Anthus pratensis 草地鷚

Common name: Meadow Pipit
Scientific name: Anthus pratensis 草地鷚
Genus: Anthus 鷚屬*
Family: Motacillidae 鶺鴒科, the pipits 鷚 and wagtails 鶺鴒* family
Order: Passeriformes 雀形目

Remarks: * '鷚' is pronounced as '謀' in Cantonese. 鶺鴒 is pronounced as '炙(zik3) 令(ling4)' in Cantonese.

Status: Locally common resident; migrant; winter visitor

Date: 12th June

[20251] Slimmer bill (vs  slightly stronger bill in tree pipit, Anthus trivialis 林鷚)

[20256]

[20260]

[20263]

[20265]

[20267]

[20270] Breast buff white, streaked black; long, thick black streaks on flank. (vs sparse thin black streaks on flank in tree pipit, Anthus trivialis 林鷚)

[20259] Singing: 'sip sip' sound (vs 'teeess' or 'speeze' or 'spiz' in tree pipit, Anthus trivialis 林鷚)

Carduelis carduelis 紅額金翅雀

Common name: Goldfinch
Scientific name: Carduelis carduelis 紅額金翅雀
Genus: Carduelis 金翅雀屬
Family: Fringillidae 燕雀科, 雀科 the finches 雀類, euphonias 歌雀 and allies family
Order: Passeriformes 雀形目

Remarks: 

Status: Common resident.

Date: 3rd July

[30321] Buff-white below with dark brownish breast patches.

[30322]

[30330] Red, white and black face. Yellow band on the wing.

[30334]

[30323] Singing

Passer domesticus 家麻雀

Common name: House Sparrow
Scientific name: Passer domesticus 家麻雀
Genus: Passer 麻雀屬
Family: Passeridae 麻雀科, the Old World sparrows, snowfinches and relatives family
Order: Passeriformes 雀形目

Remarks: 

Status: Common resident.

Date: 5th May

[50002] Male breeding. Grey band on crown, red-brown hindneck, pale grey cheek, black throat and bib. Underparts unmarked pale grey. Bill thick, triangular, black.  (vs brown crown, white cheek with black spot, small black bib, almost complete white collar in Passer montanus 麻雀, 樹麻雀, 歐亞樹麻雀, tree sparrow)

[50005] Singing.

Certhia familaris 旋木雀, 歐亞旋木雀

Common name: Treecreeper 爬樹鳥, tree mouse
Scientific name: Certhia familaris 旋木雀, 歐亞旋木雀
Genus: Certhia 旋木雀屬
Family: Certhiidae 旋木雀科, the treecreeper family
Order: Passeriformes 雀形目

Remarks: 

Status: Common resident.

Date: 30th Nov

[0019] Brown-backed 'creeper' with white underparts.

[0008]

Cyanistes caeruleus 藍山雀, 藍冠山雀

Common name: Blue Tit
Scientific name: Cyanistes caeruleus 藍山雀, 藍冠山雀
Genus: Cyanistes 藍山雀屬
Family: Paridae 山雀科, the tits 山雀, chickadees 北美山雀* and titmice* family
Order: Passeriformes 雀形目

Remarks: *chickadees and titmice are native to North America.

Status: Common, widespread resident.

Date: 15th and 30th Nov

[50134] Blue cape, white forehead (vs black forehead in Parus major 歐亞大山雀, 大山雀, great tit), dark eye strip, white face, yellow breast and blue and white wings.

[50133] Blue cap.

[29001, 30th Nov]

Turdus merula 烏鶇

Common name: Blackbird
Scientific name: Turdus merula 烏鶇
Genus: Turdus 鶇屬
Family: Turdidae 鶇科, the thrushes 鶇* family
Order: Passeriformes 雀形目

Remarks: 鶇 is pronounced as "東" in Cantonese.

Status: Very common resident.

Date: 15th Nov

[50132] Adult male

[50129] All black except for a yellow eye-ring and bill.

[50130]

Anser anser 灰雁、大雁、沙鵝、灰腰雁、沙雁、黃嘴灰雁

Common name: Greylag Goose
Scientific name: Anser anser 灰雁、大雁、沙鵝、灰腰雁、沙雁、黃嘴灰雁
Genus: Anser 雁屬
Family: Anatidae 鴨科, the ducks, geese and swans family
Order: Anseriformes雁形目

Remarks: 

Status: Common resident. occasional migrant.

Date: 25th May

180 Large, big-headed, heavily built; pale brown with large, pale orange bill (paler at tip). Breast pale.

192_1

181_1 Legs pale pink (some pale to bright orange, at least in introduced flocks)

175 Juvenile.

193

Ardea cinerea 蒼鷺, 灰鷺

Common name: Grey Heron
Scientific name: Ardea cinerea 蒼鷺, 灰鷺
Genus: Ardea 鸊鷉屬
Family: Ardeidae 鷺科, the herons, egrets and bitterns family
Order: Pelecaniformes 鵜形目

Remarks: 

Status: Common resident. occasional migrant.

Date: 19th May

019 Body pale grey, blackish 'shoulder'.

041 White head with black band above eye to thin crest, bill yellow, dagger-like. Legs yellow-brown.

051

045

038

052

Dioscorea communis 漿果薯蕷、黑瀉根、黑眼根、黑旋花

Common name: Black Bryony
Scientific name: Dioscorea communis 漿果薯蕷、黑瀉根、黑眼根、黑旋花
Genus:  Dioscorea 薯蕷屬
Family: Dioscoreaceae 薯蕷科, yam family

Origin: native

Date:  25th May

The following photos are male plants:

119 Climbing, dioecious (male plant above) perennial with large, subterranean tuber (could not be seen above). Stems can reach up to 20m or more.

121 Younger and smaller leaves towards the tip of the stem.

113 The tip of the stem with very young, small leaves.

111 The stem.

111_1 Stem enlarged to show the ridges.

105 Leaf 3-15 x 2-10cm, dark glossy green, ovate, base cordate.

112 Underside of the leaf.

110 Young leaf with flower behind.

115 Twigs with flowers.

109 Stem gives rise to petiole and flowers.

109_1 Photo enlarged above to show a pair of stipules (bracts?) on the axil of flower and leaves. Note the axillary inflorescence.

104 Lax, spike-like raceme, to 15cm.

100_1 Male flower buds and open flower (top left one) showing the outer surfaces of the tepals, with brown stripes in the middle.

097_1 Open male flower and flower buds.

103_1 6 tepals and 6 stamens in male flower.

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The following photos are female plants:

138

140 Leaf of female plant plant is much sharply pointed at the tip than that of the male plant.

141 Underside of the leaf.

135 Twig with flowers.

145 Long inflorescences.

132 Young inflorescence emerge from the young leaf axil.

128 Raceme.

134_1 Different stages of flower buds and flowers.

127_1 Flower buds each with a pair of bracteoles at the base.

126_1 Partially open female flower.

131_1 Later view of the flower showing the outer surfaces of the tepals and the location of the ovary (swollen part near the base of the flower)

128_1

133_1 6 tepals, 6 rudimentary stamens and 1 style with 3 stigmas of the female flower.