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Topic: Po Toi 蒲台 2006 Autumn 秋 (Read 8046 times) |
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geoff_welch
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Po Toi 蒲台 2006 Autumn 秋
« on: Sep 7th, 2006, 6:15pm » |
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A quiet start to Autumn on Po Toi this week, with SW winds all week.
For land migrants, Grey Wagtail, two Pale-legged Leaf Warblers, a juv Dark-sided Flycatcher (I think - see photo) and the adult Chestnut-winged Cuckoo first seen last week.
 
This morning a Pallas's Grasshopper Warbler flew up from beside the path on the SE peninsular - which makes you wonder how many may be skulking on the peninsular or on the island.
On the sea, the first notable tern movement yesterday with 23 Aleutian, 15 Tern sp, 8 Black-naped, 8 Little, 1 Bridled and 1 Common. Also Aleutian and Common Terns today from the Ferry.
Visible migration over the sea mostly in the early morning included egrets (Great, Little and Pond Heron), 3 Whimbrel, Yellow Wagtails (52 in 2 hours this morning), Richard's Pipit and a flock of 13 Tree Sparrows.
Over the weekend and next week the winds are forecast NE, which may bring in some new migrants on land and sea.
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| « Last Edit: Sep 8th, 2006, 7:03am by Webcreeper » |
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miket
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Re: Po Toi 2006 Autumn
« Reply #1 on: Sep 7th, 2006, 8:25pm » |
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Certainly looks like a juv. Dark-sided Fly, Geoff. In comparison with the one on the cover of the Avifauna it still has a full set of juvenile median coverts (presumably they moult these and change in appearance is not just due to wear) - this fits as that bird was photographed two weeks later than this bird (on 21/09/2000 in fact). I do wonder what juv Grey-streaked looks like, but maybe we would just never get one here anyway.
Certainly agree the peninsula must hold a lot of grassland type skulkers - Bright-capped Cisticola has now been seen there on a few occasions, and that is where Graham and I had the Lanceolated Warbler in the spring.
Please find a Tiger Shrike for the weekend and keep it there until at least Saturday morning!
Mike Turnbull
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geoff_welch
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Re: Po Toi 2006 Autumn
« Reply #2 on: Sep 7th, 2006, 8:38pm » |
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Thanks Mike, I hadn't realised juv Dark-sided Fly was on the front of Avifauna. You look at it every week but never really see it!
Sorry, I won't be there again until Sunday but if you find the Tiger Shrike please keep it for me.
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geoff_welch
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Re: Po Toi 蒲台 2006 Autumn 秋
« Reply #3 on: Sep 14th, 2006, 4:55pm » |
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This one is for Mike Turnbull.
A juvenile Tiger Shrike seen today in the heavy canopy trees to the right of the path from the jetty to the concrete steps going up to the small cafe, before you reach the steps and the red walled building.
 
It was there this afternoon but cannot guarantee it on Saturday. It's quite difficult to see, it keeps still just under the canopy branches. Good luck Mike.
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| « Last Edit: Sep 14th, 2006, 5:26pm by geoff_welch » |
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miket
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Re: Po Toi 蒲台 2006 Autumn 秋
« Reply #4 on: Sep 14th, 2006, 7:32pm » |
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Thanks Geoff.
Birds found to order - amazing!
I'll be there Saturday morning
Thanks for the very precise instructions, too.
Mike.
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HK_Twitcher
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Re: Po Toi 蒲台 2006 Autumn 秋
« Reply #5 on: Sep 14th, 2006, 9:40pm » |
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I will be there Friday
Geoff as you seem to produce birds to order can we have a Chinese crested Tern perched on the jetty on Sunday?
Graham
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geoff_welch
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Re: Po Toi 蒲台 2006 Autumn 秋
« Reply #6 on: Sep 15th, 2006, 5:08am » |
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Graham, I think the only thing I can promise you is a rough ride. The sea looks great but only when viewed from a secure position on the land.
A later PS. As I have now suddenly become a BBS God, perhaps it is more possible.
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| « Last Edit: Sep 15th, 2006, 9:50am by geoff_welch » |
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geoff_welch
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Re: Po Toi 蒲台 2006 Autumn 秋
« Reply #7 on: Sep 15th, 2006, 6:02am » |
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I had a visitor this week, Tobias Epple from Germany. He shared some of the spectacular birds on Tuesday and Thursday.
The week was dominated by the passage of the tropical storm on Wednesday which dumped huge quantities of rain water on to Po Toi. Amazing to think that in spring we have no water at all. It was also responsible for an increase in both the numbers and the variety of migrants.
Land Birds
There are always surprises on Po Toi. This week it was Black-winged Stilt. There has obviously been a migration of these waders through Hong Kong this week and the storm interfered with it. Having seen 2 Black-winged Stilts migrating over the sea late on Tuesday, on Wednesday there were at least 6 on the island waiting for the weather to improve.
I think Black-winged Stilts were reported from other unusual locations around Hong Kong this week.
Some other land migrants photographed during the week were Asian Paradise Flycatcher, Grey-streaked Flycatcher, Black-naped Oriole, Forest Wagtail and Tiger Shrike.
  
 
My image of the week – a Grey-streaked Flycatcher waiting for the rain to stop.
Visible Migration
A feature of the autumn so far has been the visible migration of birds seen from the southerly tip of the SE peninsular. Egrets (Great, Little and Cattle and Pond Heron), waders (mostly Whimbrel) and wagtails (Yellow, White and Grey).
Interestingly, all the birds are traveling in one of two directions – SW, as you might expect, or NW, which you might not expect.
The NW birds are coming from the direction of Dangan Island and heading over Po Toi towards the Hong Kong mainland. I think these birds must have strayed too far east and having finished up on Dangan, decided to re-orient themselves. They can see Po Toi from Dangan and they make for it, just as they do in spring.
There were some spectacular visible migrants on Tuesday this week, before the arrival of the tropical storm – 2 Kestrels, 2 Black-winged Stilts, Himalayan Swiftlet, Pechora Pipit and White-shouldered Starling. The Stilts, Pipit and Starling were on the NW route and flew from Dangan over Po Toi. The Kestrels and Swiftlet were migrating SW very low over the sea although they all eventually ended up flying on to Po Toi. I tried very hard to get a decent photo of the Swiftlet but my camera autofocus could not make it and I am not good enough to manually focus such a fast flying bird, so I ended up with a blur.
Sea Birds
The storm had the same effect on seabirds as Typhoon Chanchu did in May – it brought the seabirds in close to Po Toi for protection and to feed on the tidelines created by the strong winds. This time only terns seemed to be involved. The tideline along the south side of Po Toi had Whiskered, Common and Aleutian (some even coming into the harbour) and the east side had Bridled, Common, Aleutian and Little with the one juvenile Sooty Tern. Here are some photos of the Sooty Tern with various other terns, Bridled, Aleutian and Common. The size, shape and colour of the Sooty Tern reminds me of the Brown Noddies.
   
That’s the end of a very long report on this week’s events on Po Toi. But finally, a strong rumour amongst the islanders that Fortune Ferry will be ceasing its North Point/Kwun Tong to Po Toi ferry service later this year, probably in November. That will leave only the Aberdeen service to Po Toi.
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| « Last Edit: Oct 5th, 2006, 6:49pm by geoff_welch » |
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Forrest FONG
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Re: Po Toi 蒲台 2006 Autumn 秋
« Reply #8 on: Sep 15th, 2006, 8:54am » |
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The Society will have an outing to Po Toi and the eastern waters of HK this Sunday. I hope all the participants can have good chances to encounter the Autumn migrants.
Cheers,
Forrest 
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FF
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HK_Twitcher
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Re: Po Toi 蒲台 2006 Autumn 秋
« Reply #9 on: Sep 15th, 2006, 4:10pm » |
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Po Toi 15 September 10.30 -14.00
A Twitch today produced the following
Grey Streaked Flycatcher 2
Brown Flycatcher 2 (#314)
Dark Sided Flycatcher 2
Asian Paradise Flycatcher 1
Artic Warbler 1
Red Turtle Dove 1
Pacific Swift 1
Brown Shrike 2
Tiger Shrike 1 (#315)
The TIger Shrike was in the small patch of vegitation at teh end of thejetty on the right hand side. It was not easy to see and kept very low. There was also a Juv Brown Shrike in the same area
Graham
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Mike Kilburn
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Re: Po Toi 蒲台 2006 Autumn 秋
« Reply #10 on: Sep 15th, 2006, 4:48pm » |
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There was also
Black-winged Cuckoo Shrike
Black-naped Oriole
Striated Heron
Pacific Swift
a second Asian Paradise Flycatcher
Pale legged/Sakhalin Leaf Warbler
about 2,000 RN Phalarope on the sea around Po Toi
WWBlack Tern - 1
BUT
I didn't get the Tiger Shrike so - DISAPPOINTED!!!
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Mike Kilburn
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miket
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Re: Po Toi 蒲台 2006 Autumn 秋
« Reply #11 on: Sep 15th, 2006, 5:06pm » |
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Not surprisingly, for those of you excitedly following HK Twitcher's attempt at the highest ever year-list for HK, Brown Fly was not #314 for HK Twitcher today - it was of course Dark-sided Fly.
Maybe we'd better check them all, if he's that error-prone!
Mike Turnbull
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geoff_welch
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Re: Po Toi 蒲台 2006 Autumn 秋
« Reply #12 on: Sep 15th, 2006, 5:42pm » |
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He can get ten extra species on spelling alone.
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| « Last Edit: Sep 15th, 2006, 6:03pm by geoff_welch » |
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miket
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Re: Po Toi 蒲台 2006 Autumn 秋
« Reply #13 on: Sep 16th, 2006, 6:56pm » |
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Tiger Shrike still present today (Sat. 16th Sept.), basically in same area though showed best near beginning of and along the "Orange-breasted Pigeon" trail. Also a Swiftlet very well picked out amongst the Swifts by Paul Leader.
Other migrants were Arctic and Pale-legged/Sakhalin Leaf Warblers, Asian Brown, Dark-sided, Grey-streaked, Yellow-rumped and Paradise sp. Flycatchers, Black-naped Oriole, Oriental-type Cuckoo (believed Horsfield's), White-shouldered and Purple-backed Starlings (only one of latter), Brown Shrike and Dollarbird.
A good day, especially for those of us who'd been looking for Tiger Shrike in HK for up to 20 years (in Geoff Carey's case 21 I think!).
Sad news that the North Point/Kwun Tong ferry will stop at end of October 
Mike Turnbull.
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tobi
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Re: Po Toi 蒲台 2006 Autumn 秋
« Reply #14 on: Sep 16th, 2006, 7:01pm » |
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There was also a Grey Phalarope among the many Red-necked on Thursday. Good luck tomorrow!
Thanks again for the friendly welcome in Hong Kong, from Germany, Tobi
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