wgeoff

I've not posted this under Po Toi September, which is now getting too long a thread.

Of course, I'm as intrigued by this bird as everyone else - where has it come from? Is it just a local ex-captive or is there something more exciting to the story. As a romantic at heart, I would love it to be the latter, and the evidence is building that it is.

I've been in contact with the individual who saw the birds on Xiao Yangshan Island near Shanghai. Four birds were first seen on Saturday 15 September but perhaps arrived a day or two before. There were five there the next day and eight reported on Sunday 23rd September but it's quite possible all eight  have been there all the time. So, we know that a small number of Varied Tits arrived on Xiao Yangshan Island on or around 15th September, quite unexpected and not seen before in that location (by knowledgable birdwatchers at least) and then one appeared on Po Toi Island on 16th September having probably arrived that day or the previous night, also equally unexpected.

Now for the real news. Xiao Yangshan Island is the location for a major deepwater port of Shanghai - see here

http://home.wangjianshuo.com/arc ... _port_-_part_ii.htm

So these arrivals in Shanghai and Hong Kong are either an extraordinary co-incidence or connected, by a ship which stopped at Yang Shan on or around 15 September and then Hong Kong within a day or two. My bet is now on a ship-assisted passage for this bird.

For me the question is, were they originally escapes or wild birds? More photos of the Shanghai birds appear here

http://www.shwbs.org/swb/read.php?tid=6990

They don't appear dishevelled in these photos, but I'm expecting originals from the photographer soon.

Finally, I add that previous obvious ex-captives arriving on Po Toi have not usually stayed longer than one day. I had a Common Myna there for 20 days in 2007 and I think that arrived by ship from further south. The Varied Tit certainly acts natural.

Any thoughts from others are welcome.

[ Last edited by wgeoff at 28/09/2012 13:15 ]

wgeoff

Yes, these are the northern subspecies varius from Japan and Korea. Super Typhoon Samba did not reach that area until late on 16th September which is too late.

All the birds are adults, as far as we know.

Given the sedentary nature of the species, as mentioned by Richard, I think the most likely explanation is a release of captive birds within the port of Yang Shan around 14th September (customs seizure?), most of which remained in the area but a few dispersed including a bird found at Dongtan Nature Reserve, Nanhui on 22nd September and the Po Toi bird which hitched a ride on a ship leaving Yang Shan port on 14-15th September and arrived in Hong Kong the next day. The fact that it is a sedentary species by nature would explain why our bird is still on Po Toi.

Anyway, it still makes a good story.

[ Last edited by wgeoff at 28/09/2012 17:36 ]

wgeoff

When I wrote above that the Shanghai Varied Tits were probably ex-captives, it was based on the assumption that the species is sedentary.

Now we are learning that the species disperses westwards on an annual basis and particularly seems to be making a westwards irruption this year, it seems perfectly feasible that the Shanghai birds are of wild origin.

I still think the Po Toi bird most likely arrived by taking a ride on a ship - only one bird, in the right location to take a ship and a long way from the other records of the species. But it would still be a wild bird for me, even if it did take a ride.