lrichard

Seen today (20 Aug 2012) on the scrape and the nearby pond with planted rice:

Oriental Stork 1
Black-faced Spoonbill 2
Sand Plovers 102 (vast majority Greater, a small number Lesser, some indeterminate)
Sharp-tailed Sandpiper 6
Red-necked Stint 2
Eurasian Curlew 80
Eastern Curlew 1
Whimbrel 59
Black-tailed Godwit 172 (nearly all the larger form)
Asian Dowitcher 1
Osprey 1

lrichard

Seen on the Mai Po scrape on 30 Aug 2012:

Blacktailed Godwit 293
Great Knot 7
Red Knot 1
Asian Dowitcher 1
Greater Painted Snipe 3
Marsh Sandpiper 12

lpaul

At Mai Po yesterday evening:

1 Oriental Stork
I Yellow Wagtail
I Pallas's Grasshopper Warbler
6 Oriental Reed Warblers

lrichard

Mai Po boardwalk, 31 Aug 2012

Eastern Curlew 1
Great Knot 3 juvs
Asian Dowitcher 1
Black-tailed Godwit 346
Greater Sand Plover 113
Lesser Sand Plover 1
Kentish Plover 1
Red-necked Stint 4
Broad-billed Sandpiper 1
Terek Sandpiper 13
Sharp-tailed Sandpiper 6

lrichard

Mai Po boardwalk, 5 Sep 2012:

Saunders's Gull 1 (earliest autumn record by nearly 7 weeks!) John Holmes got photos
Nordmann's Greenshank 1
Grey-headed Lapwing 1
Garganey 3
Sharp-tailed Sandpiper 6 still
Broad-billed Sandpiper 14
Great Knot 40
Black-faced Spoonbill 2

John Holmes

As mentioned by Richard (above)

lrichard

Mai Po, 14 Sep 2012

Still two Black-faced Spoonbills, the Oriental Stork and the early Saunders's Gull.

First sightings this autumn for me:

Pied Avocet 1
Bar-tailed Godwit 3
Kentish Plover c 12
Lesser Sand Plover 1
Whiskered Tern 2

ddavid

Just to add to Richard's list for today (Sep 14th):

Red Knot 1 - pond 11
Great Knot 32 - boardwalk
Broad-billed Sandpiper 19 - boardwalk

I also had a Ruff from the boardwalk on September 12.

David

cywong

Mai Po, 16/09/2012
Male Yellow-rumped Flycatcher
Asian Brown Flycatcher
Black-naped Oriole
Arctic Warbler

kmike

Wow - that Yellow-rumped Flycatcher is a beauty!

Cheers
Mike

cywong

Thank you, Mike.

sdavid

Tiger Shrike showing well at the AFCD Wardens' hut at 1430. Thanks to the finders.

tsheunglai

19th Sep 2012 (Wed)

From the boardwalk: Norman's Greenshank 1, Asian Dowithcer 1

Path to Tower hide: Asian Paradise Flycatcher 1

Near the Warden's hut: a shrike flew out from the Pond's side to the top of of a pole on the fishponds'
side, look unusually uniform warm and solid brown and smallish, very flat perching posture and soon disappeared. No time to apply my spotting-scope. Possibly the Tiger shrike seen on Monday, though
John who happened to be nearby said there was also a juvenile Brown Shrike seen together with
the Tiger one.

On the access road also a juvenile Yellow Bittern and Yellow Wagtails passing in small groups.

Last word, the Oriental White Stork was on the Scrape (Ponds 16/17), good view from the disabled hide, my first sighting after last three attempts in three weeks.

S L Tai

[ Last edited by tsheunglai at 19/09/2012 19:54 ]

brendank

Having seen the Tiger Shrike late Monday I would say your description is perfect.

In flight it looks, small, compact, and solidly warm brown much more so than almost any Brown Shrike. After about 1715 Monday we could only see it flying quickly between dense cover. Only giving very brief views.

tsheunglai

Dear Brendan

Thanks for your comments. I write just to raise public awareness. I have seen two previously,
one during a very early Mai Po outing led by Richard Stott a past chairman  of the society more than
fifteen years ago, the other on Po Toi.

For personal birding, we rely on gist developed over years of active birding which Paul Leader
is the best. Of course, he has very sharp eyes for details of which I'm only half as
good, an ambitious estimate.

S L Tai

[ Last edited by tsheunglai at 19/09/2012 20:40 ]

ddavid

Mai Po - September 19
In addition, there was an Eastern Marsh Harrier (pond 8), a Northern Pintail (boardwalk) and a Red-throated Flycatcher and Black-winged Cuckooshrike along the path cutting across the reserve to the boardwalk gate.

Clearly, quite an influx of migrants over the last few days.

David

lrichard

Mai Po Pond 16/17, 28 Sep 2012

Black-faced Spoonbill 2
Garganey 205 (also flock of c 150 small duck put up by a kite at the back of Pond 21)
Teal c 20
Shoveler 20 (exact count)
Pintail 3
Asian Dowitcher 1
Eastern Curlew 1 (looks like the long-staying juvenile starting to fade in colour a bit)

Quiet from the boardwalk:

Saunders's Gull ad/w again
Osprey 2

lrichard

Mai Po boardwalk, 5 Oct 2012

A good collection of birds in front of the new hide on the rising tide, including:

Black-faced Spoonbill 4
Kentish Plover 450 +
Nordmann's Greenshank 1
Terek Sandpiper 11
Grey-tailed Tattler 1
Sanderling 1
Dunlin 12
Curlew Sandpiper 6
Broad-billed Sandpiper 5
Saunders's Gull ad/w still

sbena

A Golden Spectacled Warbler, possibly Alstrom's warbler, at the Mai Po Car Park at 14:30. Showing well.

ajohn

The Alstrom's Warbler is apparently still present today. The bird is on the small hill (with the police station) next to the Mai Po Car Park. It can be quite mobile, moving around the hill, but with patience it is possible to get very good views of this bird.

brendank

In addition to the warbler there were also 2 Japanese Paradise, 1 Red-throated, 1 Dark-sided, and 2 Asian Brown Flycatcher, a Black-naped Monarch and a Two-barred Greenish Warbler present in the car park today morning.

Jonathmartinez

this morning, 1 Oriental Honey buzzard Flying over pond 8B and 2 Yellow-breasted Bunting around as well.

All the best,

Jonathan

lrichard

Lots of waterbirds on the Mai Po scrape & also in front of the boardwalk today (12 Oct 2012).

Unfortunately, two illegal mudskipper collectors flushed the feeding flocks in Deep Bay. There were about 40 mudskipper collectors/mainland fishermen on the Mai Po side of Deep Bay at about 1 pm. HK marine police Zodiacs were passing behind them from time to time, but apparently not even attempting to intercept them.

Birds counted in front of the boardwalk:

Dunlin 50
Kentish Plover 465
Pacific Golden Plover 51
Greater Sand Plover 27
Terek Sandpiper 12
Saunders's Gull the adult again

and on Pond 16/17:

Black-tailed Godwit 476
Ruddy Turnstone 1

There was also a Blue Magpie hanging around

lrichard

19 Oct 2012

Mai Po boardwalk:

Black-faced Spoonbill 18
Pied Avocet 103
Black-tailed Godwit 558
Nordmann's Greenshank 1st/w
Saunders's Gull ad/w still

Pond 16/17:

Grey-headed Lapwing 4
Whimbrel 1 (only)
Whiskered Tern 1 juv

lrichard

Mai Po boardwalk 20 Oct 2012

Oriental Stork 1
Terek Sandpiper 15 (including the leg-flagged bird with a missing foot)
Greater Sand Plover 30 (counted by John Allcock)
Lesser Sand Plover min 3
Temminck's Stint 1
Gull-billed Tern 1
Saunders's Gull 1 still