brendank

1 September 2012

1 Asian Brown Flycatcher
1 Dark-sided Flycatcher
7 Dollardbird (including a flock of 5 which seemed to arrived in front of a thunderstorm)

brendank

2 September 2012

Very slow.

Just 2 Dollardbirds and at see 1 White-winged Tern.

brendank

8 September

1 Asian Paradise Flycatcher
3 Brown Shrikes
3 Dollardbird
8 White-shouldered Starling

At sea in the afternoon 1 Caspian, 1 Greater Crested, and 5 Aleutian Terns and many Red-necked Phalaropes sitting on the water.

9 September

above birds mentioned by Beetle and in the morning at sea 6 Aleutian and 2 White-winged Terns.

[ Last edited by brendank at 9/09/2012 23:39 ]

brendank

16 September 2012

(not all seen by me)
1 Schrenck's Bittern
1 Green Sandpiper
1 Grey-tailed Tattler
1 Black-capped Kingfisher
1 Dollarbird
1 Brown Shrike
1 Black-winged Cuckooshrike
3 Asian Brown Flycatcher
1 Dark-sided Flycatcher
1 Grey-streaked Flycatcher
1 Black-naped Monarch
1 Dusky Warbler
6 Arctic Warbler
1 Eastern Crowned Warbler
2 Daurian Starling

And at sea in the afternoon
62 Common Tern
1 Black-tailed Gull

gttattler.JPG (39.02 KB)

16/09/2012 21:24

dstarling.JPG (31.03 KB)

16/09/2012 21:24

brendank

No calls heard. Here are some more views. Primary project beyond the tail considerably. But seems a lot of white behind the eye for Wandering Tattler?

tattler1.JPG (42.75 KB)

16/09/2012 22:09

tattler2.JPG (28.5 KB)

16/09/2012 22:09

tattler3.JPG (53.75 KB)

16/09/2012 22:09

Too make the story even a bit more strange. I saw this bird at my seawatching point upon arriving at 1420. When I left at 1710, another bird was at the same spot which I assumed was going to be the tattler. But I noticed it looked like a Green Sandpiper which I thought is odd on the rocks. I was going to take a photo but just as got my camera it flew and I thought the tail pattern looked like what I have seen on Solitary Sandpiper with a thin dark strip through the center of tail and alternating dark and light horizontal strips. I needed to catch the ferry and I couldn't relocate it quickly and I convinced myself on the ride home that I had been dreaming.

brendank

Nasal groove is definitely more than one half the length of the bill. Although I doubt that is a 100% definite characteristic.

nasal_groove.JPG (70.21 KB)

16/09/2012 22:49

brendank

Good point, Dave, and seems this bird doesn't fit Wandering on that point.

brendank

23 September 2012

1 Forest Wagtail
1 Hainan Blue Flycatcher (female)
1 Ashy Drongo
1 Pale-legged Leaf Warbler
4 Dollardbird
3 Black-naped Oriole
1 Siberian Stonechat

brendank

As far as I can tell, the closest major island in Japan, Kyushu, is at least 1200 km from Hong Kong. A container ship moves a maximum of 25 knots (46.3 kmph) which would mean it would take 25.9 hours for the ship to come from somewhere close to Japan to the Dangan channel.

I doubt the Varied Tit could have been blown on a ship then reached Po Toi by 16 September.

brendank

I would say that is a Japanese Paradise Flycatcher due the color of the upperparts.

brendank

30 September 2012

1 large Locustella warbler was seen in the mangrove-like trees by the lagoon. Back rather drab brown, unstreaked, supercilium indistinct, throat and underparts washed buff. Seemed slighly larger than Pallas's seen yesterday. I saw briefly in binoculars. Then waited for another 90 min. Only seen once more after the initial time but no photographs.

1 Yellow-rumped Flycatcher
1 Verditer Flycatcher
1 Red-throated Flycatcher
3 Ashy Minivet
1 Orange-headed Thrush
1 Forest Wagtail
1 Arctic Warbler
1 Pale-legged Leaf Warbler
1 Eastern Crowned Warbler
1 Pallas's Grasshopper Warbler (flushed on South Peninsula)

At sea no terns, only a Little Ringed Plover and 3 Common Kestrel.

orangeheaded.JPG (47.06 KB)

30/09/2012 21:18

yellowrunped.JPG (37.28 KB)

30/09/2012 21:18

[ Last edited by brendank at 30/09/2012 21:18 ]

brendank

With regards to the Pallas's/Lanceolated Grasshopper Warbler seen yesterday, I keep changing my mind but overall favor Pallas's. I think the structure especially the bill fits Pallas's better.

Seems that some Lanceolated warblers have only limited streaking on the flanks. See here:

http://orientalbirdimages.org/se ... _Family_ID=&p=1
http://orientalbirdimages.org/se ... Family_ID=&p=16

But some Pallas's do seem to have some streaking on the flanks. See here:

http://www.stuartelsom.co.uk/ima ... 0#UKR-PGW-09-92.JPG

There don't seem to be any white spots on the rectrices. When I initially saw it in flight, I was certain it was a Lanceolated because of the streaking on the upperparts (including I thought the rump), the lack or a red rump, and the lack of white tail spots.  I guess it shows Locustella can be quite confusing.

pallas.JPG (44.67 KB)

30/09/2012 21:26

brendank

Thanks, the fringing on the tertials is a good point which I missed.