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Subject: Pui O Autumn 2010 [Print This Page]
Author: brendank    Time: 10/10/2010 22:22     Subject: Pui O Autumn 2010

10 Oct 2010--Pui O

Taking Geoff's advice I decided to go to Pui O this afternoon. This was the first time I visited this location.  Great habitat there! Not too many birds in the water buffalo fields.  Maybe it would pick up a little later in the year.

2 Eurasian Hobby (1 adult, 1 immature)
1 Besra
1 Chinese Pond Heron
1 Black-crowned Night Heron
2 Pacific Reef Heron--fighting with a Grey Heron
1 Little Ringed Plover--only shorebird I saw
2 Pale Martins--flew by too fast for a photo
1 Brown Shrike--I was confused by this one.  Thought it was a Long-tailed Shrike at first.
10 Red-throated Pipit
15 Yellow Wagtails
1 Asian Brown Flycatcher
3 Dusky Warbler





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Author: gary    Time: 10/10/2010 23:16

The raptor in third photo looks like Eurasian Sparrowhawk.
It's rather long tailed compared to Bersa. But the "fingers" number, which are not clearly shown, are not very fit with Eurasian Sparrowhawk.
Any more photo to confirm it? (with 6 fingers rather 5)

Gary
Author: brendank    Time: 10/10/2010 23:31

Here are some more shots.  None of them are too good.  The wings look pretty rounded for a Japanese Sparrowhawk I would think. And should the dark tail bands be thinner on a Japanese Sparrowhawk. Hopefully, John Allcock can weigh in!


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Author: brendank    Time: 10/10/2010 23:43

I agree it seems to have one too few fingers for Besra.  But it doesn't have supercilium--at least I can't see one--so that would be wrong for Eurasian Sparrowhawk.  But why not Japanese Sparrowhawk?
Author: thinfor    Time: 11/10/2010 02:45

May I know how Pui O fields have changed?  Last year, I saw some abandoned farmland was illegally filled by debris.  I hope Pui O is still able to bring us surprise, like the dark-throated thrush (?) seen last year.
Author: brendank    Time: 11/10/2010 13:19

This was the first time I had been to Pui O so I don't know how the fields looked in the past.  I did not see any dumping there and there still appears to be a good amount of habitat. I wish there had been some more birds in the fields though!
Author: tmichael    Time: 11/10/2010 15:39

I'd be interested to hear John's and anyone else's view too - in the field the presence/absence of a super probably wouldn't be noted in most in cases, but on almost harrier-like proportions, as evidenced in these shots, I'd have this down as Eurasian Sparrowhawk.
Author: ajohn    Time: 11/10/2010 16:28

Oh dear. I seem to have been designated as a raptor expert. Serves me right for weighing in on the previous accipiters (many of my previous posts on Accipiters have been because I'm trying to work out for myself which features are useful). This is just setting me up for an embarrassing mistake at some point. Ok, here goes...

I think the wing structure on this bird is not right for a Eurasian. The outer wing is not as long as I would expect (Eurasian typically has a fairly obvious 'hand'). If you check the relative lengths of the primary tips, there is no obvious gap between the longer outer primaries and the shorter inner primaries. Compare the wing structure of Eurasian (note the large difference in length between Primary 6 and Primary 7):
http://orientalbirdimages.org/se ... Family_ID=&p=17
and Besra (note that Primary 6 is not much longer than Primary 7):
http://orientalbirdimages.org/se ... Family_ID=&p=12
and Japanese (long gap between Primary 5 and Primary 6):
http://orientalbirdimages.org/se ... _ID=&pagesize=1)
Overall, this suggests that the wing is fairly rounded on the Pui O bird. It also (to me) seems bulging on the secondaries (first and last pictures especially). This would fit better for Besra than the other two species.
I don't think the tail length is a problem for Besra, which is relatively long-tailed. It does seem to be too long-tailed for Japanese, though.
Among other features, the barring on the tail seems to be very broad (compare to the links given, especially for Eurasian), the underparts are fairly heavily barred and the bird seems to have a 'hooded' appearance, which I associate more with Besra/Japanese than Eurasian (which is paler-cheeked, and thus more 'capped').

So overall, I think this appears to be a Besra, based on a relatively rounded wing, longish tail and certain plumage features. But I'm very open for more discussion about ID - like I said, I'm still learning all this for myself!

[ Last edited by ajohn at 11/10/2010 16:32 ]
Author: ajohn    Time: 11/10/2010 16:30

Can I please ask anyone visiting Pui O to keep a look out for any dumping and report it. It would be a real shame if this site went the way of Kam Tin - which now has virtually no grassland left.
Author: lpaul    Time: 11/10/2010 16:36

In addition to the lack of a supercilium, Northern Sparrowhawk can be eliminated due to the broad dark bars on the uppertail and the broadness of the bars on the underside of the primaries (these are narrow and less well defined in Northern).  The structure eliminates Besra (note the long gap between P2 and P3, and I think the distance between P5 and P6 fits Japanese better), and fits Japanese, and although the dark bars are usually narrower than the pale bars on the upperside of the tail on Japanese, this is not always the case and some birds show a tail pattern comparable to this bird.  So, I would go for Japanese.

[ Last edited by lpaul at 11/10/2010 16:42 ]
Author: tmichael    Time: 11/10/2010 19:30

Clearly the jury's still out on this one, but I take the point about wing shape. It's only in the final shot it looks really long winged, there is basically quite a bit of bulge there, and in my experience - a few clear examples here in HK, and more at Beidaihe/Happy Island a few years back - the eastern examples of Eurasian Sparrowhawk are, as I indicated in my previous post, really relatively harrier-like in shape, recalling Montagu's Harrier almost, to my mind at least - this bird isn't that shape.

If it is Japanese, and I'm not suggesting for a moment it isn't, it would seem to me to quite a 'rangey', less compact example than many. Maybe bigger females can get like that?

Mike Turnbull
Author: brendank    Time: 11/10/2010 19:57

It isn't often when Gary, Mike, John, and Paul will vote for three different species.  As much as I would like it to be a European Sparrowhawk because that would be a HK tick for me, I am going to vote for Japanese Sparrowhawk also.  I agree that it isn't Eurasian Sparrowhawk for the points John mentioned.  I feel that Besra should appear to have 5 "fingers" while this only has 4.  The width of the dark bands bothers me for Japanese but Paul knows best on that feature.

I wish the plumage features were clearer in the photo.  At least a better shot could definitively rule out Eurasian.

Thanks everyone for your comments.  I will keep posting pictures of accipiters when I find them because clearly identification is not always a closed and shut case.
Author: brendank    Time: 11/10/2010 19:58

With regard to dumping, it may be occurring but I would reiterate that I did not see any yesterday.  Let's hope it stays that way!!
Author: fkm    Time: 13/10/2010 00:44

As per the issue of dumping, I can clearly tell there is MORE debris than last year...but it seems not of a very large scale too...
Author: sdavid    Time: 20/10/2010 13:42

Pui O 10 Oct 2010

Grey Heron - 2
Great Egret - 1
Intermediate Egret - 6
Little Egret - 12
Cattle Egret - 16
Reef Egret - 2
Chinese Pond Heron - 8
Striated Heron - 1
BC Night Heron - 1
Little Ringed Plover - 1
Common Sandpiper - 7
Common Kingfisher - 1
Richard's Pipit - 7
Red-throated Pipit - 4
White Wagtail - 11 (leucopsis)
Yellow Wagtail - 5 (taivana)
Grey Wagtail - 2
Asian Brown Fly - 1
Red-throated Fly - 1
Yellow-browed Warbler - 1
Dusky Warbler - 10+
Stonechat - 2

Not stunning but a nice enough kick around.  I forgot how nice it is birding around buffalo!  There was a bit of building waste dumped on the main road to the beach, close to the South Lantao Rural Committee (?) building.

No raptors (other than a couple of Black Kite) though getting nine ardeid species outside of Deep Bay is always nice.
Author: kkoel    Time: 21/10/2010 23:06     Subject: Black Stork



Black Stork (juv.)
Pui O
21/10/10

It's flying due south - straight out to sea!

[ Last edited by kkoel at 12/11/2010 18:00 ]
Author: lchunfai    Time: 21/10/2010 23:10

Quote:
Original posted by kkoel at 21/10/2010 23:06
?TTAWiwMB1S281Q8F

Black Stork (juv.)
21/10/10

It's flying due south - straight out to sea!
WOW WOW WOW ....Koel, I should join you today !!!!
Author: kkoel    Time: 21/10/2010 23:20

Believe it or not, I was actually having lunch break from clinical attachment in Mui Wo, so.... ^^"
Author: fatchun    Time: 21/10/2010 23:23

Exciting and excellent!
Author: iherman    Time: 21/10/2010 23:50

You are so lucky !
Author: thinfor    Time: 22/10/2010 00:16

Koel, you gave me exciting news again when I am being out of HK?!
Author: kkoel    Time: 31/10/2010 19:17

Thanks Herman & Fatchun for your replies!
Manson - look forward to exciting news from you on Pui O!!!!
Author: kkoel    Time: 12/11/2010 01:54     Subject: Watercock 董雞







Watercock 董雞
Pui O 貝澳
11/11/10

[ Last edited by kkoel at 12/11/2010 01:56 ]
Author: brendank    Time: 12/11/2010 08:04

Wow, too good! Congrats Koel on another great Lantau bird.
Author: thinfor    Time: 12/11/2010 10:05

Author: lchunfai    Time: 12/11/2010 11:34


Manson , 小高計計埋埋差我地三餐飯
Author: kkoel    Time: 12/11/2010 18:10

Forgot to fill in some records.

2 Black-winged Cuckoo-shrike
1 Red-throated Flycatcher
1 Asian Brown Flycatcher
3 Common Teal
1 Northern Sparrowhawk
1 White Wagtail (ocularis)



[ Last edited by kkoel at 12/11/2010 22:35 ]
Author: ajohn    Time: 12/11/2010 22:19

This White Wagtail is ocularis. Note the black eye-stripe
Author: kkoel    Time: 12/11/2010 22:36

Thanks John for the correction!
Author: Stonechat    Time: 12/11/2010 23:45

Red-breasted Flycatcher 紅胸姬鶲 at Pui O 12/11/2010
I am not 100% sure. If I am wrong, please correct me...Thanks

[ Last edited by Stonechat at 13/11/2010 09:36 ]

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Author: bond    Time: 13/11/2010 00:46

it looks like a red-throated flycatcher.
Author: brendank    Time: 13/11/2010 22:26

13 Nov 2010

No sign of the Watercock unfortunately but there seemed to be good numbers of migrants around.

5 Common Teal
2 Kentish Plover
4 Little Ringed Plover
5 Common Snipe
1 Crested Goshawk
2 Common Buzzards
1 Brown Shrike
1 Red-throated Flycatcher
1 Asian Brown Flycatcher
1 Verditer Flycatcher
1 Black-naped Monarch
2 Black-winged Cuckooshrike
1 Bush Warbler species (probably Japanese)
1 Black-faced Bunting
3 Yellow-billed Grosbeak



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Author: brendank    Time: 21/11/2010 23:00

Quiet today afternoon in Pui O. The Brown Shrike and 2 Black-winged Cuckoo-shrikes were still around from last weekend but seems nothing new moved in.  At least the Brown Shrike was extremely photogenic today.

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