Big News! a Speckled Piculet was seen for arond two minutes this morning in Ng Tung Chai! If accepted, this will be the third record for Hogn Kong.
The bird was seen with a loose feeding flock which included Rufous-capped Babbler, Blue-winged Minla, an Asian Paradise Flycatcher and juvenile Chestnut Bulbul.
Directions:
Follow the concrete/stone path from the village that goes up to and past the Man Duk Yuen Temple, and go past the steep track going straight up to Tai Mo Shan (on the right hand side of the path). Do not take this track but go straight ahead (sign posted to Bottom Falls), for around 100m.
Look for an obvious tree standing alone on the left of the path - it has a distinctive fork close to the ground and and the bark is somewhat orange in tone. I have put some sticks in the fork to mark the spot. Close-by, on the other side of the path I have placed some sticks upright against a rock.
As with all forest birds it will probably range widely, so I would recommend looking between the spot marked and the lower falls, but concentrating on the lower section.
Asian Paradise Flycatcher - 1
Grey-headed Flycatcher - 1
Cheers
Mike K Author: kmike Time: 25/10/2006 08:10
A very surprising morning!
Looking at the Black-winged Cuckooshrike that has returned to winter sitting in the bare tree in the fields next to the carpark and I found a 1st winter Black-headed Bunting sitting in the same tree along with it!
I first saw it at about 0720 and it flew off about 0745.
The only species that really needs to be separated is female/immature Common Rosefinch, but tht usually shows two strong wingbars (this was very plain on the upperparts, with the exception of a a line of dark lesser coverts) and is a more greyish colour, has a more conical, shorter and greyer bill (this bird had a a pale pinkish and more pointed bill) and whitish rather than the yellow-tinged underparts shown by this bunting.
The bunting also had fine black streaks on the crown and back, and one of the pix shows a clearly paler collar whick also suggests the hooded effect you get on many BH Buntings.
Never thought I'd see one of these at NTC!
Cheers
Mike K Author: kmike Time: 27/10/2006 18:01
This morning at Ng Tung Chai the following birds were seen between 0700 and 0845:
Grey-headed Flycatcher - 3
Black-naped Monarch - perfect male
Blue-and-white Flycatcher - 1
Verditer - 1 fine male
White-throated Fantail - seen well
Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker - 1 male
Buff-bellied Flowerpecker - 1 male
Ashy Drongo - 1
Cheers
Mike Author: kmike Time: 21/11/2006 01:38
This morning I had a new bird for Ng Tung Chai (no 168 for me) - a Wryneck on the small patch of grass in front of my house for a few minutes.
A Black-winged Cuckooshrike and a pair of Scarlet Minivets were in the bare tree close to the car park , and yesterday in the forest were a couple of Asian Stubtails, 2 Grey-headed Flycatchers, 2 singing Lesser Shortwings and a calling Pygmy Wren Babbler.
I also heard and had very brief views of a probable Red-tailed Robin.
Cheers
Mike K Author: kmike Time: 22/11/2006 14:05
A wet and misty morning in Ng Tung Chai, but once again a good range of forest and farmland edge birds between 0800 and 1200.
The highlight was a fine female Bull-headed Shrike which gave very good views around the field close to the carpark. This is bird no 169 in my personal Ng Tung Chai list.
Other good birds seen today include:
Black-winged Cuckooshrike - 1 male
Orange-bellied Leafbird - 3 (scarce in NTC)
The Bull-headed shrike was again present this morning between 0700 and 0745.However it flew off strongly down the valley.
It was also seen yesterday afternoon at about 1540.
Black-winged Cuckooshrike and a female Daurian Redstart were also present this morning.
Cheers
Mike Author: kmike Time: 24/11/2006 10:57
Although there was no sign of the Bull-headed Shrike it was a good morning in Ng Tung Chai, with a fine male Fujian Niltava the highlight of a morning with an obvious arrival of migrants:
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