....