yyattung

Dear members,

A single Spoon-billed Sandpiper has been seen from Mai Po boardwalk in recent days, indicating that the spring migration of this species has been started already. In last year, several birds could be recorded in April. Situation of this species seems not improved significantly over the last twelve months and their population still remains low to only a few hundred birds.

Therefore, every single record of this species is an important information for the conservation of this species. Similar to last year, let us share our sightings of this species at Mai Po in this BBS and so we can learn more together.

Thank you very much

Yu Yat Tung
Research Manager, HKBWS

會員們，大家好，

近日，一隻勺嘴鷸已經在米埔出現，意味著牠們的春季遷徒可能已經開始。勺嘴鷸的數目下跌的速度驚人，估計現有的族群數量只有幾百隻， 所以現在每一個紀錄都對勺嘴鷸的保育有著重要的資訊。

我希望各會員朋友都可以提供勺嘴鷸的目擊紀錄，請把日期，地點，數目，及其他資料張貼在這欄，讓大家都可以立刻知道勺嘴鷸在香港出現的情況。

多謝大家，希望能得到大家的支持

余日東
香港觀鳥會研究經理

AjaA

Hi,

Today, 12th, Antero and I saw the Spoon-billed Sandpiper at 9.55 from the outermost hide toward SSW. It stayed for only 5 min together with some Curlew Sands.
Yesterday, 11th, we saw it first on the rising tide from the outermost hide even further out toward SW. It also showed very briefly. On the receding tide we saw it from the Society hide at about 15-15.30. On the 10th we did not see the bird on either tide. On the 9th we saw it only on the receding tide. On the 8th it was seen on both rising and receding tides. As far as I can make out, it has been the same bird every time. We have photographs of it from only two of the sightings.

Annika

Eurpyg_20120311_MaiPo_3597.jpg (114.41 KB)
Spoon-billed Sandpiper

12/03/2012 14:47

Eurpyg_20120311_MaiPo_3432.jpg (190.24 KB)

12/03/2012 14:47

Eurpyg_20120311_MaiPo_3487.jpg (151.29 KB)

12/03/2012 14:47

John Holmes

Two more photos of this bird, as captioned, from 8th and 11th March

Jonathmartinez

Well I know it is outside of Mai Po, but not so far, 3 Spoonbill Sandpipers were present last Sunday 11/03/2012 at Xitou, near Yangxi city in Guangdong (about 150 Km SW of HK). So, it seems that a fiew birds have been mooving recently, probably together with the few new waders arrived there.

Jonathan

lrichard

One winter-plumaged Spoon-billed Sandpiper briefly showed on the falling tide in front of the old boardwalk hide today (21 March 2012).

Quite similar to the individual photo'd by John Holmes, but lacking the warm brown/rusty tones on the upperparts.

ajohn

A Spoon-billed Sandpiper was seen on the rising tide this morning (22/3) from the HKBWS hide. I assume probably the same individual as seen yesterday.

John Holmes

Record shots of today's Spoon-billed Sandpiper at the boardwalk this morning, as mentioned by John A above...

ID MK IV + 800 mm + lots of cropping !

AjaA

Today 4 April we saw a Spoon-billed Sandpiper again, the first one since we returned from a holiday on 23 March. We spent the morning in the outer hide. The tide rose fairly slowly and stopped just short of 2 soon after 9am. There were plenty of waders on the mudflats, and more Sandpipers than we've seen so far this spring. At about 10am, when the water had started to recede, I found the Spoony walking along the edge of the water. It was not feeding. It was not in a flock, but there were plenty of other birds feeding fairly close. After only a few minutes it flew off north, and I lost it when it went behind the corner of the hide. We could not find it again. As it only showed its left side, we cannot say for sure whether it is the same bird as in March, but I could see nothing to eliminate that possibility. It seemed to be in winter plumage. No photographs were obtained.

wleepoin

photographed at pond 16/17.


photographed at boardwalk.

AjaA

Hi,

To us it looks like wleepoin's photographs show one and the same bird. That bird seems not to be the same as the one(s) photographed by John Holmes in March. It would be nice to see photos of the 2 birds seen from the outer hide today.....

lrichard

There were 2 together distantly & briefly today (6 April) in front of the new hide

John Holmes

One spoony outside old hide fm boardwalk 09:05  18th April 2012

Edited at 21:00hrs ish there turned out to be two different birds photos below..

[ Last edited by John Holmes at 18/04/2012 21:01 ]

handrew

Top man. Well found, John.

wleepoin

Best ever top shot, congratulations!!

LCY

Nice photos, the birds seems to be relatively close to the hide.

AjaA

Today the more summer-plumaged bird showed for a couple of minutes just before 8 in front of the old hide, after which there was a general scare. Although there was plenty of time to look for it later before high tide, it could not be relocated. Nor was it seen on the falling tide, although the heavy rain forced me and some others to stay in the hides until 15.30. Thank you Jemi for finding it.

It seems to be the same bird as in John's pics based on feather detail.

AjaA

On Friday 20 April the Spoon-billed Sandpiper spent an hour on the falling tide on the green south of the outer hide. It was raining fairly hard and was quite dark, but I am attaching this pic as a document of the record. It was the same partly summer-plumaged bird that was seen on the two previous days.