hgeorge

Activity information
Date: 8/5/2011 Sunday
Time: 07:30 - 16:00
Gathering Time & Place: 07:30 Aberdeen public pier, near Ocean Court (Please visit here for detail map and bus route: http://www.hkbws.org.hk/web/eng/meeting_pt_eng.htm )
Fare: HK$160/Member; HK$200/Non-member
Target Species: Migrants and seabirds

Arrangement: The boat will go to Po Toi Island directly. The group will then have free time on the island (new comers can follow the leader to watch birds on the island) and participants are suggested to have their lunch on the island. The group should be back to the boat around 12:00-1:00 (depends on the leader's decision) and then the boat will stay in the Lamma Channel in the afternoon to look for seabirds and back to Aberdeen at 4:00pm. Please note that this is a brief arrangement and the activity leader will have the right to make the final decision.

Note: This will be a long trip on open waters. The ride could be quite rough and some people may be seasick.

Limited to 45 participants only - please return the registration form together with the fare to HKBWS Office for registration.

We will confirm the participants about 5 days before the outing whether their reservation application is accepted or not. All the registered participants are required to pay the prescribed fare, no matter they can attend the outing or not. Withdrawal must be raised at least ONE week before the activity, otherwise, no refund will be made. If we cancel the outing due to inclement weather or special reason, the paid fare will be refunded to the participants.

The Activiites Enquiry Hotline / for contacting outing leaders on the event date only: 9457 3196.

Disclaimer
The Hong Kong Bird Watching Society shall have no responsibility, financial or otherwise, for expenditure or other liabilities arising from the activities.

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日期：2011年5月8日(星期日)
行程時間：上午七時三十分至下午約四時
集合地點：07:30香港仔公眾碼頭，近逸港居 (詳細地圖和途經之巴士請參考: http://www.hkbws.org.hk/web/chi/meeting_pt.htm)
費用：會員-HK$160;非會員-HK$200
目標鳥種：過境遷徙鳥及海鳥

行程安排: 開船後會直接到蒲台島，大隊會在蒲台島上有自由時間(各自觀鳥，新手亦可選擇跟隨領隊觀鳥)，建議參加者在島上午膳。大約到正午十二時至一時左右返回船上，然後船會開往南丫海峽尋找海鳥，到大約下午四時返回香港仔。請注意，活動領隊將有權更改及決定當日行程安排。

注意：由於路程頗長，所經之處都是開闊海域，風浪較大，部份人士可能感到不適。

名額只限45位，請把報名表格連同費用寄/交回香港觀鳥會辦公室報名參加 (本會會員有優先參與權利)

活動查詢熱線／當天與領隊聯絡電話：9457 3196

免責聲明
任何人士因參與本會活動而導致任何經濟或其他方面的損失或損害，香港觀鳥會不會承擔任何財政或其他方面的責任，參加者須自行承擔所有責任。

HKBWS Vicky

只餘2個名額，報名從速。
Only 2 spaces left, please register NOW!!

HKBWS Vicky

現在活動尚餘4個名額，如有興趣參加，請在辦公時間致電辦事處2377 4387 與本會職員聯絡或非辦公時間致電 9457 3196 與鄭先生聯絡。謝謝各位!!
There are 4 spaces left. For those who are interested, please call the HKBWS office at 2377 4387 during office hour OR contact Mr. Cheng at 9457 3196 during non-office hour. Thank you so much!!

Ronaldo

I didn't see a lot of these birds... But I will add the following, all seen by the dam area:
- a likely Hair-crested Drongo (too large for a Black Drongo and not as elegant)
- a group of Ashy Minivets (about 4-5 of them). I doubt they were Swinhoe's, breast was very pale.
- a Siberian Rubythroat (only bird which I got a picture of...)

lyatming

當日下午在蒲台影到: 朱雀

http://www.hkwildlife.net/redire ... o=lastpost#lastpost

ajohn

I can add Dusky Warbler, Sooty-headed Bulbul and Greater Sand Plover.
And of course Red-necked Phalarope, which seems to have been missed off the list.

[ Last edited by ajohn at 9/05/2011 09:44 ]

Beetle

更新了的雀鳥記錄, 是次活動最少看見/聽見53鳥種。 This is an undated record. At least 53 species were seen or heard during this trip.

59        Black-crowned Night Heron        夜鷺
61        Chinese Pond Heron        池鷺
62        Eastern Cattle Egret        牛背鷺
67        Little Egret        小白鷺
68        Pacific Reef Heron        岩鷺
83        Black Kite        黑鳶
91        Chinese Sparrowhawk        赤腹鷹
136        Greater Sand Plover        鐵嘴沙鴴
159        Wood Sandpiper        林鷸
162        Common Sandpiper        磯鷸
178        Red-necked Phalarope        紅頸瓣蹼鷸
199        Greater Crested Tern        大鳳頭燕鷗
200        Little Tern        白額燕鷗 (相片中發現 from photos)
201        Aleutian Tern        白腰燕鷗
208        White-winged Tern        白翅浮鷗
217        Spotted Dove        珠頸斑鳩
225        Greater Coucal        褐翅鴉鵑
235        Indian Cuckoo        四聲杜鵑
258        Black-capped Kingfisher        藍翡翠
275        Black-winged Cuckooshrike        暗灰鵑鵙
277        Ashy Minivet        灰山椒鳥
282        Brown Shrike        紅尾伯勞
287        Black Drongo        黑卷尾
289        Hair-crested Drongo        髮冠卷尾
301        Large-billed Crow        大嘴烏鴉
310        Red-whiskered Bulbul        紅耳鵯
311        Chinese Bulbul        白頭鵯
312        Sooty-headed Bulbul        白喉紅臀鵯
318        Barn Swallow        家燕
321        Red-rumped Swallow        金腰燕
330        Dusky Warbler        褐柳鶯
337        Arctic Warbler        極北柳鶯
366        Yellow-bellied Prinia        黃腹鷦鶯
368        Common Tailorbird        長尾縫葉鶯
374        Masked Laughingthrush        黑臉噪鶥
386        Japanese White-eye        暗綠繡眼鳥
388        Crested Myna        八哥
390        Red-billed Starling        絲光椋鳥
395        White-shouldered Starling        灰背椋鳥
399        Blue Whistling Thrush        紫嘯鶇
406        Eyebrowed Thrush        白眉鶇
416        Siberian Rubythroat        紅喉歌鴝
420        Oriental Magpie Robin        鵲鴝
433        Grey-streaked Flycatcher        灰紋鶲
435        Asian Brown Flycatcher        北灰鶲
445        Red-throated Flycatcher        紅喉姬鶲
448        Hainan Blue Flycatcher        海南藍仙鶲
461        Eurasian Tree Sparrow        樹麻雀
463        White-rumped Munia        白腰文鳥
464        Scaly-breasted Munia        斑文鳥
469        Grey Wagtail        灰鶺鴒
473        Olive-backed Pipit        樹鷚
496        Chestnut Bunting        栗鵐

mbill

Many complains from members:

Some people need to get up around 0530 and take the 1st bus/train from Shatin; plus tunnel bus/or take the 1st MTR around 0600 and change bus to Aberdeen, but the reward was waiting for the late comers. Is it fair to the early birds???
The HKBWS has reminded 2 days before that the time is 0730 at Aberdeen, how can they said "we are coming" at 0730 by phone replied and 21 minutes lated.

HOPE THIS WILL NOT HAPPENED AGAIN.

Mon

在等侯時我有小小不滿及煩惱，為什麼要懲罰守時的人在船上搖晃20分鐘呢？

Beetle

I, as the voluntary activity leader of the trip, sincerely apologize for my decision of waiting for the 3 late participants.

The late-comers said they will arrive within 15 minutes. This is my second time to lead a boat trip (last trip on 1 May no participants were late), and i haven't encountered late participants  in previous trips to Mai Po and other sites so i was inexperienced about the usual practice.

There were some complaints about the route arrangement and my performance. The boat didn't go directly to Po Toi because of several reasons. Sea birds are one of the targets of the trip, and there is little chance for bird-watchers to go sea-bird watching. This is one of the reason why many participants join the HKBWS boat trip instead of going to Po Toi directly by ferry.  The time on Po Toi was also to suit lunch time. The boat trip on 1 May 2011 also had a similar arrangement. I have also discussed with some very experienced bird watchers about the arrangement.
Some said I was not enthusiastic on finding birds. But the fact is i spent a large part of time during the trip at the front of the boat looking for seabirds with my binoculars, while sometimes stay at the back of the boat to guide some less experienced participants. In the afternoon i spent more time at the back of the boat to look for seabirds passing at the back, and i did noticed two or three groups of terns passing and inform other participants. I did take a short sleep (not more than 20 minutes) near the end of the trip partly because i was too tired after searching birds for several hours.

I hope you understand that sea bird watching can be very boring and frustrating, and It is impossible for us (and of course for me as the activity leader) to guareentee good birds seen on the sea. However, I need to apologize again for the unsatisfactory trip leaded by me.


我作為當天活動的義務領隊, 決定等3位遲到參加者是我個人的決定, 希望藉此機會誠心道歉。

當天參加者稱會在15分鐘內到達, 該次是我第二次帶領出海的觀鳥活動 (5月1日的活動沒有參加者遲到), 而之前曾經帶領過的活動亦未遇到類似情況, 所以並不十分清楚活動恆常做法。

有參加者不滿當天的行程安排以及我的表現, 我覺得亦需要清楚解釋。當天船沒有直接開到蒲台島, 是因為當天活動其中目標是海鳥, 而很多觀鳥者亦很少有機會出海觀看海鳥, 這亦是參加鳥會活動而不直接坐街渡到蒲台島的原因。逗留蒲台島的時間為迎合午飯時間, 當天的安排亦與5月1日時的安排相約, 我亦有與更有經驗的鳥友相量過有關安排。
亦有參加者不滿我當天沒有熱衷找鳥, 事實上我有大部份時間在船頭位置用望遠鏡找鳥, 有時在船中間位置引導觀鳥經驗較少的參加者。在下午我較多時間留在船尾位置找鳥, 亦發現有幾群燕鷗在船尾經過及即時通知其他參加者。回程時我確實有小睡片刻休息,因為連續幾個小時找鳥實在太累,但沒有超過20分鐘。

我希望大家明白看海鳥是可以十分沉悶及令人沮喪的, 我們(或是一個活動領隊)沒有可能控制當天鳥況。不過得悉有參加者對我的表現不滿, 我希望藉此機會道歉。

[ Last edited by Beetle at 15/05/2011 13:30 ]

ajohn

Beetle, I would like to reassure you that I thought there was no problem with the trip.
Yes, it was slightly frustrating that we needed to wait after rushing to arrive on time, but I think that was the fault of those who arrived late rather than you as trip leader. Personally I think you did the right thing - I know that if I was running late I would hope that the trip leader would be prepared to wait a few minutes. Maybe others disagree, that is their opinion. I had actually forgotten about the delay until it was mentioned on this forum - it made no difference to the rest of the day.
As for the trip itself, I agree that you were one of those who seemed to be scanning the most often for seabirds. I remember you reporting some of the groups of terns, and making sure the message was relayed around the boat. I also agreed with the decision to go to sea first. OK, it was quiet, but there was no way of knowing that would be the case. There had also been few landbirds reported in the previous days, so going to the island first would also have been a risky decision.
At the end of the day, bird watching is a matter of luck - sometimes there are lots of birds, sometimes you spend hours looking with very little reward. That unpredictability is one of the best things about this hobby. I have been on many boat trips when we have seen less than we did on the 8th!

I think some people do not appreciate that leading the trip is actually a fairly tricky job. You need to make sure everyone has arrived, decide on a route, hope that you can find birds and try to ensure that everyone sees the bird that you find. Sometimes this means that you get less time birding than others on the trip.  Personally I do not like organising trips and tend to avoid it. Thank you to those who are prepared to run the trips so that those less experienced bird watchers get the opportunity to participate.

wserene

Hi Beetle, you did well on 8th outing.  No matter birds were seen or not seen, this was not your fault.  Indeed, I appreciated that you told us the major sites to find birds and knowledge about PT migration birds.  Thanks so much.

Serene

brendank

I think the trip was very well organized and I don't think there was any problem with the way it was run. Late comers always represent an impossible situation for the leaders. Wait for them and be blamed for making the group wait or go and be blamed for not giving people some leeway in arriving--either way people will be unhappy.  I think this type of thing is best left to the discretion of the fieldtrip leader.

Tony

Hi bettle,

I think you do not need to blame yourself. It is about the time management of the late comer. I remembered that there was similar situation on 1st May Po Toi trip. The trip was delayed for around 20mins as well. It is not avoidable for this kind of situation. I think we may understand some are the first time to join this kind of trip and do not have experience on planning their time to the gathering location. Some may live far as well. There may be some improvement for this kind of trip. I think Sai Wan Ho may be better than gathering location than Aberdeen since MTR is usually more 'secure' public transport than taking bus or minibus. And it is easier for beginner.
At the end of the day, we just hope people enjoy bird-watching or learn something through the trip. I agree with John, bird-watching is a matter of luck. The thing we enjoy on bird-watching is being unpredictable. Otherwise, it is not exciting at all.

mbill

Beetle, We are very sorry to make you blame yourself. We think the major problem was the late comers.
Of course no one can guareentee finding birds in the open waters; even at Po Toi. As a leader, you are too tired after searching birds for several hours and only take a short sleep was much acceptable. Also  the weather was fine that birds migration takes place some days earlier may be the problem.
We are really enjoying this boat trip very much.