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Subject: Mount Davis - Spring 2013 [Print This Page]

Author: Mr_Kam Time: 23/04/2013 23:51 Subject: Mount Davis - Spring 2013

21 Apr 13

Velvet-Fronted Nuthatch x 1

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Author: brendank Time: 26/04/2013 09:47

This is a very interesting record. Two Lesser Shortwings winter at Mount Davis and I saw a Rufous-capped Babbler one day in the fall. All of these birds are rare on Hong Kong Island and I suspect must be dispersing from the Tai Mo Shan mastiff. I am puzzled by all the birds which have not yet managed to colonize Hong Kong Island even though there seems to be ample habitat.

Author: sdavid Time: 26/04/2013 10:30

I'm with you there Brendan. I was only pondering the other day why no Scarlet Minivets have been seen on the Island (to my knowledge) when they are pretty widespread in the NT, even in some pretty ordinary habitat on the urban fringe?

Nice find btw Mr_Kam

[ Last edited by sdavid at 26/04/2013 10:31 ]

Author: brendank Time: 26/04/2013 10:47

Agree on Scarlet Minivet and would also suggest Grey-chinned Minivet, Pygmy Wren Babbler, Huet's Fulvetta, Crested Serpent Eagle, Mountain Bulbul, and Blue-winged Minla as strangely missing from Hong Kong Island.

Author: subbuteo Time: 26/04/2013 20:33

I don't know their status there now but when I lived at Braemar Hill above North Point twenty years ago the following where present: Red-billed Leothrix, Silver-eared Mesia, Rufous-capped babbler and Streak-breasted scimitar babbler. The latter three are certainly common here in Lam Tsuen now. White-cheeked Laughing Thrush was also regular in Braemar Hill.

Dylan

Author: Beetle Time: 26/04/2013 23:07

I heard a Scarlet Minivet's call on 25 April at Hong Kong Park.

Author: ajohn Time: 27/04/2013 07:28

Several of the species being mentioned are forest specialists arising from feral releases that are dispersing very slowly from the original point of release in the central NT. Species like Velvet-fronted Nuthatch and Blue-winged Minla (and, even more so Yellow-cheeked Tit) are rare or unrecorded in most of the NT (Plover Cove, Pat Sin Leng, Sai Kung), where they can disperse via woodland/forest habitat. I don't see any reason that they should turn up on HK Island which requires them to cross urban areas in Kowloon and then also cross water in the harbour. Rufous-capped Babbler is spreading more quickly in NT, but still I think Kowloon and the harbour are a barrier. Similarly, none of these species are present on any of the other islands (Lantau has suitable habitat). Silver-eared Mesia, Scimitar Babbler and Black-throated Laughingthrush are the result of a separate introduction on the island - also Greater Necklaced Laugher, which I think is a different subspecies from the ones in the NT.

Some of the others are more of a surprise. I don't understand why minivets don't turn up on HK Island, but maybe they also don't like the sea crossing. I did once see a 'Yellow' minivet on Tung Ping Chau, but unfortunately just a flyby and at the time I wasn't sure about ID (in retrospect I think probably Scarlet). I think there are records of Lesser Shortwing and Pygmy Wren-babbler so these might be on the way - as recent colonists of the NT I think you need to give them time to get there.

Crested Serpent Eagle I thought was regular in some parts of HK Island, especially around Tai Tam (but I don't often bird the island, so could be wrong). Certainly it is regular on Lantau, so the sea crossing should not be an obstacle. Maybe the snake populations on HK Island have been too persecuted and cannot now support a large population?

Author: Mr_Kam Time: 27/04/2013 23:03

Thanks sdavid.

Really happy to see this interesting record drew attention.

BTW, it is so annoying that the wire fence were set along the pavement in Mt Davis. It's really make no sense to me. Does anyone know what's the purpose?

Author: subbuteo Time: 28/04/2013 10:59

I should probably add that the road that leads up to Chinese International School used to be an occasional place for bird releases. I would see the rectangular cages the birds are transported in, the flat rectangular ones, thrown into the bushes. I'm sure these accounted for some of the Silver-eared Mesia I saw.

Dylan

Author: sdavid Time: 29/04/2013 15:53

Can't help with why there is a wire fence on Mount Davis I'm afraid, Mr_Kam.

Dylan - most of those species you mention aren't aroundnow. Other than the Scimitar-babbler I think I've only had Leiothrix once up there. Crested Serpent Eagle I've only had twice on the Island (Tai Tam and Deep Water Bay).

As I say, I am surpised on the lack of Minivets (Scarlet and Grey-chinned) on the Island - in fact, Beetle's record from HK Park is the first one I have heard of from the Island. I'd be interested to hear of anymore. Surely it can't be long before they get over this way!

Author: Mr_Kam Time: 2/05/2013 00:29

1 May 13, Mt Davis

Grey-streaked flycatcher 1

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Author: tmichael Time: 2/05/2013 23:09

I had a Scarlet Minivet at the top of Mount Austin in November 1987! Can't recall any records of Grey-chinned there in all my years here; it's more of a real woodland bird, of course - in Sai Kung Grey-chinned is present at Ho Chung Woods, but in villages/housing areas where I've lived recently (Hing Keng Shek and Greenpeak Villa near Wong Chuk Shan San Tsuen) it's always Scarlets around the trees amongst the houses. A bit surprising therefore they are not on HK Island, but they're not.

Actually, the status of quite a few of the species referred to here on HKI and in HK as a whole has changed quite a lot over the years. Back in the 90s Bw Minlas were regular at lower Hatton Road just above HKU, and quite a few species were characterised, problematically wrt to their status as wild birds, by having a lot of early records on HKI eg Rufous-capped Babbler (I had it at the top of Hatton Road in about 94, and there were others), Velvet-fronted Nuthatch (I think!! near Coombe Road), Yellow-cheeked Tit (same area), and a lot of early Streak-br Scim Babb records. But that was where many birders lived and had 'patches' in the late 80s and early 90s so...?? And a LOT of undoubtedly wild birds were seen too - and Fire-breasted F'pecker used to breed and Scarlet-backed was totally unknown. Mike Leven looked into a lot of these issues wrt to status origins in the late 90s before publication of the Avifauna.

Re Lesser Shortwing I wouldn't bracket it with Rufous-capped Babbler - it's a longer range migrant (mainly), holding winter territories, sometimes in very shrubby areas and vocalising occasionally to that end - I've heard it once or twice on the Island, but like here in Sai Kung it often seems to call just once. So I think it must occur on HKI but more scarcely, and less likely to be detected than in better watched, and more suitable spots, such as TPK or Ng Tung Chai. North facing slopes such as those at the latter site seem good for a lot of species such as this one (better wooded, damper?) and the north slope of HKI (say around Bowen Road) is very compromised, though still surprisingly productive, compared to say Aberdeen CP in the south, on the whole and given its size.

And bird releases at Mount Austin and Hatton Road, featuring many boxes of Leiothrix species, and smaller boxes (presumably with flycatchers in previously) certainly used to be a regular occurrence.

And finally, given how tremendously widespread and common things like Ruf-cap Babbler, Fulvettas and the Scim Babb are - in weeds and tiny bushes by the roadside often - just over in G'dong, it seems hard to imagine how they were ever totally extirpated in HK, though it does seem to have been the case, and any shots of HK 50 or more so years ago show a VERY different landscape.

Author: tmichael Time: 2/05/2013 23:22

Just to add I realise the Nuthatch is not the same as most of the other species referred to here, as they must have their origins in releases. Some of us saw one at Ding Hu Shan, West G'dong in the early 90s, but that bird seemed to have bill damage and DHS is of Buddhist religious significance and hosts a monastery.

And what about Great Barbet on HKI - I've heard it once, and there aren't many records at all, but then it's very, very localised even within an area such as Sai Kung.

Author: Ronaldo Time: 3/05/2013 09:26

I had some ashy/swinhoe's minivets in higher Tai Tam (but no scarlet/grey-chinned), but these are migrants. Crested Serpent Eagle was heard a couple of times down Tai Tam as well. I don't think that the rarity of this raptor is linked to low density of snakes / lizards. These breed very healthily on the island, where they are less hunted than in the new territories (I have seen at least 10 species of snakes, on the island, and my record of bamboo vipers seen in one night was in Tai Tam, where I saw 10 along a single catchment).

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