I had a Scarlet Minivet at the top of Mount Austin in November 1987! Can't recall any records of Grey-chinned there in all my years here; it's more of a real woodland bird, of course - in Sai Kung Grey-chinned is present at Ho Chung Woods, but in villages/housing areas where I've lived recently (Hing Keng Shek and Greenpeak Villa near Wong Chuk Shan San Tsuen) it's always Scarlets around the trees amongst the houses. A bit surprising therefore they are not on HK Island, but they're not.
Actually, the status of quite a few of the species referred to here on HKI and in HK as a whole has changed quite a lot over the years. Back in the 90s Bw Minlas were regular at lower Hatton Road just above HKU, and quite a few species were characterised, problematically wrt to their status as wild birds, by having a lot of early records on HKI eg Rufous-capped Babbler (I had it at the top of Hatton Road in about 94, and there were others), Velvet-fronted Nuthatch (I think!! near Coombe Road), Yellow-cheeked Tit (same area), and a lot of early Streak-br Scim Babb records. But that was where many birders lived and had 'patches' in the late 80s and early 90s so...?? And a LOT of undoubtedly wild birds were seen too - and Fire-breasted F'pecker used to breed and Scarlet-backed was totally unknown. Mike Leven looked into a lot of these issues wrt to status origins in the late 90s before publication of the Avifauna.
Re Lesser Shortwing I wouldn't bracket it with Rufous-capped Babbler - it's a longer range migrant (mainly), holding winter territories, sometimes in very shrubby areas and vocalising occasionally to that end - I've heard it once or twice on the Island, but like here in Sai Kung it often seems to call just once. So I think it must occur on HKI but more scarcely, and less likely to be detected than in better watched, and more suitable spots, such as TPK or Ng Tung Chai. North facing slopes such as those at the latter site seem good for a lot of species such as this one (better wooded, damper?) and the north slope of HKI (say around Bowen Road) is very compromised, though still surprisingly productive, compared to say Aberdeen CP in the south, on the whole and given its size.
And bird releases at Mount Austin and Hatton Road, featuring many boxes of Leiothrix species, and smaller boxes (presumably with flycatchers in previously) certainly used to be a regular occurrence.
And finally, given how tremendously widespread and common things like Ruf-cap Babbler, Fulvettas and the Scim Babb are - in weeds and tiny bushes by the roadside often - just over in G'dong, it seems hard to imagine how they were ever totally extirpated in HK, though it does seem to have been the case, and any shots of HK 50 or more so years ago show a VERY different landscape.
