Another cold, grey morning today, with an ominous quiet across the wetlands- perhaps a premonition of the slow day to come…
First up was a recaptured Plain Prinia, originally ringed just a month ago. As before mentioned, these little residents of ours are notoriously difficult to age, perhaps due to the fact that they live in year-round nutrient-rich areas, thus allowing the juveniles of these species to develop very quickly. After a quick look in the wing and tail, we decided we could not determine the age, and thus, this is a 2nd calendar year or older.
Next up was another recapture, a Stejneger’s Stonechat from 2022! This was an interesting bird, with a surprisingly worn appearance. However, the uniform wing and tail means that this must be an adult bird. The lack of black in the plumage and underwing means this must be a 3rd calendar year or older female bird!
Another bird from 2022- this gorgeous Siberian Rubythroat! Just like the Stonechat, a look in the wing and tail shows uniform, adult plumage, while the extend of red in the throat and black and white in the face means this must be a 3rd calendar year or older male!
Finally, an interesting catch of one of our most common residents (but not super common in the nets)- a Spotted Dove! These guys, just like the Prinia, can be tricky to age, as they breed all year round, and have a more complex moult strategy. Our best criteria is to look for juvenile feathers. Though the tail looks nice, we can see in the wing that there are some worn coverts with buffy fringes, and three, very worn and bleached secondaries. These secondaries differ from the others in density and also shape, being more pointed and narrow. These, alongside those worn coverts are all juvenile feathers, and thus, we can age this bird as a 2nd calendar year! A nice morning!
Daily Totals
| Species | Original | Recapture |
| Common Tailorbird | 0 | 1 |
| Dusky Warbler | 1 | 3 |
| Plain Prinia | 0 | 2 |
| Red-throated Flycatcher | 2 | 0 |
| Scaly-breasted Munia | 1 | 0 |
| Siberian Rubythroat | 0 | 1 |
| Spotted Dove | 1 | 0 |
| Stejneger’s Stonechat | 0 | 1 |
| Yellow-bellied Prinia | 0 | 1 |
| Grand Total | 5 | 9 |
*Please note that all wild birds, their nests, and eggs are highly protected (under Wild Animals Protection Ordinate, Cap. 170) in Hong Kong. It is an offence to wilfully disturb, take, remove, or injure wild birds or their nests/eggs. The actions described here were undertaken by trained professionals holding the necessary licenses and permits issued by the AFCD.*
