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Notes Comments
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ORNITHOLOGY.
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NOTES AND COMMENTS.
EASTERN YELLOW WAGTAIL (Motacilla flava taivana).
A female of this species, also known as the Chinese Green Wagtail, was identified on November 12th in the Ping Shan district. It was feeding in a stream-bed near a village in company with a number of White-faced and Streak-eyed Wagtails. This is the first occasion that we have recorded this species in the Colony. Prominent colours, head and back greenish- gray; upper tail coverts more heavily washed green, tail dusky, outer tail feathers white; wings gray; under parts rich yellow; and a prominent yellow eyebrow above a gray eye-streak.
JAPANESE ROBIN FLYCATCHER (Siphia mujimaki).
On the afternoon of November 12th in the Ping Shan district, several of this species were observed and identified. First a solitary male was observed then later in the afternoon three or four other birds, always solitary, both males and females were noticed. Only once before has this species been recorded from the Colony, on that occasion a solitary male was seen March 19th of this year in the Shum Chun valley, vide H.K.N. III. p. 147.
BIRDS OF PREY.
on
The first dates on which the different species visiting the Colony were observed are given below. Sparrow hawks are abundant in the city district and buzzards and kestrels quite common above the hillsides away from the houses.
Rough-legged Buzzard, Buted lagopus pallidus,
circling over the Peak 22. X. 32.
Eastern Sparrow Hawk, Accipiter nisus nisosimilis,
University Compound 28. X. 32.
Kestrel, Cerchneis tinnunculus, 2. XI. 32.
seen from Mount Kellet.
Eastern Peregrine Falcon, Falco peregrinus, 2. XI. 32.
chasing a buzzard over Mount Pottinger, a pair were reported seen
at Kam Tin during the following week.
Eastern Marsh Harrier, Circus a. aeruginosus, 12, XI. 32.
Two harriers, probably this species, were observed hawking the paddy fields in the Ping Shan district.
Eastern Red-legged Falcon, Falco vespertinus amurensis., 19. XI. 32.
A female of this species was observed, quite closely, through field glasses at about gunshot range, from a hill-top near Bias Bay. Two kites were hawking the same ground but the falcon did not interfere with them.
The Hong Kong Naturalist.
Buzzard and Fowl.
On the morning of 28. XI. 32 a friend was disturbed by a great commotion outside his window. On looking out he saw a large bird fly away and on looking down onto the lawn noticed that it was strewn with feathers. The fowl that had been attacked rushed off to the hen-house and promptly laid an egg! I enquired whether it had thereby established a precedent but this was not the case as it had laid eggs on previous occasions. GOLDEN-EYE DUCK, Bucephala c. clangula.
A Whistler or Golden-eye duck was shot on 6. XI. 32 in the New Territories and sent to us to check the identification. It was a specimen of this species in eclipse plumage. We have not recorded this species previous- ly from the Colony.
NESTING NOTES.
Mr. H. Green, Superintendent of the Botanic Gardens, has kindly sent us a number of observations on nests and eggs of local birds; a selection of these we list below. We are especially grateful for the interest Mr. Green continues to take in this subject.
Chinese Magpie, Pica p. seicea.—
The first nest was found on 17. III. 32 thirty feet from the ground in a pine tree at Kai Lung Wan. The three young birds it contained appeared to be not less than 14 days old. Other nests were found on 17. III. 32 (one egg) 19. III. 32. (2 eggs). Pines and Persian lilacs were the selected trees. Black-eared Kite, Milvus lineatus.—
Below Lugard Road, on 18. III. 32, eighteen feet from the ground in an old Litsea tree, nest composed of twigs, rags and an old hemp bag, (1 egg). Below Harlech Road, 18. III. 32, in a pine tree, 25 feet from ground, nest composed of twigs, rags, paper, etc., (3 eggs, faintly marked). At Magazine Gap, 22. III. 32, in a tree, 18 feet from ground a nest of twigs rag and paper, (3 eggs heavily marked, one darkest at blunt end, one sharp end and one evenly spotted). Collared Crow, Corvus torquatus.—
at
At San Tin, N. T., on 17. III. 32, in a Banian tree, 40 feet from the ground, nest composed of small branches, grass and mud, containing 3 young birds apparently a week old. On 29. III. 32, eighteen feet up in a pine tree at Tin Wan near Aberdeen, nest of small branches and pine needles and lined apparently with cotton wool. (5 eggs).
Black-faced Laughing Thrush, Dryonastes p. perspicillatus.—
Nest, 25 feet up in bamboo near Peak Road, of usual type, pine needles, creeper-stems and bamboo leaves, 1. IV. 32, (3 eggs). Another in Cratoxylon tree 20 feet up at Protestant Cemetery (3 eggs).
Chinese Spotted-necked Dove, Streptopelia c. chinensis.-
In pine tree, 2. IV. 32, (one egg). In Lung Ngan tree 25 feet from ground, 8. IV. 32, (2 eggs). In a Casuarina equisitifolia tree, Cheung Chau Island, (2 eggs), 19. VI. 32.
December 1932.
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