Wet weather from the south-east was predicted and that’s what we got.
An early highlight was a big pod of Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops aduncus).
Despite having done dozens of boat trips over the years, this was a Hong Kong “Cetacean Tick” for us and everyone else present.
And immediately afterwards we had a flyby Swinhoe’s Storm-Petrel (Oceanodroma monorhis), photographed by several people, including yours truly.
Satellite dishes at Chung Hom Kok |
Hong Kong Observatory website |
It seems that the rain fronts may have driven it further inshore than normal.
There are, as yet, no accepted Hong Kong records for Swinhoe’s Storm-Petrel, although Bart de Schutter saw and photographed a distant one from Po Toi Island itself a few weeks ago. (Added: AND a sick Swinhoe's S-P was found on Hong Kong Island in autumn 2020, rehabilitated by the KFBG people, and released about a month later)
A report form has been submitted to the Hong Kong Birdwatching Society Records Committee regarding this sighting.
It would be a highly anticipated addition to the Hong Kong Bird List, as well as being a fine "Hong Kong Tick" for all the birders present on the boat.