Rather a slow start to the autumn season. Six white-winged starlings on the 3rd on the Cable road seemed to find the flowering paperbark trees to their liking. There was also a single brown shrike on the 6th. Today (Sunday 9th) there was an arctic warbler feeding in a starfruit tree. My grandson alerted me to a "strange wagtail going sideways" he had seen earlier today and fortunately had the presence of mind to take a quick photo knowing how skeptical I am - he reports seeing the forest wagtail on each of the two previous days also.
Photo: Kawora Smith Author: sgeoff Time: 17/09/2007 21:51
Warmed up a little this week, with a good crop of warblers and flycatchers. Arctic warblers seemed to be everywhere, including in the flowering starfruit tree next to my flat.
There were a number of Asian brown flycatchers, and one sighting of a dark-sided at Pak Kok village on 14th:
A white-cheeked starling on Sept 12th was a very early record of this species, very uncommon here at any time.
The first grey wagtails were seen and forest wagtails continued to pass through, observed on four days during the week, including pairs. Dollar birds were also seen during the week, probably the same birds perching in identical spots - 3 in total seen for several successive days, but too far away for a good shot. Black drongos continue to gather in small flocks of up to 8 birds, looking as though they are getting ready to leave.
Author: kmike Time: 17/09/2007 22:52
Hi Geoff
The photo of the drongo is wonderful. The Starfruit tree reminds of one that was cut down outside my house. While it was still there it attracted good numbers of birds (especially warblers) and is greatly missed.
Cheers
Mike Author: sgeoff Time: 19/09/2007 07:26
Yes, a lot of birds seem to find something of interest there. Maybe we should ask our mystery tree-planters to include a few starfruit trees among the thousands of Eucalyptus appearing on the hillsides. Author: sgeoff Time: 23/09/2007 17:54
A bit slow this week, with not a flycatcher in sight. Arctic warblers are the most visible migrants, still calling all around and flitting among the leaves.
On Tuesday a pair of dollar birds demonstrated their aerobatic routines in the high winds and a forest wagtail was seen on Friday. Hair-crested drongos were back on 19th, and it was interesting to see the difference from the black drongo immatures that have grown up over the season. As Geoff Welch pointed out in the identification forums recently, all suspect individuals are best regarded as black unless there is good reason to assume a hair-crested, and indeed the difference does stand out when a hair-crested finally appears alongside the blacks, particularly the heavier, down-curved bill.
The only other bird of interest was this lovebird, of uncertain provenance, calling loudly in an apparent attempt to set up a Lonely Hearts Club, but its chances of finding a soulmate in Pak Kok village would appear slim.
Author: tbob Time: 23/09/2007 19:09
Sunday 23rd Sept 2007.
It was a wet day on Lamma Island.
It also was my last day attempting to digiscope with a Cannon 400D, it just doesn't work. The attached shot was shot at iso 1600 at 1/15 sec.
I am now back to my faithful Nikon 8400 for digiscoping and the Canon 400D will only be used with "real" lenses
The familiar chink of the arctic warblers was no longer heard this week as they have moved on. A few black-naped orioles passed through, 3 seen on 28th one on 29th and a fine golden adult on 1st. Cattle egrets were back in Yung Shue Long valley and a juvenile plaintive cuckoo was also seen there. Guy Miller was fortunately on hand to get a fine detailed photo of the plumage, as seen elsewhere on this site, a smaller copy reproduced here.
(Photo: Anonymous Guy)
On 30th the first ashy minivets of the season, a group of three, stayed all day in the Tai Peng treetops. New arrivals blue rock thrush and cattle egret seen on 1st preferred to perch on house rooftops to spy out the lie of the land.
Author: ajohn Time: 5/10/2007 14:36
I was on southern Lamma yesterday (Sok Kwu Wan/Tung O/Mo Tat). Unfortunately I didn't arrive till mid-morning, when it was already hot and sunny, so there could easily have been more birds present.
The obvious highlight of the day was an immature Christmas Island Frigatebird seen drifting over, getting hassled by the local Black Kites (although it didn't seem too concerned!).
Also a good variety of land migrants, including:
Black-naped Oriole
Brown Shrike
2 Asian Brown Flycatchers
2 Common Kestrel
Arctic Warbler
Yellow-browed Warbler
Wryneck
Bright-capped Cisticola (1 or 2 on the hills near Tung O)
2 Cattle Egrets
Striated Heron
At least 3 Blue Rock Thrush Author: sgeoff Time: 9/10/2007 05:52
Interesting - nice to get some observations from the poorly covered south of the island, including two I’ve never seen here, the frigate bird and wryneck.
Dusky warbler arrived this week, and they are now well established with their “tick tick” calls all around in the scrub.
Photo: Harry Li
More movement of black-naped orioles this week, seen on several days in ones or twos, and also dollar birds seen now and then.
Photo: Harry Li
A black-winged cuckooshrike was seen on 5th at Pak Kok village.
There were also gatherings of up to 20 black drongos, presumably passage migrants, and the occasional white-winged starling:
A single Asian brown flycatcher was seen on 5th,
and a grey-streaked on 7th, with reports also of brown shrike
Photo: Harry Li
and cattle egrets are now well established in any swampy areas
More interesting was a sub-adult yellow bittern reported in Yung Shue Long Valley
Photo: Guy Miller
For some obscure reason, the Chinese francolins began to call again on Wednesday after being quiet for a while.
The bird of the week for me was undoubtedly a probable Hainan blue flycatcher. “robable” was lost in translation as “possible” on Birdline. However, I think the photo leaves no room for doubt:
Well, perhaps just a little. I include it here as it may ring a bell with others who have faced the frustration of trying to get a decent shot in a poorly illuminated tangled thicket. If there is a photo competition at the end of the year with a category “Worst photo... when really trying” I would like this to be considered.
However, I did get reasonable views of the bird, especially of the back, and base my ID on the small size, uniform dark royal blue back with no white tail patches or contrasting black areas, restricted white on the belly and the fine sweet song, which originally drew my attention to the bird. Author: sgeoff Time: 16/10/2007 20:52
It’s all gone a bit quiet over here this week. Dollar birds and black-naped orioles continue to pass through, and Asian brown flycatchers and their congeners - not always identified at species level - were frequently seen. The most notable birds were probably a group of 3 ashy minivets recorded on 8th and seen fleetingly on one or two subsequent days, as they do not seem to have been widely reported elsewhere this autumn.
A pair of red turtle doves occupied the farmland behind Powerstation Beach
Author: lpaul Time: 17/10/2007 10:41
The doves are Eurasian Collared Doves, an interesting record, one of the few away from the NENT. Author: sgeoff Time: 18/10/2007 11:38
Thanks for pointing that out - a first for me here and it never occurred to me as an option. Author: sgeoff Time: 23/10/2007 22:22
This week a few returning species and passage migrants: warblers such as yellow-browed warbler and oriental reed warbler
Photo: Anonymous Guy
and flycatchers such as red-throated and Japanese paradise - a barely passable record shot of the latter
and still several Asian brown flycathers
(photo: Harry Li)
as well as returning stonechat and yellow-breasted bunting.
Photo: Harry Li
Photo: Harry Li
I guess the mystery plover at Sok Kwu Wan (see Neil’s post in the identification forum) must have been juvenile Kentish
Photo: Neil Fifer
No sign of thrushes over here yet. Author: sgeoff Time: 30/10/2007 07:09
The black drongos appear to have moved on, and hair-crested drongos are showing well. This week more returnees included flowerpecker sp, olive-backed pipit and black-faced bunting
photo: Harry Li
The first thrushes here this season were the blackbirds which arrived on 28th, but they are still so skittish it is hard to get a decent shot.
A small party of red turtle doves camped out by Powerstation Beach for a couple of days
photo: Anonymous Guy
There appeared to be one reply to the escaped African love bird’s lonely hearts SOS, but whether they turn out to be a perfect match is somewhat doubtful.
photo: Harry Li
The bird of the week was an immature oriental honey buzzard observed over Pak Kok
photo: Harry Li Author: sgeoff Time: 5/11/2007 20:17
Not much unusual this week, but some familiar friends are back, including olive-backed pipit and Daurian redstart.
Photo: Harry Li
Photo: Harry Li
Small flocks of blackbirds, up to 20 strong, are very much in evidence and some rather bedraggled looking red turtle doves are also sticking around.
Photo: Harry Li Author: sgeoff Time: 27/11/2007 21:01
Been out of commission for a week or two, so who knows what rare and exotic species passed through Lamma? (Not much probably - word’s getting out that Po Toi is the place to be seen this season). Not a great deal to report to round off the autumn season. Thrushes have still not put in an appearance apart from the blackbirds which are very well established all over, as seen here in my silhouette print and Guy’s fine portrait.
Photo Anonymous Guy
Oriental turtle doves are also all over the place
Photo Anonymous Guy
Other returnees included more Daurian redstarts
Photo: Harry Li
Could this be a common rosefinch which appeared briefly in Pak Kok?
Photo - Harry Li
Over at Sok Kwu Wan, this dunlin was an unusual visitor to Lamma
Photo: Neil Fifer
Let’s look forward to a good winter season
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robable” was lost in translation as “possible” on Birdline. However, I think the photo leaves no room for doubt:
