The plan was to have an evening stroll around the peak, with the chance of getting a nice picture of a Black-eared Kite silhouetted against the dramatic cityscape of Hong Kong.
My astronomical calculations predicted that solar/planetary alignments would be favourable for this, but I failed to take into account that the fire alarm in the bus station might be triggered and we would not be allowed off the bus until the sun had almost set.
A beautiful song carried from high on the mountain. The Hwamei’s voice is rich and fluty, but the bird itself could only be seen very poorly in the evening gloom.
While I was up there, it seemed a shame to waste a chance to see the legendary lights of Hong Kong, so I took the opportunity to get a few shots and then cross to see the laser show from the Kowloon side.
Next day, I returned and left a little extra time in case of unexpected emergencies. Tip for next time; Victoria Peak is ridiculously busy on a Saturday (from the back of the queue, I watched one bus fill up and return to Central leaving me to wait for the next one).
The kites were very distant and not very accommodating. I had hoped that they would bank on outstretched wings to give a beautiful silhouette against the buildings, but the city provides such a wide column of rising air that there is no need for them to circle to stay in the current. A flat profile against the background of the city proved to be a terrific disappointment, so I had to employ some jiggery pokery to give the desired effect.
Birds seen; 5
Black-eared Kites 80, Peregrine Falcon 1, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo 15, Pale vented Bulbul 3, Japanese White-eye 4.
Follow the link below for a previous post from Victoria Peak;
http://redgannet.blogspot.com/2009/09/im-still-here.html
Visit the dedicated Asia Page for more posts from Hong Kong and the Far East.
A great job, nonetheless ... and a pretty city scape. I haven't traveled yet to Hong Kong but this post gives a great sense of scale.
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