Kit's Fledgling BY

[Kitsafari]

232: Common Moorhen, Long Valley

 

 

 

an EBC-worthy count. it was pretty distant so I didn't have a very close look at the species, sadly, but happy to include it in my count. 

 

 

[Kitsafari]

233: Little-ringed Plover, Long Valley

 

[Kitsafari]

234: Red-Throated Pipit, Long Valley

 

 

A winter visitor to HK from northern Asia. 

 

[Kitsafari]

235: Green Sandpiper, Long Valley

 

 

Not great photos. they were taken when the sun was at its zenith, distorting the photos. 

another passage migrant and a winter visitor to HK. 

[Kitsafari]

236: Wood Sandpiper, Long Valley

 

[Kitsafari]

237: Black-Collared Starling, Long Valley

 

 

a common resident bird in HK.

 

[Kitsafari]

238: Black-Winged Stilt, Long Valley

 

[Galana]

Commiserations on the loss of Rosy. It is always tough at that time.

 

Good to see a return to your birding with some excellent additions.

[Kitsafari]

@Galana Thank you! some work trips with a day of birding thrown in over the last week helped too.

 

[Peter Connan]

So sorry to hear about Rosie!

 

Some great birds again!

[Kitsafari]

@Peter Connan thank you for the support. 

[Kitsafari]

239: Stejneger's Stonechat, Long Valley

 

 

Another winter visitor to the warmer climes of southern China and Hong Kong and Indochina. I saw this species twice, and each time the bird was on the electrical wire. just part and parcel of the environment and just glad there is still that patch of area they can reside during winter.

edited to say i was mistaken. i did see it one more time among the trees, giving me the bum treatment.

 

 

Edited November 12, 2018 by Kitsafari

[Kitsafari]

240: Masked Laughing Thrush, Long Valley

 

 

A very common resident in HK, found mainly in shrubs. 

[Kitsafari]

 

241: Eastern Yellow Wagtail, Long Valley

 

 

another regular winter visitor from the north. 

 

 

[Kitsafari]

242: White Wagtail, Long Valley

 

[Kitsafari]

243: Japanese White-Eye

 

 

[Kitsafari]

244: Crested Myna

 

 

it is a common resident bird in HK, but it was such a shy bird! they flew around us in flocks but either they were too far or would fly off each time we approached. the only clear shot i had was this, and it doesn't show the crest that sits on the forehead. 

[Kitsafari]

245: Red-Necked Phalarope, Long Valley

 

 

This is a winter visitor to HK. the red-necked phalarope is an enchanting little bird that showed little fear of us that I took tonnes of photos of them. they were so accommodating, swimming within 5m of us as we sat on the  banks to watch them. About eight of them, this group was early arrivals. that last photo is to show the size of these birds. 

 

Edited November 12, 2018 by Kitsafari

[lmSA84]

My condolences for Rosy. 

 

A lovely collection of birds to return with. 

[michael-ibk]

Interesting additions, a lot of familiar "European" birds here.

[marg]

@Kitsafari...your bird sightings are amazing especially since when we were in the area, we saw no birds.

[Kitsafari]

@lmSA84 thank you. 

 

@marg I never thought there were that many species as well until BY kicked open the door to a new world of feathers and colours. the most recent additions are from a trip to HK, though. 

 

@michael-ibk interestingly, i was looking up red-necked phalarope and learned an entirely new word - "holarctic". the phalarope species is found in this holarctic area, which got me scrambling for the google meaning of this gigantic word. simplistically, as I understand it in my limited basic comprehension, the Holarctic region is a biogeographic realm of all of Eurasia (including northern Africa and Northern Asia) and North America including northern Mexico. the term is often used in relation to animal life.

 

ahhh the things one learns while simply chasing feathers and claws. 

Edited November 13, 2018 by Kitsafari

[Kitsafari]

Other species seen in HK but are already in my list : 

 

 

a total EBC of a black kite which I won't include: 

 

 

and a mammal

 

 

and a reptile: 

 

 

 

 

 

[TonyQ]

Sorry to hear of your loss of Rosy- very sad.

Your list is growing amazingly. "Fledgling " is now a  bit misleading!

[Dave Williams]

I don't know what the snake is but it looks pretty big! I don't know if it's true but I read that snakes with eyes like that one has are not venomous, it's the slit type pupil one's that are. Certainly true of the two native snakes we have here in the UK.

 

 

Second thoughts, I just googled it and it's not true. King Cobras have round pupils!

Edited November 26, 2018 by Dave Williams