There have been several "decent" tides at Mai Po over the last few days, and the Saunders' Gulls have been showing well. Up to sixty have been foraging on the mudflats in front of the boardwalk hides.
This was the first we've seen with a leg flag. A response to these photos posted on the HKBWS website indicates that it was flagged in Yancheng National Nature Reserve, Jiangsu Province. Yancheng is a breeding site for this species, which winters here in Hong Kong.
Flagged Saunders' Gull at Mai Po Nature Reserve, Hong Kong
This was the first we've seen with a leg flag. A response to these photos posted on the HKBWS website indicates that it was flagged in Yancheng National Nature Reserve, Jiangsu Province. Yancheng is a breeding site for this species, which winters here in Hong Kong.
Flagged Saunders' Gull at Mai Po Nature Reserve, Hong Kong
Saunders's Gulls are great birds. I've seen a lot of them last December in Ariake sea in Japan. Guess I have to go back there again in spring to watch them in their breeding plumage!
ReplyDeleteSaunders's Gulls start to come into breeding plumage in late February here in HK, as you can see.
ReplyDeleteBut by this week (late March) they have mostly gone from Mai Po.
Here is the exchange of messages on the HKBWS website about flagging these gulls on the mainland.
http://www.hkbws.org.hk/BBS/viewthread.php?tid=8755&extra=page%3D1