HKBWS BBS 香港觀鳥會新聞組


    
      
        HKBWS BBS 香 港 觀 鳥 會 新 聞 組
        (http://www.hkbws.org.hk/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl)
      

        Discussion Area 討論區 >> Birding Reports & Tips 觀鳥報告及心得 >>  Amur Falcons at Mai Po
        
(Message started by: Mike Kilburn on Oct 18^th, 2003, 2:27pm)

Title: Amur Falcons at Mai Po
Post by Mike Kilburn on Oct 18^th, 2003, 2:27pm

Over the last three days 9 Amur Falcons have passed over Mai Po in the early morning between 07:00 and 09:30 and headed towards Tsim Bei Tsui!

Today a single adult male flew directly over our heads showing the diagnostic white underwing coverts - a fantastic sight!

The birds were found by Paul Leader who recommends looking up and east from open spaces in the centre of the reserve, where you can see a large expanse of sky. This is because the birds are migrating from NE to SW.

All birds have been migrating and flying fast and high. It is tough staring towards the rising sun - but well worth it!

Unless you have a clear view of an adult male they can be difficult to identify and must be split from Hobby, Peregrine and Kestrel.
Paul has suggested looking out for birds which seem to have short tails like Peregrines and (relatively) blunt-tipped wings like a Kestrel - Hobby is long tailed and has long, very pointed wings

If you want to search for Amur Falcons you may also try from the top of Crest Hill behind Long Valley, or Tsim Bei Tsui. I also saw an unidentified falcon flying through the pass at the top of Lam Tsuen on Friday evening, and Amur Falcon has been seen from Kadoorie Farm before.

Good hunting!

Mike