.but realy enjoyed your report.
.tho the attachments are not working at all..wonder why..regrds Paul.
I visited Beijing, Shanghai, Suzhou and Tongli between the 15th and 24th of July.
15/7
Arrived at the new international airport, and took the Beijing expressway to the centre. Saw Asian House Martin, Tree Sparrow, Rock Dove, Black-Billed Magpie, an Azure Winged Magpie, and to my surprise, a lovely view of a White-Breasted Waterhen in a little bit of marsh. Wandering around the hutongs and Tian'AnMen Square in the evening, there were similar birds, with a couple of Large-Billed Crows, Swifts and Barn Swallows. 3 new species for the day - the l-b crows, waterhen, and martin - but otherwise a very Western start. I did see a barn swallow sitting on a restaurant plaque near Ho Hai.
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barn swallow and azure-winged magpies
16/7
Spent most of the day in the Forbidden City, which I had been warned was pretty terrible for birds, so I did not expect much. Tree Sparrows were ubiquitous, and the additional Collared Dove, Azure-Winged Magpie and Large-Billed Crow were pleasant as well, but it was not until the evening in Beihai Park when I started seeing more interesting birds. I found a group of maybe a dozen Spot-Billed Duck swimming with some Mandarins. Herons were passing regularly overhead, mainly Black-Crowned Night and Chinese Pond, but also to my delight there were 2 Yellow Bitterns.
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spot-billed duck, mandarin duck, tree sparrow, night heron
17/7
The Mutianyu section of the Great Wall held surprisingly little birdlife, but of course there were astounding views. On the motorway there, I saw a few Chinese Pond Herons, Azure-Winged and Black-Billed Magpies, Hill Pigeons, Large-Billed Crows, and a great Red-Rumped Swallow. On the wall, I found a couple of Yellow Bellied Tits and what looked like a Black-Eared Kite flying on the thermals with the mountains of Mongolia in the background; but by far the most handsome and exotic of the birds was a pair of Red-Billed Blue Magpies flapping at the foot of the mountains. On the drive back to Beijing, I saw a White-Cheeked Starling and Black Drongo, plus the similar common birds.
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yellow bellied tit
18/7
This proved to be a very good day, because I had been told that the Summer Palace northern lakes were great for birding. On the walk round the palace gardens, I found common birds such as Moorhen, Little Grebe, Spot Billed Duck, Mallard, Tree Sparrow, Azure-Winged and Black-Billed Magpie, the crows, Barn Swallow, Swift, Asian House Martin, and Rock Doves. At the northern lake, birds were bountiful and excellent. Sitting down for 15 minutes with the telescope, I saw a flock of Grey-Capped Greenfinch flap into some trees nearby. I then heard an elaborate call from the reedbed, and had great views of a few Oriental Reed Warblers on the tops of the reeds, and flying back and forth across the lake. A couple of Little Grebes and Spot-Billed Ducks as well. There was a handful of very pretty Spotted Doves perched on the pavilion roofs, with splendid black and white spotted necks. Some Common Kingfishers zoomed electrically across the water. Yellow Bitterns were everywhere! - there must have been about 7 or 8 in the reedbed in front of me, clambering up the thin stalks diligently. This was probably my favourite bird on the lake, but the birdwatch was topped off with an incredible impromptu sighting of an Indian Cuckoo flying out of a forest, across the lake, up in the air, and into the tree that I was leaning against (!!!), pursued tetchily by a little green warbler (possibly a leaf warbler? any ideas?). That was absolutely awesome. Later on, various Black Crowned Night Herons and Yellow Bitterns wandering among the lotus flowers, with a pagoda in the background, lost in the Beijing murk.
Walking around my brother's university campus, I saw a white-cheeked starling briefly.
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azure winged magpie, black crowned night heron, spotted dove, white-cheeked starling (behind the bush, and a sparrow as well)
19/7
Drive to the airport to go to Shanghai. A Spotted Dove and the typical ubiquitous birds like magpies, crows and sparrows. Arriving in Shanghai, I saw those same birds, with a couple of swifts and barn swallows.
20/7
I got up especially early (5:50) to wander around the grounds of the Ruijin Hotel and the neighbouring Fuxing Park. At the Ruijin, I was delighted to find some Light Vented Bulbuls in the trees. There was also a number of Spotted Doves and Chinese Blackbirds. At the park, I was amazed to find so many people doing TaiChi at such an early hour, and hence there weren't many birds, other than the ones that they had brought along in cages - hwamei, leaf warblers, hill mynas...However, across the main lake, I had a lovely view of a balletic Forest Wagtail.
Later, I went to the French Concession and the parks - more bulbuls, doves and magpies.
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light vented bulbul
21/7
The Bund at 6am had a few Light-Vented Bulbuls and Black-Crowned Night Herons, but not much else.
I took a train to Suzhou, and from there travelled the short distance to the town of Tongli. Tongli itself did not provide many bird watching opportunities, other than the odd Barn Swallow and Swift, but of course the canals were fantastic, and I did see a Chinese fishermen with his cormorants. The Pearl Tower Gardens had a couple of Tibetan race Great Tits and some exquisite little Vinous Throated Parrotbills. The drive along the motorway back to Suzhou was better, with 2 Crested Mynas and Bulbuls.
Back at the Sheraton Hotel in Suzhou, I found quite a lot of great birdlife out of the window. The hotel looked onto a pagoda park, and onto the trees. Apart from the regular longhorn beetles and stupendously beautiful butterflies, I had several views of Crested Myna flocking back and forth and landing on top of the pagoda. This was one of the best birds of the trip - when perched, they are plump and black, but in flight, they look overweight, with black and white wings, yellow bills and eye-rings, and a great crest like an Andean Cock of the Rock. I also saw a passing Chinese Pond Heron and some Black Crowned Night Herons. The most surprising bird, however, was a Long Tailed Shrike that landed in the tree opposite my window, with an insect in its mouth. It sat there for 5 minutes tearing the cicada apart with its huge bill.
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night heron, vinous throated parrotbill
22/9
With high expectations of this park, I got up at 5:30. However, I didn't see anything much different - several views of the Long-Tailed Shrike and Light-Vented Bulbuls and Night Herons, and some Litle Egrets and Asian House Martins.
In the afternoon, I visited the Humble Administrator's Garden - again, some bulbuls and sparrows and martins. However, whilst sitting by a lotus lake eating my peach and honey icecream, I had an outstanding view of a large Crested Kingfisher flapping over the pink and white lotus flowers, and off over a pavilion.
The Ouyuan Gardens were the same, without the kingfisher.
The Sheraton Hotel in the evening was the same as in the morning - again the majestic shrike and the mynas - with an additional White Wagtail.
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long tailed shrike
23/9
The next day was back to Shanghai - the last day. The Bund provided Night Herons and Bulbuls and Mynas.
24/9
Off to London.
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BIRD LIST (* = new bird)
TOTAL - 43 species
NEW SPECIES - 27 (or 26 - see no.38)
1 *Asian House Martin
2 Tree Sparrow
3 Rock Dove
4 Black-Billed Magpie
5 *White-Breasted Waterhen
6 Azure-Winged Magpie
7 *Large-Billed Crow
8 Swift
9 Barn Swallow
10 Collared Dove
11 *Spot-Billed Duck
12 Mallard
13 *Yellow Bittern
14 Mandarin Duck
15 *Chinese Pond Heron
16 *Red-Billed Blue Magpie
17 *Yellow-Bellied Tit
18 *Black Drongo
19 *Hill Pigeon
20 *Black-Eared Kite
21 *White-Cheeked Starling
22 *Red-Rumped Swallow
23 *White-Cheeked Starling
24 *Indian Cuckoo
25 *Grey-Capped Greenfinch
26 *Oriental Reed Warbler
27 *(leaf warbler - but what?)
28 Moorhen
29 Black Crowned Night Heron
30 Little Grebe
31 *Spotted Dove
32 Common Kingfisher
33 Common Coot
34 *Forest Wagtail
35 *Light-Vented Bulbul
36 *Chinese Blackbird
37 *Vinous-Throated Parrotbill
38 *Tibetan Great Tit (is this a different species)
39 *Crested Myna
40 *Long-Tailed Shrike
41 Little Egret
42 *Crested Kingfisher
43 White Wagtail
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PICS
Paul a excellent report and wow quite a lot of birds seen..i am jealous..but realy enjoyed your report..tho the attachments are not working at all..wonder why..regrds Paul.
Hi Paul:
Very good trip!
If have chance, I advice you come to Beijing again at April or May. you can get many more birds. The temperature is also suit for outdoor.(the only problem is that you may meet sand and dust weather )
I have a question about Asian House Martin. This bird is very rare in Beijing. In recent 5years, I only find one record, which was found in North of beijing in some mountains. So do you make sure about that?
I have no idea about Tibetan Great Tits. What's the differents between them and Great Tits
Xiao Ming