In Hongkong Park again ...

When I was in Hongkong this week, I visited the birds of the aviary in Hongkong Park again - it is a peaceful, green area in the bustling city, full of birds' twitter and flutter, bustling in their own way. I brought my new Nikkor 200 to 500 mm telezoom lens to test in these controlled, predictable surroundings, rather dark with green foliage but with mostly stationary birds.

Detail of the Maroon-breasted Crowned Pidgeon (Goura sheepmakeri)

I saw the Bali Mynah couple again...

 

 .... still squabbling....

"Not too close, please!"

Bali Mynah (Leucopsar rothschildi)

Crested Pidgeon (Ocyphaps lophotes)

White-necked Mynah (Streptocitta albicollis)

The shy and tiny Silver-eared Mesia (Leiothrix argentauris)

Longtailed Broadbill (Psarisomus dalhousiae)

Black-capped Lory (Lorius lory) 

I like the lens a lot, it is ultrasharp and easy to handle without tripod, even with slow shutter speeds. The only significant drawback compared with the classical Nikkor F4.0 200 - 400 mm wildlife telezoom is the much slower autofocus which makes it nearly impossible to follow a bird in flight.  For the next safari, it seems that I have to bring both lenses.   

Java sparrows (Padda oryzivora)

"holding hands"

Tai O

Tai O is a  rural fishing village quite close to Hongkong. Although it is only a short bus ride away from the "The Big Buddha" on Lantau Island, close to the international airport, not too many people go there. 

Tai O fishing village

People live in buildings on stilts above the tide. As people still don't own refrigerators, fish is sold either dried or alive and people go to their local market every day to shop for groceries. The local fish market sells specimens I had never seen before.

 What are these? 

preparations of the local shrimp sauce

Fishing

not only fish. 

a striking likeness to Santa Claus

Tung Chung, at the end of the MTR Tung Chung Line, where the cable car station is located, that takes people to the Big Buddha.

Housing estates in Tung Chung

A cable car leads to the Big Buddha on Lantau Island close to Hongkong Airport.

Back in Hongkong

Hongkong

It is quite unbelievable how densely packed Hongkongers are willing to live. These are impressions of the highrises that dominate the city from every viewpoint.

In between, there are quite a few "old" chinese parts left. One is the Man Mo Temple on Hollywood Road dedicated to the Gods of Literature and War - what a strange combination! Local people go to buy incense sticks for prayer or light one of the huge incense coils hanging from the ceilings.

Another interesting place to visit is the Chi Lin Monastery for nuns. It is next to Nan Lian Garden and only a short walk from the Diamond Hill MTR station, a surreal and peaceful atmosphere amidst the highrises looming around.

Hongkong Park

                                                   View from Hongkong Park to the city

In contrast to London parks with a large variety of free birds, Hongkongers have two options to see birds: to  go to an aviary or to go the bird market. Hongkong Park aviary is a very fine one with two dozen species or so. Many of them seem to breed happily in captivity. Most of them are not too shy.

                                              two Bali Mynahs admiring each other's hair-do

                                                       white-eared Catbird

Free living birds in Hongkong are extremely elusive and hard to find. This may be so because of the bird market - birds see that they can be captured and stay away. I found very excited sparrows bouncing between the cages of captured birds of all species.

                                   A view from the plane on Hongkong and its islands. There must be more birds in all the green spaces ....