tsheunglai

Monday, 13th April, 2015
Sunny and cool, from 19 Celcius to 25 towards noon

Nice Spring Mornings Bring Few Surprises
Migrants stay short and few land for rest and food

Absence from the place made my walk around the area fonder but birding rendered no good finds.

At top of Pineapple Dam I found a Chinese heron in breeding plumage making short movements on treetops. No other egrets or herons were found for the rest of the morning. An Ashy drongo was heard, a late stayer or spring migrant nowhere to tell.

When I returned from Picnic Site No. 8 I found two female Hainan blue flycatchers vying for a breeding spot. One was seen flying near the other until the latter flew across the road, a phenomenon first-time seen different from the usual scenes of males' territorial rivalry.


S L Tai

[ Last edited by tsheunglai at 16/04/2015 20:58 ]

tsheunglai

Wednesday, April 22nd, 2015
Overcast with spells of sunlight, from 22 Celsius to 26, North-Northeasterly

Cold-front and unclear sky stop migrants from flying past over
Better sightings of forest migrants

The first migrants sighted were three breeding-plumaged Cattle-egrets resting above the catchment area above Visitors' Centre, with a total of five seen for the morning.

It was on top of a sharp-topped tall tree that an Asian brown flycatcher was seen, behaving like a new-arrival - resting steadily with just one aerial round or two before flying off. It was shortly jointed by a Grey-streaked flycatcher which was more active with aerial food feeding.

The third flycatcher was a male Hainan blue flycatcher which was holding territory waiting for a female to join him.

It was noteworthy to mention here that at least two Collared crows -a near-threatened species -seen on the dry slope of the reservoir.

S L Tai

[ Last edited by tsheunglai at 23/04/2015 20:57 ]