subbuteo

What we need a is a water buffalo or two in the marsh, open water is really lacking in Lam Tsuen.  Anyone know where I can get one?  Roll on Autumn- it has been a quiet summer; I'm really looking froward to seeing the first stonechat- shouldn't be long now.

Dylan

subbuteo

Brown Wood Owl was calling this evening (6.20pm) near Pak Tin Kong.  Barred Owlet joined in too.

Dylan

subbuteo

Not so much a case of starting birding, just has not been much to report- I had not appreciated how quiet summer was until this year.  

I am aware that many people would like Brown Wood Owl as an addition to their HK list, unfortunately, as I'm sure Mike will confirm, it is very difficult to predict.  I have heard it only a few times and I am out in the valley most days.  I have not heard it call at the same time twice or on consecutive days.  Yesterday was the first time I have heard it call at dusk.  I have heard it at dawn (last August) and at various times in the early night.  Mike, I believe has heard it call in the wee hours.  And it seems to be mobile, calling from different locations along the Tai Mo Shan flank of the valley.

It is just good to know it is still there!

subbuteo

The 64K runs right through the valley and will give you access to any of the sites below.  The 25K green minibus from the road below Tai Wo KCR runs as far as the bottom of the road to Ng Tung Chai.  There is really no good map available for Lam Tsuen- best I have found is here:

click to zoom

I mainly bird along the Tai Mo Shan side of the valley.  

Key sites:  

Ng Tung Chai.  Probably the most diverse in terms of birds- very busy at weekends.
Tai Om Shan.  My new favourite site because it is rarely visited.  Mixture of orchards, woodland and open grassland.
Golden Triangle.  The Fung Shui wood beside Kwun Yik store.  Hasn't been as productive for me recently- a lot of disturbance to the undergrowth last year but seems to be recovering now.
She Shan to Ping Long mostly open farmland with well wooded hillsides and some large trees.  Open marshy / grassland area area has been productive for buntings in winter.  
Kadoorie Farm. Somewhere I have not birded enough which I hope to rectify this winter.
Tai Yeung Che.  Village on the opposite side of the river to Ping Long had great birds in the past winter.
She Shan grassland Pipits and buntings last year, also quail.
She Shan ponds had black-browed reed warbler and teal last winter.
Hong Lok Yuen roundabout Plumbeous redstart and thrushes as well as water birds.

Hope this helps- my break is over- I can add more details when I get a chance.

Dylan

subbuteo

Mike's blog is great- he is the Lam Tsuen expert!  Just a note on the map- some of the paths marked on there are impassable due to overgrowth through lack of use- especially in the summer months.  Many routes are opened up in the Autumn my grave visitors and hikers- there are often trail tags to follow along where the routes pass even though the route may not be obvious.  lam Tsuen is very underwatched- I am sure Mike and I miss some good birds (me far more than Mike!)

[ Last edited by subbuteo at 27/08/2010 19:21 ]

subbuteo

Thanks for that- I had watched a talk about that species of dragonfly here:

http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/en ... t_cross_oceans.html

He calls them "globe skimmers" Didn't realise they were what I was watching this afternoon!

Dylan

subbuteo

A walk this evening (5.30-7.15pm) proved both frustrating and successful.  The main frustration was a flycatcher which took a long time to present itself and then only fleetingly.  I had thought it was a Ferruginous Flycatcher but after consulting my books, poor light and fleeting views have reduced my confidence and now I don't know what it was.  As I left the flycatcher I flushed a large bird from a tree below the path, it flew across in front of me and low through the tree trunks.  It was long-winged, dark (brown?) and had no obvious marks- a big bland bird.  I don't know what it was.  It seemed crested goshawk size so perhaps one was roosting.

The success was the Brown Wood Owl was calling again- from a different location- more towards Ping Long this time.  As I mentioned before, I am out most evenings/nights and rarely hear it but if there is any pattern at all clear evenings seem to be best.  Barred Owlets  where calling all over and one flew overhead.

Dylan

[ Last edited by subbuteo at 8/09/2010 06:12 ]

subbuteo

Ng Tung Chai this morning (7.30 to 10.30).

Eastern Crowned Warbler - 1
Yellow-rumped Flycatcher - 1

There were a couple more flycatchers but I couldn't pin them down they kept in cover, blue colouration on one.  Also Emerald Dove, Mountain Tailorbird (5+), Red-billed Leothrix, and  Wild Boar (2 juveniles foraging within 20 feet of me).  I was pleased to note that the cutting back along the path carried out over the summer was not as bad as it could have been.  

Dylan

subbuteo

First snipe (fantail/pintail?) I've seen for a while foraging on muddy pools along a track at Pak Tin Kong, presumably a migrant.  Nice to have a bit more variety about after a quiet summer!

subbuteo

16/9/10 6.10 am

First dollarbird this morning over the swamp between Pak Tin Kong and Ping Long.

Dylan

subbuteo

This morning at 5.50 am Brown Wood Owl was heard calling.  There was initially a three note call and a few minutes later I heard the usual four note call.  Barred Owlet has also been making a lot of noise recently.

Over the last couple of days Hair-crested Drongoes have been seen along with single Dollarbirds on Sunday and early this morning.

Dylan

subbuteo

A walk up to Tai Om Shan this morning- still not possible to get all the way through to the higher forest as the path is heavily overgrown.


Open country birds:
Black-becked Starling
Crested Mynah
Crested Bulbul
Sooty-headed Bulbul
Great Tit
Common Tailorbird
Tree Sparrow
Magpie Robin
Spotted Dove
White-breasted waterhen
Chinese Pond Heron
Magpie
Masked Laughing Thrush

Path up to Tai Om SHan:
Mountain Tailorbird
Pale-legged Leaf Warbler
Rufous-capped Babbler
Blue-winged Minla
Yellow-bellied Prinia
Japanese White-eye
Hwamei
Black-throated Laughing Thrush
Greater Necklaced Laughing Thrush
Grey Treepie x3 (my HK list bogey bird- need to find a new one!)

Also three Accipters but no firm id- one was very dark, the other two flew together and were very pale below.

[ Last edited by subbuteo at 23/09/2010 17:40 ]

subbuteo

Very quiet walk up to Tai Om Shan.  The path is still impassable to the upper areas- I've given up on pushing through, the vegetation pushes back!  Only bird of interest was an Oriental Honey Buzzard.

Dylan

subbuteo

Mike omitted to mention the king cobra was nearly on my door-step and was later evicted!  Beautiful but not welcome to set up home.

[ Last edited by subbuteo at 2/10/2010 22:05 ]

subbuteo

First one I had seen.  I asked Paul at Kadoorie Farm:

King Cobras  are few and far between in Hong Kong but this may not represent any sort of  ecological imbalance. As an apex predator in the snake world  that feeds almost exclusively upon other snakes they should naturally be in much smaller numbers than other snake species. (The narrow top of the pyramid).  The KFBG snake rescue program receives in the region of  500 snakes per year of which only 2 to 3 are  King Cobra.   As a primarily forest species a lot of Hong Kong’s scrubby hillsides may not provide appropriate habitat.

Paul Crow
Senior Conservation Officer

[ Last edited by subbuteo at 10/10/2010 13:28 ]

subbuteo

This is from a while ago:

http://www.hku.hk/ecology/porcupine/por20/wildlife.htm

subbuteo

Yes, bucket was only just big enough, snake was about two feet long.  Paul also said this was probably a year old snake- this year's hatchlings would be significantly smaller.  I moved it (very cautiously with snake tongs) about 200m from home and released it well away from other houses.  They can move very fast!

subbuteo

We've had enough snakes at the house to warrant their purchase- Chinese Cobra, Bamboo Pit Viper(x2), red-necked keelback and the king cobra in the last couple of months.  The king cobra was the first time I used the tongs and they are definitely better than a brush and dust pan!

subbuteo

Lunchtime update!

Quite quiet recently, hoping that the cooler weather and time to explore at the weekend will be productive.  Also Cheung Yeung next week should mean paths being opened up.

Dollarbirds have been around Pak Tin Kong for the last couple of mornings.  Dawn is getting later so my early dog walks have been coinciding with the birds waking up- large numbers of bulbuls fly out from the flanks of the valley and fung shui woods were they roost, gather on the powerlines and then disperse for the day.  By far Crested is the most common, occasional Chinese and Sooty Headed.  There are more skulking birds in the swamp/grassland.  I suspect there have been reed warblers but now Cisticolas have arrived back.  A Greater Coucal refused to fly away from me yesterday and I worked out why after he took off and sat above me in a branch muttering- he had a sizeable Changeable Lizard which was putting up a stout defence.  The coucal seemed to have struck a mortal blow so I left it to be dinner.

Still haven't seen a stonechat!

Dylan

[ Last edited by subbuteo at 7/10/2010 14:53 ]

subbuteo

Another snake in the garden- red-necked keelback.

[ Last edited by subbuteo at 10/10/2010 13:25 ]

subbuteo

My garden is a very poor habitat for snakes- all tiles and flowerpots.  There is really only one point of entry as the garden is surrounded by a wall.  I think the shape of the path and the steps down tend to guide snakes towards the gate and once in they can't get out.  The surrounding area is a mix of scrubby grass, small vegetable plots and village houses.  I had no snakes in the garden last year but seem to be making up for it now.

subbuteo

Pak Tin Kong / Tin Liu Ha

Glad to report that the Brown Wood Owl was heard again last night at dusk.  Clear evenings definitely seem to be best- but I haven't been down at dusk for a while.  Ashy drongo has been about for the last couple of days and a dollarbird roosted overnight on the power lines outside Lung A Pai (saw it at dusk last night and dawn this morning).  

Also seem to have boar right down in the valley at the moment- plenty of footprints and paths through the marsh.

Dylan

[ Last edited by subbuteo at 13/10/2010 10:31 ]

subbuteo

and there is still a dollarbird in the same location outside Lung A Pai.

subbuteo

Ng Tung Chai- 7.15-10.00am 18/10/10

Decided to head further afield this morning (but still in Lam Tsuen!)

Mountain Tailorbird x5
Lesser Shortwing x2
Mountain Bulbul x1
Japanese Paradise Flycatcher x1

I think I also heard a blue-throated barbet but fairly distant.

Dylan

subbuteo

A fairly early Chinese Blackbird this morning, flew into a fruit tree beside me and then flew on down the valley.  

Dylan

subbuteo

A walk up to Tai Om Shan (6.15-8.30) on a glorious morning- winter definitely made it's presence felt.  The path up through to Tai Om SHan has been cleared in a very professional fashion, glad I left it for someone else to do!

Highlights:

Crested Goshawk 3
Chinese Blackbird 3
Stonechat 2
Violet Whistling Thrush 3 (normally few and far between)
Yellow-browed Warbler
Lesser Shortwing 5+ - great views of one at the top area; there was territorial singing contest and a juv came out to make sure s/he could be heard
Pygmy Wren Babbler 2 seen, more heard; I think the cold weather helped keep them out in view
Mountain Tailorbird
Grey-cheeked Fulvetta
Asian Paradise Flycatcher
Black-winged CUckoo-Shrike
Greater Necklaced Laughing Thrush

Total of 46 species without trying the grasslands or open country is a very good haul.

[ Last edited by subbuteo at 1/11/2010 05:07 ]

subbuteo

I thought I had lost the plot on Saturday- I was driving towards Hong Lok Yuen and  thought I saw a Black Stork flying over the Tolo Highway.  It was low and looked to be dropping into the nullah above the fabri-dam.  I went back two hours later to locate it but couldn't.

Given that five were seen at Nam Sang Wai yesterday, I might claim it on my Lam Tsuen list!

Dylan

subbuteo

An unusually early walk this morning (I prefer to be out in the daylight).  I heard the Brown Wood Owl call more than twenty times over about ten minutes- it probably called more but the sound was masked by the streams I had to walk beside and dogs expressing their displeasure.  It has moved!  I couldn't pin it down as it had stopped calling by the time I got closer but it was calling from much further down the valley.  The call travels a long way on a quiet morning but this is the first time I've heard it in a couple of months.

Dylan

[ Last edited by subbuteo at 16/11/2010 08:40 ]

subbuteo

I heard my first zee-bit this morning; russet bush warbler calling at around 7.35 am in the grassland by Ping Long Village.  I hope Graham Talbot won't mind me posting his find yesterday- he saw two yellow-browed buntings near She Shan yesterday evening- I missed them!  

Dylan

subbuteo

6.55 am
Just saw three finches fly past one of which had a bright white rump- brambling?  Funny call too.

subbuteo

I wish.  Didn't get enough on it to say for sure it was brambling either but, hey, I'm with you!  Must've been a redpoll...

Also another Russet Bush Warbler calling, this time from the marshland.  I'm finding it hard to get out for a walk in the daylight in the mornings- I've been late leaving for work as a result the past week.  The birds are only really coming out from roost around 6.45am.  There seem to be a pair of, I think, Besra in residence over the past couple of weeks, they perch and call at first light from tres and rooftops- I've seen them fly over but the light has been too poor so I haven't ruled out Crested Goshawks yet.

[ Last edited by subbuteo at 19/11/2010 10:11 ]

subbuteo

Keep trying!  I was out last night and only had scops owl calling.  Which woods were you watching?  The "Golden Triangle" area?  Big news in Lam Tsuen this morning was frost!  It was 2 degrees Celcius at home in the centre of the valley.  The taro and ginger plants were white- I imagine that they will be dying off over the next few days.  Birds were certainly behaving differently; a common buzzard was soaring high at first light; black-necked starlings were allowing very close approach, they were so busy feeding.

I heard that bird baths are freezing ovwer in Tai Po Kau!  Good day to be out if you have the option.

Dylan

subbuteo

I am surprised that you had a serious problem- perhaps it was the fact you were there in the dark.  I have had dogs bark but they have always kept their distance, generally making a lot of noise but not much else.  Having my own dog with me causes much more problems and I have to keep a close eye out for trouble as she likes to hide behind me.