Miscellany (pdf)

	Big Fish Count 2005
	Environmental Life Science (ENS) students in Hainan, China
	Kadoorie Farm & Botanical Garden - wildlife updates & sightings

Kadoorie Farm & Botanic Garden - wildlife updates & sightings (pdf)

by Gary Ades, Roger Kendrick, Amanda Haig , Alex Grioni & Captain Wong

Wildlife recording, surveys and rehabilitation at Kadoorie Farm & Botanic Garden (KFBG) have produced a number of interesting and unusual records since March 2005. In this report, KFBG Fauna staff provide some of the highlights of their findings.

General wildlife sightings are posted on the KFBG Wildlife Sightings Board on a fortnightly basis, with records provided by staff and visitors. Many records are generated by the Security team on night shifts.

(1) The following sighting records from Kwun Yum Shan (KYS) and elsewhere in KFBG (Fig. 1) were posted between April and September 2005:

Fig. 1. Map of KFBG showing areas and buildings referred to in the General Wildlife Sightings. (click here to enlarge the map.)

April 05

4 April, a bamboo snake at the Apiary.

7April, three young wild boar piglets at Sign Post Corner.

15April, two porcupines at the new Deer Haven

21April, a many banded krait snake near Great Falls arch.

30April, a leopard cat above the Norman Wright Chicken Display

June 05

3June, a group of rhesus macaque monkeys at Sign Post Corner.

11June, a Chinese cobra near the Twin Pavillion.

12June, three wild boar near Magnolia Falls.

18June, a barking deer at the Butterfly Garden.

24June, a rhesus macaque at the Native Tree Nursery.

27June, several golden birdwing and common rose butterflies at the Butterfly Garden.

28June, several golden birdwing, common rose and plain banded awl butterflies at the car park by Reception.

30June, a common rat snake at the Native Tree Nursery.

July 05

9July, a common wolf snake at Main Gate Security Cabin; several Indian moon moths (Actias selene) at KYS & Misha's Bungalow (Fig. 2).

13July, a group of baby rhesus macaques below the Upper Canteen.

18July, a small Indian civet at Magnolia Falls.

22 July, five wild boar piglets at Great Fall arch.

23July, a mother wild boar with 8 piglets at the composting area.

30July, a mountain wolf snake near KARC road junction (Fig. 3).

Fig. 2. Common wolf snake (Photo: KFBG Security Team), July 2005.

Fig. 3. Mountain wolf snake (Photo: KFBG Security Team), July 2005.

August 05

5August, three porcupines at Magnolia Falls.

8August, a small Indian civet at the Upper Canteen.

26 August, a baby python at KYS and a Chinese water snake at the Norman Wright Chicken Display.

28August, two porcupines on the road above Misha's Bungalow and one porcupine below the Norman Wright Chicken House road.

29August, a mother wild boar with 5 piglets at the Apiary.

September 05

5September, three porcupines at the new Deer Haven.

11September, a king cobra below the Twin Pavilion.

16September, a masked palm civet at Signpost Corner several male birdwing butterflies flying in the Butterfly Garden and a constable butterfly patrolling the summit of KYS; one adult wild boar and four piglets at the Upper Canteen.

18September, a mother wild boar with five piglets near Misha’s Bungalow.

27September, a Chinese cobra near the Upper Canteen.

(2) Fauna Conservation Department Project News:

The monthly moth survey [RK] has been affected by poor weather on scheduled recording nights. Only on three evenings (in April, July and September) were recordings possible. April was not special in terms of unusual species. The recording on July 9, timed to coincide with the National Moth Night in the United Kingdom [1], resulted in 261 species being seen. Amongst the more interesting observations were a third Hong Kong record of Calletaera postvittata (Walker, 1861) (Geometridae, Ennominae), a couple of unusual species like Warreniplema fumicosta (Warren, 1896) (Fig. 4) (Uraniidae, Epipleminae), the probably undescribed Chiasmia sp. indet. near triangulata (Fig. 5) (Geometridae, Ennominae), and the following species thought to be endemic to Hong Kong: Sigilliclystis kendricki Galsworthy, 1999 (Fig. 6) (Geometridae, Larentiinae); Oglasa stygiana Galsworthy, 1997; Pangrapta bicornuta Galsworthy, 1997; Pangrapta roseinotata Galsworthy, 1997; Ugia purpurea Galsworthy, 1997 (all Noctuidae, Calpinae); Athetis hongkongensis Galsworthy, 1997 (Noctuidae, Hadeninae) and Luceria striata Galsworthy, 1997 (Noctuidae, Strepsimaninae). In September several new species to Hong Kong were recorded; these were all small species whose identities are still being determined by microlepidoptera specialist M.J.Sterling in the U.K.

Fig. 4. Warreniplema fumicosta (Photo: Roger Kendrick).

Fig. 5. Sigilliclystis kendricki (Photo: Roger Kendrick).

An additional moth record was made by AG of a mating pair of atlas moths (Attacus atlas) on September 16 at the WARC. This species (Fig. 7) is regularly recorded at KFBG, with adults seen in April, July and from late August through early October. The dramatic larvae are occasionally seen feeding on Cinnamomum camphor and Ilex rotundifolia.

Fig. 6. Chiasmia sp. indet. near triantulata (Photo: Roger Kendrick).

Fig. 7. Atlas moth at KFBG (Photo: Alex Grioni).

(3) Wild Animal Rescue Centre (WARC) – update

Interesting animal acceptances at the WARC include:

Fig. 8. Lesser hawk cuckoo prior to release at KFBG (Photo: Leo Ko)

A juvenile Cuckoo had both the WARC team and local ornithologists guessing as to its correct identification. It is believed that it is in fact a Lesser Hawk Cuckoo (Cuculus poliocephalus) (Fig. 8). The bird had suffered minor injuries from what appeared to be a predator attack. Once recovered the bird was subsequently I.D. ringed and released. Feathers were taken for future DNA analysis.

A Crested Serpent Eagle was received with a fractured pelvis and is expected to make a full recovery. The bird was struck by a cross border truck on Sha Tau Kok Road. Fortunately for the bird, the driver stopped and reported the incident immediately to the AFCD so that the bird could be rescued.

	A pair of juvenile Black Bazas (Aviceda leucophotes) (Fig. 9) were found at Sham Shui Po Market. The origin of the birds is unknown but both were found with leg chains attached indicating that they were perhaps intended to be used for illegal falconry or the pet trade.
	Fig. 9. The juvenile black baza (Photo: Gary Ades).

Animal rehoming to organisations involved in captive breeding & conservation projects for those species included:

Siamang Gibbon (Hylobates syndactylus) was sent to Melaka Zoo, Malaysia in April 2005.

2 Spotted Linsangs (Prionodon pardicolor) were sent to Taiping Zoo, Malaysia, in May 2005.

2 Malaysian Painted River Turtle (Callagur borneoensis) were sent to Fuengirola (Malaga) Zoo, Spain in June 2005.

7 Malaysian Box Turtle (Cuora amboinensis) were returned to the AFCD HK in July & August, for education programmes.

Below is a list of some of the animals received since February 2005 and that have been successfully rehabilitated and subsequently released (Fig. 10 & 11).

SPECIES	LOCATION FOUND	RELEASE DATE	RELEASE LOCATION
REPTILES
Chinese Softshell Turtle Pelodiscus sinensis	Lam Tsuen	06.04.05	Nam San Wai
RAPTORS
Common Buzzard Buteo buteo	Stubbs Road, HK	21.01.05	Mai Po
Common Buzzard Buteo buteo	Tuen Mun Highway	07.03.05	KFBG
Collard Scops Owl Otus lempiji	Pok Fu Lam Rd	15.03.05	KFBG
Common Buzzard Buteo buteo	Mai Po	24.03.05	Mai Po
Collard Scops Owl Otus lempiji	Sai Kung	04.05.05	Sai Kung (Return to Nest)
Black eared Kite Milvus migrans lineatus	Aberdeen CP	14.05.05	Aberdeen CP (Return to Nest)
Black eared Kite Milvus migrans lineatus	Kowloon Bay	18.05.05	Kowloon Bay
Collard Scops Owl Otus lempiji	Tuen Mun	18.05.05	Tai Po Kau
Collard Scops Owl Otus lempiji	Tsuen Kwan O	03.06.05	Kau Lung Hang
Black eared Kite Milvus migrans lineatus	Aberdeen	08.07.05	1
Crested Goshawk Accipiter trivirgatus	Kowloon Bay	04.08.05	KFBG
Crested Goshawk Accipiter trivirgatus	HKUST Sai Kung	08.09.05	Tai Po Kau
Collard Scops Owl Otus lempiji	Tai Po	05.10.05	KFBG
OTHER BIRDS
Oriental Tree Pipit Anthus hodgsoni	KFBG	14.01.05	KFBG
Grey-headed Lapwing Vanellus cinereus	Kam Tin	10.03.05	Kam Tin
Spotted Dove Streptopelia chinensis	Tai Po	07.04.05	KFBG
Koel Eudynamis scolopacea	TST	13.05.05	KFBG
Tree Sparrow Passer montansus x 2	KFBG	05.06.05	KFBG
Japanese White-eye Zosterops japonica x 3	KFBG	27.06.05	KFBG
Little Egret Egretta garzetta x 2	Tuen Mun	06.07.05	KFBG
Magpie Robin Copsychus saularis adamsi	Tai Po	25.08.05	KFBG
Red -whiskered Bulbul Pycnonotus jocosus	KFBG	25.08.05	KFBG
Lesser Hawk Cuckoo Cuculus poliocephalus	Sai Kung	07.10.05	KFBG
Slaty Legged Crake Rallina eurizonoides	North Point	07.10.05	KFBG
Yellow Bittern Ixobrychus sinensis	Jordan	10.10.05	Kam Tin
MAMMALS
Common Noctule Bat Nyctalus noctula	KFBG	16.06.05	KFBG
Common Noctule Bat Nyctalus noctula x 10	KFBG	23.06.05	KFBG
Common Noctule Bat Nyctalus noctula x 5	KFBG	25.06.05	KFBG

Fig. 10. Black-eared kite chick after being returned to its nest in Aberdeen Country Park (Photo: Leo Ko).

In June 2005, WARC staff were called on a number of occasions to deal with bats that had apparently been washed out of their roof roosts during heavy rain. A bat box was produced and erected near to the roost site to help place bats back in a dry environment. This had limited success, as some bats were young and were not being cared for by adults. It would be interesting to know how widespread this phenomenon is during torrential rain.

Fig. 11a. Collard Scops Owl chick after being returned to its nest in Sai Kung.

Fig. 11b. The same owl chick, two weeks later (Photo: Leo Ko).

(4) Other News

Between 4 and 8 of September 2006, KFBG will host the first South East Asian Lepidoptera Conservation Symposium. Unlike Europe, the Americas and Africa, there has been no regional or continental approach to the conservation of butterflies and moths in South East Asia. There exist various bodies at national and local levels, almost all non-governmental, that undertake conservation measures of some sort, and to varying degrees. By bringing such bodies together, an overall assessment of the state of Lepidoptera conservation in the region can begin.

The symposium is intended to bring together conservationists, academics, field workers, traders and natural history enthusiasts, to identify and agree upon regional conservation strategies and actions through a practical series of talks and workshops. The possibility of setting up a regional Lepidoptera conservation umbrella body will be explored.

Anyone interested in participating in the symposium should contact the Fauna Conservation Department at fauna@kfbg.org. Further information on the symposium is available on-line [2].

[1] http://www.nationalmothnight.info

[2] http://asia.geocities.com/hkmoths/SEALCS2006/