The rains

The long hot dry and sunny month of May left HK with depleted reservoirs and a need for rain. Happily we are now enjoying a decent spell of wet weather.

May has been an active moth-ing month and the sessions I managed to attend plus more walks have edged my observation tally over the 1,000 mark. It is just a number but mildly satisfying nonetheless. Most of these observations have been made within a few miles of home and using only shank's pony.

My Fuji camera gear is proving to be frustrating. The flash unit is overheating and the battery grip is jammed so both have gone back for repair. Happily carrying the old Canon rig allowed me to do better with butterflies and diurnal moths. The Fuji autofocus is a bit slow for small fast moving creatures.

My best find on June 4th was a scarce hawkmoth Hayesiana triopus. I managed some inflight images of the moth nectaring on Pavetta hongkongensis. This plant is in full flower now and hosting a good range of insects, especially lepidoptera. I had tried to photograph Hebomoia glaucippe, Great Orange Tip, for some time. It flies high, fast and erratically. When it finally settled it was only briefly but long enough to grab a few frames. I spent well over an hour just watching this plant.

The walk around The Peak, Harlech and Lugard Road, is a gentle circuit but very rich in rewards at this time. I have walked it before breakfast and throughout the morning and invariably find a number of interesting species. Part of the reason for using this journal is to remind myself next year where and when I should focus my efforts as the year unfolds. Late May, early June is certainly good for this walk.

On Monday three ladies stopped to watch me photographing a caterpillar. One said she was a school teacher and asked if I would be willing to talk to her class about the wildlife of HK. I am one of the least qualified to educate on the matter but can provide a generous dollop of enthusiasm and some photos if that is all they want!

From next week I will finally have a car to get around more but I will try not to neglect my local patch. Fingers crossed that Fuji fix my camera gear before then.

Posted on June 6, 2018 06:08 AM by andrewhardacre