Good Morning to all. I just returned from a long business trip to China but I was able to get a few half days birdwatching trips into my schedule and one full day in the Qinling mountains,Shaanxi province on Chihua Shan.
Highlights as follows:
Beijing: 20/1/07-27/01/07.Badaling (Great Wall of China) - Siberian Accentor,White Browed Warbler. Botannical Gardens and Reclining Buddha Temple,- Saker Falcon,Pallas Leaf Warbler (big surprise so far north during the winter) Yellow Throated Bunting.
Xian, Shaanxi Province, River Chan He ( a very dirty city river but highly productive for birds),- Rosy Pipit,Intermediate (Plumed) Egret should have been hundreds of miles south,Olive Backed pipit, Crested Kingfisher, 11 Hoopoes in two hours, Pied Wheatear (Ist Winter) again should have been a long way south,(very big surprise), Crested Lark, Richards Pipit, not expected during winter, Red Throated Pipit( again most unusual), Daurian Redstart (F),Yellow Billed (Chinese) Grosbeak.
Chihua Shan (Mt.) about 55kms SE of Xian.- Vinous throated Parrotbills (in flocks), Spot Breasted Scimitar, Hwamei, Siberian accentor, Brown accentor, Rufous Breasted accentor,Golden Pheasant,Spotted Nutcracker, Little Forktail, White crowned Forktail, Brown Dipper, Black Throated Tit,Yellow Breasted Tit, Green Backed Tit, Red Billed Blue Magpie, White Capped Redstart, Plumbaceous Redstart, Red Flanked Bluetail.
China this winter, like Europe and the USA, has been producing many birds which should have been a longway south on their wintering grounds. This may in part be due to early migration as the winter has been remarkably mild or simply birds that stayed north.
Many new species for me and I can't wait until I return in April in time for the Flycatchers etc. I took some quite decent photos (of Crested Lark, Hoopoe, Golden Pheasant, both Forktails, White Capped Redstart and Red Billed Blue Magpie, which must rank as one of the most spectacular looking of all Magpies), on my new "idiot" camera but I haven't compacted the files yet.
Best Wishes,
Brian.
Some good birds for limited birding time. Sounds a good trip.
Some good birds there Brian, when are you back in April, I am there 15-28 April in various places?
Cheers
Nick