Mai Po for beginners

I often post a few shots of birds taken at Mai Po and today will be no exception. However today I thought I would show you a few other snaps of the reserve. When I arrived this morning this was the light over the shrimp ponds.

The reserve is accessed by a path next to the warden’s hut.

And I usually then head straight for the Frontier Closed Area, beyond the fence that was erected to keep out illegal immigrants. This is where you go through, providing you have the right permits, which I do.

Then you reach the boardwalk. A few people have kindly suggested I spare my back by using a buggy or trolley – here is the problem! This is not your average boardwalk – just a few planks on floating drums, with a handrail on one side. Single lane traffic with occasional passing places.

The new section is much better but I honestly don’t fancy trying to get a trolley down the first 400m or so.

Walking this section early in the morning is wonderful. I liken it to entering a cathedral and this is the nave. No human sound, often bathed in light with wonderful (dawn) choral bird music. My tripod is held at arms length in front of me to break the spiders’ webs that cross the pathway. I always know when I am the first down the boardwalk. This morning I found this richly coloured fungus.

And if I am earlyI can watch the mudskippers.

But what I am really here for is birds. So here is a selection from today.

Black-tailed godwits

Cattle egret

Chinese Pond Heron

Great egret

Great Knot

Greater Sand Plover

Greater Sand Plover with breakfast

Sharp-tailed sandpiper

Terek Sandpiper

Finally, can anybody identify this bird? I know and so do the people who were in the hide with me this morning but its a good ‘quiz bird’.

Mystery Bird

So there we are. A beautiful day, convivial company (thank you Karen & Ruy) and a few snaps to bring home. What more could a boy want?

The camera often “lies”

An interesting example of the foreshortening effect you get using an extreme telephoto lens. This was shot on a 7D with an 800mm lens attached. For all the world it looks as if one egret is about to pounce on the other. I am tempted to call out: he’s behind you! The pantomime demon egret strikes again?

In reality it is fishing and a fair distance away from the other bird. As far as I know Little Egrets are not prone to cannibalism but they do like to go for “Mudskipper Surprise” off the a la carte menu. Certainly this mudskipper was surprised. His entire day/life was ruined.

But even after a large main course, there is still room for one wafer-thin little fish to finish off the meal.

 

Another sad end. Unless you are an egret.