I climbed the hill behind the house this morning and got as far as the sign on the MacLehose Trail that says Wong Chuk Yeung. I didn't go into the village itself. That is the next adventure. But just beyond the post there were birds galore. At least 5 Tristram's buntings, a Streak-breasted scimitar babbler, 2 Rufous-capped babblers, a Chestnut bulbul flock and a small flock of minivets,one of which I photographed and turned out to be Grey-chinned (above) rather than Scarlet as expected. I was quite surprised by the number of people around, some on mountain bikes but mostly dog walking or "power-walking". It all looked far too energetic for me. As I said before, woodland birding is darned hard work. You hear calls, squeaks, rattling noises from floor to canopy. Challenge one is to see anything. Generally all you are looking for is movement. A twig or leaf twitching that suggests other than the breeze. Then once you have located the bird, getting a half decent view to identify it. It moves in and out of sight, scuffling amongst the leaf litter or hopping from branch to fallen branch or maybe lost amongst the foliage above your head. Sometimes they cross the ride. The Laughingthrushes and Hwamei do that quite a bit and you get fleeting glimpses in the open. The Tristram's buntings did so as well today. To get a photograph requires luck and patience. I appear not to be blessed with either. Remember the old saying:
Patience is a virtue
Possess it if you can
Seldom found in women
Never found in man
This was a lucky site and I doubt if it is jumping with birds all the time. Indeed after 45 minutes silence reigned. Feeding flocks are good if you find them and anything can tag along.
On the walk down I saw the end of a snake disappear into the grass. Maybe 8" of olive green tail about as thick as a finger - so nothing too nasty and certainly, like most snakes,more anxious not to be seen than to pose for the camera. But a useful warning that warm days bring out sleepy snakes, some are venomous and it is best to watch where you put your feet.
Back home now and feet up in the feeble sun but a lot better,I dare say, than wintry Britain. A bonus in a Verditer flycatcher on a distant tree and a close up Scaly-breasted munia (top). Happy days.
7 comments:
It sounds like you had a great day :-)
The advice often given is to make a fair amount of noise as you walk in order to scare away any snakes in your path. Unfortunately for you, this will probably also scare away any birds in the vicinity. But since local agriculture has virtually disappeared, snake bites are rare in Hong Kong, and I can't remember reading of a fatal one in recent years.
Hello,
Loved reading your blog. Wong Chuk Yeung is my ancestral village, where my father and grandfather was raised. The area means a lot to me and i appreciate the nature and heritage that it holds. Sadly the village along with much of the land around it has been sold off to developers and it won't be long until the area will be closed off by the developers and much of the land will be transformed into new flats.
I am glad that you get the opportunity to appreciate Wong Chuk Yeung and i hope to go back at some point before the village I know will be changed into something unrecognisable to me.
John, thank you for your comments. I am sad to learn that Wong Chuk Yeung is to be developed and flats built. Maybe if you are there revisiting the past we will meet up. It is a lovely area around here. I have travelled 6 continents and find this as happy a place to live as any. Best wishes, Andrew
Hi. Your blog entry comes up 3rd or 4th on a Google search for "Wong Chuk Yeung". I'm the originator of the Wikipedia entry for this village. Like John, I'm also a descendant of the "Lee" clan and sad to hear about the redevelopment. Glad you could enjoy the nature and wildlife before the developer transforms it into another concrete mess.
Jason, thanks for reading the blog. I will try to pay another visit to Wong Chuk Yeung in the near future and write more.
Hi Andrew,
I was wondering if you could help me out with something.
As I mentioned earlier, Wong Chuk Yeung has been purchased by developers. My father and I would like to keep an eye on the village, however we both live in England and this makes it difficult to do so. I am not expecting you to go up to the village everyday, but whenever you do happen to go there I would really appreciate it if you could look at the village notice board (placed near the entrance of the village)and see if any planning permission notices have been stuck up. It would also be very useful if you could note down days you go to Wong Chuk Yeung.
Please do not go to any trouble to do this, as mentioned before only if you happen to going up there.
My email address is jhli19735@live.co.uk.
To Jason, I would be interested in getting in touch with you as it seems that we have the same type of thinking with regards to our ancestral village.
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