subbuteo

Another snake in the garden- red-necked keelback.

[ Last edited by subbuteo at 10/10/2010 13:25 ]

thinfor

I'm very interested to visit your garden.  It's like national geographic habitat!

Very glad that you know snakes much and you're not afraid of it (those who don't know much will kill them without much consideration no matter it's venomous or not).  Still a little bit scary for me though since all those you have mentioned are venomous indeed!

subbuteo

My garden is a very poor habitat for snakes- all tiles and flowerpots.  There is really only one point of entry as the garden is surrounded by a wall.  I think the shape of the path and the steps down tend to guide snakes towards the gate and once in they can't get out.  The surrounding area is a mix of scrubby grass, small vegetable plots and village houses.  I had no snakes in the garden last year but seem to be making up for it now.

Yung

11 Oct Afternoon
Tin Liu Ha

Black -Winged Cuckoo-Shrike
Ashy Drongo

subbuteo

Pak Tin Kong / Tin Liu Ha

Glad to report that the Brown Wood Owl was heard again last night at dusk.  Clear evenings definitely seem to be best- but I haven't been down at dusk for a while.  Ashy drongo has been about for the last couple of days and a dollarbird roosted overnight on the power lines outside Lung A Pai (saw it at dusk last night and dawn this morning).  

Also seem to have boar right down in the valley at the moment- plenty of footprints and paths through the marsh.

Dylan

[ Last edited by subbuteo at 13/10/2010 10:31 ]

kmike

There was a Black-naped Oriole and another Black Drongo near Ping Long this morning.

Cheers
Mike

kmike

. . . and a Black-winged Cuckoo-shrike dropped out of sky around 7:30 am this morning

Cheers
Mike

subbuteo

and there is still a dollarbird in the same location outside Lung A Pai.

Yung

15 Oct
Pak Tin Kong
- Dark sided flycatcher
Tin Liu Ha
- Dusky Warbler

kmike

A quiet afternoon with few migrants, but one good one - my first Pallas' Grasshopper Warbler in the near total dark at Pak Tin Kong, while Dylan again heard the Brown wood Owl and saw a Dollarbird.

Cheers
Mike

tmichael

On a similar note to my Oriental Reed at Po Toi comment, Pallas's G is a bird I once had at Mt Austin (causing some initial consternation) and I've also seen it in mangrove edge in Sai Kung, so its appearance in LTV is perhaps overdue.

Mike Turnbull

subbuteo

Ng Tung Chai- 7.15-10.00am 18/10/10

Decided to head further afield this morning (but still in Lam Tsuen!)

Mountain Tailorbird x5
Lesser Shortwing x2
Mountain Bulbul x1
Japanese Paradise Flycatcher x1

I think I also heard a blue-throated barbet but fairly distant.

Dylan

subbuteo

A fairly early Chinese Blackbird this morning, flew into a fruit tree beside me and then flew on down the valley.  

Dylan

ddavid

She Shan/Ha Tin Liu Ha - 21-10-10 - late afternoon

Green Sandpiper - 1
Red Turtle Dove - 1
Richard's Pipit - 14
Olive-backed Pipit - 7
Stejneger's Stonechat - 6
Dusky Warbler - 5
Zitting Cisticola - 1
Asian Brown Flycatcher - 1
Ashy Drongo - 1

dave

kmike

A Wryneck which zipped straight in to a tree as I pished and a couple of Dollarbirds showing very well on the wires at Pak Tin Kong were the highlights of a swift hour this morning. Other birds included a Hair-creseted Drongo, an Ashy Drongo, a couple of Stonechats and a Dusky Warbler.

Cheers,

Mike K

kmike

Chinese Blackbird, Black-faced Bunting, Commmon Buzzard and 5 Silky Starlings this morning were all first autumn records for me around Ping Long and She Shan this morning.

I also had very nice views of a Crested Serpent Eagle  above She Shan and brief views of 2 Green Sandpipers and an Ashy Drongo.

Cheers
Mike

subbuteo

A walk up to Tai Om Shan (6.15-8.30) on a glorious morning- winter definitely made it's presence felt.  The path up through to Tai Om SHan has been cleared in a very professional fashion, glad I left it for someone else to do!

Highlights:

Crested Goshawk 3
Chinese Blackbird 3
Stonechat 2
Violet Whistling Thrush 3 (normally few and far between)
Yellow-browed Warbler
Lesser Shortwing 5+ - great views of one at the top area; there was territorial singing contest and a juv came out to make sure s/he could be heard
Pygmy Wren Babbler 2 seen, more heard; I think the cold weather helped keep them out in view
Mountain Tailorbird
Grey-cheeked Fulvetta
Asian Paradise Flycatcher
Black-winged CUckoo-Shrike
Greater Necklaced Laughing Thrush

Total of 46 species without trying the grasslands or open country is a very good haul.

[ Last edited by subbuteo at 1/11/2010 05:07 ]

kmike

adding to Dylan's very good list I had an Ashy Drongo, a Greenish Warbler and a Radde's Warbler at Tai Om Shan, and again had the baicalensis White Wagtail on the fields between the river and fung shui wood at She Shan.

Also newly arrived was a fine male Daurian Redstart in the She Shan tree nursery with the long-staying Asian Brown Flycatcher.

Cheers,
Mike

subbuteo

I thought I had lost the plot on Saturday- I was driving towards Hong Lok Yuen and  thought I saw a Black Stork flying over the Tolo Highway.  It was low and looked to be dropping into the nullah above the fabri-dam.  I went back two hours later to locate it but couldn't.

Given that five were seen at Nam Sang Wai yesterday, I might claim it on my Lam Tsuen list!

Dylan

ddavid

1-11-2010

The baicalensis-type White Wagtail was still at She Shan this afternoon (thanks to Mike for directions). The Daurian Redstart & Asian Brown Flycather were still on the grassland area. There was also a Chestnut-eared Bunting there.

dave

ddavid

7-11-2010

At She Shan grassland this afternoon, around the tree nursery, there were two Bramblings (winter male & female), two Yellow-breasted Buntings (1st-winter males I think) and a Red-throated Flycatcher (heard).

Dave

kmike

Brambling is a first for Lam Tsuen !

I had a less exciting morning - with just a Black-winged Cuckoo Shrike, a male Fire-breasted Flowerpecker, and a very chatty pair of White-cheeked Laughingthrushes just above the graves were my first in Tai Om.

Cheers
Mike

subbuteo

An unusually early walk this morning (I prefer to be out in the daylight).  I heard the Brown Wood Owl call more than twenty times over about ten minutes- it probably called more but the sound was masked by the streams I had to walk beside and dogs expressing their displeasure.  It has moved!  I couldn't pin it down as it had stopped calling by the time I got closer but it was calling from much further down the valley.  The call travels a long way on a quiet morning but this is the first time I've heard it in a couple of months.

Dylan

[ Last edited by subbuteo at 16/11/2010 08:40 ]

kmike

On Monday morning I had a Chestnut-eared Bunting and a fine male Yellow-breasted Bunting in the grassland just next to the veggie patch. This was my first Chestnut-eared Bunting in the valley - has anyone else had one previously?

I also had my first Daurian Redstart of the winter from the house - a very noisy female, and this mornign there was a fine male by the bus stop

Cheers
Mike

ddavid

Mike -

I had a Chestnut-eared Bunting at She Shan on November 1st - I posted the info in this thread!!

dave

kmike

I remember now - thanks Dave!

Mike

subbuteo

I heard my first zee-bit this morning; russet bush warbler calling at around 7.35 am in the grassland by Ping Long Village.  I hope Graham Talbot won't mind me posting his find yesterday- he saw two yellow-browed buntings near She Shan yesterday evening- I missed them!  

Dylan

ddavid

There was a Eurasian Skylark at She Shan grassland this afternoon - 18-11-2010.

dave

subbuteo

6.55 am
Just saw three finches fly past one of which had a bright white rump- brambling?  Funny call too.

kmike

Sounds like Brambling, but Arctic Redpoll is also possible based on this description!

subbuteo

I wish.  Didn't get enough on it to say for sure it was brambling either but, hey, I'm with you!  Must've been a redpoll...

Also another Russet Bush Warbler calling, this time from the marshland.  I'm finding it hard to get out for a walk in the daylight in the mornings- I've been late leaving for work as a result the past week.  The birds are only really coming out from roost around 6.45am.  There seem to be a pair of, I think, Besra in residence over the past couple of weeks, they perch and call at first light from tres and rooftops- I've seen them fly over but the light has been too poor so I haven't ruled out Crested Goshawks yet.

[ Last edited by subbuteo at 19/11/2010 10:11 ]

kmike

A good mid-day period in Lam Tsuen was headlined by a briefly-seen female Yellow-browed Bunting in Pak Tin Kong and a range of decent winter birds. These included:

Wryneck
Black-winged Cuckooshrike - 3
Ashy Drongo
Siberian Rubythroat (2 heard,  1 male seen)
Daurian Redstart - 2
Black-faced Bunting - 5
Baicalensis White Wagtail
Collared Crow - 2
Green Sandpiper
Yellow-browed Warbler (my first of the autumn!)

Cheers
Mike K

kmike

A much quieter day, with no sign of the Yellow-browed Bunting. The highlights were a single Grey Treepie, four Grosbeak sp. (presumably Chinese), two Black-winged Cuckooshrikes, an Ashy Drongo, a female Rubythroat, a newly arrived ocularis White Wagtail and yesterday's Wryneck.

As I write a Collared Scops Owl is calling

Cheers
Mike

kmike

A very dull and overcast weekend in the valley

Chinese Blackbird - 51coming out of a roost near Tai Yeung Che
Hair-crested Dongo - 29 going to roost above She Shan

Ashy Drongo - 1

Taivana Yellow Wagtail - a rare species in Lam Tsuen
Ocularis White Wagtail - just the second record - on the same field as 2 weeks ago

Oriental Turtle Dove - 6

Daurian Redstart - 3

Verditer - Dylan had one at Pak Tin Kong
Pallas' Leaf Warbler - Dylan had one at Pak Tin Kong

Besra - 1
Common Buzzard - 1

White -browed Laughingthrush - see Youtube clip here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VyC63CgrSo


Cheers
Mike

kmike

A very dull and overcast weekend in the valley

Chinese Blackbird - 51coming out of a roost near Tai Yeung Che
Hair-crested Dongo - 29 going to roost above She Shan

Ashy Drongo - 1

Taivana Yellow Wagtail - a rare species in Lam Tsuen
Ocularis White Wagtail - just the second record - on the same field as 2 weeks ago

Oriental Turtle Dove - 6

Daurian Redstart - 3

Verditer - Dylan had one at Pak Tin Kong
Pallas' Leaf Warbler - Dylan had one at Pak Tin Kong

Besra - 1
Common Buzzard - 1

White -browed Laughingthrush - see Youtube clip here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VyC63CgrSo


Cheers
Mike

lchunfai

16.12.2010  Lam tsuen san tsuen
No owl , no woodcock and no nightjar
But we saw a large owl-like bird flying into the woodland at around 8:30pm

subbuteo

Keep trying!  I was out last night and only had scops owl calling.  Which woods were you watching?  The "Golden Triangle" area?  Big news in Lam Tsuen this morning was frost!  It was 2 degrees Celcius at home in the centre of the valley.  The taro and ginger plants were white- I imagine that they will be dying off over the next few days.  Birds were certainly behaving differently; a common buzzard was soaring high at first light; black-necked starlings were allowing very close approach, they were so busy feeding.

I heard that bird baths are freezing ovwer in Tai Po Kau!  Good day to be out if you have the option.

Dylan

lchunfai

I think the woods is the one near pak ting kong / she Shan
Yesterday was really cold , however , the dogs were very active .
One dog even chased us in Ng Tung Tsai!!

brendank

Yes, the time last year I went Ng Tung Tsai there seemed to be many dogs.  Was this dog potentially dangerous?

Ng Tung Tsai may have cobras but I had much rather meet a cobra than a group of angry canines.

kmike

There is a dog by the temple that chases but is not serious.
Brendan I agree with you. . .  up to  point. A King Cobra stood up to say hello to me on the main trail at Ng Tung Chai a few years - way scarier than any dog!

Cheers
Mike

fatchun

Last night we tried to walk through that dog...
But it suddenly frenzied and was likely to be dangerous, so we gave up...

subbuteo

I am surprised that you had a serious problem- perhaps it was the fact you were there in the dark.  I have had dogs bark but they have always kept their distance, generally making a lot of noise but not much else.  Having my own dog with me causes much more problems and I have to keep a close eye out for trouble as she likes to hide behind me.