Yes, I know I'll have to be more imaginative in my choice of attention-grabbing blog post titles.
Anyway, a "mixed bag" from the past couple of weeks. Here's one from Shek Kong Water Catchment...
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm-Rjb4EM9V6to97-aG6OdGEjFxwflkg_DcogUqhE39khvbiPp_AicPscLJToztfWXRNJUxzMVxUcijhjSmydniHvWmf9MjLX_BUP_cqt8a30Zv7x4UVUoHH9HlSMF5KXMcz6C-9OA58X8/s1600/blog_Oct22_jgh_01.jpg) |
Dark-sided Flycatcher - Muscicapa sibirica |
At the "scrape" at Mai Po, exotic Harriers proved elusive for me, but this male and juvenile Painted Snipe provided something to look at.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1fKSrX8r3Gc-piN6D91MjP9OFwvIV_k0QbmnTivug1y6WuinVndQa_JsxP8ZtsJTQasDojSG5YBbBnw0VMV4TqiJcQsPhua_zU-FDLXBzssfyFS3dfXwYJxV-Id4L2N7_34-JpACQKE17/s1600/blog_Oct22_jgh_02.jpg) |
Greater Painted-Snipe - Rostratula benghalensis |
Black-faced Spoonbills have really started to come back to Deep Bay in the last few days, November is actually the month of Hong Kong's high counts of these.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl1rSjavRlb4v68gbl70XsESB5Pj_FEgZPPqb8w7zEzKQw1LJT8eyAqGAQOBdq2SCFu5SdtLKGjYgI49ajdhYo9oVSDc-SrTRD8KDuyYce7Mc8eTC2ZRB2VvNlodDQhgo-GLAO5VA2BLBp/s1600/blog_Oct22_jgh_03.jpg) |
Black-faced Spoonbill - Platalea minor |
Near Mai Po's "Tower Hide", an Asian Brown Flycatcher -
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4U5gZ5F5viX74inqYx3qUYnrV7n376fqKqKosbMZ_s7l9cnKUOTydfSyL7_SlKJyrxq-oqNPMuF8uCoY5EZizx91V5Hcq1lY22-MKgS9sCDJOzGDN0-oP97d77iw-zsFsedskv2UClQnV/s1600/blog_Oct22_jgh_05.jpg) |
Asian Brown Flycatcher - Muscicapa dauurica |
And from the "Tower Hide" itself, another species now building up in numbers;
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghYtX-nxDD2YFACt0UuvL3Jm_kavTTvMsknVoWsi91S4DFn70iUBr_cxZHWHvJ-n8Yx30SF4BcMvxAi5kQbnNeyXZrgH-uBcSdF_x1-iDpwVB71Ptx74C3gNmCH5RPMqZLXLmMxZADrxZP/s1600/blog_Oct22_jgh_06.jpg) |
Great Cormorant - Phalacrocorax carbo |
A few of the "usual suspects" in my favorite drain, taken from a portable
"Tragopan V3" hide….
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaRGFTMXjNR0PgbXiUms9spolPs2PsNw5tBP3F6s35VbiWobmhH1wYZMfbRdEYK3yuF9v6KUwYJDVr_Ux4pM_6loEt_1hiefY93n_vHrektyJ_x0j8liQQ6-UhNj9hXuSRsMSTkniB6N6H/s1600/blog_Oct22_jgh_07.jpg) |
Common Snipe - Gallinago gallinago |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikLAuP2691CYf7XZ5hTaELglMt9vjei5KxDIrXfup-XFHxv-E0p1GoNKaoh81n41GD_2899BgHpH8bgh6LQUe1ZIPgjmk7Pn3q6BdLU-sXgLUTnv1l9yElTonamTYIeFohCz4dMhB5nXHb/s1600/blog_Oct22_jgh_08.jpg) |
Wood Sandpiper - Tringa glareola |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCZNT-A_7Uj2pXbCBsPL8uT_26h8d5IHPLuIe_1iLVs5JVOYKhEcxlvuruiycCSg9kcWx_iPKt6yzOQVHd20GBKiABC4X5zdfMk6swTux1-nkJ1J6xkmTn_cUR7CnlQUXC6nDkhxqZe0dY/s1600/blog_Oct22_jgh_09.jpg) |
Marsh Sandpiper - Tringa stagnatilis |
Back out at Mai Po's boardwalk hides -
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj19-JcEQqg9izImWI1i6Fr-DYckXBpuf1sKzu4HPoZYDn6XuOVWA0BO7ubAGONRzpKX5khHuh6QSxSKF2KrWeUf6IrQeCswboJ2B2uPPamJs5ZKVmBnvVvaJxTVtBmpq5Ddx_PLGLiyiS/s1600/blog_Oct22_jgh_15.jpg) |
Black-tailed Godwit - Limosa limosa (melanuroides) |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBiC2d3JGW7BEifl6bHhPNuhiohKhqlaIDrC1sKbn2kNqe91AjOumBey4OQ4egTNHzbJLjhCvLH4zWl8DFagpYCUSPRbAN0KieUVCGV2pl4633vE_TmY1BuE3e8KjpqqpmNVrjzadbSnzs/s1600/blog_Oct22_jgh_17.jpg) |
Common Greenshank - Tringa nebularia |
Finally, another group of birds returning for Hong Kong's winter. "Large White-headed Gulls" give me identification headaches, but someone suggested that I just call all the 1st and 2nd-winter birds "Brown Gulls".
Chances are, this is a Heuglins Gull (now held by the I.O.C. to be a race of Lesser Black-backed Gull), because most of our LWHGs are this type. But I'm not sure.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVfrtzZy7OFBPQiztbDcl1HsBP-pC5KODdVlBAz5Jxjz971S76f4OcJJ_hLdvV0IuH3_PKxDV2kWYT7vj6zYungb5kYuZBFaPD1_wOnKb9hp8ZTrPjGF2oudGJzT6H5Pct_KII5VFmQgKv/s1600/blog_Oct22_jgh_18.jpg) |
Heuglin's Gull - Larus fuscus (heuglini) ?? |
Ho hum. Looks like I've got all winter to re-acquaint myself with the gulls.