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        Discussion Area 討論區 >> Conservation 自然保育 >>  Important Painted-snipe site under threat 彩鷸棲地受脅
        
(Message started by: johnallcock on Mar 14th, 2006, 1:20pm)
Title: Important Painted-snipe site under threat 彩鷸棲地受脅
Post by johnallcock on Mar 14th, 2006, 1:20pm
A planning application has been put in for development of what is probably the most important site for Greater-Painted snipe at Kam Tin. This site is an area of abandoned fishponds and agricultural land immediately adjacent to Shui Mei village, near the Buffalo Fields.

Greater Painted-snipe have been recorded breeding in the abandoned fields every year for at least the last five years. Birds are also regularly present throughout the year (depending on water levels), with counts of about 20 birds not unusual during autumn and early winter. Work I have been doing on the species locally indicates that the site is important for both night-time feeding and daytime roosting.

The application involves the filling of one of the fishponds for the construction of 40(!) houses. I have recorded painted-snipe feeding and roosting in this pond. It is also frequently used as a refuge for birds flushed from elsewhere, and I have recorded a male with chicks using the bund when the fields were flooded.

As there is currently no vehicular access to the pond, this will also require filling the fields immediately south of the fishpond (this has already started); these fields are one of the proven breeding sites. This would have a major impact on the hydrology of the site, as it would block a small stream that drains through the fields (causing the fields to flood, and probably increasing the risk of flooding in nearby houses during periods of high rainfall)

As well as painted-snipe, the site is important for other bird species; among other species I have recorded purple heron, schrenck's, cinnamon and yellow bitterns, besra, grey-headed lapwing, common/pintail/swinhoe's snipe (numerous), woodcock, plaintive cuckoo, lesser coucal, asian barred owlet, savanna nightjar, brown shrike (overwintering for last 2 years), thrushes, zitting cisticola, red-thoated and asian brown flycatchers, buntings, grosbeaks and starlings.

Other wildlife includes snakes (checkered keelback, ratsnakes, cobras, buff-striped keelback, many-banded krait) and amphibians (7 species).

I believe the application is not just environmentally damaging but is also unnecessary; a few metres from the proposed site is a group of 11 houses that were built several years ago and are still unoccupied. It seems unlikely that another 40 houses are now required!

The planning department is currently asking for comments on the proposal by 28th March. I intend to write to them outlining these points and I believe the HKBWS will also be making comments. If anyone else is interested in doing so, or would like more details, please contact me.
Title: Re: Important Painted-snipe site under threat
Post by Captain on Mar 14th, 2006, 2:58pm
These is also another planning application about filling a pond for building small house in Nam Sang Wai. Expressing your views to the Town Planning Board is welcome.

Captain


The details are (Chinese)

擬議填塘用作新界豁免管制屋宇發展

A/YL-NSW/168 27/02/2006 元朗南生圍山貝村丈量約份第115約地段第1290號A分段至U分段、第1290號W分段至Z分段、第1290號AA分段至AG分段及第1290號餘段
http://www.info.gov.hk/tpb/application/applications01_c.htm

位置圖
http://www.info.gov.hk/tpb/application/20060303/YL-NSW-168-plan.pdf

摘要
http://www.info.gov.hk/tpb/application/20060303/YL-NSW-168-gist.pdf

就申請提出意見的屆滿日期
24/03/2006


English
Proposed Pond Filling for Development of New Territories Exempted Houses Newspaper Notice
Gist


/YL-NSW/168 27/02/2006 Lots No. 1290 S.A-S.U, 1290 S.W-S.Z, 1290 S.AA-S.AG and 1290 RP in D.D. 115, Shan Pui Tsuen, Nam Sang Wai, Yuen Long

http://www.info.gov.hk/tpb/application/applications01_e.htm

Location Plan
http://www.info.gov.hk/tpb/application/20060303/YL-NSW-168-plan.pdf

Deadline
24/03/2006

Title: Re: Important Painted-snipe site under threat
Post by Captain on Mar 14th, 2006, 3:10pm
Hi John,

This is Captain. Is the mentioned planning application A/YL-KTN/248? There are several planning application around Kam Tin.

Cheers,

Captain
Title: Re: Important Painted-snipe site under threat
Post by johnallcock on Mar 14th, 2006, 5:49pm
Yes, captain, that's the right number.

I will have a look at the nam sang wai application although I'm less familiar with the ponds there


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