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        Discussion Area 討論區 >> Bird Identification 鳥類辨識 >>  Yellow wagtail 黃鶺鴒
        
(Message started by: little_dolphin on Nov 2^nd, 2004, 10:55pm)

Title: Yellow wagtail 黃鶺鴒
Post by little_dolphin on Nov 2^nd, 2004, 10:55pm

Hello! I'm a beginner birder.

May I ask can yellow wagtails be found on rooftops? I saw about 15 wagtail-like birds on the roof of Baptist Lui Ming Choi Primary school (呂明才小學) and Ngan Shing Commercial Centre (銀城商場) in City One, Shatin at about 5:25pm on 1st November. The birds have a greenish-brown back and a long tail. I can't see much detail as I viewed from more than 60m above with binoculars, but I can see their undersides are bright yellow. The birds are quite spread out from each other. Similar groups of bird also appeared there last autumn and this spring.

Thank you very much!

Title: Re: Yellow wagtail
Post by Owlet-nightjar on Nov 4^th, 2004, 11:48am

Congratulations! I haven't seen Yellow Wagtail perching on big building yet, but in 2003 I saw a big flock (the highest count was about 400) of White Wagtail perching on several buildings near the Sheung Shui KCR station, they were waiting for their suitable moments to fly into the roosting tree in the area.
I haven't checked the area since then.

恭喜你了！我還未看過黃鶺鴒站在大建築物上呢。不過２００３年我見過一群（最高紀錄約有４００）白鶺鴒站在上水火車站附近建築物上，牠們等候合適時刻飛往夜間棲息的樹上。
其後至今我還未有再回該處看看。

http://www.hkbws.org.hk/fileServer/PhotoG/jemi/owletnightjar/wwagtail_ss_031016_1.jpg

http://www.hkbws.org.hk/fileServer/PhotoG/jemi/owletnightjar/wwagtail_ss_031016_2.jpg

http://www.hkbws.org.hk/fileServer/PhotoG/jemi/owletnightjar/wwagtail_ss_031016_3.jpg

http://www.hkbws.org.hk/fileServer/PhotoG/jemi/owletnightjar/wwagtail_ss_031016_4.jpg

Title: Re: Yellow wagtail
Post by little_dolphin on Nov 4^th, 2004, 8:04pm

Dear Owlet-nightjar,

Thanks for sharing your spectacular photos. I've never thought seeing yellow wagtails on large buildings are unusual... :)

I went to 4/F of Ngan Shing Commercial Centre (the buidling I mentioned in the first message) this evening (4 Nov). There's a large balcony on all 4 sides of the building, with another floor (the roof) above. I saw 2 small birds flew 6 metres above me from the roof. Each have a long tail (about the length of their body) and yellow belly. They flew with periodic dips and pipipipipipi calls when dipping. The time is 5:50pm. I believe they are yellow wagtails. Sorry that I don't have a camera with me. :(

Any other possibilities? Thanks!

Title: Re: Yellow wagtail 黃鶺鴒
Post by Koel_Ko on Nov 5^th, 2004, 6:02am

If the yellow is very much confined to the vent and the legs are pale, then you may be looking at some Grey wagtails. They also have a longer tail than yellow wagtails and are less averse to perching on buildings - yellow wagtails are more of a bird of marshes. ;)

Title: Re: Yellow wagtail 黃鶺鴒
Post by little_dolphin on Nov 7^th, 2004, 12:21am

Dear Koel,

Thanks for your information.

The wagtails (about 15) appeared again today (6 Nov) at 5:00pm on the buildings' roofs. Got a closer look at them. All of their undersides are bright yellow (including the vent), but their flanks are white. I guess they really are grey wagtails. The viewing angle does not permit me to see their legs, though. (The nearest one stood on a ledge 20m diagonally above me.)

I believe the wagtails will perch on the roof of the above 2 buildings every evening (most appear from 5:00pm to 5:30pm) for the next week or two.

Title: Re: Yellow wagtail 黃鶺鴒
Post by little_dolphin on Nov 12^th, 2004, 11:36pm

Hello Shirley. Nice to meet you! Watching wildlife always makes me happy. I hope you like watching animals too!

Actually, I am a university student. :)

Read books, watch more birds, and soon you'll be able to learn all the birds around you!

Little dolphin