wgeoff

First Week in December

The first week in December should start the fall-off of autumn migration with declines in bird and species numbers – but not so in this, the best of all autumns. Po Toi was buzzing with activity on both Tuesday and Wednesday although an exodus on Wednesday night meant that Thursday was much quieter. A total of 54 non-resident species were seen in the week with 45 on Wednesday alone, easily record counts for the first week in December.

Bird of the week was, of course, the Chinese Thrush on Wednesday. As james10 has already noted elsewhere, Chinese Thrush was the bird which launched me into Po Toi in February 2006 and here it is, turning up again at (almost) the end. Here the photo again, along with the Japanese Thrush and the Pale Thrush that I was watching when it turned up on the steps leading to the sisters’ café.




I was lucky to see this bird – I couldn’t relocate it. But I’ve often said before – it’s not luck, it just proves how many good birds must go unseen, even on what is now a well-watched location like Po Toi.

Six species of buntings were present on Tuesday, Tristram’s, Little, Yellow-browed, Chestnut, Japanese Yellow and Black-faced. I missed the Japanese Yellow but I saw a super photo from one of the photographers.
Here are three of mine, the first three in the list. You have to concentrate hard to see the Yellow-browed




Brendan and I were discussing on the Thursday ferry how some species – e.g. Japanese Yellow Bunting and Blue-and-white Flycatcher, appear to be becoming rarer in spring and commoner in autumn. Many of our spring birds winter in The Philippines, and I wonder whether this is related to habitat degradation there. It’s too early to say, but my experience over the last seven years indicates that spring is becoming a poorer season for many species, whereas autumn doesn’t show such a change.

Wednesday was an exceptional day. I believe birds can sense changes in air pressure, and the increase as the front passed through on Tuesday night triggered a response to prepare for migration. A frenzy of feeding started as soon as the rain stopped on Wednesday morning and continued throughout the day. I never went back to my house for lunch that day – there was too much to see, I wanted to be everywhere at the same time.
Here are some more photos from that day, Grey Bushchat, male Red-flanked Bluetail, Brown-headed Thrush (at least two on the Island), Brownish-flanked Bush Warbler, Radde’s Warbler (at least two) and Grey-headed Flycatcher




Wednesday finished in a bizarre fashion. At about 5pm, I spotted a large pigeon flying from the direction of the restaurant. It passed over and to the side of my house, then up and over the ridge off in the direction of Lamma Island. The shape and flight appeared wrong for an Oriental Turtle Dove, too long in front with longish but rounded wings and a steady powerful flight. My thoughts went immediately to the Whistling Green Pigeon – without binoculars I can’t be sure but I think it may have been. A fitting parallel to the Chinese Thrush, a Green Pigeon (Orange-breasted) was the other iconic bird of that February 2006 on Po Toi.

Thursday was quite tame by comparison, still some good birds to be seen including this newly arrived Hoopoe which seemed intent on sleeping




A nice quiet way to finish my autumn adventures staying overnight on Po Toi. I’ve been asked why – it’s entirely my decision, no family pressure. I still massively enjoy the twelve hours between 6am and 6pm but the other twelve hours are becoming an increasing strain and it’s time to hand over. What better autumn to finish on.

I’ll still be going back for days over the winter and reporting here, and I still plan one more spring staying there to see the seabirds, starting from next March. So I’m not going away.

I'll do a summary of Autumn 2012 on Po Toi next week.

[ Last edited by wgeoff at 7/12/2012 07:05 ]

wgeoff

That's interesting. I hadn't thought of looking at the data from past BBRs, but it might be a good comparison set if it covers enough years and is consistent on dates etc. I will follow up to see what data is available.

HKBWS annual data is also available and potentially useful, as well as personal data from our members. I remember Martin Williams telling me that Blue-and-white Flycatchers were much commoner in spring in earlier years.

As mentioned by Tung above, a study needs to be done on this subject. I will give it some thought, discuss with some people and see what data is available to use.

I'm sure some of our spring flycatchers come from north Borneo.

wgeoff

And a Review of Autumn 2012 on Po Toi

I could only spend Tuesday on Po Toi this week, as a day tripper. It was quiet, only the Hoopoe from last week with Chestnut and Little Buntings.
It seems that autumn migration has come to an end for 2012, on Po Toi at least. So, a good time to review the whole autumn period.

And a great autumn to review, the best in my seven years on Po Toi since autumn 2006, better even than the other two good years 2007 and 2009. Better for both quantity and quality.

On the quality side, an unprecedented three HK Firsts or potential Firsts, Varied Tit in September, Hawfinch and Whistling Green Pigeon in November.



Hawfinch photo thanks to Chung Wing King and the finder, Chung Yung Tak
Whistling Green Pigeon photo thanks to Paul Kam

followed closely by two HK third records, Alstrom’s Warbler in October and Chinese Thrush in December, and other stars Fairy Pitta in September, Rosy Starling, Lesser Cuckoo and Humes’ Leaf Warbler in October and Bianchi’s Warbler in November. Here photos of all these except the last two



Fairy Pitta photo thanks to Andy Ho
Rosy Starling photo thanks to Allen Chan

So the quality was excellent. But the quantity was, for me, even better. Almost every species was present in sufficient numbers to be seen regularly. As a result, I consistently achieved higher daily species counts than in the past



For some commoner species, counts were consistently higher than all or most previous years, e.g. Daurian Redstart and Dusky Warbler




and numbers of other species such as Dollarbird, Black-naped Oriole, Red-flanked Bluetail, Eyebrowed and Brown-headed Thrush, Lanceolated and Raddes’ Warblers, Eurasian Siskin and Chestnut Bunting were at record or very high autumn levels.

Here four species which took the eye in autumn 2012 – male Daurian Redstart and Red-flanked Bluetail, Raddes’ Warbler and a mixed flock of Yellow-browed and Chestnut Buntings




So, the question arises, why? Why was autumn 2012 so good?

When answering this type of question, I always look first at the weather – was there anything remarkable this year? And the answer is no, nothing really remarkable. A very consistent September and October, regular but short spells of northerly winds in November but nothing at all unusual. Good weather for migration but nothing spectacular to bring birds into Hong Kong.

So, what could be the answer?
It could be just a chance event, but as a scientist, I don’t like that explanation.
A clue may lie in two of the potential HK Firsts – the Varied Tit and the Whistling Green Pigeon. Both species are not normally migrants. Both showed signs of being part of an irruption – a good breeding year when too many first year and adult birds survive for their normal territory to support, so some birds take flight, to the south and for Japan, to the west, trying to find enough food to survive the winter.

Maybe it was just a very good breeding summer in the north for many species, and there are just more birds around than usual.
That’s the answer I prefer, unless anyone can suggest another (other than the ‘chance event’).

So, maybe a good first half to the winter, So far, anyway

Back next March.

[ Last edited by wgeoff at 13/12/2012 09:58 ]

wgeoff

Thanks Mike

A Russet Sparrow was photographed on Po Toi last Sunday 16 December



It was with the small flock of Chestnut and Little Buntings in the valley past the Sisters' Cafe.
This is the first record of this (currently) Cat III species on Po Toi.

Record and photos courtesy of Alex Peaker

wgeoff

Hi Wilson

Do you have any photos or other confirmation of the 11 November date for Russet Sparrow?

wgeoff

Both these Black-throated Tits appear to be in very good condition and given they do make local migrations in winter, I see no reason why they should not be wild birds, as noted by Mike Turnbull above.

This is a new species for the Po Toi list, now at 318 with ten new additions this year, Swinhoe's Storm-petrel (the Po Toi Records Committee did not agree with the HKRC), Greater Painted-snipe, Vega Gull, Whistling Green Pigeon, Brown-backed Needletail, Black-throated Tit, Alstrom's Warbler, Varied Tit, Hawfinch and Rosy Starling.

And congratulations to Nora and Allan Wong, who in two visits to Po Toi have managed to get one HK First (Whistling Green Pigeon) and one Po Toi First (Black-throated Tit). They must come more often.