LATEST SIGHTINGS - MARCH 2019
March 1-10
March 1-10
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Fork-tailed Sunbird and Orange-bellied Leafbird on Coral Tree Flowers, Tai Po Kau (Birding Hong Kong archive)
The 2018/19 winter (December to February) was the warmest on record. The first few days of March proved to be more typical for the time of year, being grey and miserable. A trough of low pressure brought rain, sometimes heavy, to the territory. Temperatures ranged from 15-21⁰C for most of the period.
The highlight of early March was Mrs Gould’s Sunbird. An immature male was at KFBG on 4th and a much-photographed adult male was at Tai Po Kau from 4th until at least 8th. See http://www.hkbws.org.hk/BBS/viewthread.php?tid=28026 .
The Avifauna of Hong Kong reported three records of this very colourful sunbird (1988, 1990 and 1998) but these were considered to be ex-captive birds. The first accepted record of a wild bird was a male at Tai Po Kau from 22nd to 30th January 2005. There were eleven further records of the species between 2006 and 2018, all in the period 15 January to 6 April, which coincides with the flowering season of Coral Trees Erythrina spp. in Hong Kong. The most birds present at a single location were two males and a female at KFBG from 24 February to 27 March 2014.
Four races of Mrs Gould’s Sunbird occur in the Oriental region, two of them in China. The one that occurs in Hong Kong is Aethopyga gouldiae dabryii. This subspecies breeds in extreme northeast India, Myanmar, north Indochina, and in central & southwest China east to Guangxi. Some are known to winter in southern Myanmar and northern Thailand, and based on the Hong Kong records, it is evident that some birds also wander to the coastal areas of southern China.
Other birds at Tai Po Kau included Chinese Barbet, Speckled Piculet, Chestnut-crowned Warblers and two Sulphur-breasted Warblers on 2nd. The Chinese Barbet was heard on and off until at least 8th, and a White Spectacled Warbler and one of the Sulphur-breasted Warblers were reorted on 5th.
A Large Hawk Cuckoo and a Plaintive Cuckoo were heard singing in the Lam Tsuen valley on 1st. (This was, however, not the first report of Large Hawk Cuckoo in the territory; birds were heard at Shek Kong catchwater on 23rd February and at Lantau Peak on 24th February.)
Mai Po held a 1st-winter Pallas’s Gull, two Black-tailed Gulls and a Caspian Tern on 1st. On 8th, signs of shorebird movement were evinced by the presence of ten Curlew Sandpipers and six Broad-billed Sandpipers; other sightings included a Far Eastern Curlew, four Pallas’s Gulls, a Slaty-backed Gull, a Gull-billed tern and three Caspian Terns. On 9th, a Long- billed Dowitcher, three Black-tailed Gulls and two Pallas’s Gulls were noted, and a Lanceolated Warbler was singing along the access road.
An Arctic Warbler was again heard calling at Ho Man Tin on 2nd and the wintering Yellow-streaked Warbler was seen at Mt Davis on the same date. The wintering Smew was also seen at San Tin on 2nd.
The HK Wetland Park had a Long-billed Dowitcher on 3rd. An Eastern Water Rail was at Long Valley on 8th.
The highlight of early March was Mrs Gould’s Sunbird. An immature male was at KFBG on 4th and a much-photographed adult male was at Tai Po Kau from 4th until at least 8th. See http://www.hkbws.org.hk/BBS/viewthread.php?tid=28026 .
The Avifauna of Hong Kong reported three records of this very colourful sunbird (1988, 1990 and 1998) but these were considered to be ex-captive birds. The first accepted record of a wild bird was a male at Tai Po Kau from 22nd to 30th January 2005. There were eleven further records of the species between 2006 and 2018, all in the period 15 January to 6 April, which coincides with the flowering season of Coral Trees Erythrina spp. in Hong Kong. The most birds present at a single location were two males and a female at KFBG from 24 February to 27 March 2014.
Four races of Mrs Gould’s Sunbird occur in the Oriental region, two of them in China. The one that occurs in Hong Kong is Aethopyga gouldiae dabryii. This subspecies breeds in extreme northeast India, Myanmar, north Indochina, and in central & southwest China east to Guangxi. Some are known to winter in southern Myanmar and northern Thailand, and based on the Hong Kong records, it is evident that some birds also wander to the coastal areas of southern China.
Other birds at Tai Po Kau included Chinese Barbet, Speckled Piculet, Chestnut-crowned Warblers and two Sulphur-breasted Warblers on 2nd. The Chinese Barbet was heard on and off until at least 8th, and a White Spectacled Warbler and one of the Sulphur-breasted Warblers were reorted on 5th.
A Large Hawk Cuckoo and a Plaintive Cuckoo were heard singing in the Lam Tsuen valley on 1st. (This was, however, not the first report of Large Hawk Cuckoo in the territory; birds were heard at Shek Kong catchwater on 23rd February and at Lantau Peak on 24th February.)
Mai Po held a 1st-winter Pallas’s Gull, two Black-tailed Gulls and a Caspian Tern on 1st. On 8th, signs of shorebird movement were evinced by the presence of ten Curlew Sandpipers and six Broad-billed Sandpipers; other sightings included a Far Eastern Curlew, four Pallas’s Gulls, a Slaty-backed Gull, a Gull-billed tern and three Caspian Terns. On 9th, a Long- billed Dowitcher, three Black-tailed Gulls and two Pallas’s Gulls were noted, and a Lanceolated Warbler was singing along the access road.
An Arctic Warbler was again heard calling at Ho Man Tin on 2nd and the wintering Yellow-streaked Warbler was seen at Mt Davis on the same date. The wintering Smew was also seen at San Tin on 2nd.
The HK Wetland Park had a Long-billed Dowitcher on 3rd. An Eastern Water Rail was at Long Valley on 8th.
Fork-tailed Sunbird on Coral Tree flower, Tai Po Kau (Birding Hong Kong archive)
March 11-17
Fine and dry at the beginning and end of the week, but fresh easterlies/northeasterlies from 13th to 15th brought cooler temperatures and rain to the territory.
Wintering birds continued to be recorded and there was also evidence of spring migration. Reports included:
Common Pochard: one still at San Tin on 11th
Smew: the wintering bird still at San Tin on 11th
Crested Honey Buzzard: singles at Tai Po Kau on 14th and Shek Kong catchwater (Tsing Tam Reservoir) on 17th
Grey-faced Buzzard: four at Ma Tso Lung on 17th
Far Eastern Curlew: one at Mai Po on 14th
Long-billed Dowitcher: one at Mai Po on 11th & 17th; one at HK Wetland Park on 13th
Oriental Pratincole: passage birds as follows – singles at Chek Lap Kok and Mai Po on 11th; six at Chek Lap Kok on 14th
Saunders’s Gull: 22 birds counted at Mai Po on 14th
Pallas’s Gull: a single 1st- or 2nd-year bird at Mai Po on 14th
Black-tailed Gull: two adults at Mai Po on 14th & 15th
Mew (Kamchatka) Gull: one at Mai Po on 15th
Vega Gull: one of the nominate race at Mai Po on 15th
Slaty-backed Gull: one at Mai Po on 15th
Gull-billed Tern: regular at Mai Po in ones and twos during the week with eight on 16th
Caspian Tern: numbers slowly increasing at Mai Po during the week with 13 present on 15th
Chinese Barbet: one heard occasionally at Tai Po Kau during the week
Eurasian Wryneck: one at Mai Po on 12th
Rook: the wintering bird at Mai Po still present on 11th
Asian House Martin; one at Tai Mei Tuk on 16th
Sulphur-breasted Warbler: one still at Tai Po Kau on 16th
Manchurian Reed Warbler: one singing at Lok Ma Chau on 13th
Pallas’s Grasshopper Warbler: one singing along Mai Po access road on 13th
Styan’s Grasshopper Warbler: two singing at Mai Po on 12th
Lanceolated Warbler: one singing at Lam Tsuen on 12th
Blue-and-white Flycatcher: a female at Cheung Chau on 13th, single males at Tai Po Kau and Ho Man Tin on 15th
Rufous-tailed Robin: four at Tai Po Kau on 15th
Plain Flowerpecker: one heard at Tai Po Kau on 13th
Mrs Gould’s Sunbird: the adult male remained at Tai Po Kau until at least 15th
Brambling: a male coming into breeding plumage at Mai Po on 11th.
Fine and dry at the beginning and end of the week, but fresh easterlies/northeasterlies from 13th to 15th brought cooler temperatures and rain to the territory.
Wintering birds continued to be recorded and there was also evidence of spring migration. Reports included:
Common Pochard: one still at San Tin on 11th
Smew: the wintering bird still at San Tin on 11th
Crested Honey Buzzard: singles at Tai Po Kau on 14th and Shek Kong catchwater (Tsing Tam Reservoir) on 17th
Grey-faced Buzzard: four at Ma Tso Lung on 17th
Far Eastern Curlew: one at Mai Po on 14th
Long-billed Dowitcher: one at Mai Po on 11th & 17th; one at HK Wetland Park on 13th
Oriental Pratincole: passage birds as follows – singles at Chek Lap Kok and Mai Po on 11th; six at Chek Lap Kok on 14th
Saunders’s Gull: 22 birds counted at Mai Po on 14th
Pallas’s Gull: a single 1st- or 2nd-year bird at Mai Po on 14th
Black-tailed Gull: two adults at Mai Po on 14th & 15th
Mew (Kamchatka) Gull: one at Mai Po on 15th
Vega Gull: one of the nominate race at Mai Po on 15th
Slaty-backed Gull: one at Mai Po on 15th
Gull-billed Tern: regular at Mai Po in ones and twos during the week with eight on 16th
Caspian Tern: numbers slowly increasing at Mai Po during the week with 13 present on 15th
Chinese Barbet: one heard occasionally at Tai Po Kau during the week
Eurasian Wryneck: one at Mai Po on 12th
Rook: the wintering bird at Mai Po still present on 11th
Asian House Martin; one at Tai Mei Tuk on 16th
Sulphur-breasted Warbler: one still at Tai Po Kau on 16th
Manchurian Reed Warbler: one singing at Lok Ma Chau on 13th
Pallas’s Grasshopper Warbler: one singing along Mai Po access road on 13th
Styan’s Grasshopper Warbler: two singing at Mai Po on 12th
Lanceolated Warbler: one singing at Lam Tsuen on 12th
Blue-and-white Flycatcher: a female at Cheung Chau on 13th, single males at Tai Po Kau and Ho Man Tin on 15th
Rufous-tailed Robin: four at Tai Po Kau on 15th
Plain Flowerpecker: one heard at Tai Po Kau on 13th
Mrs Gould’s Sunbird: the adult male remained at Tai Po Kau until at least 15th
Brambling: a male coming into breeding plumage at Mai Po on 11th.
March 18-24
Glossy Ibis at Ho Sheung Heung, 21 March 2019
The weather during the week was dominated by a warm and humid maritime airstream from the southeast with temperatures in the New Territories up to 28⁰C. This changed on the evening of the 22nd when a cold front swept in from the northeast bringing cloud, rain and cooler temperatures.
The main event of the week was the arrival of two Glossy Ibis at Mai Po on 20th. The birds were seen only briefly before they disappeared; fortunately they were rediscovered at Long Valley on 21st where they remained through 22nd. However, there was no sign of them on 23rd or 24th. There have only been two previous records of this species in Hong Kong – both singles and both at Mai Po - on 21 April 1978 and 1st – 2nd May 1994.
Apart from the ibis, Mai Po held 38 Great Knots, 45 Curlew Sandpipers, nine Caspian Terns and three Gull-billed Terns on 20th. Two Far Eastern Curlews, 20 Great Knots, a Red Knot, the Long-billed Dowitcher, a Pallas’s Gull, a Black-tailed Gull and two Styan’s Grasshopper Warblers were noted on 21st. Caspian Tern numbers had risen to 26 on 23rd but wader numbers remained low. Birds of interest on 24th included a Greater Spotted Eagle, two Long-billed Dowitchers, a Nordmann’s Greenshank, nine Broad-billed Sandpipers, three Red-necked Phalaropes, two Silver-backed Needletails and a Pacific Swift.
Tai Po Kau turned up Chinese Barbet, Blue-and-white Flycatcher and Verditer Flycatcher on 18th. Two Chinese Barbets were heard on 20th. On 22nd a Chinese barbet, a female Narcissus Flycatcher and a Japanese Thrush were reported – see https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S54092958 for Roman Lo’s photographs of the flycatcher and thrush.
On 19th Tai Lam CP had Crested Honey Buzzard, Black Bulbul, Verditer Flycatcher and 15 Japanese Thrushes; two Japanese Thrushes were at Sha Lo Tung on the same day.
Po Toi held Japanese Sparrowhawk, two Eurasian Hoopoes, Red-flanked Bluetail and four Little Buntings on 20th. In addition, nine Red-necked Phalaropes were seen from the ferry. Birds seen on 24th included a Grey-faced Buzzard, three Pacific Swifts and two Japanese Thrushes.
Eight Oriental Pratincoles were at Chek Lap Kok on 21st and two Long-billed Dowitchers were at HK Wetland Park on 22nd.
Also on 22nd Ashy Minivet, Brown Shrike, White-shouldered Starling and seven Red-billed Starlings were seen in Victoria Park. Ten Red-billed Starlings were on Cheung Chau.
Birds at Long Valley on 24th included an Eastern Water Rail and eight Red-necked Phalaropes - see http://www.hkbws.org.hk/BBS/viewthread.php?tid=28069 for photographs of the very approachable phalaropes.
Also on 24th, an Eastern Crowned Warbler and a Bull-headed Shrike were at Tai Tong.
The main event of the week was the arrival of two Glossy Ibis at Mai Po on 20th. The birds were seen only briefly before they disappeared; fortunately they were rediscovered at Long Valley on 21st where they remained through 22nd. However, there was no sign of them on 23rd or 24th. There have only been two previous records of this species in Hong Kong – both singles and both at Mai Po - on 21 April 1978 and 1st – 2nd May 1994.
Apart from the ibis, Mai Po held 38 Great Knots, 45 Curlew Sandpipers, nine Caspian Terns and three Gull-billed Terns on 20th. Two Far Eastern Curlews, 20 Great Knots, a Red Knot, the Long-billed Dowitcher, a Pallas’s Gull, a Black-tailed Gull and two Styan’s Grasshopper Warblers were noted on 21st. Caspian Tern numbers had risen to 26 on 23rd but wader numbers remained low. Birds of interest on 24th included a Greater Spotted Eagle, two Long-billed Dowitchers, a Nordmann’s Greenshank, nine Broad-billed Sandpipers, three Red-necked Phalaropes, two Silver-backed Needletails and a Pacific Swift.
Tai Po Kau turned up Chinese Barbet, Blue-and-white Flycatcher and Verditer Flycatcher on 18th. Two Chinese Barbets were heard on 20th. On 22nd a Chinese barbet, a female Narcissus Flycatcher and a Japanese Thrush were reported – see https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S54092958 for Roman Lo’s photographs of the flycatcher and thrush.
On 19th Tai Lam CP had Crested Honey Buzzard, Black Bulbul, Verditer Flycatcher and 15 Japanese Thrushes; two Japanese Thrushes were at Sha Lo Tung on the same day.
Po Toi held Japanese Sparrowhawk, two Eurasian Hoopoes, Red-flanked Bluetail and four Little Buntings on 20th. In addition, nine Red-necked Phalaropes were seen from the ferry. Birds seen on 24th included a Grey-faced Buzzard, three Pacific Swifts and two Japanese Thrushes.
Eight Oriental Pratincoles were at Chek Lap Kok on 21st and two Long-billed Dowitchers were at HK Wetland Park on 22nd.
Also on 22nd Ashy Minivet, Brown Shrike, White-shouldered Starling and seven Red-billed Starlings were seen in Victoria Park. Ten Red-billed Starlings were on Cheung Chau.
Birds at Long Valley on 24th included an Eastern Water Rail and eight Red-necked Phalaropes - see http://www.hkbws.org.hk/BBS/viewthread.php?tid=28069 for photographs of the very approachable phalaropes.
Also on 24th, an Eastern Crowned Warbler and a Bull-headed Shrike were at Tai Tong.
Glossy Ibis at Ho Sheung Heung, 21 March 2019
March 25-31
Western Yellow Wagtail Motacilla flava leucocephala at Lut Chau, 28 March 2019
The weather was generally warm and humid with temperatures reaching 27⁰C on 28th. A surge of the northeast monsoon on the last two days of the month brought fresh easterly winds and slightly cooler weather to the territory.
Bird-wise, the week was of great interest with a good number of migrants around and a potential first record of Western Yellow Wagtail and a possible second record of Zappey’s Flycatcher, although neither bird is proving uncontentious when it comes to identification.
Records of note were:
Japanese Quail: one at Lut Chau on 31st
Glossy Ibis: the two birds were re-discovered at Nam Sang Wai on 25th; they remained in the area throughout the week
Cinnamon Bittern: one at Pak Nai on 30th
Malayan Night Heron: one near Tai Po Kau on 27th – a new arrival date for this species, previous earliest being 7 April.
Grey-faced Buzzard: eight at Lok Ma Chau, one at Clearwater Bay and five at Long Valley on 25th, one at Sha Lo Tung and four at Tai Po Kau on 26th
Eastern Water Rail: one at Long Valley on 26th
Oriental Plover: one at Mai Po on 31st
Curlew Sandpiper: 300 at Mai Po on 26th
Long-billed Dowitcher: one at the Wetland Park on 25th, and one at Mai Po on 26th & 30th
Red-necked Phalarope: one at Lai Chi Wo and four at Clearwater Bay on 25th, eight at Long Valley on 26th
Nordmann’s Greenshank: one at Mai Po on 26th
Oriental Pratincole: nine at Mai Po on 26th
Saunders’s Gull: three at Mai Po on 26th
Pallas’s Gull: two at Mai Po on 30th
Caspian Tern: at least 60 at Mai Po on 30th
Barred Cuckoo Dove: one singing at Tai Mo Shan on 28th
Square-tailed Drongo Cuckoo: one heard near Tuen Mun on 29th; a new arrival date, the previous earliest being 16 April
Hodgson’s Hawk Cuckoo: one heard at Ho Pui reservoir on 26th
Oriental Cuckoo: one reported from Mai Po on 25th
Grey Nightjar: one heard at Wonderland Villas on 29th
Himalayan Swiftlet: one at Shuen Wan on 26th
Silver-backed Needletail: one at Lok Ma Chau on 25th, 12 at Shek Kong catchwater on 31st
Eurasian Hoopoe: one at Po Toi 26th
Chinese Barbet: one singing at Tai Po Kau on 26th and 31st
Ashy Minivet: two at Clearwater Bay on 25th, four at Po Toi on 26th & 28th.
Hume’s Leaf Warbler: one singing at Tai Mo Shan on 28th. This is the first March record for this species, extreme dates being 14th October – 21st February, and 8th – 13th April.
Orange-headed Thrush: one at Ho Man Tin on 31st
Hainan Blue Flycatcher: one at Tai Po Kau on 31st
Bird-wise, the week was of great interest with a good number of migrants around and a potential first record of Western Yellow Wagtail and a possible second record of Zappey’s Flycatcher, although neither bird is proving uncontentious when it comes to identification.
Records of note were:
Japanese Quail: one at Lut Chau on 31st
Glossy Ibis: the two birds were re-discovered at Nam Sang Wai on 25th; they remained in the area throughout the week
Cinnamon Bittern: one at Pak Nai on 30th
Malayan Night Heron: one near Tai Po Kau on 27th – a new arrival date for this species, previous earliest being 7 April.
Grey-faced Buzzard: eight at Lok Ma Chau, one at Clearwater Bay and five at Long Valley on 25th, one at Sha Lo Tung and four at Tai Po Kau on 26th
Eastern Water Rail: one at Long Valley on 26th
Oriental Plover: one at Mai Po on 31st
Curlew Sandpiper: 300 at Mai Po on 26th
Long-billed Dowitcher: one at the Wetland Park on 25th, and one at Mai Po on 26th & 30th
Red-necked Phalarope: one at Lai Chi Wo and four at Clearwater Bay on 25th, eight at Long Valley on 26th
Nordmann’s Greenshank: one at Mai Po on 26th
Oriental Pratincole: nine at Mai Po on 26th
Saunders’s Gull: three at Mai Po on 26th
Pallas’s Gull: two at Mai Po on 30th
Caspian Tern: at least 60 at Mai Po on 30th
Barred Cuckoo Dove: one singing at Tai Mo Shan on 28th
Square-tailed Drongo Cuckoo: one heard near Tuen Mun on 29th; a new arrival date, the previous earliest being 16 April
Hodgson’s Hawk Cuckoo: one heard at Ho Pui reservoir on 26th
Oriental Cuckoo: one reported from Mai Po on 25th
Grey Nightjar: one heard at Wonderland Villas on 29th
Himalayan Swiftlet: one at Shuen Wan on 26th
Silver-backed Needletail: one at Lok Ma Chau on 25th, 12 at Shek Kong catchwater on 31st
Eurasian Hoopoe: one at Po Toi 26th
Chinese Barbet: one singing at Tai Po Kau on 26th and 31st
Ashy Minivet: two at Clearwater Bay on 25th, four at Po Toi on 26th & 28th.
Hume’s Leaf Warbler: one singing at Tai Mo Shan on 28th. This is the first March record for this species, extreme dates being 14th October – 21st February, and 8th – 13th April.
Orange-headed Thrush: one at Ho Man Tin on 31st
Hainan Blue Flycatcher: one at Tai Po Kau on 31st
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Zappey's Flycatcher (?) at the Peak, 29th March 2019 - photographs © Richard White
Zappey’s Flycatcher: a blue-and-white flycatcher photographed by Richard White - a visiting birder - at the Peak on 29th (see above) was identified as a Zappey’s Flycatcher from the images - a potential second record for Hong Kong. However, those in search of the flycatcher on the following day found what was clearly a Blue-and-white Flycatcher of the race intermedia in the same tree. So, either a) two different birds were involved – a Zappey’s Flycatcher on 29th and a Blue-and-white Flycatcher intermedia on 30th, or b) something in the photographic process (exposure, angle of view, light…?) is inadvertently creating a false impression and, in some cameras at least, rendering the lores darker and more contrasting than they actually appear in the field. The first and only record of Zappey's Flycatcher in Hong Kong to date was at Po Toi on 19th October 2008. For a photo of this bird, see:
http://orientalbirdimages.org/search.php?Bird_Image_ID=32982&Bird_ID=2945&Bird_Family_ID=&Location=
Blue-and-white Flycatcher: one of the race intermedia at the Peak on 30th; one (nominate race?) at Tai Po Kau on 31st
Narcissus Flycatcher: five at Ho Man Tin and one at Tai Po Kau on 31st
Western Yellow Wagtail: a bird showing features of the white-headed race Motacilla flava leucocephala was at Lut Chau from 28th to 31st. A first record for Hong Kong if accepted
Citrine Wagtail: one at Long Valley on 27th.
Black-headed Bunting: one at Po Toi on 30th.
http://orientalbirdimages.org/search.php?Bird_Image_ID=32982&Bird_ID=2945&Bird_Family_ID=&Location=
Blue-and-white Flycatcher: one of the race intermedia at the Peak on 30th; one (nominate race?) at Tai Po Kau on 31st
Narcissus Flycatcher: five at Ho Man Tin and one at Tai Po Kau on 31st
Western Yellow Wagtail: a bird showing features of the white-headed race Motacilla flava leucocephala was at Lut Chau from 28th to 31st. A first record for Hong Kong if accepted
Citrine Wagtail: one at Long Valley on 27th.
Black-headed Bunting: one at Po Toi on 30th.
Western Yellow Wagtail Motacilla flava leucocephala at Lut Chau, 28 March 2019 (click on the images to enlarge them)
With special thanks to Richard White for allowing me to publish his photographs of the (possible) Zappey's Flycatcher.