Another Nature Day in HongKong

Saturday, November 14

Another Nature Day in HK

We decided to explore several nature preserves to keep ourselves in the "birdwatching mode." After taking the Metro to the light rail, which was a very efficient modern system of getting around, we arrived in the suburbs, I guess you could say. There are lots of outlying communities that have quite recently been built to accommodate the burgeoning population. Each community is actually a huge high rise complex somewhat resembling CoOp Village in the Bronx, complete with huge five story schools.  The HongKong Wetlands Park seems to be a very popular spot for  hundreds of young families with small children. Rightly so, because there were lots of kids activities. However, not too conducive for watching birds. Add to the fact that it was midday, at its hottest, and when most birds (if they're even there) are taking a siesta - it was a bust. Very nicely laid out and quite attractive, but few birdies!

Birdie Jackpot!

Our next destination was the Mai Poi Marshes, a wetlands refuge run by the World Wildlife Fund,where we spent three hours on a very fruitful guided walk through fish ponds, mangrove, and freshwater marshes. Located along the flyway of many Asian-Australian species, the marshes provide an important habitat for migrants, as well year round and wintering species. The WWF has run the refuge for over thirty years and provides educational and research programs encouraging the preservation of critical habitats and the species that live there. The Refuge is an oasis among the crowded land and busy waterways. As in many developed areas, the marshes and mangroves have been destroyed, which in turn eliminates the food sources and habitat for many animals and birds.

There were lots of wading birds, including Black billed spoonbills (a new species for us), a rare,   crow and quite a few ducks. It was a beautiful, peaceful place made somewhat surreal by the glint of skyscrapers off in the distance.

We were even luckier when we made the acquaintance of two people who were traveling back to the city and willing to give us a ride! At this point we had been walking all day, and didn't relish the thought of a mile walk back to the village before even getting a bus to the train.

By the time we got back to the hotel, we had a well deserved cocktail and stuffed everything back into our bags for the trip home in the morning.

The view of HongKong from the Harbor returning from Kowloon

Hotel....Airplane California....

Will we ever get off this bloody plane?  Boarding was exceptionally slow because of extra security to checks due to the recent Paris bombings. Then a lady became very ill (stroke?) on the plane and we dropped her off in Japan. Interestingly, they had to dump a considerable amount of fuel which came shooting out of two openings in the wing, because we would have been too heavy to land. Then we went on to Toronto, where they did a crew change, and we had to wait several hours to take off because there would be no gates available until 6:15.  It was a loooong day. Meanwhile, Ray spent so much time in the parking lot they kicked him out, so he and Scruffy went for a walk on the boardwalk at Coney Island.