tsheunglai

3rd March, 2016 (Thursday)
Days turning warm with easterly wind bringing humid weather and temperature from 14 to twenty-one Celsius; mainly sunny

Local birds sing to welcome dawn of spring
Wintering birds linger on

Local birds had already disbanded with gathering in mixed flocks. Bulbuls especially Crested bulbuls turned their calls to more attractive tunes; same as Yellow-cheeked tits. Single barbets too called in response to the onset of warm weather.

Finding Picnic Sites 7 and 12 less in attraction as regards birds, they were both skipped. In stead, the forward leg of the trip was extended a little beyond Picnic Site 8, bringing better results by way of thrushes. On the site, two Grey-backed and one male Japanese were found. Buntings were heard but not seen, seeming to be in favour of inner tree patches. On the way two Red-flanked bluetails showed well, male and female. Daurian redstart was seen once, a female. A Goodson's leaf warbler was well seen in good sunlight.

A Great barbet and Large hawk cuckoo were heard again as previous trip, confirming observers that spring had no doubt had come into being.

S L Tai

tomatofamily

Very well written.  Delightful to read.

tsheunglai

Tomatofamily,

Thanks. I have to try to be readable for total lack of bird photos.

S L Tai

tsheunglai

17th March, 2016
Warm weather prevailing over cold fronts. Wind from Easterly to South/Easterly keeping temperatures to range from 16 to 19 Celsius

Wintering birds keep disappearance from sight
Single flycatcher graces return leg of trip

The Pineapple Dam and catchment before the road barrier was dull save the sight of a Grey wagtail which kept feeding on the water duct.

The forward leg of the morning trip up to Picnic Site No. 8 produced an interesting male Orange-bellied leafbird which attracted me for calling like a Chestnut bulbul yet birds of the species were all in big flocks. I could only explain that the bird chose to mimic birds which had the forest to dominate with its loud calls. A Common kingfisher, a migrant (following Geoff's opinion on the one found Po Toi on Tuesday), was found down the right side of the car bridge on the stream.

Scene began to change when I located two White-bellied erponis in company of local bulbuls, babblers and a dozen Grey-throated minivets. I was preoccupied with my morning's list which was at a pitiable low of nineteen. It was then that I saw a flycatcher with lower-body's white part convexing upward towards its blackish upper-breast and throat, a good feature of a Blue and White. No doubt about it when it changed position showing its hind parts of upper body and head.

It was thought that forest migrants had indeed begun to arrive, making landfall on inner parts like Shing Mun for heavy misty condition, likely to continue towards the weekend.

S L Tai