brendank

1 September 2012

1 Asian Brown Flycatcher
1 Dark-sided Flycatcher
7 Dollardbird (including a flock of 5 which seemed to arrived in front of a thunderstorm)

brendank

2 September 2012

Very slow.

Just 2 Dollardbirds and at see 1 White-winged Tern.

fai584

2-09-2012
蒲台

三寶鳥X3
北灰鶲X3
褐翅鴉鵑X2

kennethlam

2號，仲有,,,
黑卷尾 x 6
棕背伯勞 x 1

Ronaldo

for everyone's benefit, is it possible to post names in English? I would not mind if internet translations were not so bad.

Thank you!

Beetle

Quote:

Original posted by Ronaldo at 3/09/2012 20:36
for everyone's benefit, is it possible to post names in English? I would not mind if internet translations were not so bad.

Thank you!

Just a little tip: You may want to try using Wikipedia to look up the Chinese Bird Names and then switch it to English version. It gives much better answer than internet translation.

fai584

2-09-2012 Po Toi Island  Record photo(紀錄相一張)

fai584

２－０９－２０１２ Po Toi Island

wgeoff

A typical week for the first week in September - 29 non-resident species although nothing unusual for this time.

Best bird - a Forest Wagtail on Tuesday which unfortunately did not stay the week.



Other species of interest - single migrant Great and Little Egrets, a juvenile Striated Heron in the lagoon, a Grey-tailed Tattler which completely ignored me when I was seawatching from the southern rocks, a cuculus cuckoo which I suspect was Indian, although no HK records exist for this species in September, several Dollarbirds around all week, migrant Barn Swallows, Yellow Wagtails and a single Grey Wagtail all heading south-west from the south peninsular, several Brown Shrikes around all week, Bright-capped Cisticolas back in the grasslands, a single Plain Prinia at the helipad, Asia Brown Flycatchers all week, Great Tit and White-rumped Munia which are both regular early autumn species and a few Black Drongos still around.

Here photos of the Tattler, a Brown Shrike and an Asia Brown Flycatcher



At sea, only Red-necked Phalarope and two local Bridled Terns. A bit disappointing.

The columbarium workings have now been reclaimed by nature, as these February and September photos show



but of course they will return if they are given permission.

Work on the Helipad continues at a very slow pace - nothing much has really been done since last May



- nothing new for Government-funded projects.

Things should start to warm up next week (not the weather, I hope - just the birds).

[ Last edited by wgeoff at 7/09/2012 08:24 ]

subbuteo

Glad to have the Friday morning read back, thanks!

Ronaldo

Welcome back Geoff! Nice wagtail

tsheunglai

Dear Geoff

I often wonder how soon nature would encroach back what human-made structure has once done in a built-up area after it had become deserted. I think it would take no more than some hundred years, even cities as big as HK.

All signs that embody power and prosperity will be 'gone with the wind' and nature will not make the slightest of sigh when the world is void of human.

S L Tai

Beetle

Sunday 9 Sep

Black-naped Oriole x 1 or 2
Dark-sided flycatcher 1 juvenile and probably 1 adult
Yellow-rumped Flycatcher x2F
Arctic Wablers
Pale-legged leaf warbler x1
Dollarbird x1
Chinese Goshawk x1
White-shouldered Starling x1

[ Last edited by Beetle at 10/09/2012 14:36 ]

brendank

8 September

1 Asian Paradise Flycatcher
3 Brown Shrikes
3 Dollardbird
8 White-shouldered Starling

At sea in the afternoon 1 Caspian, 1 Greater Crested, and 5 Aleutian Terns and many Red-necked Phalaropes sitting on the water.

9 September

above birds mentioned by Beetle and in the morning at sea 6 Aleutian and 2 White-winged Terns.

[ Last edited by brendank at 9/09/2012 23:39 ]

HKBWS Chuan

September 2012 would be an important month for Po Toi. You can help!

The Town Planning Board is going to hold a meeting about the planning of Po Toi on 28 September.
The HKBWS have prepared lots of ecological information to conserve Po Toi, but we need your support to save Po Toi.
It's easy - help by "Like" our facebook page, share photos on it, and invite your friends to do the same.
https://www.facebook.com/SupportPoToi

Of course, we hope we can get more new records for Po Toi!




二Ｏ一二年九月是蒲台的重要日子!

城規會將於九月廿八日討論蒲台的規劃。
香港觀鳥會為了保育蒲台，已準備了大量生態資料，但我們需要你的支持。
請幫忙"like"我們的facebook page, 分享照片, 以及邀請你的朋友加入行動。
https://www.facebook.com/SupportPoToi

當然我們希望繼續在蒲台錄得新雀鳥品種!

wgeoff

A quiet week, but with some surprises. Hot days, clear nights and light winds are not good weather conditions for seeing migrants and certainly not for birdwatchers. But at least the night sky was spectacular and the International Space Station blazed across it early on Wednesday morning.

Dollarbirds were present all week, with six on Tuesday although four left on Tuesday night. All three species of wagtail were around, with migrant Yellow Wagtails flying down the east coast every morning, also one Grey Wagtail and two Richard's Pipits. New arrivals this week included Black-naped Oriole and Blue Rock Thrush now back on the south peninsular, Hair-crested Drongo and a single male Purple-backed Starling on Thursday morning which flew around looking for some company and then seemed to fly off.

Here four of the Tuesday Dollarbirds in their favourite trees with the Black-naped Oriole



Arctic Warblers and Asia Brown Flycatchers were around all week, with five Asia Brown on Thursday



The surprises - a White-throated Kingfisher which arrived on Wednesday afternoon and was the first for two years, and a Siberian Blue Robin on Thursday (correction to earlier draft, thanks Peter and Michelle Wong)



Also an early record, two Black-tailed Gulls which passed my sea-watching point early on Wednesday morning



Terns were also moving on Wednesday but they were too far out to identify. All I managed was one Bridled and three Aleutian, with three Red-necked Phalarope from the Tuesday Ferry. Autumn egret migration has started, flocks of Great and Little flying out to sea on Thursday



Perhaps the best news from the week - I lost two pounds in sweat. Probably put it back on already.

PS - please see the previous message by Beetle Cheng

[ Last edited by wgeoff at 14/09/2012 09:05 ]

thinfor

Oh, Siberian Blue Robin...

lchunfai

A quiet Sat, bird of the day should be the Siberian Blue Robin which was seen by my friend only. The only flycatcher we could find was Asian Brown , no Asian/Japanese paradise nor Yellow-rumped which are on my target list. Three warblers sp., Arctic, Pale-legged Leaf and Eastern-crowned were recorded. My friend got a juv. Brown Shrkie, The purple-backed starling was gone but we saw a Chinese Starling.
For other migrants, we got:
Yellow and Grey Wagtail
Dollarbird
Black-winged Cuckooshrike
Blue Rock Thrush
Common Kingfisher
Woodsandpiper
Barn Swallow
Common Kestrel

thinfor

Results still not bad, though your targets were not seen.

brendank

16 September 2012

(not all seen by me)
1 Schrenck's Bittern
1 Green Sandpiper
1 Grey-tailed Tattler
1 Black-capped Kingfisher
1 Dollarbird
1 Brown Shrike
1 Black-winged Cuckooshrike
3 Asian Brown Flycatcher
1 Dark-sided Flycatcher
1 Grey-streaked Flycatcher
1 Black-naped Monarch
1 Dusky Warbler
6 Arctic Warbler
1 Eastern Crowned Warbler
2 Daurian Starling

And at sea in the afternoon
62 Common Tern
1 Black-tailed Gull

gttattler.JPG (39.02 KB)

16/09/2012 21:24

dstarling.JPG (31.03 KB)

16/09/2012 21:24

lrichard

An interesting-looking tattler! I don't suppose it called?

The upperparts look quite dark grey, the primaries project beyond the tail, and the nasal groove looks quite long. Hmmm.

brendank

No calls heard. Here are some more views. Primary project beyond the tail considerably. But seems a lot of white behind the eye for Wandering Tattler?

tattler1.JPG (42.75 KB)

16/09/2012 22:09

tattler2.JPG (28.5 KB)

16/09/2012 22:09

tattler3.JPG (53.75 KB)

16/09/2012 22:09

Too make the story even a bit more strange. I saw this bird at my seawatching point upon arriving at 1420. When I left at 1710, another bird was at the same spot which I assumed was going to be the tattler. But I noticed it looked like a Green Sandpiper which I thought is odd on the rocks. I was going to take a photo but just as got my camera it flew and I thought the tail pattern looked like what I have seen on Solitary Sandpiper with a thin dark strip through the center of tail and alternating dark and light horizontal strips. I needed to catch the ferry and I couldn't relocate it quickly and I convinced myself on the ride home that I had been dreaming.

brendank

Nasal groove is definitely more than one half the length of the bill. Although I doubt that is a 100% definite characteristic.

nasal_groove.JPG (70.21 KB)

16/09/2012 22:49

ddavid

Interesting.

According to the literature, juv Wandering Tattler should show grey flanks. See the first three pics at
http://www.birdfellow.com/birds/ ... otos/identification

David

brendank

Good point, Dave, and seems this bird doesn't fit Wandering on that point.

wgeoff

A good week this with lots of birds around and a total of 64 different species, a high count for the third week in September. Also a lot cooler which helped.

Bird of the week was a Fairy Pitta which I disturbed from the ground early on Thursday morning just before reaching the upper reservoir on green-pigeon path. ‘Odd place for a Crested Myna’ I thought, which is not the first time I have mistaken the white wing patches on a flying Pitta for a Crested Myna. A superb view through binoculars as it landed on a branch about 10 metres away was enough to change my mind, unfortunately not long enough for a photo before it flew off. I heard it making a soft ‘chup chup’ alarm call around me for the next few minutes but I didn’t see it again and left hoping I could come back and find it after the ferry arrived. Unfortunately that was not to be and Herman, Aquagras and I couldn’t relocate it when we went back up there later in the morning.

This is the third Fairy Pitta over the last four years in exactly the same location, a real hot-spot for Fairy Pittas. Hope for the weekend?

If I could believe it will be accepted as Cat I, bird of the week would otherwise be the Varied Tit found last Sunday and present throughout this week in the large leafy trees around the pier or just before the sister’s café.




This bird is best located from its call

http://www.geoffwelch46.com/VTITSOUND20.mp3

A beautiful bird and well worth the visit to Po Toi even if it is Cat III

Many other species seen for the first time this autumn are all regular arrivals in late September. A single Crested Goshawk, Red Turtle Dove, Oriental Cuckoo, Pacific Swifts, Common and Black-capped Kingfisher, Yellow-browed, Pale-legged and Eastern Crowned Warblers, Grey-streaked and Dark-sided Flycatchers with at least two each of Blue-and-white and Yellow-rumped, a few Purple-backed Starling in the White-shouldered flocks and three species of Drongo, Black, Hair-crested and Ashy, all added to the Dollarbirds and many Black-naped Orioles from last week.

Here some photos




Migrants seen at sea included Great, Little and the first Cattle Egrets with several flocks of Chinese Pond Heron and two tern species, a Whiskered which flew through the harbour and three Greater Crested migrating south-west.
This Brown Shrike which flew into the south peninsular on Thursday morning looks like a cristatus whereas this one seen 30 minutes later is more like a lucionensis or confusus – all very confusus





A more unfortunate visitor was this six-foot Burmese Python which the couple living next to the pier found inside their house on Thursday morning. It was probably after their dogs and cats, not them, but they were scared sufficiently to kill it.





Good luck to the weekend visitors – I hope all these birds stay around for you. I have visitors next week so I will probably not stay on the island.

[ Last edited by wgeoff at 21/09/2012 07:37 ]

iherman

20-9-2012

Varied Tit
Dollarbird
Black-naped Oriole

HKBWS Tung

Regarding to Varied Tit, I suppose many of us have heard about a birdwatching news from last week. A flock of four or five Varied Tits were photographed at Xiaoyang Shan, (Zhejiang?) during last week.

HKBWS Chuan

蒲台明記海鮮酒家附近的小橋重建 Reconstruction of Bridge near Ming Kee Seafood Restaurant

本會得悉民政事務署將重建蒲台明記海鮮酒家附近的小橋（位置見附圖），該署指因為小橋石屎剝落及露出生鏽鋼筋，經過工程師檢視，需要重建北邊的橋墩及橋身，而新大小及設計將與原有相若。工程將於10月開始。
由於小橋是島上居民及遊客必經之路，為了保障安全，加上重建應該不會導致重要生境永久損失，本會並不反對重建，但會提出一些意見減低對環境影響。本會正等待署方回覆關於重建小橋期間的臨時通路事宜。
如鳥友有特別意見，請於9月28日(星期五)前留言，本會會整合意見再向該署反映。

HKBWS noted that Home Affairs Department would reconstruct the small footbridge near Ming Kee Seafood Restaurant (see attached map). The bridge has spalling concrete and heavily rusted reinforcement bar exposed and therefore the reconstruction of the bridge and its footing at the northern side is needed. The size and design would be similar to the old one. The construction will start in October.
As the bridge is crucial in maintaining the accessibility on the island, HKBWS has no objection to the reconstruction to protect the safety of residents and visitors, given that it would not cause permanent loss of important habitats. We will make suggestions on reducing the environmental impact. Regarding the issue of temporary access, we are wating for the department's reply.
If birders have any special comments, please reply here before 28 September (Fri) and HKBWS will reflect to the department.

HKBWS Conservation Officer

20120921.jpg (512.24 KB)

21/09/2012 10:42

kmike

Lots of birds on Po Toi today, with Varied Tit again the star.  

While this is perhaps a rather surprising record I am interested that so far no-one has suggested any evidence that this highly charismatic bird is an escape, while records this week from Zhejiang and Shanghai suggest there is something odd going on with this species at present.

The list below includes my birds and those I heard about.

Cheers
Mike K

Dollarbird - 1
Black-naped Oriole - 3
Ashy Drongo - 1
Hair-crested Drongo - 1
Black Drongo - 1
Brown Shrike - 1

Arctic Warbler - 1
Asian Brown Flycatcher - 2
Sooty Flycatcher - 2
Grey-streaked Flycatcher - 1
Black-naped Monarch - 1
Blue-throated/Hainan Blue Flycatcher -1 Brendan has pix (not seen by me)

Chinese Starling - 30
Silky Starling  (not seen by me)
Daurian Starling - 1 probable
Grey Wagtail - 1
Yellow-browed Bunting - 1 (not seen by me)

Cheers
Mike

[ Last edited by kmike at 22/09/2012 22:30 ]

brendank

23 September 2012

1 Forest Wagtail
1 Hainan Blue Flycatcher (female)
1 Ashy Drongo
1 Pale-legged Leaf Warbler
4 Dollardbird
3 Black-naped Oriole
1 Siberian Stonechat

ajohn

Quote:

Original posted by kmike at 22/09/2012 22:25
...so far no-one has suggested any evidence that this highly charismatic bird is an escape ...

Aren't there feathers missing on the belly, just in front of the left leg?
I wonder how feasible it is that a flock of birds hitched a ride on a ship heading south around the Chinese coast, with individuals hopping off at various points en route? My main concern is that it seems odd that a subspecies which is essentially resident in Japan and Korea should turn up as far south as Hong Kong, as early as September.

wgeoff

I can only manage a one-day visit this week, yesterday, with visitors from now through the weekend.

Not many birds on view yesterday, many from the weekend appear to have left. Two new birds, an Ashy Minivet and an Eastern Crowned Warbler.

Plus the Varied Tit still there. I'm interested in John's comments above. I think the 'missing feathers' are just where the left leg attaches to the body, there are other photos that appear normal

http://www.hkbws.org.hk/BBS/view ... &extra=page%3D1

but the suggestion that the bird may have arrived by boat is valid - I'm sure this happens, I've seen pigeons fly off boats several times so other birds can do it. The Varied Tit acts quite naturally and seems to be able to survive well in the wild. Most obvious cage birds on Po Toi don't stay more than one day, this one has already been with us for 10 days.

The Town Planning Board assessment of the Representations it has received about the status of Po Toi has been issued prior to the public meeting on Friday. This is quite positive. It restates the intention 'to preserve the natural landscape from encroachment from undesirable change of use' and suggests that the Columbarium development is in breach of lease conditions and 'may conflict with the intention' stated above - about as far as a Government Department can go in public I guess. So far so good.

I always regret making predictions but still do. I'm hoping the northerly winds due towards the end of this week will bring a flush of new migrants for the weekend and early next week, just in time for the Public Holiday. Please note, the Sunday Ferry service applies to both Monday and Tuesday next week - ferry leaves Aberdeen at 8.15am and returns at 6pm on all three days from Sunday to Tuesday.

[ Last edited by wgeoff at 26/09/2012 07:36 ]

深藍-Owen

hi geoff, for the "boat migration" we would like to add something we saw on our boat trip last Friday, there is a black-capped kingfisher on a container ship diving to the water occasionally in the southern water and sitting back to the container, and kinni got some photos for record.

wgeoff

Thanks Owen, that's an interesting observation.
Although the Kingfisher may just have been an ordinary migrant using the ship as a convenient 'island' to fish from. I've seen Reef Egrets fly out to ships and do the same thing.

The interesting thing to me is - if the Varied Tit arrived by ship, is it still a 'wild' bird? I think it is.

[ Last edited by wgeoff at 26/09/2012 08:29 ]

thinfor

The varied tit has been giving us an interesting discussion!  What a nice name for the tit...its route really 'varies'!  

Jonathmartinez

If these birds have made the trip on a boat, I think the question is how do they arrive on this boat. If these birds are resident I see no reason why they have been over the sea for an other reason than migration. So prior to have been on a boat, these birds for a reason or another have been flying over the sea and presumably at the same time as was the typhoon Sanba, then they could have been blown away from their route in the sea.
Now in the case the bird has arrived by itself in Po Toi, its route would have crossed Taiwan or the Fujian coast somewhere, and the chance this bird arrived in Po Toi without seing any piece of earth on its route are very slim. So then the theory of the boat make quite sense, with a bird that had stopped on the boat finding some shelter during the Typhoon and that decided to leave the boat when it cross in front of Po Toi seing the island. Just one thing I don't know,  is how long it takes for a boat in front of Zhejiang or Japan to reach Hong Kong, the birds from Zhejiang have been found at the same time, even it does'nt means that they have not been there since a few days, well at least for the Zhejiang birds as the birding pressure is probably not so hight as in Po Toi.I expect that a boat in front of Japan may takes quite a few days to reach Hong Kong, I don't know if the Tit by itself would not have been quicker.
I think something should be good to try is to see if it can be ID at subspecies level to have a rough idea from where this bird is coming from. It should help to examine the different scenario.
Really fascinating on how this bird has reach Po Toi.

As per previous discussion with other birders who's got boat experience, land birds may use boat very often in sea especially by bad weather conditions, with sometimes thousand of birds landing on a boat during a storm or heavy fog, this is very well known. Last year, a Palla's leaf warbler has been found dead on a boat in a few hundeeds kilometer in front of France britany!

All the best,

Jonathan

lmichael

An image of one of the Zhejiang birds has now been posted on OBI (Oriental Bird Images). Goood photo but very dishevelled plumage; I suggest that this is very likely ex-captive.

Mike Leven

brendank

As far as I can tell, the closest major island in Japan, Kyushu, is at least 1200 km from Hong Kong. A container ship moves a maximum of 25 knots (46.3 kmph) which would mean it would take 25.9 hours for the ship to come from somewhere close to Japan to the Dangan channel.

I doubt the Varied Tit could have been blown on a ship then reached Po Toi by 16 September.

Jonathmartinez

thanks for this precision. So last solution try to see if the bird come feeding on the hand:-)
Anyway very odd sightings, especially regarding the time of the year, the fact that birds has only been found on island or on coastal place, and that 5 birds has been sighted together in Zhejiang.

kmike

Assuming that a dishevilment can be taken a sign of an escape is a new one on me.

Maybe it was just a windy day.

Cheers
Mike K

iherman

27-9-2012

Ashy Minivet


Red Turtle Dove


Dollarbird


Ashy Drongo


Asian Paradise Flycatcher


Varied Tit

brendank

I would say that is a Japanese Paradise Flycatcher due the color of the upperparts.

iherman

Thank you Brendank on your advice.

kkoel

29 September 2012 (Sat)
Fine day on Po Toi today with the Varied Tit still present:

1 Pallas's Grasshopper Warbler (juv)

(Thanks to Brendan for notifying us about its presence!)
1 Orange-headed Thrush
1 Forest Wagtail
1 Yellow-rumped Flycatcher
1 Dark-sided Flycatcher
1 Eastern Crowned Warbler
2 Pale-legged Leaf Warbler (not by me)
1 Little Bunting

kmike

The streaking on the breast, uniform dark olive colour and short tail all suggest Lancy to me, even if it does look a bit big-billed.

Cheers
Mike K

Jonathmartinez

I've got the same feeling especially on the bird overall color that is very confusing but Lanceolated should show some streaks on the undertail covert and the streaks on the flank should be broader I think.

All the best,

Jonathan

kkoel

Hi Mike & Jonathan,

Thanks for your reply - actually Brendan and I have considered Lanceolated Warbler initially. However on further scrutiny, we thought there are several features (shown in photo) that suggest Pallas's juvenile rather than Lancie.

1. The vent is clean: all Lancies should show streaked vent.
2. There is a dark "cap", which should not be present on Lancie but fits Pallas's.
3. The bill is heavy and decurved: for Lancie it should be finer and straighter.
4. The back is blotched: Lancie should show "tramlines" reminiscent of Pipits.

These are my thoughts but I have very limited experience with either species so more expert opinion would be appreciated!

All the best,
Koel

brendank

30 September 2012

1 large Locustella warbler was seen in the mangrove-like trees by the lagoon. Back rather drab brown, unstreaked, supercilium indistinct, throat and underparts washed buff. Seemed slighly larger than Pallas's seen yesterday. I saw briefly in binoculars. Then waited for another 90 min. Only seen once more after the initial time but no photographs.

1 Yellow-rumped Flycatcher
1 Verditer Flycatcher
1 Red-throated Flycatcher
3 Ashy Minivet
1 Orange-headed Thrush
1 Forest Wagtail
1 Arctic Warbler
1 Pale-legged Leaf Warbler
1 Eastern Crowned Warbler
1 Pallas's Grasshopper Warbler (flushed on South Peninsula)

At sea no terns, only a Little Ringed Plover and 3 Common Kestrel.

orangeheaded.JPG (47.06 KB)

30/09/2012 21:18

yellowrunped.JPG (37.28 KB)

30/09/2012 21:18

[ Last edited by brendank at 30/09/2012 21:18 ]

brendank

With regards to the Pallas's/Lanceolated Grasshopper Warbler seen yesterday, I keep changing my mind but overall favor Pallas's. I think the structure especially the bill fits Pallas's better.

Seems that some Lanceolated warblers have only limited streaking on the flanks. See here:

http://orientalbirdimages.org/se ... _Family_ID=&p=1
http://orientalbirdimages.org/se ... Family_ID=&p=16

But some Pallas's do seem to have some streaking on the flanks. See here:

http://www.stuartelsom.co.uk/ima ... 0#UKR-PGW-09-92.JPG

There don't seem to be any white spots on the rectrices. When I initially saw it in flight, I was certain it was a Lanceolated because of the streaking on the upperparts (including I thought the rump), the lack or a red rump, and the lack of white tail spots.  I guess it shows Locustella can be quite confusing.

pallas.JPG (44.67 KB)

30/09/2012 21:26