One Arctic Warbler

May seem counter-intuitive at first, but autumn migration can somewhat mirror spring: birds that arrived last in spring tend to be earliest in autumn. This seems especially the case with species that breed in far north, so experience only a very short summer before they have to flee the return of winter.

 

Arctic Warbler's a classic example; and today I saw my first one of the autumn, in woods on Fa Peng Knoll. "Tropical Warbler" might seem more appropriate name, given this species spends more time in the Tropics than in the Arctic!

Sadly, "Declining Warbler" might be apt too - seems less common than when I first arrived in Hong Kong in late 1980s. If this is really the case, might be at least partly as result of logging of tropical forests in southeast Asia.