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長洲自然生態

Scenes from the wilder side of Cheung Chau, shot during April and on 1 May 2010.

            Though the village near the harbour is tightly packed with houses, leaving little room for greenery, Cheung Chau does have some wonderful wild places – and interesting wildlife.

Look up during daytime, and you are sure to soon see on or more Black Kites circling overhead, perhaps on the lookout for fish in the harbour or near the beach. Cheung Chau is one of Hong Kong’s best places for nesting Black Kites, with perhaps five or more pairs – and as this newsletter is published, young birds are already starting to fly from the nests.

Swallows are also common breeding birds here, with nests often under low ceilings just outside shops and houses. Young swallows are now being fed in the nests, and will soon start flying as well. Later, there may be gatherings of swallows in early evenings, before they migrate south in autumn.

Along beaches, look for Reef Egrets – small dark herons, which enjoy perching on the yellow floats holding shark nets, watching for fish that come within reach of their sharp bills.

You can see far more wildlife by walking trails that lead away from the village, to the north and south. The “Mini Great Wall” is a good path – not a wall – reached by walking to a headland above Kwun Yam Wan beach. Here, you can see huge, naturally sculpted granite boulders, which have names like Vase Rock, Human Head Rock, Elephant Rock and even Zombie Rock: sometimes you can easily see why they have the names, sometimes not.

Also in southeast Cheung Chau, there are winding trails above the coast, and up and over a wooded hill. Some ruined houses here date back to perhaps the 1930s, and were built for missionaries who were working in China and came to Cheung Chau for holidays. They’re interesting to explore – with care, and have features like a mini Chinese style landscaped garden, and a statute of the Virgin Mary. Sadly, though part of Cheung Chau history, they are neglected.

The most famous site in southwest Cheung Chau is Cheung Po-tsai Cave, near Sai Wan. It’s not a proper cave – more like a corridor below boulders, but you might scramble through, and think of unlikely stories that the famous pirate Cheung Po-tsai stashed his booty here. Near here, a path leads down between boulders to Po Yue Wan, with fine coastal scenery. You can continue round the coast, to Italian Beach, where a path winds up to join Peak Road.

Despite its name, Peak Road is a footpath, and from above Italian Beach you can return to Sai Wan, or walk east, following the south coast of Cheung Chau as you return to the village, then drop back down towards the ferry pier.

In summer, birds are relatively inconspicuous; even the noisy cuckoos of spring have become quiet. But there are common species like bulbuls. Insects are far more obvious: mosquitoes can be a nuisance, but butterflies include gorgeous swallowtails. Cicadas are more easily heard than seen.

Summer is also prime time for reptile and amphibian activity, though most prefer to avoid the heat of the day. Cheung Chau is one of Hong Kong’s best places for Blue-tailed Skinks: small lizards that especially like rocky areas, and have kingfisher blue tails. Frogs and toads are especially active on rainy evenings. There are snakes here, too, including venomous Chinese Cobras, Bamboo Snakes, and Burmese Pythons. They’re hard to find by daytime; but even so, take care if you push through dense undergrowth.

Especially in late summer, Cheung Chau can be a prime place for experiencing the wildest Hong Kong weather, as tropical storms and typhoons pass by, bringing powerful winds and waves that crash onto rocks and promenades.

(Written by Dr Martin Williams)

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