Beetle

At 8:00a.m. today (15 Nov) 2 very likely Black Storks were circling over Tai Wai moving to Kowloon West / Mei Foo direction.

I didn't carry a pair of binoculars nor camera as i was hurrying to work, But the 2 blackish large birds with flying jizz very different from Egrets caught my eyes. It was circling, flapping wings a few times and glide, but the long legs hanging behind would eliminate any choice of raptors. The shape of their wings was a little bit different from cormorants, and were flapping wings slowly (more like eagles). Besides, I haven't seen cormorants circling like raptors - do they?

I believe these birds could appear anywhere over HK on their way of migration!

[ Last edited by Beetle at 15/11/2010 11:21 ]

tmichael

Probably Black Storks, but can Cranes be eliminated?

Common Cranes look pretty dark grey in flight.

Mike Turnbull

Beetle

I really can't eliminate siberian crane as you said, but the two birds are more likely to be a species that is recorded at this time of the year over past few years.

fatchun

The same scenario in central sky!

16:00P.M.

Today I went to Central MTR station by tram. When looking at the sky, there was a stork like big thing flying on the sky!!
Long straight neck, long legs, broad wings with slow flapping without gliding. Why I could spot it is because of its large size overhead "The Center".
Because of the strong light behind...I just could see the black color without binocular...

It was flying from north-west of HK toward the direction of Aberdeen Country Park.

tmichael

Clearly Black Stork is the most likely explanation, but it is just that - more likely.

And I'd think you probably can eliminate Sibe Crane, but not Common Crane perhaps.

Mike Turnbull