Any sightings of civets, mongooses, ferret badgers, leopard cats, barking deer, pangolins and porcupines – live or dead – should be reported. Rare birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish, or unusual behaviour by common species, are also of interest, as are rare or interesting invertebrates and plants. If you think it is interesting, our readers probably will! Please give dates, times and localities as accurately as possible.

MAMMALS

On 11 April Kwok Hon Kai and Vincent Lai saw a Javan Mongoose (Herpestes javanicus) trying to attack a Common Rat Snake (Ptyas mucosus) on a fishpond bund near the embankment of the channelised Shenzhen River near Ho Hok Wai. The mongoose failed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yu Yat Tung, Jacqui Weir and Aidia Chan saw a Small Indian Civet (Viverricula indica) in shrubland near the top car park of Tai Mo Shan at around 10.30 am on 5 August. It was causing great disturbance to birds in the area.

Paul Crow obtained an infra-red camera trap picture of a Dog faced Fruit Bat (Cynopterus sphinx) feeding on nectar of a banana flower in the lower agricultural/residential area of Tai Po Kau nature reserve. It was photographed on 26 March.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Billy Hau and Jacqui Weir noticed a Masked Palm Civet (Paguma larvata) on the podium of the Kadoorie Biological Sciences Building, HKU, at around 8.45pm on 17 August. It appeared to move down the steps into the garden area below.

BIRDS

Kwok Hon Kai reported the following bird sightings:

A flock of 4 Mountain Bulbuls (Hypsipetes leucocephalus) in Tai Po Kau on 29 March 03. Only six birds were seen in Tai Po Kau throughout winter 02/03.

 

 

 

 

 

Two juvenile Rufous-capped Babbler (Stachyris ruficeps) begging food from their parents in Tai Po Kau on 27 April.

A dead Chinese Starling (Sturnus chinensis) and a dead Common Sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos) right under a line designed to discourage cormorants from landing in fishponds in Lut Chau. The two birds may have died from collision with the line.

Yu Yat Tung mist-netted two Large Grass Warblers (Graminicola bengalensis) on Tai Mo Shan in July and early August. These birds have a restricted range in Hong Kong, and are found mainly in this area.

FISH

On 12 July, Captain Wong saw one Racoon Butterflyfish (Chaetodon lunula) at Tung Wan, Double Island. Although this fish is regarded as rare in Reef Fishes of HK, this species has become more widespread in the few years since the publication of the book in 2000 (Andy Cornish, pers comm).

On 28 March, Ken Ching photographed a small frogfish at Kat O which was subsequently identified by Andy Cornish as a Striated frogfish (Antennarius striatus), a new species for Hong Kong. The frogfish was around 7-8 cm in length and was at 2 m depth.

 

AMPHIBIANS/REPTILES

One late afternoon in early May, Robert Davison saw two 2 m Common Rat Snakes (Ptyas mucosus) being mobbed by some sparrow-sized birds who seemed anxious to protect their nests. Many of the birds were in the area - in trees, bushes and on the ground, all chattering vociferously. One bird actually pecked one of the snakes.

Louis Cheung saw a sea turtle in Long Ke Wan, Sai Kung, on 10 August at around 11.30 am. It was about 100 cm in carapace width and was swimming about 20 m away from the rocky shore. It had a light brown head.

An adult Big Headed Terrapin (Platysternon megacephalum) was seen in a stream on Tai Mo Shan by Jacqui Weir on 31 July. It was resting on a rock and jumped into the water when approached.

Aidia Chan and Jacqui Weir found a road-killed Chinese Slug Snake (Pareas chinensis) in the upper car park of Tai Mo Shan on 6 August.

INSECTS

A rare male dragonfly (Rhodothemis rufa) was sighted by Kwok Hon Kai in a fishpond near Shenzhen River on 10 April.

Kwok Hon Kai saw a male Rhyiothemis triangulare triangulare dragonfly in an abandoned fishpond near the Toll Plaza of Route 3 on 5 May. This species is uncommon in Hong Kong.