25 Feb 2017

Braving the Concrete Jungle

Chinese/Yellow-billed Grosbeak - Eophona migratoria


That's the birds braving the concrete jungle  of course, - I'm just an urban (urbane?) softy.

We returned from Brisbane to the news that a Baikal Bush Warbler was to be found in the carefully manicured planters in a private estate in east Kowloon - Telford Gardens.



"BBW" usually gives itself up to the ringers in Mai Po's reedbeds, so even though this was HK's sixth or seventh record, it was the first truly "twitchable" one.

Baikal Bush Warbler - Bradypterus davidi

Baikal Bush Warbler - Bradypterus davidi

Baikal Bush Warbler - Bradypterus davidi

Closer to home, I had seen photos of Yellow-billed Grosbeak online captioned only "Sheung Shui".  Days after getting back, I saw Grosbeaks in a tree between my Public Light Bus stop and Sheung Shui MTR Station.

I returned the following day and was disappointed to find them gone.  But then I noticed some photographers on another part of the pedestrian overpass.




Sure enough, the Grosbeaks were in a different and even closer tree.

Chinese/Yellow-billed Grosbeak - Eophona migratoria

Chinese/Yellow-billed Grosbeak - Eophona migratoria


Chinese/Yellow-billed Grosbeak - Eophona migratoria
It is 11 degrees centigrade today - and cold and wet.

The weather has gone all "English" on us.  But at least the temperature today reminds me why I live in Hong Kong and not the UK.