kmike

Ng Tung Chai 梧桐寨
03/12/2006

More thrushes arrived overnight , but only 2 Grey-backed Thrushes were identified, although at least 5 more we seen and anther 5 heard.

Other birds of interest included:

Asian House Martin - 1

Lesser Shortwing - 3 heard

Asian Stubtail - 1
Yellow-browed warbler - 3
Pallas' Leaf Warbler - 3
Mountain Tailorbird - 3

Asian Brown Flycatcher - 1
Grey-headed Flycatcher - 3

Grey Treepie - 1 heard

Cheers
Mike K

kmike

A nice surprise and NTC year tick no 141 was a juvenile Striated Heron. Other birds of interest included:

Asian House Martin - 1

Lesser Shortwing - 3 singing

Grey-backed Thrush - 3 + 5 turdus sp
Chinese Blackbird - 1

Blyth's Leaf Warbler - 1
Pallas' Leaf Warbler - 3
Yellow-browed Warbler - 1
Dusky Warbler - 1
Asian Stubtail - 2

Grey-headed Flycatcher - 3
Black-naped Monarch - 1

White-rumped Munia - 1 carrying nesting material

Cheers
Mike K

kmike

Slightly milder weather than yesterday, which the phylloscs seemed to appreciate - a really good morning for them. Also a new female Verditer - hopefully for the rest of the winter. It seems like the bluetail and Rufus-tailed Robins were migrants  - neither have been seen again.

Lesser Shortwing - 4 singing

Chinese Blackbird - 2
Grey-backed Thrush - 1 male (+ 5-10 turdus sp.)

Greenish Warbler - 1
Blyth's Leaf Warbler - 1
Pallas' Leaf warbler - 7
Yellow-browed Warbler - 3
Dusky Warbler - 1
Mountain Tailobird - 1 singing
Asian Stubtail - 2

Verditer - 1f
Asian Brown Flycatcher - 1
Grey-headed Flycatcher - 3
Black-naped Monarch - 1m

Velvet-fronted Nuthatch - 1

Cheers
Mike K

kmike

This morning a bulbul showing characteristics of Hainan Bulbul - currently recognized as a race of Chinese Bulbul was at Ng Tung Chai.

It was different from normal Chinese bulbul by having only a very faint white patch behind the eye, which did not extend onto the nape.

kmike

This morning in Ng Tung Chai:

Pygmy Wren Babbler - 1
Greater necklaced Laughingthrush - 10

Lesser Shortwing - 1
Rufous-tailed Robin - 1
Red-flanked Bluetail - 1
Grey-backed Thrush - 3
Chinese Blackbird - 2

Asian Stubtail Warbler - 1
Mountain Tailorbird - 1

Verditer Flycatcher - 1 m
Black-naped Monarch - 1 f
Grey-headed Flycatcher - 3

Hair-crested Drongo - 1

Grey Treepie - 1h

cheers

Mike K

kmike

A longer session in Ng Tung Chai this morning :


Red-flanked Buetail - 1 male
Pale Thrush - 1
Grey-backed Thrush - 3
Chinese Blackbird - 4

Mountain Bush Warbler - 1 h

Grey-headed Flycatcher - 4
Verditer - 1 f
Black-naped Monarch - 1 m
Asian Brown Flycatcher - 1

Mountain Bulbul - 2 (first since September)
Black-winged Cuckooshrike - (first sighting for 2 weeks)

Cheers
Mike K

kmike

29 Chinese Blackbirds flew past my house this morning - winter is really here!

Cheers
Mike K

kmike

6 Chinese Grosbeaks flew up the valley around 3pm this afternoon. My first ever here (although I saw 30+ Japanese Grosbeaks in March last year)

No 142 for the year and 170 for the total NTC list.

Cheers
Mike K

kmike

A good morning in the cold!

The Speckled Piculet has returned - the place on the trail (about 500m past the temple (where the path tuens right then left before a stone stairway) is marked with a white piece of paper on a twig on the side of the path.

Also the White-browed Fantail was present.

Other birds of interest included:

Blyth's Leaf Warbler
Greenish Warbler
Black-naped Monarch - 1f
Grey-headed Flyactcher - 3

Cheers

Mike K

kmike

I did not get the chance to look for the piculet this morning as I was distracted by a good flock close to the village and ran out of time.

I did see the following:


Rubythroat - 1 at the bus stop on the way to work
Red-flanked Bluetail - 1
Pale Thrush - 1
Grey-backed Thrush - 2
Thrush sp. 2

Pallas' Leaf Warbler - 6

Grey-headed Flycatcher - 3 (all around the village)

Grey Treepie - 1h

Cheers

Mike K

kmike

In addition to Graham's birds the following were also present:

Lesser Shortwing - 1h
Daurian Redstart - 2f
Red-flanked Bluetail (inc 1 male)
Rufous-tailed Robin - 1

Pale Thrush -1 below the village
Japanese Thrush - 1m
Grey-backed Thrush - 5

Verditer -1m

Graham's Sulphur-breasted warbler is the first for Ng Tung Chai!

Cheers
Mike K

kmike

No sign of the Japanese Robin, Sulphur-breasted Warbler or Speckled Piculet at Ng Tung Chai this moning before 0845, when I had to leave to go to work.

I did see:

Pygmy Wren Babbler - 1h

Daurian Redstart - 1
Lesser Shortwing - 2h
Red-flanked Bluetail - 4

Grey-backed Thrush - 4
Pale Thrush - 1

Pallas' Leaf Warbler - 6
Yellow-browed Warbler - 1
Asian Stubtail - 2h
Mountain Tailorbird - 1

cheers
Mike K

kmike

A good day for Ng Tung Chai, with birds the whole length of the trail:

Mountain Bulbul - 2
Chestnut Bulbul - 25

Japanese Robin - male in small gully to the right of the upper falls
Red-flanked Bluetail - 1
Rufous-tailed Robin - bamboo stand at beginning of the trail

Pale Thrush - orchard
White's Thrush - 1 - fruiting tree on last ascent to upper falls
Grey-backed Thrush - 5 fruiting tree
Japanese Thrush - 1m - fruiting tree
Siberian Thrush - 1f - fruiting tree

Pallas' Leaf Warbler - 20
Yellow-browed Warbler - 3
Goodson's Leaf Warbler - 1
Leaf warbler sp. - 1 - seen briefly. Blyth's-leaf -like  but uncharacteristically  flicked tail open and closed showing all-white outer tail feathers - could this be White-tailed Leaf Warbler?

Mountain Bush Warbler - 1
Short-tailed Bush Warbler - 3

Grey-headed Flycatcher - 3h

Other birds seen by other birders included Sulphur-breasted Warbler and 2 Black-naped Monarchs.

cheers

Mike K

kmike

This morning at Ng Tung Chai was rather dark and quiet between 0715 and 0835.

However the following birds were seen:

Pygmy Wren Babbler - 1h

Red-flanked Bluetail - 1m

Asian Stubtail - 1h

Grey-headed Flycatcher - 3

Common Rosefinch - 1f - first record for Ng Tung Chai.

Cheers
Mike K

kmike

I walked to work along the access road this morning and in 15 minutes I saw the following birds:

Rufous-tailed Robin - 1
Grey-backed Thrush -1m
Grey-headed Flycatcher - 2
Ashy Drongo  - 1 (leucogenys)

Cheers

Mike K

kmike

Thebig news at Ng Tung Chai today was a Chestnut-crowned Warbler found by Graham - Hong Kong Twitcher is obviously right back on form after recent completion of his magical 350 last year!

Other birds seen today included:

Besra - 1
Crested Goshawk - 1

Mountain Bulbul - 1

Rufus-tailed Robin - 1
Red-flanked Bluetail - 1
Grey-backed Thrush - 2

Grey-cheeked Fulvetta - 1

Grey-headed Flycatcher - 1


Cheers
Mike K

kmike

The big news is that Speckled Piculet has stayed into 2007. I had very brief views on Sunday 7th Jan along with the following:

Red-flanked Blutail - 2
Japanese Robin - 1
Siberian Rubythroat - 1 (rare above the temple)

Grey-backed Thrush -5

Pygmy Wren Babbler - 1 seen well

Goodson's Leaf Warbler - 1
Pallas' Leaf Warbler - 12
Yellow-browed Warbler - 2
Dusky Warbler - 1
Asian Stubtail - 4
Mountain Tailorbird - 1h

Grey-headed Flycatcher - 4
Black-naped Monarch - 1 f

Cheers
Mike K

kmike

This morning in Ng Tung Chai (0800-1300) the following birds were seen between the village and the top falls:

Crested Goshawk - displaying pair

Grey-chinned Minivet - 2

Rufous-tailed Robin 2
Red-flanked Bluetail 2

Grey-backed Thrush 6
Chinese Blackbird 4

Blyth's Leaf Warbler 1
Greenish Warbler 1
Yellow-browed Warbler 3
Pallas' Leaf Warbler 12
Dusky Warbler 1
Radde' Warbler 1 (Top Falls) Just the fourth winter record in Hong Kong (12 years since the last one , whch was also at Ng Tung Chai!)


Asian Stubtail 1

Grey-headed Flycatcher 1

Tristram's Bunting 1f

I did not see the Chestnut-crowned Warbler today , but Kwan did. I'll keep looking!

Cheers
Mike K

kmike

A very good morning. All birds were seen between the temple arch and the lower falls:

Striated Heron - 1 adult (in the stream next to the temple)

Mountain Bulbul - 2
Chestnut Bulbul - 10

Grey-chinned Minivet - 6
Scarlet Minivet - 2

Lesser Shortwing -1 ad seen and heard well (but not usual strong song)
Red-flanked Bluetail - 1

Grey-backed Thrush - 2

Pallas' Leaf Warbler - 20
Yellow-browed Warbler - 1
Blyth's Leaf Warbler - 1
Goodson's Leaf Warbler - 1
Dusky Warbler - 1
Asian Stubtail - 1h
Mountain Bush Warbler - 1
Mountain Tailorbird - 4 (1 seen)

Grey-headed Flycatcher -1

Rufous-gorgetted Flycatcher - 1 m Seen at Lower Falls around 8:30am , and found here yesterday by Mike Turnbull around 10am. NTC remains the best place in Hong Kong to see this rare and beautiful winter flycatcher.

Cheers
Mike K

kmike

Hi Geoff

Its been a very good winter - perhaps my best ever here!

As for the leaf warblers, I'll have a go and invite anybody else to chip and supplement what I write. I'm not sure there's anyone in the world who actually knows exactly which of these we have in Hong Kong, so if a few comments down the line thing all look even more confused I'd be the last person to be surprised!

Please also note that I do not have the up to date papers on the splits - my views are based largely on field observations

Sulphur-breasted Warbler Phylloscopus ricketti
Based on the bird seen yesterday at Ng Tung Chai and the one seen in Tai Po Kau on 4 Nov 2006.

Goodson's Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus goodsoni
Based on birds in Ng Tung Chai this winter, plus the with the Sulphur-breasted in Tai Po Kau on 4 Nov 2006

The key features to look out for are:
1.  the all-yellow belly of ricketti (goodsoni always shows some white on the belly, but sometimes not much at all!
2. the black, well defined eyestripes and lateral crown stripes of ricketti differ from (goodsoni, which shows dark grey (NOT black), more diffuse markings, especially the lateral crown stripes.
3. When I saw ricketti and goodsoni together yesterday ricketti gave the impression of being heavier and clumsier - similar to the jizz of Arctic Warbler.
4. According to my understanding, the amount of yellow can be rather variable ranging from almost complete with a few white streaks on the rear belly, to just a yellow-tinged face and throat and undertail coverts.
5. Blyth's show no traces of yellow on the throat, a whitish supercilium and an almost grey central crown stripe.
6. I have no idea about White-tailed nor about the Blyth's type that apparently flicked white outer tail feathers, but Viney, Philipps & Lam mentions occasional tail-flicking in Blyth's.
7. Please note that there are two races of White-tailed Leaf Warbler (ogilviegranti and disturbans), and Emei Leaf Warbler, all of which might also occur. Emai is supposedly inseperable from Blyth's except on song, so keep your ears peeled and learn the songs!

I would welcome any further comments on any of the above.

Cheers
Mike K

kmike

Hi Geoff

Nice to be understood!

The pic of Blyth's in the book looks like neither one thing nor the other to me!

Cheers
Mike K

kmike

Ng Tung Chai was quieter this morning, with no sign of the Rufous-gorgetted Flycatcher, although I only spent a couple of minutes at th lower falls. The best birds were:

Grey-chinned Minivet - 16

White-bellied Yuhina - 1

Grey-backed Thrush - 2

Blyth's Leaf Warbler - 2

Cheers
Mike K

kmike

A very good morning, especially fo warblers, between the village and the steep steps about 300m past the temple:


Mountain Bulbul - 2
Chestnut Bulbul - 6

Rufous-tailed Robin - 1

Grey-backed Thrush - 2
Pale Thrush - 1

Chestnut-crowned Warbler - 1 (NTC tick no 173 for me!)
Sulphur-breasted Warbler - 1
Godson's Leaf Warbler - 1
Blyth's Leaf Warbler - 1
Greenish Warbler - 1
Mountain Tailorbird - 1
Pallas' Leaf Warbler
Dusky Warbler

Grey-headed Flycatcher - 3

Cheers
Mike K

kmike

This morning the follwing birds were seen at Ng Tung Chai before 9am:

Red-flanked Bluetail - 1
Rufous-tailed Robin - 1 (seen by Kwok jai)
Pale Thrush - 1

Goodson's Leaf Warbler - 1
Sulphur-breasted Warbler - 1 (seen by Kwok jai)

Grey-headed Flycatcher - 4
Verditer - 1m (4:45 pm)
White-throated Fantail - 1

In addition the following major birds were seen by others in the last week:

Rufous-gorgetted Flycatcher - 1
Japanese Robin - 1m (both seen near the lower falls)
Brown-headed Thrush - 1m
Tristram's Bunting - 3

Cheers
Mike K

kmike

This morning there were just a few birds on the road:

Red-flanked Bluetail - 1
Red-tailed Robin - 2

Grey-backed Thrush - 5
Pale Thrush - 1
Japanese Thrush - 1 f

Red-throated Flycatcher - 1
Grey-headed Flycatcher - 1

Tristram's Bunting - 2

Cheers
Mike K

kmike

Another rather quiet day, made better by half an hour along the road in the afternoon:

Red-tailed Robin - 1
Red-flanked Bluetail - 3

Grey-backed Thrush - 6
White's Thrush - 1

Goodson's Leaf Warbler - 1
Pallas Leaf Warbler - 4

Verditer - 1m
Grey-headed Flyactcher - 4

Hair-crested Drongo - 4 (first of the year)

Plus very good views of a Barking Deer near the lower falls.

Cheers

Mike K

kmike

A quiet morning after some surprising overnight rain

Highlights were two very different-looking Blyth's Leaf Warblers - one bright with big wing-bars and  broad clear crown stripe coming all the ay to the base of the upper mandible and  another duller bird with only a pale spot on the nape on a very dull-grey head and much smaller, thinner moe indistinct wing bars.

I also saw a Goodson' s Leaf Warbler, a Mountain Tailorbird, and four Grey-headed Flycatchers.

Cheers
Mike K

kmike

Wlking down the access road to the village I had both Black-winged Cuckoo-shrike and a leucogenys Ashy Drongo near the turn-off to no. 69, and an Asian Brown Flycatcher in the village.

I also had two Common Buzzards soraing together in the afternoon and heard my first Barred Owlet ever at around 7:00 this evening after suspecting it late last night, but not hearin gthe call clearly enough.

The Speckled Piculet was also reported on Birdline, but was not seen by me.

Not in Ng Tung Chai, but in Tai Om Shan, an abandoned village in the next valley to the north of Ng Tung Chai, the following birds were seen this morning:

Crested Serpent Eagle - 1

White's Thrush - 1 (possibly 2)
Grey-backed Thrush - 2
Chinese Blackbird - 14

Chestnut-crowned Warbler - 1 Could this have crossed the ridge from NTC?
Pallas' Leaf Warbler  - 10
Yellow-browed Warbler - 2

Asian Paradise Flycatcher - 1 unusual winter record
Red-throated Flycatcher - 1
Asian Brown Flycatcher - 1
Grey-headed Flycatcher - 4
Black-nape Monarch - 1h

White-bellied Yuhina - 1

I also saw a group of birders staring into the stream at Ping Long where it passes under the Lam Kam Road, and assume they were looking at the Plumbeous Redstart

Cheers

Mike K

kmike

This morning there were three rather approachable Tristram's Buntings on the road up to the village and a male Verditer was ther yesterday.

Birdline also reported that the Speckled Piculet was seen yesterday - the first tim ein its stay its been seen twice in consecutive days.

Cheers
Mike K

kmike

12 Black Bulbuls and a Sulphur-breasted Warbler were the highlights at NTC this morning.

Also present were an Asian Brown Flycatcher and lots of Pallas' Leaf Warbler.

Cheers
Mike K

kmike

The most interesting bird of a rather quiet morning was a singing Goodson's Leaf Warbler.

Other birds of interest included a male Red-flanked Bluetail and several singing Pallas' Leaf Warblers.

Nearby at the Chai Kek Bus Stop were a group of about 40 Yellow-billed Grosbeaks.

Cheers
Mike K

kmike

This afternoon at Ng Tung Chai  walking out of the village after lunch - a Yellow-billed Grosbeak was sitting in a tree to the right of the path. Better still, when I checked it out I found three more (and eventually 7 birds), and a Japanese Grosbeak!

For both of these species this is just the second record for Ng Tung Chai!

The key identification features can be seen in these pix. In Japanese the hood is much shorter and passes just behind the eye, while on Yellow-billed the hood covers more of the head and covers the cheek. Japanese is also larger and has no white tips or trailing edge to the wings.

Also the bill of Japanese is larger and all-yellow. Yelow-billed has a mucky tip and cutting edge to the bill.

It is also interesting to note that both male and female  Japanese look the same, but female Yellow-billed has no black hood.

The pix are attached below.

Directions:

From the carpark: Take the path out of the village that goes past the toilet (under construction) and follow the path until it starts to go downhill. Just after another path joins from the right, look through a gap in the tree to the left and you should see a large dead tree stump. about 30m behind it you should see 2 trees across the small vally. The birds were in here.

From the bus stop: walk uphill and turn right at the junction by the house. Contine until you see a red fire hydrant. about 10 meteres further on look to you left after some banana trees and find the dead tree stump. Look about 30 metres across the vally to the two trees. the birds were in here.

Cheers
Mike K

kmike

No sign of the Japanese Grosbeak this morning, but there were around 30 Yellow-billed Grosbeaks on the Chinese Hackberry tree on the path between Chai Kek and Ng Tung Chai villages.

However these too flew off around 0815. This is the thrird sighting within this area within 4 days, so it may be worth searchig the area between NTC and Long Ping village.

Also in the farmland here were at least 7 Little Buntings, 6 Chinese Blackbirds, a female Red-flanked Bluetail and my first Siberian Stonechat of the winter.

Cheers
Mike K

kmike

The Japanese Grosbeak went to roost tonight on the same branch of the same tree as I saw it in yesterday!

The same tree also held several Chinese Grosbeaks (Yellow-billed Grosbeak), an Ashy Drongo and most surprising , a Black-naped Oriole, which was an Ng Tung Chai tick for me!

Whilst watching the tree this evening two Verditer Flycatchers flew over my head!

I also had a Woodcock and a perfect male Red-flanked Bluetail at the top of KFBG late this afternoon for an all round excellent day!

And finally . . . as I write I can hear a Barking Deer calling from across the valley. . . I LOVE Ng Tung Chai!

Cheers
Mike K

kmike

I did not see the Japanese Grosbeak this morning, but it was seen by another birder feeding in flame of the forest tree on the Lam Kam Road.

I did see a small group of 6-7 Chinese (Yellow-billed) Grosbeaks, and a bit later a Black-winged Cuckooshrike in the big tree just behind the carpark.

Cheers
Mike K

kmike

At least seven Chinese Grosbeaks went to to roost in the same tree this evening.  I could not find the Japanese Grosbeak, but it may just have been very well hidden.

Other birds seen included the Ashy Drongo and the female BN Oriole again, and across the valley a Verdiiter chasing a Crested Bulbul.

I also had a group of 8 Chinese Blackbirds and another, male, BN Oriole on the Lam Kam Rd.

Cheers
Mike K

kmike

Lots of singing phylloscopus warblers this morning including at least a dozen Pallas' Leaf Warblers, a Greenish Warbler and a couple of dull Blyth's types flicking both wings simultaneously in display, but stubbornly refusing to sing.

I suspect they're either Emei Leaf Warbler or a race of White tailed Leaf Warbler. Since goodsoni and Sulphur-breasted have both been heard singing, I'm very much hoping these will do the same.

Also a Pygmy Wren Babbler and a male Tristram's Bunting this morning.

Cheers
Mike K