An uncommon gull at San Tin
Large flocks of Black-headed Gulls winter in Deep Bay and forage around the fishponds of San Tin, occasionally accompanied by other gulls. In January 2024 they have been joined by an immature Common Gull, which in Hong Kong is enough of a rarity to attract a crowd of birdwatchers and photographers. The main subspecies breeding in northeast Asia, known as the Kamchatka Gull, is rather larger that the European Common Gull. A single Whiskered Tern, the only tern species to be seen locally in winter, was fishing over the fishponds, along with a Pied Kingfisher. Also present were wintering ducks including Pintail, Shoveler and Garganey, Common Snipe, and Green, Wood and Common Sandpipers.
The winter of 2023-24 may be the last at San Tin as we (and the wintering birds) know it: a substantial chunk of the wetland area is to be the site of a San Tin Technopole, part of the Northern Metropolis development. Substantial loss of habitat and disturbance due to construction are to be expected, though a wetland park is included in the proposal. The gulls, at least, should be sufficiently adaptable to continue using the site.
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