Po Toi Fever, - a Wood Warbler "Twitch" on 4th April 2019

Wood Warbler (Phyloscopus sibilatrix)

On the ferry from Po Toi back to Aberdeen on 2nd April, one photographer showed another some shots of an odd phylloscopus warbler he had seen that afternoon.

It did look unusual….

Mobile phone photos of the finder’s camera review screen were quickly circulated and almost instantly the verdict was in:

Wood Warbler (Phyloscopus sibilatrix) - a “First” for Hong Kong !

Ten of the keenest of HK’s twitchers chartered a boat to Po Toi on Wednesday, 3rd April (there’s no regular ferry on Wednesdays) and re-found the bird.

I was a bit slower and went to Po Toi on Thursday’s public ferry. There were about twenty birders and photographers on board. 

We were directed to the very tree favoured by the Wood Warbler over the previous couple of days by Peter WONG, who had seen it the previous day. After an anxious hour or so, the bird re-appeared.

Wood Warbler (Phyloscopus sibilatrix)

Wood Warbler (Phyloscopus sibilatrix)

Wood Warblers breed in western Europe and winter in Africa - there are very few east asian records.

Some other passage migrants* gave decent views as well.

Five-bar Swordtail - Pathysa antiphates

Ferruginous Flycatcher - Muscicapa ferruginea

Ashy Minivet - Pericrocrotus divaricatus

Ashy Minivet - Pericrocrotus divaricatus

Ashy Minivet - Pericrocrotus divaricatus

* Caution - One of these is not a bird

Happy “twitchers” return to the Po Toi public ferry pier.