ajohn

I am staying temporarily in Lam Tsuen, and heard the Brown wood Owl calling for several minutes from about 5.00 this morning. Also great views of a calling Collared Scops Owl last night.

kmike

This evening at She Shan/ Kau Liu Ha

Great Cormorant - 27 circling then heading north (second Lam Tsuen record)

Stejneger's Stonechat - 5
Daurian Redstart - 2
Siberian Rubythroat - 2

Chinese Blackbird - 3

Yellow-browed Warbler - 2
Black-browed Reed Warbler - 3

Cheers
Mike

kmike

Sunday 11 Nov 0815 - 11:45

Kau Liu Ha- She Shan + Ping Long

Common Buzzard
Crested Serpent Eagle
Crested Goshawk

Japanese Quail

Red-throated Pipit
OBP - 8
Richard's Pipit - 4

Siberian Rubythroat
Stejneger' Stonechat - 4
Daurian Redstart - 1

Black-browed Reed Warbler - 3
Bradypterus sp. - 1

Black-faced Bunting - 2
Bunting sp - 5

Asy Drongo - 1
Hair-crested Drongo - 6

Cheers
Mike

ajohn

A few birds from Tai Om this morning:

Black-winged Cuckooshrike x1
Black-naped Monarch x1
Asian Stubtail Warbler x2
Radde's Warbler x1
Two-barred (Greenish) Warbler x1
Russet Bush Warbler x4
Verditer Flycatcher x1
Lesser Shortwing x5+

Also an unseen chat, possibly Rufous-tailed Robin, and a heard-only thrush.

The Bown Wood Owl was calling again this morning shortly after 6.00

kmike

Kau Liu Ha - She Shan - Ping Long

Common Buzzard - 1

Japanese Quail - 1

? Baicalensis White Wagtail - first Lam Tsuen record (but around for several weeks)
Ocularis White Wagtail - 1

Black-winged Cuckooshrike - 1

Bluethroat - first Lam Tsuen Record
Daurian Redstart 5
Grey Bushchat
Stejneger's Stonechat - 2

Chinese Blackbird 45
Grey-backed Thrush - 1
Thrush sp. - 9

YBW - 2
Raddes Warbler (photographed, but not see by me)
Japanese Bush Warbler - 1
Black-browed Reed Warbler - 3

Grey-headed Flycatcher - 2
Asian Brown Flycatcher - 1

Little Bunting - 2
Black-faced Bunting - 4

Cheers
Mike

[ Last edited by kmike at 18/11/2012 07:15 ]

ajohn

Mike,
I think the wagtail is a female leucopsis with an unusually large bib. The mantle colour is fairly dark grey and the wing pattern looks typical for female leucopsis (extensive white on greaters and pure white median coverts). Also the black of the rump seems to extend well beyond the upper tail coverts, which would indicate one of the black-backed subspecies.
Although the bib is more extensive than a typical leucopsis, I think it is also more extensive than would be seen on a baicalensis at this time of year (which I think should show a similar bib to leucopsis, with perhaps an additional patch at the end of the malar)

subbuteo

I haven't been out much recently apart from my regular morning dog walk.  However, this morning I heard an unusual call,  thought initially it may have been a russet bush warbler but now I'm not sure.  The call was recorded on my iphone, I've used audacity to boost it but it still isn't very clear.  It is the thin call in the back ground. The bird was perhaps 50m away in the middle of the marsh.

Any thoughts?  It may well be something common with a call I don't recognise.

Dylan

kmike

This morning at Tai Om Shan and Ping Long

Red-rumped Swallow - 2 (rare in Lam Tsuen)

Daurian Redstart - 2 (+ 2 at Ping Long)
Grey Bushchat  - 1 (long-staying female at Ping Long)
Stejneger's Stonechat - 2
Siberian Rubythroat - 2h
Red-flanked Bluetail - 2
Rufous-tailed Robin - 1
Lesser Shortwing - 4h

Grey-backed Thrush - 2
Chinese Blackbird - 2

Pallas' Leaf Warbler - 2
Yellow-browed Warbler - 3
Radde's Warbler - 1
Dusky Warbler - 1
Asian Stubtail - 4
Russet Bush Warbler - 1
Japanese Bush Warbler (2 at She Shan in the afternoon)

Asian Brown Flycatcher - 1

Little Bunting - 1
Black-faced Bunting - 1 (= 4 at Kau Liu ha in the afternoon)
Yellow-breasted Bunting - 1 male at Ping Long

Cheers
Mike

subbuteo

Saturday 1 December Pak Tin Kong

Black-winged Cuckoo Shrike
Ashy Drongo
Hair-crested Drongo
Red-rumped Swallow

Sunday 2 December Pak Tin Kong to Lin Au- a good day!

Raddes Warbler
Dusky Warbler
Yellow-browed Warbler
Asian Stubtail
Japanese Bush Warbler 3
Russet Bush Warbler
Common Tailorbird
Mountain Tailorbird
Daurian Redstart 3
Siberian Rubythroat 2
Pale Thrush 2
Necklaced Laughing Thrush
White-cheeked Laughing Thrush
Lesser Coucal
Crested Bunting 2- at the back of Lin Au
Chestnut Bunting- well over 100! Big dispersed flocks in Lam Tsuen and Lin Au

kmike

I birded the other end of Lam Tsuen - Kadoorie Farm, the grasslands above, and Ng Tung Chai today:

Asian House Martin - 11

Rufous-tailed Robin - 2
Red-flanked Bluetail - 2
Daurian Redstart - 1

Asian Stubtail - 4
Mountain Bush Warbler - 4
Pallas's Leaf Warbler - 6
YBW - 4
Goodson's Leaf Warbler - 2
Fokhiensis -type Blyth's Leaf Warbler - 1

Mugimaki Flycatcher - 2 (woods opposite entrance to KFBG)

Chinese Grassbird - 2
Striated Yuhina - 40

Cheers
Mike

brendank

3 December 2012

A rather stunning trip to Lin Au. Thanks, Dylan for getting the word out on this spot!!

2 Crested Bunting (I saw them fly into dense grass about 5 times but didn't get any photographs. Graham had one perched out in the open)
2 Japanese Yellow Bunting
3 Yellow-breasted Bunting
130 Chestnut Bunting (I was counting them in groups of 10 as the flushed out of a field)
10 Little Bunting

1 Mugimaki Flycatcher

6 Asian House Martin

1 Eurasian Curlew (flyover)

with so many buntings around in a huge flock this might be a good place to look for a mega rarity like an Ortolon, Grey-necked or Meadow Bunting!!

japanese_yellow.JPG (37.89 KB)

3/12/2012 19:24

little.JPG (40.38 KB)

3/12/2012 19:24

chestnut_buntings.JPG (78.35 KB)

3/12/2012 19:24

[ Last edited by brendank at 3/12/2012 19:43 ]

kmike

Another good day in Lam Tsuen - at Kadoorie Farm

Great Barbet - 1

Scarlet Minivet - 2
Grey-chinned Minivet - 1
Asian House Martin - 2

Orange-bellied Leafbird - 1 f

Grey-backed Thrush - 12
Japanese Thrush - 3
Pale Thrush - 2
Eye-browed Thrush - 3
Blue Whistling Thrush -3

Red-flanked Bluetail - 5
Rufous-tailed Robin - 1
Daurian Redstart - 2 (+2 at Ping Long)
Grey Bushchat - long-staying female still present
Stejneger' Stonechat - 1

Bianchi's Warbler - 1
Sulphur-breasted Warbler - 1
Blyth's Leaf Warbler - 1 (creamy tinge to underparts)
Greenish Warbler - 1
Palas' Leaf Warbler - 12
Yellow-browed Warbler - 12
Asian Stubtail - 8

Striated Yuhina - 40

Cheers
Mike

[ Last edited by kmike at 8/12/2012 21:14 ]

lpaul

Sulphur-bellied Warbler, nice one and a first for Hong Kong, where exactly was that.  Unless of course you mean Sulphur-breasted Warbler..

kmike

Sulphur-breasted Warbler indeed (now corrected). Nice to get it in the same bird wave as the Bianchi's and a rather creamy-bellied Blyth's.

Cheers
Mike

[ Last edited by kmike at 8/12/2012 21:16 ]

brendank

A very nice flock! Where specifically were these at Kadoorie?

kmike

Thanks Brendan

The thrushes were near the three big water tanks at the top of the farm - where the bus turns round near the Brothers Pavilion, and the warblers were on the Jackfruit Jaunt trail just below the helipad.

Cheers
Mike

subbuteo

There seem to be lots of birds around just now, so much more to see than last year.  Around home, I have had hair-crested and ashy drongo, daurian redstart, S stonechat, Pallas's and yellow-browed warbler, black-faced, little and chestnut bunting.

The mystery bird is still calling, a https://www.dropbox.com/s/4md0l9cv58tviyr/PTK%20warber%20full-1.mp3 of the call recorded from my phone is downloadable from here- the high pitched five/six note call.  It has called every day consistently like this for the past week.  I hear it between 6.50 and 7.20 am.  I would like to hear any ideas for i.d.  I have listened to many recordings on xeno-canto with no joy.  The bird is calling from about 40 metres away, it is a loud call.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/4md0l9 ... warber%20full-1.mp3

Dylan

kmike

KFBG 0940 - 1215

Female Small Niltava

The bird was found by the bridge just below the butterfly garden at about 1015.

Other birds included:

Rufous-tailed Robin - 2
Mountain Bulbul - 2
Red-flanked Bluetail - 1
Blue Rock Thrush - 1

Please note that KFBG will be closed until 2pm tomorrow.

Cheers
Mike

wgeoff

Hi Dylan

I don't know what your calling bird is but here are some copies that may help someone else identify

A shorter recording filtered to remove some of the lower pitch noise

http://www.geoffwelch46.com/PTK-F.mp3

and a sonogram



I think the call you are referring to is the 4-5 note one which appears four times in this recording at a pitch of about 5 kHz. It is preceded by a single note at a slightly lower pitch

Can anyone identify? - and put Dylan out of his misery

There is also a ticking call at about 6 kHz which starts just after the second of your bird calls - don't know what this is either - an insect? You can hear it and just see it in the sonogram

[ Last edited by wgeoff at 16/12/2012 06:38 ]

subbuteo

Thanks for that, Geoff!

What software are you using to produce the sonograms?  Can you compare the call to a Russet Bush Warbler sonogram (if you have one)?  It would be interesting to see if the call is in the same range, as that is still my best guess.

I don't have much to report from this weekend, Ashy Drongo, Russet and Japanese/Manchurian Bush Warbler, buntings (black-faced only ones seen clearly), Siberian Rubythroat... and the usual birds.

Attached is a photo of my morning walk, I only go a few hundred metres each morning but there's always something to see or more often hear.  It's is a fairly unusual habitat in the valley and unfortunately there will be some work going on.  A plot of land on the edge was fenced last week and several large trees felled.  I am keeping a close eye.

Dylan

kmike

A few birds in Lam Tsuen  (Hong Lok Yuen Roundabout - She Shan) this morning:

Great Egret - 1

Oriental Honey Buzzard - 1 dark phase

Green Sandpiper - 2

Grey Bushchat - 1
Daurian Redstart - 3
Grey-backed Thrush - 2
Chinese Blackbird - 2

Little Bunting - 4
Black-faced Bunting - 2

Common Myna - 2 (new high count for Lam Tsuen)

Cheers & Merry Christmas!

Mike K

kmike

At Ng Tung Chai this morning between 0830 and 1140:


Blue Rock Thrush - 1
Blue Whistling Thrush - 1
Pale Thrush - 2
Chinese Blackbird - 1

Red-flanked Bluetail - 1
Lesser Shortwing - 1 seen + 3 more heard

Asian Stubtail - 2
YBW - 5
Pallas' Leaf Warbler - 1

Chinese Blue Magpie - 1


Cheers
Mike K

kmike

A quieter weekend in Lam Tsuen at Ng Tung Chai/ Tin Liu Ha

Moorhen - 1
Woodcock - 1
GreenSandpiper - 1

Black-winged Cuckooshrike - 1
Mountain Bulbul - 2

Grey Bushchat - 1
Stejneger's Stonechat - 1
Daurian Redstart - 1

Pale Thrush - 1
Grey-backed Thrush - 4
Chinese Blackbird - 4

Cheers
Mike K

subbuteo

Tai Om Shan.

A very cold morning!  Fifty-five species, and a quite a few common birds not seen.

Pallas's Leaf Warbler  5
Yellow-browed Warbler  7
? Greenish Warbler- best fit, a very plain leaf warbler, big supercilium, one wing bar, dull, almost brownish plumage, yellow/orange legs
Asian Stubtail

Taiga Flycatcher 4
Mugimaki Flycathcer 1
Red-flanked Bluetail 4
Daurian Redstart  2
Siberian Stonechat 2
Siberian Rubythroat
Grey-backed Thrush 2
Japanese Thrush 1
Blackbird 3
Blue Whistling Thrush
Plumbeous Redstart F

Tristram's Bunting 6
Black-faced Bunting 3

Dylan

PS I should add, 30+ siskins, White's Thrush and black-winged cuckoo-shrike over the weekend.

[ Last edited by subbuteo at 31/12/2012 20:44 ]

subbuteo

An eventful short walk this morning got extended due to too many good birds.  At Lung A Pai, there was Grey-backed Thrush, Daurian Redstart, S Stonechat.  A large mixed flock came through with Grey-chinned and Scarlet Minivets, two Black-winged Cuckoo Shrikes, and a Verditer.  I flushed a woodcock from a swale under a bamboo grove.

On the way back home on the edge of Pak Tin Kong, I heard a red-breasted/taiga flycatcher.  It only called a couple of times but it was very conspicuous.  I got a very good look at it, mostly from below.  The lower mandible was wide, orange from the base and the front third or so was dark.  I saw the tail white flashes but didn't get a good look at the tail.  I went back later and heard the call properly, a slower, quiet drawl compared to Taiga Flycatcher.

So I am confident, red-breasted flycatcher- a Lam Tsuen first!  The bird was still there this evening, there is a tree in flower which is bringing in insects and it is fly-catching around the tree.  Hopefully, it'll still be there in the morning.

Dylan

brendank

Congratulations, Dylan! I think that one was overdue for Lam Tsuen.

subbuteo

Thanks, Brendan- the red-breasted flycatcher is still in the same location.  Also seen this morning (5.1.13) in Mike's company:

ashy drongo
hair-crested drongo
black-winged cuckoo shrike
verditer
Hainan blue flycatcher M (unusual winter record)
russet bush warbler
Siberian rubythroat
Pallas's warbler
yellow-browed warbler
Besra x2
Scarlet and grey-chinned minivet

Mike got a couple of good photos, it's a very well behaved flycatcher.  

Dylan

[ Last edited by subbuteo at 5/01/2013 13:31 ]

wgeoff

Is it still autumn in Lam Tsuen?

It feels b. cold down here in the south

subbuteo

We don't call it winter until the first frost.  

A snap of the red-breasted flycatcher.  It was around the same tree all day.

Dylan

ajohn

Not wanting to rain on anyone's parade, but that photo looks like Asian Brown Flycatcher to me. Are there more photos showing the upperparts?

kmike

Looking at my own pix I came to the same inescapable conclusion last night, John and have just got back from confirming my fears this morning. It is indeed an Asian Brown.


Cheers
Mike

subbuteo

John, unfortunately, I have a feeling you may well be very right.  I was thinking about the behaviour- no wing flicking or tail cocking.  
I don't have pictures of the white tail flashes but I am wondering if the white I saw was just rump/vent feathers....

I was sitting looking at my books last night with the photos having a very hard time being definitive.  I'm off out to look again!

Dylan

subbuteo

I've just been down to the tree, and the Asian Brown is there- as is a red-throated flycatcher.  I haven't managed to see them both at the same time so,  I think I have managed to combine the features of the two into a bird I wanted to see.  On this basis, I think there may be many more good birds coming your way soon.



Dylan

ajohn

I'm sure it's only a matter of time before a Red-breasted does turn up in Lam Tsuen. There's lots of good habitat!

brendank

I am a little surprised it hasn't turned up yet. I would say on Hong Kong Island and Po Toi Red-breasted is more common than Red-throated in late autumn. Two Red-breasted Flycatchers were seen (not by me) today on Mount Davis and look to be wintering at this location.

kmike

Yesterday at KFBG


Red-flanked Bluetail - 8
Daurian Redstart - 2
Rufous-tailed Robin - 2
Pale Thrush - 5

Leopard Cat - 1

Cheers
Mike