Spread your hobby wings
Birdwatching is the hobby of studying birds. It's a good way to get outdoors, enjoy the sunshine, have a picnic and do something satisfying.
Like 'watching' or 'spotting' anything, be it ships, birds, planes or trains, it's not difficult to do. You don't really need any special equipment to start out, just a good pair of eyes and a great pair of ears.
People who take this hobby seriously might want to photograph the birds or record their song. If you want to do that, you need a good camera and recorder.
You also need to read up about the ethics of birdwatching so you do not destroy or disturb the birds' habitat or the birds themselves.
When you're just starting out, you can begin in your own neighbourhood. There are birds everywhere, and best of all, watching them is usually free.
Jot down what the birds look like - their size, colour, shape and the shape of their beaks and claws, whether you see them eat something, what sound they make and anything else you notice. Then go online and try to find out what each bird is called.
Later, you might want to invest in a pair of binoculars and a list of local birds.
A good field guide to Hong Kong's birds, The Birds of Hong Kong and South China, comes highly recommended. It is available in both English and Chinese.
There is keen competition among birdwatchers to see who can spot the largest number of different species each year. Some people even plan their overseas holidays around the birds they want to see.
Others will work out what the birds like to eat and put out food to attract those birds. This is not advisable in Hong Kong because of possible bird flu infection.
The best time of year to start birdwatching is winter. Summer can be very hot, so if you do start during the summer holidays, head to a mountain location like Tai Mo Shan.
We're very lucky in Hong Kong because we have the Mai Po Nature Reserve and Hong Kong Wetland Park, which are visited by birds on their migration routes. This means we have the opportunity to see a lot of different birds all in one place. More than 200 species of birds can be found in Hong Kong.
Not all of Hong Kong's birds are to be seen at Mai Po, however.
If you're after brightly coloured birds, the hkoutdoors.com website recommends Tai Po Kau Nature Reserve.
The birds there are a mix of migrant birds and those which have been freed from captivity.
See if you can spot a tiny fork-tailed sunbird. They have shiny green heads and red throats.
Tai Po Kau also offers some lush forest trails if you are in the mood for a hike.
Long Valley in Sheung Shui has a mixture of habitats and so provides a good variety of birds in one spot. Here you can see birds that live in farmlands or open country as opposed to the forest birds in Tai Po Kau.
If you don't want to work too hard, head to Kowloon Park where you could see some fairly shy species that have become used to having people around.
To make a whole day's trip with your friends you might like to go to Po Toi Island, one of Hong Kong's remote nature spots. Here you can see some rare birds like the little pied flycatcher. You can take the ferry from Aberdeen, but check the timetable first.
Of course, The Peak offers some good birdwatching opportunities, too. Go at different times of the year and you'll see some of Hong Kong's seasonal feathered tourists.
