kmatthew

13/12/2007

Not alot of thrush to be seen today, hopefully they will arrive soon.

Grey-Backed Thrush x1 male
Blue Whistling Thrush
Oriental Turtle Dove
Yellow-Browed Warbler
Pallas's Leaf Warbler
Streak-Breasted Scimitar Babbler
Black-Throated and Greater Necklaced Laughingthrush
Rufous-Capped Babbler
Hwamei

+ other common species

A few months back, a Ruddy-Breasted Crake was seen at night. This was the first WV record.

Also, A few weeks back, a female Black-Naped Oriole was seen(not by me). This was also a first for WV.

kmatthew

14/12/2007

Went into the village today, more thrush at the "Thrush Alley". Also a group of Lugens morph Black-Throated Laughingthush have establish a small population in the valley. Has any one seen them any where else in HK??

Masked Laughingthrush
Black-Throated Laughingthrush
Streak-Breasted Scimitar Babbler x1
Yellow-Browed Warbler
Dusky Warbler
Japanese Thrush x1 male
Grey-Backed Thrush
Blue Whistling Thrush
Chestnut Bulbul
Emerald Dove
Ashy Drongo
Hair-Crested Drongo x1 first WV record
Lesser Coucal x1 first WV record

our WV record now up to 111 with Hair-Crested Drong n Lesser Coucal!!

record shot of the Lugens morph Black-Throated Laughingthrush

tmichael

Yes, there have have over several years been some individuals of this plumage type in the Ho Chung area.

Mike Turnbull

kmatthew

Thanks for the info Mike!!   I haven't seen these morph of Black-Throated before...so this kind of count as a first for me...

gary

I've seen this species in Kam Shan since 5 years ago.
This is probably the first photo for this unusual morph in Hong Kong.

Gary

kmatthew

Thanks Gary.

17/12/2007

Not many birds today, only a bird wave containing Black-Throated Laughingthrush with 5 Lugens in the flock, along with this flock of Black-Throated was up to 10 Greater-Necklaced Laughingthrush, 2 Streak-Breasted Scimitar Babbler and a Rufous-Capped Babbler.

Other interesting bird was an Ashy Drongo which was standing out at the same spot as last time, and a Rufous-Tailed Robin.

Black-Throated Laughingthrush x13
Greater-Necklaced Laughingthrush x10
Hwamei
Streak-Breasted Scimitar Babbler x2
Rufous-Capped Babbler x1
Ashy Drongo x1
Fire-Breasted Flowerpecker
Scarlet-Backed Flowerpecker
Fork-Tailed Sunbird

Rufous-Tailed Robin x1

hgeorge

It seems GNLt is very good number in your place. Try to find Lesser Necklaced Laughingthrush in the flock of GNLt.
Several years ago, i found two birds in the flock of GNLt in Eagle's Nest (near Beacon Hill). Richard also found one in TPK in that winter.

For this special morph of B-t Lt, i saw one in Sha Tin Pass and several in Kowloon Peak in the past.

I think Lesser NLt and the B-t Lt are overlooked by birdwatchers in HK. They should have certain numbers in our woodland.

kmatthew

I will try and look for the Lesser Necklaced Laughingthrush, but I am sure a lot of people would have overlooked these birds, they are not easy to see in dense vegetation.

kmatthew

After a warm week, most thrushes dissapeared in Wonderland Villas. Infact, most birds never turned up this winter so far. Shame the number of birds this year have decreased massively from previous years. Only one single thrush was heard yesterday.

Species missing this year:

Tristram's Bunting
Scaly Thrush
Pale Thrush
Eye-Browed Thrush
Mugimaki Flycatcher
Silver-Eared Mesia
Red-Billed Leiothrix
Striated Yuhina
Red-Flanked Bluetail
Durian Redstart

Where are they??

Here are the birds from yesterday:

22/12/2007

Olive-Backed Pipit
Blue-Whistling Thrush
Thrush heard probably Grey-Backed
Yellow-Bellied Prinia
Yellow-Browed Warbler
Pallas's Leaf Warbler
Asian Brown Flycatcher
Scarlet-Backed Flowerpecker
Ashy Drongo
Hair-Crested Drongo
Large-Billed Crow

kmatthew

25/12/2007

The colder weather only helped very slightly with birds, still no sign of Tristram's Buntings.

But an interesting rare record for WV was a Mountain Tailorbird was heard at the "thrush alley". I only heard them once before in WV.

Japanese Thrush
Grey-Backed Thrush
Mountain Tailorbird x1h
Pallas's Leaf Warbler
Yellow-Browed Warbler
Streaked Breasted Scimitar Babbler
Black-Throated Laughing-Thrush

wgeoff

Matthew

Last year we had a cold spell starting 14th December through to the end of the year - average about 4 degrees colder each day than this year.

Wait until the end of next week - some new birds should come in if the weather forecast is correct.

kmatthew

Thanks Geoff, indeed this year's weather is nowhere as cold as last year. I do hope the forecast is correct, I really am looking forward for some new birds!!

kmatthew

27/12/2007

A good day for birds and mammals, a lot of Pallas's Squirrels were out today, and a suprise and a first in WV for me, an Indian Muntjac was seen at the banana tree forest. I followed it into the forest and it ran into thicker bushes up in the hill. In the banana tree forest, there were many muntjac tracks and Wild Boar tracks.

Also, 1 new species today which is the Asian Stubtail Warbler. The Mountain Tailorbirds were pretty active today in a birdwave, there were two singing to each other. There seems to be more Montain Tailorbirds this year compare with last year.

Common Buzzard x1
Emerald Dove x1h
Greater Coucal
Grey-Backed Thrush
Asian Stubtail Warbler x1 (first WV record)
Yellow-Browed Warbler
Pallas's Leaf Warbler
Mountain Tailorbird x2
Streak-Breasted Scimitar Babbler (a lot of them today)
Greater-Necklaced Laughingthrush
Rufous-Capped Babbler
Fork-Tailed Sunbird
Buff-Bellied Flowerpecker
Ashy Drongo x1

kmatthew

28/12/2007

Not as exciting as yesterday, but still not too bad.

Creasted Goshawk x1
Rufous-Tailed Robin x2
Grey-Backed Thrush
Japanese Thrush x1
Yellow-Browed Warbler
Pallas's Leaf Warbler
Mountain Tailorbird x1h
Black-Throated Laughingthrush
Scarlet-Backed Flowerpecker
Fork-Tailed Sunbird
Ashy Drongo

kmatthew

31/12/2007

Last day of 2007, I didn't have much time to walk around today.

Olive-Backed Pipit
Grey Wagtail
Chestnut Bulbul
Pallas's Leaf Warbler
Yellow-Browed Warbler
Rufous-Capped Babbler
Fork-Tailed Sunbird

kmatthew

3/1/2008

A pretty good day today, with a good birdwave at around 5:00pm.

Common Buzzard x2
Besra x1 (Swoop right pass my head)
Grey Wagtail
Chestnut Bulbul
Pale Thrush x1 (first in WV this winter)
Grey-Backed Thrush x5
Japanese Thrush x1
Yellow-Browed Warbler
Pallas's Leaf Warbler
Mountain Tailorbird x1 (shown well in the birdwave but didn't call)
Streak-Breasted Scimitar Babbler
Black-Throated Laughingthrush
Greater-Necklaced Laughingthrush
Rufous-Capped Babbler
Fork-Tailed Sunbird
Scarlet-Backed Flowerpecker
Ashy Drongo x1
Hair-Crested Drongo x1