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Kitsafari

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97/HK38 : Long-tailed Shrike

 

Already in the Singapore count

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05/HK40: Eurasian Tree Sparrow

 

Also in my SIngapore count, the sparrow is also very successful in Hong Kong.1848724312_treesparrow-DSC09605.JPG.c61d2b3e85aa7a83bbbf9fa82a184183.JPG

 

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287/HK40: Black-collared Starling, Tsuen Wan, HK

 

Found in Asia - mainly in China, Hong Kong, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos and introduced in Malaysia and Brunei and Taiwan

 

 

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Edited by Kitsafari
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288/HK41:  Yellow-browed Warbler, Tsuen Wan

 

This is a leaf warbler that breeds in temperate and central Asia and a winter visitor to Hong Kong and other parts of Southern Asia and Southeast Asia, as well as small numbers in western Europe. 

 

 

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289/HK42: Eurasian Wigeon

 

An EBC of a row of the widgeons making up the last tier of shorebirds at Mai Po. A common winter visitor from northern Europe, Russia and Asia to HK's wetlands and mudflats. Non-breeding wigeons have a dull plumage but when winter ends, the wigeons begin to take on their breedinng plumage with the males' heads turning reddis brown and the forehead turn milky yellow. 

 

1750335372_eurasianwidgeon-DSC09018.JPG.298cc6d569826ce2d05af828368d2798.JPG

Edited by Kitsafari
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290/HK43: Whimbrel

291/HK44: Grey Plovers

 

Smaller than the Eurasian Curlew, the whimbrel was also in Mai Po in relatively good numbers. this is a migrant from northern Europe and Asia. 

The plover, formerly known as the black bellied plover (in North America it is still called that), is also a migrant. This is a long-distance visitor which breeds in the Arctic regions. Its Latin name is Pluvialis squatarola, with pluvia meaning rain. It is thought that the grey plovers gather in big groups when rains are due. 

 

A whimbrel all curled up and the grey plovers are towards the left with the tiny ones being curlew sandpipers

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Grey plover

 

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292/HK45: White wagtail

 

Another EBC but almost identifiable in the drizzle . 

 

 

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293/HK46: Eurasian Spoonbill

 

 

That's as much as I can crop of the photo as the Eurasian spoonbill was among egrets and the black-faced spoonbill. Unlike the latter, the Eurasian spoonbill's face is clear. It was very easy to have missed it but my friend's friend spotted it with his scope.  It was really cool to see it - a lifer for me - amidst my much sought-after lifer, its cousin the black-faced spoonbill. It is more uncommon to see the Eurasian spoonbill (which winters from western Europe to east Asia). 

 

1436584977_Eurasianspoonbill-EBC-DSC09142-Copy.JPG.7ff2ea4738d86885f483f97e8f6f6dc2.JPG

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294/HK47 : Black-faced Spoonbill 

 

Finally, rounding up my list of species from my February trip to HK is the endangered black-faced spoonbill, which is just three ranks from being extinct. The winter visitor is almost a guaranteed species in HK, especially in Mai Po from January to March after which they return to breed in a stretch from small islands along the western coast of the Korean Peninsular to Liaoning province in China. WWF says the demilitarised zone between North and South Korea is the biggest and most successful breeding area - i'm guessing it's because it lacks human interference there!

Taiwan and the Pearl River Delta area (which includes Mai Po/Inner Deep Bay, Futian nature reserve and Macau) supports over 60% of the wintering population, which makes them critical spots to protect for the spoonbill. 

 

IUCN estimates there are only 2,250 mature individuals left in the world, which though low, was actually a recovery from 288 individuals thought to be have been left in 1988. 632333935_blackfacespoonbill-DSC09229.JPG.bf213894354210dea1e491157aae7429.JPG

 

 

all giving me the bum treatment: 

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but one took pity on me and walked towards us in the hide.  their plumage were beginning to take on breeding colours. 

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Edited by Kitsafari
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a grey day, but nice images Kit

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Peter Connan

That Starling is a cool-looking bird!

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@Kitsafari

I have caught up with your posts but still without my African Field guide so cannot yet help out with the missing/mystery *7 in Botswana. I am fairly sure what it is but need to check as I have never seen one in the feather.

Meanwhile I am loving your additions from Asia.

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Dave Williams

Some great birds and images plus, I'm impressed on the multi tasking keeping several lists going at the same time. I lost my way just keeping one going!!:o

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Wow - you did really well in Hong Kong with some excellent additions.Seeing the number of birds is great.

The Black-faced Spoonbill is superb!

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Thanks much @Soukous, @Peter Connan @Galana @Dave Williams @TonyQ . I did enjoy that one wet, cold day in HK just seriously birding with birding nerds and hitting my target! 

 

Thought I'll continue with some Singapore birds that we picked up since I last counted them before I head out of the country in 2.5 weeks time.

 

295: SG117: Red-crowned Barbet, Dairy Farm Nature Park

 

There are 34 species of Asian barbets, and three of them are resident in Singapore. The coppersmith and lineated barbets are pretty commonly seen but the Red-crowned barbet is rarely seen and lives in the forested areas. So when one was seen in Dairy Farm Nature Park, the bird (looking almost like a court jester in colourful attire in Herman's photo) attracted a fair number of admirers. The species is ranked near-threatened, and is distributed in the Thai-Malay peninsular down to Sumatra and Borneo. 

 

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296/SG118: Cream-vented Bulbul, Dairy Farm NP

 

A rather bland looking bird that looked almost like the olive-winged bulbul except for the white eye ring that marks it from the other bulbuls. It's quite common in Dairy Farm, when you know to look for it! This is a native species in Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia, found mainly in the forested area. 

 

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michael-ibk

Incredible colours, that Barbet!

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297/SG119: Black-crested Bulbul, Dairy Farm NP

 

This is an introduced species to Singapore, but not commonly seen around the island. The birds are found mainly in forested areas around the Bukit Timah central reserves/central catchment area (around MacRitchie Reservoir). It also has white eye rings, but its yellow underparts and black crest and head are its distinguishing features. This is a native species in INdia, Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia (except Myanmar).

 

Bulbul-BlackCrested-1.JPG.e850ead558cc2be65fb86517cf51f6df.JPG

Edited by Kitsafari
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298/SG120: Red-eyed Bulbul, Dairy Farm NP

 

Another dull brown bulbul, except for the red iris in adult birds. It is different from the olive-winged bulbul only its lack of olive wings as well as streaked ear coverts. An uncommon resident and not commonly seen, the species is found in mainly in the forests of Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and Brunei. 

 

Bulbul-RedEyed.JPG.faffe866d03ddc99017c1a6cd5296f73.JPG

 

 

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299/SG121: Buffy Fish Owl, Singapore Botanic Garden

 

A beautiful fish owl of fairly large size, and is resident in a few areas where it roosts regularly and sometimes be seen during the day. It is still considered as a rare resident breeder but its breeding range is Southeast Asia to Java and Borneo. It is quite distinctive with its long ear tufts and yellow iris. It lives up to its name, but also feeds on insects, small mammals and reptiles. 

 

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300/SG122: Barn Owl (Tyto alba), Punggol

 

I had to pick the stunning heart-shaped-face barn owl as my 300th because it seems to appear in public only once a year, and when it does, it generates tremendous excitement and chaos among birders and photographers. The minute we heard of a sighting of the barn owl, we drove from the west end of our island to the East end in search of it. and there it was, just beside a public road in a small housing estate. The next day, it perched on a tree right at an entrance into a car park and the photographers jammed the entrance. I was glad we caught on the first night in a saner smaller group. These stunning barn owls are resident in Singapore but are rarely seen. 

 

 

Striking a Buddha pose: 

 

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and a faint peek at us through its eyes

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Peter Connan

Congratulations on 300, with a stunning bird and photos to get there on too!

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Congratulations also from my side, @Kitsafari! Those owls are always super to photograph ... and to show.

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michael-ibk

Congratulations Kit and Herman, a really excellent Big Year with so many fantastic birds! Love the Owls! Now the question is - how many birds can you add in Gabon?B)

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Thank you @Peter Connan @xelas @michael-ibk 

 

Gabon - I'm counting on your excellent eye sight, Michael! No bird can escape those sharp eyes of yours, but whether I am fast enough, good enough to shoot just one photo of every one seen is a one BIG IF! 

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