Along the waterfront of Hong Kong’s outlying island Cheung Chau, a lengthy line of photographers patiently wait almost every day for a resident owl, which also attracts curious passers-by and brings “good fortune” to nearby seafood restaurants. The phenomenon has grown since earlier this month after posts of a brown fish owl on several local birdwatching social media groups showed the bird perched on fishing vessels berthed along the shore. The Post last week joined birdwatchers along Pak She Praya Road for two days to catch a glimpse of the largely nocturnal hunter.
The reporter spotted the owl at around 7pm on both days, with the bird swooping down to the waterfront from the northern woods and staying in the area for about three hours each time. While it spent most of its time scanning the waters for food, the bird gave the occasional piercing stare at the crowd and every once in a while used its sharp talons to catch fish swimming along the water’s surface. University student Frankie Kwok Yuen-fan said he rushed to the island after seeing posts of the owl on social media.
“This is the first time I’ve ever seen an owl. It felt wonderful seeing a bird so elusive,” the amateur birdwatcher said. “I only started birdwatching about one year ago, but I already feel overwhelmed about the birds Hong Kong has.
” For many such as Han Wenjiang, a tourist from mainland China visiting the island for the first time, the owl comes as a surprise. He said he was drawn by th.