Animal photography enthusiasts spent the weekend staking out a park in Wong Tai Sin, where a crop of newborn baby owls were nestled in a tree hole.
Hordes of photographers set up tripods and attached zoom lens on their cameras to catch sight of the owlets at Lok Wah Street Playground, photos from local media showed.
Online, while some marveled at pictures of the elusive owls, others cautioned the public not to be too overzealous in their photography and cause stress to the birds.
A notice in the park printed by the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) identified the owlets as collard scops owls. According to the AFCD, the species is a common wild bird in Hong Kong, breeding in March and June in tree holes, abandoned nests and even nooks of buildings.
The AFCD also warns admirers not to shine a strong light at the owls.
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According to Apple Daily, photography enthusiasts across the city made the trip to the park in hopes of capturing the owls, with one man, surnamed Li, arriving as early as 5 am Sunday from Tsuen Wan.
Li told the paper that that one or two of the owlets stuck their heads out for about 30 minutes, then retreated back to the tree hole to sleep. He said he believes the owlets would fly away in a couple days’ time.
It’s not the first time that the park has been home to newborn owlets. Around this time three years ago, a group of seven collard scops owls were found in a tree hole at the playground, comprising a mating pair and their five offsprings.
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