kmike

Another good evening in Long Valley, especially now that a cool, dry easterly breeze has knocked the humidity down into the 70s.

As before, my main target was the waders, which were as enjoyable as ever. Who would complain about 18 Black-winged Stilt, 30+ Wood Sandpipers, 6 Green Sand, 5 Swintail Snipe, 3 LRPs, a Common Sandpiper, 2 Greater Painted-snipe, and 2 Long-toed Stints, all moving between four or five small grass-fringed shallow ponds?

However, since this was about the same as last time, without anysubstantial change in numbers or composition, it was good to enjoy afew other migrants as well.

Honours for best bird were shared between the Hobby that zipped through very low, but did not linger and a very stripey juvenile Yellow Bittern which I came across perched on top of some water hyacinth in the the gathering gloom. Other new arrivals included about 10 Yellow Wagtails and an Oriental Reed Warbler.

Cheers
Mike K

kmike

One other thing worth mentioing from my visit - I got bitten by Red Fire Ants along the bund to the north of the managed ponds at the eastern end of Long Valley - so watch where you step. I also kicked off the top of another nest by mistake, but none of them got onto me.

The bites are itching nicely.

Cheers
Mike

kmike

Today at Long Valley was a good mix of migrants

2 Japanese Quail
4 Yellow-breasted Buntings were popular with the photographers - another success of the ricge now being grown under the management agreement!
1 Buff-bellied Pipit in with the Red-throated's and Yellow Wagtails
a female Citrine Wagtail at Ho Sheung Heung was phtographed by Koel Ko.

Cheers

Mike K

kmike

Yesterday at LV

Marsh Sandpiper x 2
Yellow-breasted Bunting

Cheers
Mike K

kmike

Some interesting birds at LV today:

Shoveler - 1
Garganey - 1
Greater Painted-snipe - 1
Pacific Golden Plover - 1
Red-rumped Swallow - 1
Red-throated Flycatcher - 3
Black-headed Bunting - 1

Cheers
Mike K