1 Sept 2015

September

Yellow Bittern - Ixobrychus sinensis

It seems to have been a good breeding season for Yellow Bitterns, there are a lot around right now.  Of course, like this juvenile, many of the birds on view could be passage migrants.

As are some of the waders we are seeing..

Greater Sand Plover - Charadrius leschenaultii (juv)
Grey-tailed Tattlers are a good "East Asian" species and there are a few about, including this Australian-flagged one that was first sighted on Aug 21st - and snapped again by me on Aug 30th.  "Stay an extra day" says the HK Tourist Board.

Grey-tailed Tattler - Heteroscelus brevipes
Grey-tailed Tattler - Heteroscelus brevipes
Nine juvenile Great Knot, also on 30th August (seven in view here) - no older birds seen with these.

Great Knot - Calidris tenuirostris (juvs.)

Great Knot - Calidris tenuirostris (juv.)
Ponds 16/17 "The Scrape" - Mai Po Nature Reserve
Once the birds have left the tideline, in the past few days they have settled on "The Scrape" in good numbers.

11 comments:

  1. The first 2 birds are yet to make my life list, the last photo shows more waders than I've seen all year!!!!!

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  2. Unlike Stuart, I have seen Yellow Bittern and Greater Sand Plover. It is the latter two that I have not seen, Grey-tailed Tattler and Great Knot. All of our local shorebirds are quickly leaving as the weather cools down. I will miss them

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    1. We'll have decent wader numbers through the winter, John - Alaska's weather is more fearsome than HK, obviously!

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  3. That's a huge yellow tag on that tattler. I thought it stood for English Language Teacher. Some great pictures and good numbers.

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  4. Russell - I was going to say "ELT? - a career not a flag! " Glad ELT rang the same bells with you!

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  5. Great stuff! Haven't gotten around to visit MP this autumn, I think I better pay a visit soon!

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  7. The Grey-tailed Tattler would have made my day because they are so uncommon here in Peninsular Malaysia. Yes, you are lucky to have a place like Mai Po close to home.

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  8. That tag on the tattler seems disproportionate in size, but I am sure it facilitates ready identification from birders. I always wonder whether such large, decorative flags influence mate selection in any way, given the role that colour has in inter-sexual attraction.

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    1. I doubt that any flag-bearing bird really wants to haul such a big plastic paddle the length of the East Asian flyway....but overall banding and monitoring has to be done, I guess.

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