tsheunglai 2/01/2017 19:24
Shing Mun/Lead Mine Pass, Winter 2016/17
[b][size=4][color=Black]15th December, 2016 (Thursday)[/color][/size][/b]
[b][b][size=4][color=DarkSlateGray]Remaining cool and overcast with wind from N/NE keeping the temperature from 15 to 20 Celsius[/color][/size][/b][/b]
Beginning of the morning was good enough to have [b][size=4][color=Purple]two Grey-headed flycatchers [/color][/size][/b]recorded as one seen and one heard among a middle-sized birdwave with them as obvious flock leaders, singing their four-note melody and displaying active short flights. Another notable bird nearby was [b][b][size=4][color=Purple]an Ashy drongo[/color][/size][/b][/b], heard and seen. The same [b][size=4][color=Purple]Eastern buzzard [/color][/size][/b]was again seen on the far side of the Pineapple Dam's top, confirming it being a wintering species.
All the rest of the morning was passed with no more birdwaves met, resulting in birds seen progressively at best; worth mentioning here were among local birds just the wintering male [b][size=4][color=DarkOrchid]Daurinan redstart[/color][/size][/b] on the wet patch beyond Picnic site 11 and a nice [b][size=4][color=Purple]Goodson's leaf warbler[/color][/size][/b] on the return leg of the trip.
S L Tai
[[i] Last edited by tsheunglai at 2/01/2017 19:34 [/i]]
tsheunglai 2/01/2017 21:37
[b][size=4][color=Black]30th December, 2016 (Friday)[/color][/size][/b]
[b][size=4][color=DarkSlateGray]Overcast with wind from N/E keeping temperature cool from 13 to 19 degrees Celsius
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[b][size=4][color=Indigo]Delight to have fellow birder as trip companion[/color][/size][/b]
[b][size=4][color=DarkSlateBlue]The table of fortune turning to favour on second half of trip[/color][/size][/b]
On the top of Pineapple Dam my companion, who preferred not to be named, found the wintering [b][size=4][color=Purple]Eastern buzzard [/color][/size][/b]perching on top of the same tree as previous time as I was looking at two flying Black-eared kites nearby.
It was not good omen to have [b][size=4][color=DimGray]just heard [/color][/size][/b]an Ashy drongo calling several times without seeing it. Luck seemed more deserting [b][size=4][color=SlateGray]without hearing[/color][/size][/b] [b][size=4][color=SlateGray]or seeing[/color][/size][/b] Grey-headed flycatchers around the catchment before the road barrier, which was inadequately compensated by seeing the flock of some thirty [b][size=4][color=Purple]Chestnut-collared yuhinas[/color][/size][/b] filling one big trees later on.
Trip sightings remained monotous, with just the male[b][size=4][color=DarkOrchid] Daurian redstart[/color][/size][/b] being seen on the wet patch beyond Picnic site 11, though to my companion's delight. We saw a pair of [size=4][color=DarkOrchid]Grey-backed thrushes[/color][/size] when we took a short rest under the Pavilion on the picnic site.
Commonplace being the case until we heard a noisy lot of mixed birds on top of the long slope with a road branching out from the Reservoir Walk. I suggested walking up a bit the branch road if we could find something good. We soon found with some satisfaction in witnessing an [b][size=4][color=Purple]Ashy drongo[/color][/size][/b] displaying its foraging skills below the canopy with rapid but accurate flights through short-distanced tree branches, with the purpose of catching preys for food. My companion agreed when I pointed out that the forked tail of the bird, like all else of the species, was not symmetrical, with one longer than the other. I suggested it was evolved to facilitate deep and shallow troughing and circulating in air. The highlight of the morning came when we almost simultaneously saw a [b][size=4][color=Orange]Speckled piculet[/color][/size][/b], being a life and Hong Kong tick of my companion. We also enjoyed the sight of [size=4][color=Purple]a Goodson's leaf warbler[/color][/size] among other birds.
The day's count was [b][size=4][color=SandyBrown]twenty-eight [/color][/size][/b]in species, average by all account but the sighting of a Speckled piculet would surely make the trip lasting long in memory.
S L Tai