Sze

Quote:

Original posted by ajohn at 4/10/2011 10:00
It's great to see the returning Black-tailed Godwits from last winter - all of the 'B' flags in Kinni's post were flagged in January last year.

John! Thanks your information again!
You said that all of the 'B' flags in Kinni's post were flagged in January last year, however, this topic just started at Aug2010. So are you mean they were flagged in Jan 2011? Or they were flagged in Jan 2010?

Thanks for your sharing again!

ajohn

Sorry, that was a bit unclear. I have a tendency (especially with birds like this) to think of birds in winters rather than calendar years.

Those godwits were flagged in January 2011 (i.e. last winter 2010/11). The bird with plain flags was flagged in a previous year (most likely in winter), but it is not possible to know exactly when.

[ Last edited by ajohn at 5/10/2011 07:30 ]

OlangoSteveUK

Had a Flagged Broad Billed Sandpiper amongst a flock of 130+ birds in the Shrimp pools by The Mactan Bridge in Mandaue, Cebu.
The Left Tibia had a Yellow Flag and the Right Tarsus had a Black Metal ring. Markings could not be seen as the bird was just too active.
Also had a Red Necked Stint at the same location with a Yellow Flag on its left Tibia, again, markings could not be made out.
Can anyone here hazard a guest to the location of the tagging on these two birds?
Thanks in advance
Steve

John Holmes

Hi Steve,

A diagram of asian wader leg flags can be downloaded from the bottom of this link :

http://www.shorebird-network.net/shorebirds/shorebird-leg-flags/

John

ajohn

As John's link should show, single yellow flags come from North-west Australia (but they are usually on the Right leg I think?)
The Broad-billed Sandpiper is probably a very good record, possibly the stint as well - I don't know how many reports they get from Philippines, but I think not many.
Report your sightings (or any flag sightings) to the Australian Wader Studies Group - the best e-mail contact is Heather Gibbs: mintons (at) ozemail.com.au

I'm glad you are getting some resightings - there must be many flagged birds passing through the Philippines but not recorded.

puppymic

boardwalk, MPNR 8-Oct-2011

C4


E5


R2


[ Last edited by puppymic at 9/10/2011 19:57 ]

ajohn

Thanks for the resightings puppymic. Both C4 and E5 are Redshank which were flagged in 2010, and both birds have not been reported for over a year!

I managed to pick up a few flag sightings yesterday
Common Redshank A4, D3, R3
Common Greenshank A0, A1, A5, D4, D8
Marsh Sandpiper P9
Black-tailed Godwit B3
Lesser Sandplover A2.

The Lesser Sandplover is interesting - we have only flagged 2 with engraved flags, and this is the first resighting. The bird was flagged in September 2010. It is from the 'atrifrons' group, which is not often reported in Hong Kong. The bird is now in winter plumage - if anyone is able to get photos of this bird, it may help to understand the field ID of this species in Hong Kong in winter.

OlangoSteveUK

Quote:

Original posted by ajohn at 6/10/2011 10:29
As John's link should show, single yellow flags come from North-west Australia (but they are usually on the Right leg I think?)
The Broad-billed Sandpiper is probably a very good record, possibly the  ...

On my 1st count on 31-08-2011 we found 3 Red Necked Stints with yellow leg flags. I know they have also had an Alaskan Ringed Bar Tailed Godwit there. I will endevour to find out more and pass on this information to you, especially if it involves HK ringed birds.
This is the flock which landed right in front of me by a major road near the Cities Airport.











Steve

pitarhk

MP Boardwalk 16/10/2011

N4

John Holmes

Nam Sang Wai 17th Oct 2011

Marsh Sandpiper "P2"

lkatherine

12:00 Mai Po Boardwalk

Common Redshank: P8, N4, R3

Katherine

ajohn

Thanks Katherine. All are birds from September this year.

Meanwhile, from the other hide I saw
Marsh Sandpiper R4, S4
Common Greenshank A0, A9, E1

Greenshank A0 now has the longevity record for the engraved flags - 429 days since flagging (in August 2010). It probably overwintered last year (seen in November, February and March) and I expect will do so again this winter.

lkatherine

30-Oct Mudflat:

http://www.hkbws.org.hk/BBS/viewthread.php?tid=14972&highlight=

tsawong

Quote:

Original posted by lkatherine at 29/10/2011 15:01
12:00 Mai Po Boardwalk

Common Redshank: P8, N4, R3

Katherine

To make the record complete:

Mai Po Boardwalk
30 Oct 2011

IMG_0212_1R Common Redshank with flag P8.jpg (75.83 KB)

4/11/2011 22:40

lkatherine

10-Nov-11 12:00 Mai Po Mudflat

Common Greenshank: A8 and E1

Eurasian Curlew: plain HK flag

Katherine

handrew

2 common redshanks from the new hide at MPNR today, 15th Nov 2011. P8 and N4. Both photographed if needed.

ajohn

Thanks Andrew. The photos aren't needed, as you have provided the flag numbers, location and date.

Stonechat

S3 Marsh Sandpiper & D7 Common Redshank Sighting
From the Board Walk MPNR on Nov.25 2011

lyatming

19/12/2011 MPNR Board walk
D7 Common Redshank

John Holmes

At the newest boardwalk hide, 9th Jan 2012

Common Greenshanks "D4" and "E5"

kennethchan

Common Greenshanks  E5
攝於米埔 10-jan-2012 at MP

lkatherine

16-Jan-2012 14:00 Mai Po Boardwalk

Common Greenshank: D4, E7
Common Redshank: B1, C0, E8, N8, P2, R2, R5, S2
Grey Plover: C1

and a Terek Sandpiper with engraved flag which I didn't manage to get the code.

Katherine

ajohn

Thanks Katherine and all others who have recently reported sightings.

The slightly higher daytime tides are obviously helping record flags. I managed to pick up a total of 18 combinations on Saturday, including (surprisingly) one Pacific Golden Plover and another PGP on which I could not get the complete combination.

It is interesting that GRey Plover C1 has reappeared - this bird oversummered in HK last year but hadn't been seen since September!

CYLAM

28-jan-2012 at MP Boardwalk

[ Last edited by CYLAM at 29/01/2012 22:31 ]

Sze

Just don't want miss this important post, so repost the link here again.

Mai Po boardwalk 12 Feb 2012 leg flags (By HFCheung)

ajohn

Thanks for providing the link Sze.

I have heard from various sources that there is an overwintering Terek Sandpiper with engraved leg flags. I have not seen this bird. So far, no-one seems to have been able to read the engraved flags. It would be very interesting if someone was able to read the flags or photograph the bird, so that we are able to tell which individual has overwintered in Hong Kong.

I would also be particularly interested for anyone to keep a look out for Avocets with engraved flags. We have put engraved flags on 47 Avocet so far but have had relatively few resightings of this species (only 5 individuals), perhaps because it is difficult to pick out the flags among the large numbers of birds present.

lkatherine

Flag sightings at Boardwalk today (14-Feb):

Eurasian Curlew: A0 A1
Grey Plover: B2 C1 E9 H5
Common Redshank: B1 C0 R2
Common Greenshank: A5
Marsh Sandpiper: A3

Katherine

richome2

A5 on MP 2012.02.14 time: 16:06

sorry post 錯！

[ Last edited by richome2 at 14/02/2012 20:21 ]

brendank

I have to admit sometime I get absorbed with looking for rarities that I don't take the time to look for flags today I noted the following tags.

Lesser Sandplover A2
Great Knot: L3 L0
Redshank: C4
Marsh Sandpiper: A3 N7
Eurasian Curlew: A1
Grey Plover: H5 C2 H2 H3

[ Last edited by brendank at 25/02/2012 19:15 ]

HFCheung

25 Feb 2012 Mai Po Boardwalk
Common Greenshank E7, A5
Marsh Sandpiper N6
Common Redshank C0, N8, C4, N7
Grey Plover B2, H3, C1, H1, B8/E8 (some mud on the flag)
Eurasian Curlew A0
Common Redshank, Marsh Sandpiper, Grey Plover with HK flag but not engraved

26 Feb same place
Common Redshank R2, N7
Eurasian Curlew A0
Black-tailed Godwit D0, B5, B0
2 Common Greenshank with HK flag but not engraved

N7 26 Feb 2012.jpg (90.2 KB)

26/02/2012 16:59

A0 26 Feb 2012.jpg (63.8 KB)

26/02/2012 16:59

D0 26 Feb 2012.jpg (59.13 KB)

26/02/2012 16:59

B5 26 Feb 2012.jpg (61.07 KB)

26/02/2012 16:59

B0 26 Feb 2012.jpg (60.26 KB)

26/02/2012 16:59

Greenshank1 26 Feb 2012.jpg (69.86 KB)

26/02/2012 16:59

Greenshank2 26 Feb 2012.jpg (55.98 KB)

26/02/2012 16:59

[ Last edited by HFCheung at 26/02/2012 16:59 ]

HFCheung

3 Mar 2012 Mai Po Boardwalk
Greenshank: A5
Marsh Sandpiper: A3, S2
Grey Plover: E8, C2
Avocet: J4

Pond 11
Black-tailed Godwit: D0
Marsh Sandpiper: C1


Black-tailed Godwit: 2 with no number
Marsh Sandpiper, 1 with no number

HF Cheung

John Holmes

1st March 2012 - a 'late report' from the boardwalk

Pied Avocet - "D2",  "E0",  "E8" and  "J6"

Great Knot - "L0", "L3"

Grey Plover - "C0", "C3", "E9", "H4" and "H5"

Saunders's Gulls - fifty-six

Late

More record on 26 Feb 2012
Marsh Sandpiper - P3

brendank

6 March 2012 A Terek's Sandpiper C7

ajohn

Thanks for reporting the Terek Sandpiper, Brendan. If this is the individual which has been overwintering, it is not the individual I expected - it is an adult flagged in September 2011 (I was expecting the overwintering bird to be a first-winter flagged in November).

Thanks to all for continuing to post the latest sightings. It seems there has been alrge number of resightings recently, perhaps with better tides. Of particular interest are the two Great Knot. These are the only two with engraved flags so far, and both were fairly late autumn (October and November) migrants last year but it is still surprising that both overwintered rather than moving south with most birds of this species. It's good to have received a few more observations of the flagged Avocets as well.

Wader migration should pick up in the next few weeks and it will be interesting to look out for sightings of north-bound migrants as they pass through. I hope that the engraved flags will allow us to look at the duration of the stop-over of individual migrants in Hong Kong, so all resightings would be of use.

brendank

C7 was in a group of 6 Terek's Sandpipers which seem to me to be more like early migrants than over-wintering birds. I haven't seen a Terek's Sandpiper all winter. Perhaps they could be wintering somewhere not too far on the China coast?

Jonathmartinez

I've got reguraly one Terek Sandpiper overwintering in Xitou, about 150 km west of Macau on the coast, with a maximum count of 4 on middle of january. So undoubtly a few more are overwintering along the Guangdong coast in more suitable habitat for the species.

Jonathan

ajohn

See my earlier post (#126 on 14 Feb). There has been an overwintering Terek Sandpiper with leg flags, reported to me by several observers who were unable to read the engraving. I had assumed Brendan's bird was the same, but it is possible that it is an early migrant (although it is still rather early for Terek Sandpiper migration).

John Holmes

March 8th at b/w

Marsh Sandpiper "B6"

Grey Plover "H5"

HFCheung

Mai Po on 10 March 2012
Boardwalk at 9:00-10:00
Marsh Sandpiper: R8, D1, E5, also one with flags that are not engraved.
Common Redshank: N7, R2
Eurasian Curlew: A2
Grey Plover: K2, J9, K6
Avocet: D7

IMG_0363.JPG (37.24 KB)

10/03/2012 21:44

IMG_0369.JPG (35.95 KB)

10/03/2012 21:44

IMG_0379.JPG (28.57 KB)

10/03/2012 21:44

IMG_0370.JPG (29 KB)

10/03/2012 21:44

IMG_0367.JPG (37.7 KB)

10/03/2012 21:44

IMG_0368.JPG (41.21 KB)

10/03/2012 21:44

IMG_0382.JPG (34.17 KB)

10/03/2012 21:44

IMG_0391.JPG (32.75 KB)

10/03/2012 21:46

IMG_0393.JPG (35.64 KB)

10/03/2012 21:46

IMG_0395.JPG (47.73 KB)

10/03/2012 21:46

IMG_0397.JPG (29.03 KB)

10/03/2012 21:46

Pond 11 at 10:30
Marsh Sandpiper: N6, D1 (D1 has moved from boardwalk to this pond)
Common Redshank: S2
Eurasian Curlew: A0
Curlew Sandpiper: P3

IMG_0416.JPG (41.87 KB)

11/03/2012 17:24

IMG_0409.JPG (39.55 KB)

11/03/2012 17:24

IMG_0406.JPG (37.77 KB)

11/03/2012 17:24

IMG_0398.JPG (38.13 KB)

11/03/2012 17:24

IMG_0424.JPG (34.45 KB)

11/03/2012 17:24

[ Last edited by HFCheung at 11/03/2012 17:24 ]

HFCheung

11 Mar 2012, Mai Po pond 16/17
Eurasian Curlew: A3

ajohn

Thanks for these latest sightings. I am particularly pleased that Ho-fai managed to see the Curlew Sandpiper flag - I saw this bird in three different places on Saturday, but still couldn't manage to read the flag combination! P3 was flagged on 18 April 2011, and this is the first resighting.
In addition to these sightings, I managed two Terek Sandpipers with flags on Saturday (A2 and C7, both from last autumn). There were at least 3 flagged Avocets on the scrape at high tide, but frustratingly I could only read the combination on one of these.

I have also realised that one of two Black-tailed Godwit flags I read on Saturday (B6) is the bird seen last April near Beidaihe. This was the first bird with engraved HK leg flags to be seen outside Hong Kong, and is now also the first to be resighted back in Hong Kong after an observation elsewhere.

By the way, the combination E5 has not been used on a Marsh Sandpiper. This bird is in fact a Greenshank, but I agree that the photo is deceptive and makes the bird look slim-billed like a Marsh Sand.

[ Last edited by ajohn at 12/03/2012 14:26 ]

AjaA

10 March:

The scrapes:

Grey Plover J4

Boardwalk:

Grey Plover K4, J0, J5, H7, B2, H2, J8, K6

9 March, boardwalk:

Avocet J4

8 March, boardwalk:

Grey Plover H5, B2
Redshank C4, R6, P2

1 March, boardwalk:
Greenshank E5

27 February, boardwalk:
Marsh Sandpiper A3

12 February, boardwalk:

Marsh Sandpiper R1, S2

Waterbear526

11 March

Pond #11

Pied Avocet A5

lkatherine

16-Mar at Boardwalk

Common Greenshank: A6, E5
Eurasian Curlew: A2
Grey Plover: K7
Marsh Sandpiper: S2

lrichard

Mai Po boardwalk (new hide) 16 March

Terek Sandpiper (white over yellow, right leg) - too distant to read number

Ronaldo

Today:
Boardwalk
Avocet Hong Kong flag H1 / H1
Pond 11
Eurasian Curlew also with Hong Kong flag. too far to distinguish

John Holmes

16th March 2012  Pond 11  16:00hrs (high tide roost)

Curlews "A0", "A2", and "A3"

Avocet "A5"

Marsh Sand. "N2"

梁厚鍵

2012/3/17 1800 hours, at Tai Sang Wai Hong Kong, sighted 3 Chinese Bulbuls each with a grey colored (aluminum?) ring on its right tarsus only, without any colored flag on the other leg.
Looking for expert's advice why there isn't any colored flag.
Thanks.

ajohn

Only waders will get coloured flags, so that we can follow the movements of these birds along the flyway when they are seen. /this is part of a scheme involving several countries along the flyway, each with it's own colour scheme. Waders are ideal for this study because the flags are easy to see in the field at a long distance, and provide information about the movement of the bird.

Other bird species are not routinely given colour rings. Certain species are the subject of particular study involving colour ringing (e.g. White-shouldered Starling in Hong Kong) but these species are exceptions. Most birds are only given metal rings with an individual identification number. It is these rings which you would have seen on the Chinese Bulbuls. It is usually not possible to read these in the field and information about the particular bird is usually not obtained unless the bird is retrapped. There have been a few cases in Hong Kong, however, when the ring has been read in the field or from photographs which have allowed the individual to be recognised.