John Holmes

Inspired by the Lam Tsuen birders, I thought I would keep a year list for MY "patch" : - which I deem to be anywhere I can reach on foot and bird as a circuit from my home in Hang Tau, Sheung Shui in a couple of hours.

Some "quality" birds have turned up in the past, such as Japanese Grosbeak at the end of 2004, Malayan Night Herons in 2005, Black Bazas in 2006, and a Baikal Teal at the end of 2008.


06 Jan 2010   

Route taken - Hang Tau - Tong Kung Leng - Chiu Keng - Cheung Lek - Hang Tau.

Cultivated fields, a couple of Fung Shui woods, a drainage channel, grassland and some ditches, all to the WEST of the Fan Kam Road (between Sheung Shui and Shek Kong)

(In order seen)  07:25 to 09:30 hrs

424 Tree Sparrows
270 Red-whiskered Bulbul
354 Yellow-browed Warbler
287 O. Magpie Robin
312 Masked Laughingthrush
433 Black-collared Starling
010 Great Cormorants* (8 + 1 in flight)
279 Long-tailed Shrike
421 Scaly-breasted Munia
271 Chinese Bulbul

347 Common Tailorbird
397 Japanese White Eye
395 Fork-tailed Sunbird
436 Crested Myna
194 Spotted Dove
230 White-breasted Kingfisher
258 White Wagtail
022 Chinese Pond Heron
101 White-breasted Waterhen
016 Great Egret

286 Red-flanked Bluetail
260 Olive-backed Pipit
442 Blue Magpie
444 Common Magpie
257 Grey Wagtail
018 Little Egret
136 Common Sandpiper
133 Green Sandpiper
134 Wood Sandpiper
229 Common Kingfisher

144 Common Snipe
192 Oriental Turtle Dove
209 Greater Coucal
352 Pallas's Leaf Warbler
389 Great Tit
255 Yellow Wagtail
303 Blackbird
075 Crested Goshawk
447 Large-billed Crow
208 Asian Koel

427 Red-billed Starling
345 Yellow-bellied Prinia
349 Dusky Warbler
292 Siberian Stonechat
261 Red-throated Pipit
410 Masked Bunting
305 Grey-backed Thrush
289 Daurian Redstart
014 Grey Heron
080 Common Buzzard

116 Little Ringed Plover
440 Hair-crested Drongo

52 species

* "Bird of the Day" - The Cormorants, flying southeast, a real bonus bird for this area

[ Last edited by John Holmes at 6/01/2010 16:20 ]

kmike

Great! One more patch list started!

Good to have some competition.

Cheers
Mike

John Holmes

A couple of late reports ( I have slapped myself on the wrist ):

Jan 9th 2010 (Saturday) 07:20 to 09:00hrs
A slightly different route - from Hang Tau west to Kei Lun Tsuen and then south to Cheung Lek village.

36 species including three new to the "Hang Tau Year list"

067 Black Kite
306 Pale Thrush
377 Red-throated Flycatcher


Jan 13th 2010 (Wednesday) 14:15 to 17:00hrs
Hang Tau - Tong Kung Leng - Chiu Keng - Hang Tau

I enticed Geoff Welch to join me, and we managed 41 species on a sunny afternoon, with these additions to the "patch list" :-

343 Zitting Cisticola
344 Bright-capped Cisticola
369 Asian Brown Flycatcher
394 Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker

ajohn

John,
You may be interested to know that I also visited the area on Sunday. This was the first time I'd visited the area and I was impressed, especially at the numbers of waders using Sheung Yue River.

There were a couple of good birds that may interest you:
Black-naped Monarch - 1 heard next to the Sheung Yue River between Hang Tau and Tong Kung Leng (by the area with lots of waders)
Red-flanked Bluetail - 1 male in the same area
Scaly Thrush - 1 by the Sheung Yue River slightly further south (near Tsiu Keng)
Yellow-billed Grosbeak - 4 flyovers by Beas River Jockey Club

John Holmes

John A.,

Thanks for those.  If you or anyone else would like to look at the area, you could
phone me or send a p.m. and maybe we can bird it together ....

Challenging Lam Tsuen will take all the effort we can muster !

Don't tell Dylan or Mike   ;-)