Many of my recent shots...snakes, birds, bugs and bees...have been taken in this one little area know as Lions nature education centre in Sai Kung.
Here a long tailed Shrike in the late November sun.
Here I am next to the main lotus pond, where we took the checkered keelback shots. Image by jack ferguson....not a selfie!
Whilst i love this place, there are some serious problems....with its management, which unfortunately seems more geared towards urban park/dog/kids etc than its role for wildlife. I have talked to others about this, and the jumping spiders - once prolific - have all but disappeared; grass lizards cannot survive in the short grass; the dozens of red eared turtles have eaten all the other pond life; and the invasive species fish finish off everything else, like the dragonfly larvae etc.
Hedge slashing have driven the changeables away, whilst the ubiquitous wedding photographers and other groups have scorched the earth, whist putting nothing back. Huh.
the paths are clean, but step off and immediately you are knee deep in dog poop...only a minor exaggeration, as the dog friendly park means dogs roam free, which owners take to mean they do not have to clean up.
One positive element is that the birds seem to love it still....although November 30th there were so many big noisy groups that I did not see one bird in the two hours I sat near the pond!
A magpie Robin poses nicely.
Some more information about Lions from the AFCD website:
Exhibition Halls: Monday, Wednesday to Sunday & Public holidays: 9:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Closed on Tuesdays (except public holidays) and the first two days of the Chinese New Year. Car Park: 9:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
AFCD Lions Nature Education Centre is situated at Tsiu Hang Special Area, Sai Kung. The 16-hectare Centre consists of five exhibition halls and some outdoor featured zones. The Centre promotes nature education, field studies and eco-tours for schools, organisations and the public. It is a fascinating place equally suitable for adults and families.