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        Discussion Area 討論區 >> Birding Reports & Tips 觀鳥報告及心得 >>  Malayan Night Heron? 黑冠鳽
        
(Message started by: HF_Cheung on Sep 3^rd, 2004, 9:54pm)

Title: Malayan Night Heron? 黑冠鳽
Post by HF_Cheung on Sep 3^rd, 2004, 9:54pm

A Malayan/Japanese Night Heron was reported by Cheung Chun-kwok at Chiu Keng (his home area) at about 6:00 pm today (3 Sept 2004).

Somebody has planned to go tomorrow morning.  If you want to go, please contact him if you know him.  He will be around.

HF Cheung

Title: Re: Malayan Night Heron?
Post by M Kilburn on Sep 6^th, 2004, 10:00am

Congratulations and thank you to Mr Cheung!

A wonderful record and many people (including me) have been able to see the birds very well, especially on Saturday evening and Sunday.

This is just the second record in Hong Kong, but the first seen by people! The first record was made by an infra-red camera trap of the Wildlife Conservaion Society on Lantau Island in 2002.

Thank also to others who helped to find and show the bird to other people. I look forward to seeing some great photos from the expert photographers.

Title: Re: Malayan Night Heron?
Post by gjcarey on Sep 6^th, 2004, 11:50am

Great birds! However, just a word of caution. It is probably best NOT to enter the woodland itself, as it disturbs both adults and juvenile. They are forced out of the woodland but, as you will see, there is no alternative habitat for them to fly to. They are then forced to perch on adjacent wires. This is probably quite stressful for the birds. And as the juvenile is not fully independent, we don't want to cause the adults to desert it.

Regards,

Geoff

Title: Re: Malayan Night Heron?
Post by Captain on Sep 6^th, 2004, 2:59pm

Lew and I (Egret Research Group) will try to search the nest and any egg shells for collecting breeding evidence after office hr, although parent(s) feeding the young was seen last night.

As the juv is fledged, our survey should have very little impact on the birds.

For the benefit of the birds, we would not stay long and not going to conduct detailed measurements. Perhaps do it after the completion of breeding

So, pls don't shoot us if you see someone inside the woodland.

Anyway, if the bird is confirmed to breed there, Ping Kong should receive stronger planning protection.

Title: Re: Malayan Night Heron?
Post by Guest on Sep 6^th, 2004, 4:27pm

I don't think there should be any further disturbance to the birds, no matter what kind of "research" excuse now.

There had been enough safari and photo outing in the past three days. I was one too and I feel regret for what I had done.

I think we should only study and enjoy the birds at a respectful distance and in a respectful manner.

We all need to learn to be a responsible birder.

Title: Re: Malayan Night Heron?
Post by gjcarey on Sep 7^th, 2004, 3:09pm

I agree with the latter correspondent. Ho Fai has provided photographic evidence of the nest, and there is little to be gained by entering the woodland again. The adult is still feeding the juvenile. I would suggest that the risk is too great bearing in mind the relatively little to be gained at this stage.

On a more positive note, if Malayan Night Heron is prepared to breed in such a small and degraded woodland such as this, there could be many pairs in HK!

Geoff

Title: Re: Malayan Night Heron?
Post by miket on Sep 7^th, 2004, 9:20pm

It seems to me this is the first real case of its kind in HK birding of a very rare breeding bird being discovered in an easily accessible place, and attracting a lot of people. It was unusual in that it only gradually emerged that the birds had actually bred at the spot and weren't just migrants, and that disturbance could really threaten the juveniles with abandonment. However, we were, I think, lucky that the breeding attempt was so extremely advanced when the birds were discovered - on Monday the adult(s) did not seem to turn up despite the calling of the juveniles, and while this could be worrying, I wouldn't be surprised if with the loss of the last downy feathers they weren't about to stop attending to the juveniles anyway. Most importantly it seems to have got HK birders thinking about the issue of disturbance of birds in sensitive situations, and that must be a good thing.

Mike Turnbull

Title: Re: Malayan Night Heron?
Post by miket on Sep 7^th, 2004, 9:28pm

Just to make it quite clear, I fully agree with Geoff and others that there should be no entering the wood now, until the birds have departed. My point - maybe not expressed very well - was that in fact I think we've been lucky that that level of disturbance did not happen at an earlier stage than it did.

Mike Turnbull

Title: Re: Malayan Night Heron?
Post by Karl on Sep 7^th, 2004, 11:47pm

in case of doubt, no doubt. nobody can predict the outcome of further disturbance.

Title: Re: Malayan Night Heron?
Post by Sarah on Sep 8^th, 2004, 9:39am

觀鳥的十大守則

http://www.geocities.com/~smewmao/observer/bird/fresh/tenrules.html

Title: Re: Malayan Night Heron?
Post by Sarah on Sep 8^th, 2004, 9:46am

Birdwatching Guidelines

http://www.birdobservers.org.au/ethics.htm

Title: Re: Malayan Night Heron?
Post by HF_Cheung on Sep 8^th, 2004, 12:02pm

I like to thanks Sarah for bringing up example rules for watching birds. Actually we have talked a set of rule in our bird watching class. For example,

3. Rules
(1) Safety
(2) Minimize disturbance to other people
(3) Respect bird’s right
(4) Care for the environment

These looks like principles rather than specific rules. It is actually up to interpretation, and in practice I think it is fairly difficult to set strict rules.

The most problematic rules that I came across are:
1. How close is too close? This is especially serious when we talk about a nest or a breeding site.
2. When is it acceptable to use nest to catch a particular bird, flushing birds, use playback song and call, using flash when taking a photo, checking birds at night with a torch. These are actions that certainly disturb the bird to some extend.

In the end, expert opinion and on site judgement is probably the most important thing that one should consider. Take for example the Australia guideline, there is no mention of using flash in taking photograph, but I know the Taiwan birdwatchers have decided that photography with flash is unacceptable.

HKBWS so far does not have a very strict set of rules (I guess it would not be flexible enough to cover all situations). Even then, I know many people have been very conscious about this. For example, I have not seen anybody using flash in the Malayan Night Heron site. I hope to see in the future birdwatchers continue to exercise that same high level of conscious as it is right now. Self regulatory is the only way to go, no matter how much rule we may have. Reminders from other birdwatchers are also very helpful.

HF Cheung

Title: Flash in Bird Photography
Post by KK Hui on Sep 8^th, 2004, 2:23pm

on 09/08/04 at 12:02:06, HF_Cheung wrote:

... using flash when taking a photo, checking birds at night with a torch. These are actions that certainly disturb the bird to some extend ... Take for example the Australia guideline, there is no mention of using flash in taking photograph, but I know the Taiwan birdwatchers have decided that photography with flash is unacceptable ...

The use of artifical light such as the extremely short duration of in camera flash is controversal in animal/bird photography to say the least. While I must admit there may be minor distrubrance to the subject in question I have not seen any scientific report(s) stating it's harmful to them, have you?

A good basic understanding of the retina in birds and animal is necessary when we want to look seriously at the subject - 'the effect of flash photography on birds'!

As long as the photographers exercise some constraint, for example keeping a reasonable distance, I personally do NOT see any harm in using flash ... ::)

KK Hui ARPS
www.geocities.com/kkhui_001

Title: Re: Malayan Night Heron?
Post by isaac_chan on Sep 8^th, 2004, 4:22pm

To whom interested,

"Flash or no flash on bird photography?" I posted on General Discussion Area. :)
http://www.hkbws.org.hk/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=Discussion;action=display;num=1092857493

Wildlife Flash Photography by Dean M. Chriss
http://www.dmcphoto.com/Articles/Flash/

Title: Re: Malayan Night Heron?
Post by M Kilburn on Sep 8^th, 2004, 10:36pm

Malayan Night Heron was again seen and heard between 6:30 and 7:00pm this evening.

One of the juvenile birds flew a couple of times over the roost and perched in view for a short period. The tufts of down could clearly be seen on the headboth in flight and at rest.

An adult twice visited, flying in from the direction of the AFCD Agricultural Research Station.

From 6:30 onwards the young birds were almost constanly calling from the depths of the feng shui wood.

Cheers
Mike K

Title: Re: Malayan Night Heron?
Post by TUNG on Sep 9^th, 2004, 5:50pm

Dear all,

Are the herons still present today?

Thanks
Tung