Everyone is occupied with something in the last two weeks of August. Freshmen are busy chanting cheers. I am busy finalizing my thesis for examination. The birds are busy storing fat and preparing for their migration. Despite the need to meet the deadline, I want to take a stroll in Lung Fu Shan on 20 August.
Birds migrate from north to south in autumn. Let's look at the weather chart below. Several wind barbs indicate winds blowing towards Hong Kong. The weather is favourable for birding because they are blown to Hong Kong's territory. At the same time, tropical cyclones are developing over the Pacific Ocean. This brings precipitation to Hong Kong. All we have to do is to wait until the morning rain is over. By that time the hungry birds are likely to be actively looking for food.
Source: HKO, 2015
The target species is the Asian Paradise Flycatcher. As it name suggests, it "fly-catches". Air-born insects are its prey. I saw two individuals on Lung Fu Shan. One of it was nice enough to perch on a nearby bamboo plant.
On the way downhill, I spotted a warbler high on a tree. But the haze in the back lit image makes it difficult to identify the species. The wing-bar and the crown stripe are not seen. The bright supercilium, long black eye-strip, the yellowish slender bill and pale legs make it a candidate for the Eastern Crowned Warbler. However, migration has started earlier this year. The evidence above can be inconclusive, leaving open the possibility it belongs to another species.
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