Birds
Mai Po is a popular winter stop off for migratory birds, which use the extensive mudflats as a feeding ground. According to assistant reserve officer at the
WWF Katherine Leung, around 60,000 birds migrate to Mai Po each year during the winter. They usually start to arrive in October and leave in March or April. Among them are four rare species that are currently endangered: the black-faced spoonbill from Korea, Saunder’s gull from North China, the imperial eagle from Siberia and the dalmatian pelican from Mongolia. Sadly, there has been a decline in the number of eagles and pelicans visiting the marshes. A decade ago, up to 10 of each would visit Mai Po every winter. Now only one or two arrive. Some birdwatchers believe they visit the Guangdong province or Fujian instead. It’s thought the shift in their migratory journey is due to climate change, or mudslides caused by illegal fishing, which has scared them away. But the marshes are also attracting new species such as the steppe eagle, bean goose and American wigeon. The birds flock to the marshes in their biggest numbers between December and February, so now is the best time to visit. To see the most activity, go early in the morning or around sunset, and remember to keep quiet, be patient, and wear natural-colored clothes. For more details visit
www.wwf.org.hk/eng/maipo.
Butterflies
Although there are less butterflies in winter compared to autumn and spring, we do get some new visitors traveling to Hong Kong from northern China during the cooler months. From October, thousands of tiger and crow butterflies start arriving in the city in search of food and shelter. They stay until the weather gets warmer and then return to their original habitats to reproduce. You can catch the little flitters at the
Hongkong Fung Yuen Butterfly Reserve at 150 Fung Yuen Village, Ting Kok Road, Tai Po (3111-7344,
www.fungyuen.org). Greenpower is a Hong Kong association dedicated to butterfly conservation. Every year they train volunteers to become “butterfly surveyors” and help them record the populations of different butterfly species. For more information visit
www.greenpower.org.hk.
Finless Porpoise
Another winter visitor is the finless porpoise. You will mostly find them in the waters off southern Hong Kong including southern Lantau (from Fan Lau to Pui O), the Soko Islands, Cheung Chau and Lamma. They’re relatively small sea dwellers, growing to about 1.8 meters when adult. As the name implies, the finless porpoise doesn’t have a dorsal fin, but instead has a thick ridge of denticulated skin on its back. Also, it doesn’t have a protruding beak. Like most porpoises, they are shy and seldom surface. People are asked not to approach them in boats as such activity may scare them away from our waters.
Bats
