Section 5 ( Wong Nai Chung Gap > Mount Parker Road )
Conquering the highs and lows of Jardine's Lookout and Mount Butler, persistence pays off by the majestic view of the Island’s north from the 433m height. Shortly, a downhill walk from the quarry marks another uphill workout to the 436m-tall Mount Butler, where another downward slope to the Quarry Gap awaits. Calf-aching, but challenging indeed!
Butterflies fluttering everywhere
Cutting by Hong Kong Parkview and walking towards Jardine's Lookout and the peak of Mount Butler, you can find butterflies flying around. It is not easy for butterflies to find a mate in dense woodland. For this reason, some butterfly species have hill-topping behaviour. Butterflies of the same species will fly to ridges or highlands at the same time, increasing the chances of finding a mate at the high reaches of the hills!
Painted Jezebel (Delias hyparete)
Flowers bloom
The fifth section is challenging. The upslope is long and steep, but countless wild flowers are cheering for the hikers! Hong Kong Hawthorn (Rhaphiolepis indica), or “spring flowers”, bloom in the spring season. The elegant white and pale red little flowers decorate the whole Jardine Lookout!
The flaming flowers of Red Azalea (Rhaphiolepis indica) also spread over the mountain with a taint of spring. As beautiful and numerous as the flowers are, do not be tempted to pick them. We have to protect our countryside!
Hong Kong Hawthorn
The flaming flowers of Red Azalea
Geometer Moth
Passing Hong Kong Parkview, you will be attracted by the leopard print Geometer Moth (Obeida tigrata) as you cross Jardine’s Lookout and Mount Butler. You are cheated if you think it is a butterfly! Many people distinguish butterflies and moths by whether the wings are folded or spread out at rest. The most accurate way, however, is to check the antennae. The antennae of a moth are like a pair of combs, while those of butterfly have stick-like endings. Also, a moth flaps its wings more rapidly in flight.
Sticky Trap
Carnivorous plants are not uncommon in Hong Kong. Yet some species are easily overlooked owing to their minute size. For example, Sundew (Drosera burmannii) has leaves less than 2cm long, and grows close to the ground or on walls. It traps insects with the body fluid and curls around the prey to digest it. There is no way out for any bugs that bump into the adhesive plant!
Black Kite
Standing on the highest point of Hong Kong Trail—the 436-m peak of Mount Butler, you will see the Black Kite (Milvus migrans) soaring high and low above you. The raptor, common in Hong Kong, is the scavenger in nature and feeds mainly on fish and small animal remains. It only preys on smaller size animals when there is no other food source. Black Kite likes to glide in sunny days when the air is heated and becomes light. It can save energy by taking on the upward air flow!
