Put Tai Po Kau Garden into your google maps, arrive, and its a 15 minute walk to a bird wonderland, with some of Hong Kong's most delightful wildcreatures in full display, only a few meters right in front of you! And yes, they are all wild, and free, and no need for a mask.
The star of this attraction is Mrs Gould's sunbird, featured above (i'll be doing a longer blog on this soon, including how it got its name). This is a winter visitor, so go soon, before it's gone.
IT'S SO EASY...Most people think that bird watching can be hard work, deep in forests, after long arduous walks to catch a glimpse of a tail feather high in the canopy. Not so here....yesterday after this short walk - and standing still for 2 hours - I saw Fork Tailed sunbirds, Crested Serpent Eagles, a Goshawk, Scarlet Minivets, Tailor birds and Japanese White-eyes in profusion, and of course the lovely sunbirds, so many times as they come to feed on the nectar. There are also splendid colourful leaf-birds and flowerpeckers in the bushes nearby too. You may also see these large red-billed blue magpies as they flash past overhead.
Getting there: Go to Tai Po MTR and bus/taxi. Once you arrive at the garden head past the guard post at the bottom head up the steepish concrete road. Keep going for c10 mins and then keep right at the fork, past the small dam on your left, and carry on up the hill another few minutes when you will the "nature garden"marked, with some wooden steps down. If in doubt, follow the photographers, there are loads here, sustainably chasing these lovely birds. Then, settle down for a while near one of the large Coral trees - either near the entrance, or go on further into the park, up past the pretty pond - only another few minutes.
See below for some common species you are bound to see. Here the Male Fork-tailed sunbird.
And here is his pretty mate.
This is the Tailor-bird, look for him lower down, in bushes and on the ground.
These cute Japanese White-eyes are everywhere.....
The male Orange-bellied leaf bird - these are more likely to be found on the Hong Kong rose trees - as in picture.
Good luck, have fun...and any problems or questions you are welcome to pm me....
OH, and if you like this then please like the facebook page at wildcreatureshongkong and/or sign up for a daily blog/newsletter at www.wildcreatureshongkong.org which are all about our wildcreatures here in Hong Kong, not just birds . Thanks for reading and enjoy our wonderful wildlife....
DISCOVER - LEARN - LOVE - PROTECT
