Amazing Swarms of Shorebirds

The Mai Po Nature Reserve in Hong Kong is famous for housing thousands of wintering birds each year. When the tide is right, these beautiful birds often put on a magnificent display. Watching these spectacular shows is always the highlight of my day there.

When I visited the Reserve last week, I was amazed to find the biggest swarms of shorebirds I have ever seen on display. 

The number of Pied Avocets is often huge, but that day it was enormous!

Because they prefer to feed in shallow water, these birds would fly with the low tide which gave us birdwatchers a real treat!  

                             

See more photos: at Google+

Colourful Tree birds

It is not only shore/water birds that enjoy the warm winter in Hong Kong, many tree birds from the north relish the weather too. So every winter we are rewarded with many beautiful forest birds.  

This  tiny Yellow-Browed Warbler (about 10cm long and 5g in weight) may have traveled from as far as Siberia to spend the winter here. Imagine how delighted I was to see this one in my garden.

The Dusky Warbler is slightly bigger than the Yellow Browed Warbler and also a long distance traveler. 

This  Plain Prinia or Wren Warbler, however, is a resident in Hong Kong. 

They are often seen feeding in wetland and grassland. 

The Daurian Redstart (male), 

Azure-winged Magpie,

Grey Wagtail,

and Chinese Grosbeak are also delightfully coloured migrants. 

Of course, the winter is not the same without our residents-----my garden friends the Common Tailorbird, 

the Red Whiskered Bulbul,

and the beautiful Japanese White-eye.

Get Up Close and Personal With The Waders (3)-----Plovers

Many of the Plover family shorebirds are long-distance migratory birds and are often seen feeding on mudflats.  

Kentish Plover

Unlike most of the waders, the Plovers have relatively short bills but big eyes.

Kentish Plover

Little Ringed Plover (Winter Plumage)

Little Ringed Plover (Summer Plumage)

They prefer to keep away from water and are often spotted on dry ground. Unlike the longer billed waders, the plovers hunt by sight.

In order to catch the prey, some Plovers, such as the Little Ringed Plovers, use one of their feet to scratch the ground first,  

and then peck at the disturbed prey with their bill.