subbuteo

2/2/11 3.30pm

I called in at Bride's Pool this afternoon to see the Rufous-Gorgeted Flycatcher.  It was easily seen at the carpark, feeding along the trees to the left of the entrance to the BBQ site.  It perched openly on some upright brown pipes.  Stunning!

I took a walk through the trail at Bride's Pool and saw a single Mountain Bulbul, 3 Daurian Redstart, a Red-flanked Bluetail and several Grey-backed Thrushes.  Back at the car park there was a party of at least 10 Striated Yuhinas feeding in pines.

At Chung Mei there was one male Plumbeous Redstartand a probable White's Thrush (seen at long range).

At Shan Liu there was a male Grey Bushchat in the fenced off area at the very top of the track.

An unexpectedly productive couple of hours!

Dylan

[ Last edited by subbuteo at 2/02/2011 20:51 ]

lchunfai

There were also several pale thrushes at Bride's Pool

I also saw the lovely male Plumbeous Redstart

brendank

Went up to see the Rufous-gorgeted Flycatcher at Bride's Pool. It is still showing well. Two other birders told me the location of the Plumbeous Redstart at Chong Mei. It appeared soon after I got there.

Shortly after seeing the Redstart I spotted a Chestnut-flanked White-eye and while I was watching another Chestnut-flanked White-eye landed right beside it! Back at Bride's Pool I found the flock of Striated Yuhinas before leaving.

Pictures of the white-eyes. The bird in the first two pictures is the bird on the right in the third picture.

chestnut1.JPG (74.06 KB)

3/02/2011 17:36

chestnut2.JPG (77.17 KB)

3/02/2011 17:36

chestnut3.JPG (67.39 KB)

3/02/2011 17:36

subbuteo

You're killing me!  I watched several flocks of White-eyes yesterday and I STILL haven't seen a Chestnut-flanked White-eye.  This seems to have been a good winter for them so there is hope yet.  Were these down at Chung Mei itself?

Thanks,

Dylan

lchunfai

WOW.....  I've never watched a Chestnut-flanked White-eye before .

brendank

Just lucky today for New Years I guess. I had just seen the Plumbeous Redstart at Chong Mei near the bridge over the stream and then I saw this distant White-eye on the other side of the stream about 60 meters away and while I was photographing it another flew in.  There were many Japanese White-eyes everywhere at Chong Mei.

Good luck if you go look!

kmike

I also saw the male Rufous-gorgetted Flycatcher this afternoon - what a stunner! - a fantastic male and showing brilliantly on the black ventilation pipes  next to the green AFCD hoarding at the main carpark - best views I've ever had!

Other good birds included the male Plumbeous Redstart at Chung Mei, a Blyth's Leaf Warbler, a Greenish Warbler at the mirror pool and several Grey-backed Thrushes and Red-flanked Bluetails.

I also enjoyed the bats flying around the bridge at Chung Mei from about 5pm.

Cheers
Mike K

[ Last edited by kmike at 3/02/2011 21:09 ]

ajohn

The Rufous-gorgetted was still present and showing amazingly well today.

Also in the area today, I had a male Chinese Blue Flycatcher near Sam A Tsuen. It wasn't as obliging as the Rufous-gorgetted, and it's much further to walk, but if you are interested I have posted details here:
http://www.hkbws.org.hk/BBS/view ... e%3D1&frombbs=1

No Chestnut-flanked White-eyes, and I didn't go to Chung Mei to look for the Redstart, but plenty of other birds in the Wu Kau Tang/Lai Chi Wo area today, including Striated Yuhina, Grey Treepie, Greenish Warbler, Black Bulbul, thrushes, bluetails, etc.

brendank

Was at the Chinese Blue Flycatcher spot for three hours today. No luck.  Sort of slow today--the best I could do was 6 Oriental Greenfinchs at Lai Chi Wo and a Verditer Flycatcher and a Brownish-flanked Bush Warbler at Wu Kau Tang.

The highlight of the day for me was seeing a Barking Deer from the minibus on the Tolo Road on the way home.

kmike

The Rufous-gorgetted Flycatcher continued to show superbly well in the same spot this morning. In addition to hunting flies as they emerged from the black pipe I was delighted to hear it singing!

Other birds in the area included a female Daurian Redstart which knocked the flycatcher off the pipe, a female Red-flanked Bluetail, a female Scarlet Minivet, and a tailless Grey-backed Thrush.


Cheers
Mike K

Ronaldo

went to the spot late morning. Aside from the female bluetail and daurian redstart (not mentionning the star of the show, a common tailorbird), saw briefly an emerald dove in the bamboos close to the picnic area along the stream, as well as several common birds (chestnut bulbuls and OBPs among others). At the bridge mentionned in previous posts, the male plumbeous redstart was showing well (eating some unfortunate butterflies). Saw also (too briefly to confirm the identity) a possible verditer flycatcher in the bushes seen from the bridge.
Then walked to Luk Keng. Nothing worth mentioning on the way, but a bit before arriving at the village, a small accipiter, likely a Japanese Sparrowhawk (posting a photo in the identification section).