Saturday 24 November 2007

Mai Po revisited

For the first time yesterday Mrs. Ha came to Mai Po with me. She even took a camera with her. Here are some of the pics.








I'm not saying which of us took these but she was an absolute trooper and is now joining the HKBWS so she can get a Mai Po permit. We were blessed with few birds but we did have warm sunshine and low humidity. I even managed to wander round with the 500mm lens on a tripod without feeling completely cream-crackered. Today we explored the woods along the Wilson Trail above Ho Chung. She rapidly discovered how tough woodland birding can be. Lots of birdsong and calls but the most fleeting of glimpses of tiny creatures. A Pallas' warbler drove us mad as we tried to get views lasting more than a nano-second. Mike Turnbull and Snowball alerted us to a singing Mountain Tailorbird but we didn't see it. All in all a most satisfying couple of days. Mrs Ha is especially chuffed because I bought her a digital piano yesterday, a clavinola in beautiful ebony. It faithfully reproduces the sound of everything from a Steinway grand to a Harpsichord. We whizzed over to Tom Lee after lunch and picked up some sheet music - easy stuff she can already play, or at least she could 32 years ago when she packed up at grade 6. So when I come home on Monday night it will be Rondo Alla Turca and Fuer Elise.

3 comments:

ulaca said...

The kingfishers bring back memories of the months I spent in Mui Wo way back when. A family group are off to Wetland Park this w/e. Any recommendations/tips? (I'm assuming, perhaps incorrectly, that you've been.)

Andrew said...

My only recommendation would be arrive early if it is sunny. Mrs Ha and I went there by mistake once. I was trying to find Nam Sang Wai and ended up at the Wetland park. But the carpark was full and they weren't letting people in. So although I have been there I have no tips. A pair of bins are always useful - 8x30 or 8x40s are fine and a cattle prod to keep irritating children at bay (or is that tautologous?). Andrew

ulaca said...

I'd prefer to go to Nam Sang Wai, but the tribe (who will probably need the prod themselves) need more stimuli, e.g. things made of concrete! Thanks for the tip - will give a debriefing if we ever make it.