Capturing Birds in Nam Sang Wai 南生圍候鳥攝影

【Hong Kong Nostalgia】  Over the past three years, every time I returned to Hong Kong, I would always go to Nam Sang Wai in Yuen Long for photography because I believe that in the process of urban development, Nam Sang Wai will eventually disappear. As such, I want to have a closer look of it before its total disappearance!  

My impression of Nam Sang Wai still remains in the sixties from those black and white photos. I appreciate the picturesque landscapes, most of them have depicted the simple but tranquil water ponds and the embankment on which row of trees was planted. The chores of the fishermen and farmers were presented in beautiful silhouettes in the pictures. Recently, I visited Nam Sang Wai again and tried to photograph different images of the birds, learning to capture the activities of the wintering species. I know very little about these birds. However, after looking for the information of these species, I have learned more about their names and characteristics with much enjoyment!

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Photo equipment:
Nikon D300s, GP-1 GPS
Nikon AF 80-200mm f/2.8
Nikon Coolpix P520 18-1000mm
645PRO for iPhone 5
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【香港情懷】過去三年，我每次返回香港，都會到元朗南生圍走走和攝影。因為我相信南生圍在城市發展過程中，將逃不過消失的命運。所以要盡快將南生圍的面貌用照片記録下來。我 對南生圍的印象，仍然是停留在六十年代的黑白「沙龍」照片。見到的風景照片如畫、漁塘基堤種了一排排的樹木，漁民耕夫在長堤幹活的剪影。最近到南生圍，卻嘗試 「打雀」，學習拍攝候鳥南來棲息的情景。我對鳥類不熟悉，拍下的照片，要翻查資料，方能知道每隻小鳥的名字和特徴。在資料搜集過程中，使我增加了對候鳥的 認識和興趣！

View Photo Location Map 瀏覽拍攝位置圖

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【Nam Sang Wai  ● 南生圍】

#1.  The rapid urbanization in Yuen Long is detrimental to the fate and tranquil environment of Nam Sang Wai.
645 PRO for iPhone @4.12mm, f/2.4, 1/5400s, ISO 50
都市化急速的步伐影響了南生圍的命運和寧靜的環境。

#2.  Birds and shadows
Nikon D300s, 80-200mm f/2.8 @170mm, f/7.1, 1/400s, ISO 200
鳥踪倒影

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 【Great Cormorant ●  鸕鶿】

Phalacrocorax Carbo (Great Cormorant):  Large waterfowl winter bird, body length 85cm, a black feather with green sheen.  The bill is grey and the legs and feet are black.  The mouth is long with a micro hook and a small chin throat pouch.  It can catch fish and temporarily store it in the pouch.  A good diving predator of fish, so fishermen ofter have domestication of fishing.

鸕鶿：大型冬候水鳥，身長約85cm，一身黑羽，帶綠色光澤，腳黑色、嘴長呈灰色有微鉤，頷下有小喉囊，能把捕到的魚暫時存放。善潛水捕食魚類，故漁人常馴養之以捕魚。

#3.  Nikon Coolpix P520 @464mm, f/4.8, 1/1000s, ISO 200

#4.  Nikon D300s, 80-200mm f/2.8 @200mm, f/2.8, 1/3200s, ISO 200

#5.  Nikon D300s, 80-200mm f/2.8 @200mm, f/5.6, 1/1000s, ISO 400

#6.  Nikon D300s, 80-200mm f/2.8 @170mm, f/7.1, 1/500s, ISO 200

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 【Egretta alba  ● 大白鷺 】

The Great White Egret is a large heron with all-white plumage.  This species can measure 90cm in length.  It be be distinguished from other white egrets by its yellow bill and black legs and feet, though the bill may become darker and the lower legs lighter in the breeding season.  It has a slow flight, with its neck retracted.  This species always appears in a warmer temperate regions on seashore and wetland.

大白鷺：是香港鷺鳥中最大的一種。身長約90cm，全身白色，頸、腳甚長，腳和趾皆黑色。飛行緩慢，頭頸稍向後。主要在海邊、沼澤地方出現。

#7.  Nikon Coolpix P520 @319mm, f/4.8, 1/1000s, ISO 200

#8.  Nikon Coolpix P520 @348mm, f/4.8, 1/1250s, ISO 200

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 【Ardea Cinerea  ●  蒼鷺 】

Ardea Cinerea：this species flies to Hong Kong from the north from Autumn till winter.  It is a large bird, standing up to 100cm.  Its plumage is largely grey above, and off-white below.  It has a powerful, pinkish-yellow bill, which is brighter in breeding adults. It has a slow flight, with its long neck retracted (S-shaped). It appears at ponds, wetland and shallow waters and feeds with small fish.

蒼鷺：每年秋天從北方飛到香港過冬。身形龐大，身高100公分。擁有灰、白、黑三種體羽。喙強呈黃略粉紅色。飛行緩慢，頭頸向後呈S形。棲息於池塘、沼澤淺水處，以捕食各種小魚為生。

#9.  Nikon Coolpix P520 @545mm, f/4.8, 1/1000s, ISO 200

#10.  Nikon D300s, 80-200mm f/2.8 @200mm, f/3.5, 1/800s, ISO 200

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  【Black-winged Stilt  ● 黑翅長腳鷸  】

The Black-winged Stilt has 33 to 36 cm in length.  It has long pink legs, a long thin black bill and is blackish above and white below, with a white head and neck with a varying amount of black. Males have a black back, often with greenish gloss. Females' backs have a brown hue, contrasting with the black remiges.  Males usually get all-white heads in winter.Immature birds are grey instead of black and have a markedly sandy hue on the wings, with light feather fringes appearing as a whitish line in flight.

黑翅長腳鷸：身長33至36公分。有粉紅色的長腿，長長的黑喙，上面黑色和下面白色，搭配白色的頭和黑色的頸部。男性鷸有黑色的背部，帶綠色光澤。女性的背部呈棕色，與黑色飛羽成對比。在冬天，男性鷸頭部是全白色， 稚鳥是灰色，而不是黑色的。翅膀一個顯著的暗質色調，飛行中輕羽毛流蘇會出現白色線條。

#11.  Nikon Coolpix P520 @811mm, f/5.0, 1/800s, ISO 200

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 【Green-winged Tael  ●  綠翅鴨 】

Anas Crecca  (Green-winged Tael)：The Eurasian Teal or Common Teal is a common and widespread duck which breeds in temperate Eurasia and migrates south in winter. The Eurasian Teal is often called simply the Teal due to being the only one of these small dabbling ducks in much of its range.The bird gives its name to the blue-green colour teal.  It is a highly gregarious duck outside the breeding season and can form large flocks. It is commonly found in sheltered wetlands and feeds on seeds and aquatic invertebrates. 

綠翅鴨：冬候鳥，最早在九月尾已開始飛來香港。雌雄異色，雄性頭頸呈暗栗色和深綠色，頭側有一條細長的黃白色斑紋將兩色分隔。雌性全身大致呈褐色，背部有棕黃色V形斑。身長約35cm，體形雖小，但飛行快速。常群棲淺水，幾乎整天覓食，晨昏時最頻繁！

#12.  Nikon Coolpix P520 @927mm, f/5.2, 1/1000s, ISO 200

#13.  Nikon D300s, 80-200mm f/2.8 @200mm, f/16, 1/250s, ISO 400

#14.  Nikon D300s, 80-200mm f/2.8 @200mm, f/16, 1/250s, ISO 400

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 【Black-faced Spoonbill  ● 黑臉琵鷺 】

Black-faced Spoonbill (Platalea Minor) :  it is classified as an endangered species through IUCN in 2005.  In 2012, it's population in the world is less than 2,700.  It has a niche existence on only a few small rocky islands off the west coast of North Korea, with four wintering sites at Macau, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Vietnam.  Spoonbills are large water birds with dorso-ventrally flattened, spatulate bills.  These birds use a tactile method of feeding, wading in the water and sweeping their beaks from side-to-side to detect prey.

黑臉琵鷺：2005年聯合國列為世界上瀕臨絶種的雀鳥之一，2012年，全球剩下少於2,700隻。它們群居於離朝鮮西海岸的岩石島嶼，並飛越到澳門，香港，台灣和越南過冬。黑面琵鷺是大型水禽，腹面扁平，面部呈黑色，咀長形似小琵琶。這些鳥飼養使用的觸覺方法，涉水和清掃它們的喙從一側到另一側去探測獵物。

#15.  Nikon Coolpix P520 @696mm, f/5.0, 1/1250s, ISO 200

#16.  Nikon D300s, 80-200mm f/2.8 @200mm, f/5.6, 1/1600s, ISO 400

#17.  Nikon D300s, 80-200mm f/2.8 @200mm, f/5.6, 1/1000s, ISO 400

#18.  Nikon D300s, 80-200mm f/2.8 @200mm, f/5.6, 1/3200s, ISO 400

#19.  Nikon D300s, 80-200mm f/2.8 @200mm, f/5.6, 1/1250s, ISO 400

#20.  Nikon D300s, 80-200mm f/2.8 @200mm, f/5.6, 1/3200s, ISO 400

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 【Startle in Tranquility  ● 驚破萬籟 】

#21.  The startle of a roaring boat ...
Nikon D300s, 80-200mm f/2.8 @80mm, f/5.6, 1/2000s, ISO 400
一葉扁舟的怒吼⋯⋯

#22.  ... has broken the tranquil world of the species!
Nikon D300s, 80-200mm f/2.8 @135mm, f/5.6, 1/2000s, ISO 400
⋯⋯ 驚破萬籟與蒼生！

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