LATEST SIGHTINGS - JUNE 2022
Greyish-crowned Leafbird Chloropsis lazulina melliana at Tai Po Kau (BHK archive). This taxon occurs in south and southeast China, and north and central Vietnam. The nominate subspecies, C. l. lazulina occurs in Hainan. It has recently been split from Orange-bellied Leafbird Chloropsis hardwickii which occurs from the central Himalayas to Myanmar, northwest Thailand, north Laos and the Malay Peninsula.
June 1-15
‘For the rain it raineth every day.’ The first half of June was dominated by a series of low pressure systems over southern China. It was very wet, particularly from 6th onwards, and a Red rainstorm warning was issued on 8th. Winds were mainly from the southwest. Temperatures ranged from the mid-twenties to low thirties. Bird sightings below:
Tufted Duck: one was at San Tin on 12th
Himalayan Swiftlet: three were at Sai Kung on 8th
Pacific Swift: one was at Ho Pui reservoir on 1st; one was at Clearwater Bay CP on 10th
Lesser Cuckoo: up to two were at Tai Lam CP from 1st - 7th; three were at Lead Mine Pass on 5th
Oriental Turtle Dove: two were at Lok MaChau EEA on 2nd
Red Collared Dove: three were at Lok MaChau EEA on 2nd
Slaty-breasted Rail: one was on eggs at Mai Po on 3rd
Slaty-legged Crake: one was at Tai Po Kau on 25th
Asian Dowitcher: one was at Mai Po on 1st
Oriental Pratincole: four were at Mai Po on 1st; two were there on 3rd
Black-tailed Gull: the bird first seen at Tai Wai in December 2021 was still present on 1st; presumably it is sick or injured
Gull-billed Tern: two were at Mai Po on 1st; ten were at Lok MaChau EEA on 2nd
Roseate Tern: up to ten were in Sai Kung harbour during the period under review
Black-naped Tern: up to eight were in Sai Kung harbour during the period under review
White-winged Tern: one was at Mai Po on 1st; three were in Sai Kung harbour on 5th
Whiskered Tern: two were in Sai Kung harbour on 5th & 12th; eight were there on 15th
Lesser Frigatebird: two were at the Ninepins on 11th
Great Cormorant: three were at Lok MaChau EEA on 2nd and four were there on 12th
Black-faced Spoonbill: 12 were at Mai Po on 1st
Cinnamon Bittern: a pair was at Lok MaChau EEA on 2nd; one was at San Tin on 12th (perhaps one of the Lok Ma Chau birds)
Black-winged Kite: singles were at Palm Springs on 2nd and Yuen Long Bypass Floodway on 11th
Black Baza: the pair nesting near Sheung Shui were reported to at least 13th
Chinese Barbet: one was at Tai Lam CP 2nd & 7th
Eurasian Hobby: one was at Palm Springs on 5th
Black Bulbul: eight were at Tai Lam CP on 1st; one was at Tai Po Kau on 1st; one was at KFBG on 13th
Spot-breasted Parrotbill: the long-staying bird of uncertain origin was still at Tai Mo Shan on 5th
White-cheeked Starling: a pair was feeding fledged young at Lok MaChau EEA on 2nd
White-shouldered Starling: 100+ were at Lok MaChau EEA on 2nd, including many fledged young
Orange-headed Thrush: two were at Tai Lam CP on 7th
Brown-breasted Flycatcher: one was at Tai Lam CP on 2nd; two were there on 7th
Chinese Grosbeak: a female was on eggs at Lok MaChau EEA on 2nd.
‘For the rain it raineth every day.’ The first half of June was dominated by a series of low pressure systems over southern China. It was very wet, particularly from 6th onwards, and a Red rainstorm warning was issued on 8th. Winds were mainly from the southwest. Temperatures ranged from the mid-twenties to low thirties. Bird sightings below:
Tufted Duck: one was at San Tin on 12th
Himalayan Swiftlet: three were at Sai Kung on 8th
Pacific Swift: one was at Ho Pui reservoir on 1st; one was at Clearwater Bay CP on 10th
Lesser Cuckoo: up to two were at Tai Lam CP from 1st - 7th; three were at Lead Mine Pass on 5th
Oriental Turtle Dove: two were at Lok MaChau EEA on 2nd
Red Collared Dove: three were at Lok MaChau EEA on 2nd
Slaty-breasted Rail: one was on eggs at Mai Po on 3rd
Slaty-legged Crake: one was at Tai Po Kau on 25th
Asian Dowitcher: one was at Mai Po on 1st
Oriental Pratincole: four were at Mai Po on 1st; two were there on 3rd
Black-tailed Gull: the bird first seen at Tai Wai in December 2021 was still present on 1st; presumably it is sick or injured
Gull-billed Tern: two were at Mai Po on 1st; ten were at Lok MaChau EEA on 2nd
Roseate Tern: up to ten were in Sai Kung harbour during the period under review
Black-naped Tern: up to eight were in Sai Kung harbour during the period under review
White-winged Tern: one was at Mai Po on 1st; three were in Sai Kung harbour on 5th
Whiskered Tern: two were in Sai Kung harbour on 5th & 12th; eight were there on 15th
Lesser Frigatebird: two were at the Ninepins on 11th
Great Cormorant: three were at Lok MaChau EEA on 2nd and four were there on 12th
Black-faced Spoonbill: 12 were at Mai Po on 1st
Cinnamon Bittern: a pair was at Lok MaChau EEA on 2nd; one was at San Tin on 12th (perhaps one of the Lok Ma Chau birds)
Black-winged Kite: singles were at Palm Springs on 2nd and Yuen Long Bypass Floodway on 11th
Black Baza: the pair nesting near Sheung Shui were reported to at least 13th
Chinese Barbet: one was at Tai Lam CP 2nd & 7th
Eurasian Hobby: one was at Palm Springs on 5th
Black Bulbul: eight were at Tai Lam CP on 1st; one was at Tai Po Kau on 1st; one was at KFBG on 13th
Spot-breasted Parrotbill: the long-staying bird of uncertain origin was still at Tai Mo Shan on 5th
White-cheeked Starling: a pair was feeding fledged young at Lok MaChau EEA on 2nd
White-shouldered Starling: 100+ were at Lok MaChau EEA on 2nd, including many fledged young
Orange-headed Thrush: two were at Tai Lam CP on 7th
Brown-breasted Flycatcher: one was at Tai Lam CP on 2nd; two were there on 7th
Chinese Grosbeak: a female was on eggs at Lok MaChau EEA on 2nd.
Previously regarded as a race of Cinereous Tit Parus cinereus (and before that Great Tit Parus major) this common Hong Kong species has now been reclassified as a taxon of Japanese Tit Parus minor commixtus.
June 16-30
Unsettled weather – a few showers and isolated thunderstorms – up until 22nd, after which it became very hot with temperatures up to 34° towards the end of the month. T1 was raised on 30th as Tropical Cyclone Chaba moved northwest over the central part of the South China Sea towards the coast of western Guangdong bringing heavy showers to Hong Kong. Birds noted during the period included:
Chinese Spot-billed Duck: two were at Mai Po on 27th
Pacific Swift: at least 25 were at Shui Hau on 17th along with 80 House Swifts
Watercock: one was at Mui Wo on 17th
Pheasant-tailed Jacana: two were at Lok Ma Chau EEA on 19th
Caspian Tern: one was at Po Toi on 19th
Greater Crested Tern: five were at Po Toi on 19th with 11 there on 30th
Little Tern: two were at Po Toi on 19th
Common Tern: five were at Po Toi on 19th
Whiskered Tern: four were off Po Toi on 30th
White-winged Tern: five were off Po Toi on 30th
Parasitic Jaeger: one was off Po Toi on 30th
Lesser Frigatebird: singles were at Sai Kung on 18th and Po Toi on 19th
Brown Booby: one was off Po Toi on 30th
Cinnamon Bittern: one was at Lok Ma Chau EEA on 19th and a pair was there on 26th
Chinese Egret: one was at Mai Po on 27th
Black-winged Kite: one was at Mai Po on 23rd & 24th; one was at Ma Chau off Po Toi on 26th
Black Baza: the pair breeding near Sheung Shui had three chicks in the nest on 27th
Eurasian Hobby: one was at Mai Po on 18th
Chinese Grassbird: one was at Tai Mo Shan on 19th
White-cheeked Starling: 20, mainly juveniles, were at Lok Ma Chau EEA on 26th.
Unsettled weather – a few showers and isolated thunderstorms – up until 22nd, after which it became very hot with temperatures up to 34° towards the end of the month. T1 was raised on 30th as Tropical Cyclone Chaba moved northwest over the central part of the South China Sea towards the coast of western Guangdong bringing heavy showers to Hong Kong. Birds noted during the period included:
Chinese Spot-billed Duck: two were at Mai Po on 27th
Pacific Swift: at least 25 were at Shui Hau on 17th along with 80 House Swifts
Watercock: one was at Mui Wo on 17th
Pheasant-tailed Jacana: two were at Lok Ma Chau EEA on 19th
Caspian Tern: one was at Po Toi on 19th
Greater Crested Tern: five were at Po Toi on 19th with 11 there on 30th
Little Tern: two were at Po Toi on 19th
Common Tern: five were at Po Toi on 19th
Whiskered Tern: four were off Po Toi on 30th
White-winged Tern: five were off Po Toi on 30th
Parasitic Jaeger: one was off Po Toi on 30th
Lesser Frigatebird: singles were at Sai Kung on 18th and Po Toi on 19th
Brown Booby: one was off Po Toi on 30th
Cinnamon Bittern: one was at Lok Ma Chau EEA on 19th and a pair was there on 26th
Chinese Egret: one was at Mai Po on 27th
Black-winged Kite: one was at Mai Po on 23rd & 24th; one was at Ma Chau off Po Toi on 26th
Black Baza: the pair breeding near Sheung Shui had three chicks in the nest on 27th
Eurasian Hobby: one was at Mai Po on 18th
Chinese Grassbird: one was at Tai Mo Shan on 19th
White-cheeked Starling: 20, mainly juveniles, were at Lok Ma Chau EEA on 26th.
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Please note that these are unchecked reports. Records of rarities and of unseasonal occurrences may be subject to assessment by the HKBWS Records Committee. A checklist showing species for which a description is required can be found at the HKBWS website - http://www.hkbws.org.hk/BBS/viewthread.php?tid=28249&extra=page%3D1