18 Sept 2012

Tiger Shrike at Mai Po Nature Reserve


Thanks to John Allcock for getting out news of this one !   I got from my armchair to Mai Po in about twenty minutes, Andrew Hardacre was already there, having been at Mai Po when it was found.



Tiger Shrike (Lanius tigrinus)

Clive Viney's text in "The BIRDS of HONG KONG and SOUTH CHINA"  says….."rare autumn passage migrant (first winter birds in September)...", which is spot-on for this one.

At the boardwalk the light has been variable but the waders fairly constant..




Terek Sandpiper (Xenus cinereus)  -  Hong Kong leg flags



Kentish Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus) - here for the next few months ?




Broad-billed Sandpiper (Limnicola falcinellus) - right


Some wagtails can be found around the nearby fishponds now, some here to spend the winter, some heading further south. 



M.a.leucopsis being our commonest White Wagtail.



M.f.tschutschensis (a Yellow Wagtail, obviously)



Collared Crow (Corvus torquatus)




Black Drongo (Dicrurus macrocercus)  - sorry about the wires !


And last, but not least...


Dunlin (Calidris alpina)   - we can get thousands in midwinter, but they're usually even farther away than these were.


And with Hong Kong's autumn migration hotting up, we're away on a trip.  

Connections permitting, I'll post more on that in due course.



5 comments:

  1. Haven't seen Tiger shrikes for so many years...
    Really good shots of the waders as usual.

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  2. Nice John. I drove past a drongo on the access road but had already packed my gear. The broadbills look good. Enjoy the trip.

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  3. Some great birds and lovely series of photos. My fav is the second of the Tiger Shrike. What a professional pose! (The drongo and wagtails are pretty cool too!)

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  4. Thanks, everyone.... Tiger Shrike - what a treat. Probably on its' way to Taman Negara !

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  5. Nice shots of the waders.........look forward to more shots from your upcoming trip........

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