Subject: Long Valley Summer 2009 塱原夏2009 [Print This Page] Author: HKBWS Vicky Time: 2/06/2009 10:07 Subject: Long Valley Summer 2009 塱原夏2009
1/6/2009
3-4 Painted Snipe Juvenile were seen in one of the managed Shallow Water Habitat.
Glad to know that Painted Snipe is breeding successfully in Long Valley this year!Author: kmike Time: 26/07/2009 22:34 Subject: migrants return to Long Valley
Autumn migration has started again at Long Valley. The following birds were seen between 1630 and 1830:
Night Heron - 3
Cattle Egret - 5
Little Egret 15
Black-winged Stilt - 6 (including 2 speckled juveniles)
Greater Painted-snipe - 2 (a pair)
Little Ringed Plover - 25
Common Sandpiper - 3
Green Sandpiper - 2
Wood Sandpiper - 45 (minimum) Long-toed Stint - two days earlier than the earliest record for a migrant in the Avifauna
Also at Long Valley a scene from history - at least 300 White-rumped Munias feeding on fallen rice from the newly harvested field.
It was also good to see gatherings of over 30 White Wagtails and a creche of young Black-necked Starlings.
Cheers
Mike K Author: HKBWS Vicky Time: 27/07/2009 12:59
I've seen a Green Sandpiper on 17th July. (Sorry for not posting on the forum)
It's glad to know that so many Wood Sandpipers are starting their migration.
Mike, were they resting in fields or just passing through LV?
The scene of 300 munias is really amazing! And we were busying harvesting the rice these weeks.
Thank you so much for your report! Author: kmike Time: 27/07/2009 14:32
Hi Vicky
I got the impression that the Wood Sandpipers would be roosting in the shallow ponds at the eastern end of the valley.
Cheers
Mike Author: HKBWS Vicky Time: 27/07/2009 16:40
Thanks Mike,
I guess they would roost there too. Hope we got a fruitful autumn migration this year.
Vicky Author: John Holmes Time: 27/07/2009 22:06 Subject: Munias on the harvested rice stalks in Long Valley
Thanks for the tip-off, Mike ! And thanks to all the volunteer rice harvesters, too.
Those Munias in Long Valley are really enjoying their feast...
2009-07-27 Long Valley
800mm + 1.4 x + ID MK IIn
Scaly-breasted Munia and White-rumped Munias
White-rumped Munia
[ Last edited by John Holmes at 27/07/2009 22:12 ] Author: bkenneth Time: 28/07/2009 00:28
Great pics of a great big feast !
Ken Author: kmike Time: 28/07/2009 08:07
Wonderful pix - glad you could capture this John
Mike K Author: HKBWS Vicky Time: 28/07/2009 09:58
John,
The photos are great!!!
The munias were enjoying the big meal.
There are several flocks of munias in LV recently (we have several paddy rice field over LV). And this year we got the highest number of munias.Author: ddavid Time: 28/07/2009 21:43
Yes - excellent photos.
I find the occurrence of White-rumped Munias fascinating. Generally the species is pretty rare at Long Valley c.f. the regularly occurring Scaly-breasted Munia. However, last year I noticed W-r Munia on the planted rice at the northern end of the valley, and since rice was planted at the Yin Kong end this summer, my counts have been as follows:
July 1st - 50
July 16th - 200
July 25th - 350+
The increase in numbers as the rice has matured is obvious. Word seems to get around on the W-r Munia circuit, but quite how this works is not at all clear to me.
According to the Avifauna, the previous high count was of 200 at Cheung Sha Wan poultry market on 31 December 1997.
Rice clearly has a pulling power. In November 1992, in the Tan Shan Valley, when the planted rice at the Produce Green there was ripe, I saw 13 Crested Buntings and 5 Yellow-browed Buntings - at the time, this was, as far as I know, the only rice field in the territory.
So there would seem to be great potential if rice could be planted in Long Valley so that it ripens in autumn.
david
[ Last edited by ddavid at 29/07/2009 00:59 ] Author: kmike Time: 29/07/2009 10:26
Totally agree with Dave
More rice!
More rice!
Mike Author: HKBWS Vicky Time: 30/07/2009 10:34
Thanks David for your information. This encouraged us to increase the rice planting in Long Valley.
2 rounds of rice will be planted from Spring to Autumn. But the yield of the 2nd round, i.e. summer to autumn is not as good as the 1st round.
Bunting is one of the target species for rice planting. However, no or just a few buntings were recorded so far. We hope that more buntings will come and hopefully, the Crested Bunting!!! Author: Rambler Time: 30/07/2009 11:49
Is there a map or some directions anyone can supply as to where precisely in Long Valley to go to see the waders or other birds - or at least some gudiance as to whetehr the north, south, east or west sides? I see references to specific ponds etc occasionally on these posts so figure there must be some kind of "map" people are working from?
Thanks Author: HKBWS Vicky Time: 30/07/2009 12:27
Yes, there is a map showing all the farmlands in Long Valley. You can go to the HKBWS website and there is a section introducing bird watching sites in Hong Kong. Choose New Territories and then Long Valley and you can see the map. However, there are over 300 farmlands and paths are complicated, it is difficult to walk to specific fields even if you have the map on hand.
Direction is easier to locate yourself. The direction where you can see a large yellow construction (the slaughterhouse) and the east rail travel along is North. And the direction where you go to Long Valley from Ho Sheung Heung is west/north west. Yin Kong locates in the southern part of Long Valley.
Hope these directions useful for you. Author: Rambler Time: 30/07/2009 12:46
Thank you - I guess I'll just walk around and hope to find the birds! Author: pitarhk Time: 3/08/2009 21:28
This eveing before the rain came down there were 2 Long-toed Stints, 4 Swintail Snipe and a Large Hawk Cuckoo at the east end of Long Valley.
There was also a White-breasted Watrhen with a "black-fuzz ball"-aged chick.
Cheers
Mike Author: puppymic Time: 31/08/2009 01:57
Long Valley 30/8/2009
Long-tailed Shrike 棕背伯勞
Little Ringed Plover 金眶
White-throated Kingfisher 白胸翡翠
Black Drongo 黑卷尾
Wood Sandpiper 林鷸
Green Sandpiper 白腰草鷸
Black-winged Stilt 黑翅長腳鷸
Barn Swallow 家燕
Cinnamon Bittern 栗葦鳽
[ Last edited by puppymic at 31/08/2009 20:38 ] Author: HKBWS Vicky Time: 31/08/2009 14:37
Today weather is still hot. Not much birds were seen in LV this morning.
1 Swintain Snipe plus 1 unknown snipe sp.
18 Black-winged Stilt on our managed field.
~50 Wood Sandpipers
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