• Welcome to BirdForum, the internet's largest birding community with thousands of members from all over the world. The forums are dedicated to wild birds, birding, binoculars and equipment and all that goes with it.

    Please register for an account to take part in the discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.
ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Dalian (Jinshitan) Birding Reports (11 Viewers)

Jinshitan Dec. 8, 2012

Two hours in my friend's car driving around. Too cold for the motorbike. Mostly checking water holes.

Common Pheasant
Ruddy Shelduck - 35 Sat beside an area where they were coming and going to and from some rice fields - beautiful ducks!
Mallard - 25
Common Pochard - 1
Ferruginous Duck - 1
Common Goldeneye - 50
Little Grebe - 1
Eurasian Kestrel - 3
Eurasian Sparrowhawk - 1
Eastern Buzzard - 3
Buzzard Sp. - 1
Eurasian Curlew - 28 (a bit of a surprise but I've seen them in sub-zero temps here before as well) They were in a small salt water bay.
Black-tailed Gull - 25
Common Gull - 10
Vega Gull - 5
Saunder's Gull - 1
Chinese Grey Shrike - 2
Great Tit - a few
Chinese Hill Warbler - 1
Brambling - 15
 

Attachments

  • Common Buzzard.jpg
    Common Buzzard.jpg
    126.1 KB · Views: 55
  • Eurasian Curlew.jpg
    Eurasian Curlew.jpg
    165.3 KB · Views: 46
  • Ruddy Shelduck.jpg
    Ruddy Shelduck.jpg
    185.4 KB · Views: 43
  • Ruddy Shelduck 2.jpg
    Ruddy Shelduck 2.jpg
    170.9 KB · Views: 51
Jinshitan GeoPark Dec. 16, 2012

After leading some field trips to the Jinshitan GeoPark on Wednesday and realizing it to be a very birdy place, I decided to return late Friday afternoon. I'm having a hard time putting things on this thread due to being busy, short day light, and cold. Holidays right around the corner so that will change soon. I am off work for 5 weeks starting January 18 with a few long weekends for Christmas and New Years. Will be some trips in there!

The weather on Friday was horrible as is evident by the matching horrible photography below.... The purpose of the one hour visit was to see if there were any Bullfinches around. These are being seen at many places in China at the moment and must certainly be around here as well - nothing today.

Common Pheasant
Red-breasted Merganser - 3
Pelagic Cormorant - 2
Eurasian Kestrel - 1
Northern Goshawk - 1
Mongolian Gull - 2
Great Spotted Woodpecker - 1
Great Tit - 20
Coal Tit - 4
Chinese Hill Warbler - 2
Crested Myna - 1
Naumann's Thrush - 1
Daurian Redstart - 1
Siberian Accentor - 1
Brambling - 30
Greenfinch - 10
Long-tailed Rosefinch - 1
Hawfinch - 8
Meadow Bunting - 3
Rustic Bunting - 1
Yellow-throated Bunting - 15
 

Attachments

  • Naumann's Thrush.jpg
    Naumann's Thrush.jpg
    125.7 KB · Views: 46
  • Hawfinch.jpg
    Hawfinch.jpg
    129.7 KB · Views: 46
  • Long-tailed Rosefinch.jpg
    Long-tailed Rosefinch.jpg
    131 KB · Views: 47
  • Red-breasted Merganser.jpg
    Red-breasted Merganser.jpg
    132.9 KB · Views: 49
  • Rustic Bunting.jpg
    Rustic Bunting.jpg
    142.7 KB · Views: 50
Last edited:
Baer's Pochard

Tom: Apparentlya superb year for Baer's P autumn sightings in N China which is very good news.
Be up your way before the winter is over. Brian.
I literally had 30 minutes to run and check the main duck pond and there was a Baer's Pochard waiting for me! This is a life bird for me and sightings have been very scarce in China as of late. The status of this species isn't headed in the right direction. There was only one today with a few other ducks and Coots in the last small area of open water - the rest are mostly frozen.

The list from this quick trip is small but I am delighted to add Baer's Pochard to my Jinshitan list!
Common Pheasant - 1
Gadwall - 1
Mallard - 3
Baer's Pochard - 1
Ferruginous Duck - 2
Tufted Duck - 2
Grey Heron - 1
Eastern Buzzard - 1
Common Coot - around 15 huddled together
Green Sandpiper - 1
Great Tit - 3
Yellow-throated Bunting - 5
Pallas's Reed Bunting - 2

I have been very busy with work lately but have seen many Varied Tit in and around my house in the last few weeks, 3 Swan Sp. flying over work last week, A Saunders's Gull among all the other gulls near the beach two weekends ago with my son, and the resident Chinese Hill Warbler that I hear and/or see in the hedge where I park at work each day.
 
Pallas's Rosefinch

Tom: Cracking photo of male Pallas's R. Brian.

Had a wonderful 3 hours this morning in this excellent winter birding area. Temperature was -6 and warmed to around zero by noon with no wind. I gained access through the gate via a friend's car without a hassle and left by a small side trail that emptys into a parking lot area where people are supposed to pay 80 RMB per person to walk the geopark trail. As I popped out of the woods, a person who works at the ticket booth saw me and wasn't sure what he was supposed to do with this foreigner appearing from the forest. He looked sternly at me, thought for a moment, and then said "don't cross!" I smiled and said "ok" and he seemed fine with that. I don't think he we aware of the Chinse Nuthatch, Rosefinches, and other winter goodies that can be found in his forest.

List:

Common Pheasant - I counted up to 50 and then probably saw 20 more.
Mallard - 5
Spot-billed Duck - 20
Common Goldeneye - 5
Red-breasted Merganser - 8
Pelagic Cormorant - 1
Black-tailed Gull - 10
Vega/Mongolian Gull - 5
Hill Pigeon - 1
Great Spotted Woodpecker - 2
Bull-headed Shrike - 1
Azure-winged Magpie - 10
Great Tit - 30
Coal Tit - 10
Chinese Hill Warbler - 8
Chinese Bulbul - 15
Vinous-throated Parrotbill - 3 groups
Goldcrest - 3
Chinese Nuthatch - 3
Naumann's Thrush - 6
Red-flanked Bluetail - 1
Daurian Redstart - 1
Siberian Accentor - 14! (two times I had 4 or more in one tree)
Long-tailed Rosefinch - 6 and heard a few more
Pallas's Rosefinch - 4 (1 male, 3 females)
Hawfinch - 2
Meadow Bunting - 5
Yellow-throated Bunting - 50
 
Jinshitan areas December 23, 2012

Out this afternoon (1-5 pm) with two people visiting from Shanghai. Together we covered a lot of different areas never venturing too far from the car. Temperature was between -10 and -15. Wafangdian all day tomorrow.

Common Pheasant
Ruddy Shelduck - 75
Mallard - 50
Spot-billed Duck - 30
Common Pochard - 1
Grey Heron - 1
Eurasian Kestrel - a minumum of 15
Merlin - 1
Hen Harrier - 1
Harrier Sp. - 1
Eurasian Sparrowhawk - 3
Northern Goshawk - 1
Eastern Buzzard - 3
Upland Buzzard - 2
Rough-legged Buzzard - 5
Vega Gull - 4
Black-tailed Gull - 3
Oriental Turtle Dove - 17
Little Owl - 1
Common Kingfisher - 1 sadly doomed little fellow.
Common Hoopoe - 1 perhaps the most surprising bird of the day!
Chinese Grey Shrike - 2
Great Tit - a few here and there
Eurasian Skylark - 40
Chinese Nuthatch - heard clearly at one place
Thrush Sp. - 3 most likely Dusky or Naumann's
Siberian Accentor - 1
Oriental Greenfinch - 10
Pallas's Rosefinch - 1 male
Meadow Bunting - 1
Yellow-throated Bunting - 20
Pallas's Reed Bunting - 10
 

Attachments

  • Eurasian Skylark.jpg
    Eurasian Skylark.jpg
    286.8 KB · Views: 44
  • Hen Harrier.jpg
    Hen Harrier.jpg
    176.1 KB · Views: 41
  • Little Owl.jpg
    Little Owl.jpg
    152.5 KB · Views: 44
Wafangdian and Jinzhou Bay December 24, 2012

Had an early start this morning with Roger from Shanghai, arriving at Wafangdian at daylight. We waited approx. 30 minutes and were able to see 200+ cranes arriving to the rice fields from their night roosting area. We spent from 6:30-12:00 at Wafangdian and then decided to stop at Jinzhou Bay on the way home. We were looking for Oriental Storks by that time and couldn't find one (!) at the regular areas at Wafangdian. There were some at Jinzhou Bay last year so we made a last attempt there and were rewarded with nice looks at a close one that was unfortunately being harassed by magpies.

At Jinzhou Bay there were good numbers of gulls but we didn't have enough time to sort through everything. We finished in Jinshitan where we found the same owl as yesterday but in better light for photographs. Roger has a huge lens and I can't wait to see his photos from his time here.

Weather today started very cold but warmed up to around -5 but with NO WIND. I think it could have been my first time with no wind at all there. It snowed a bit on the way, was clear once we arrived, and we left as a blizzard was starting.

Highlights/oddities of the day:

-Ending with a Little Owl yesterday, starting with one this morning, and ending today again with one!
-Seeing another Hoopoe in the middle of winter (saw one yesterday in Jinshitan also). This individual was actually pounced on by an Eastern Buzzard as we watched through binos. Maybe he thought it was a rodent by the way they move? The Hoopoe flew away unharmed but took a pretty good shot from the buzzard and actually bounced off the ground.
-Seeing all 3 Reed Bunting Sp. at one place on the same day.
-Not seeing any Oriental Stork at Wafangdian.
-Not seeing any White-tailed Sea Eagles at Wafangdian.
-Not positively confirming 1 Upland Buzzard today.

List: Wafandian = WD Jinzhou Bay = JB
Pheasant - abundant at WD
Japanese Quail - 3 at WD
Tundra Bean Goose - 80 at WD
Greater White-fronted Goose - 1 at WD
Common Shelduck - 5 at JB
Ruddy Shelduck - 200 at WD 150 at JB
Mallard - 100 at WD 150 at JB
Spot-billed Duck - 100 at JB
Eurasian Teal - 7 at JB
Common Merganser - 5 near JB
Little Grebe - 3 at WD huddled in a water hole right beside a main road...
Oriental Stork - 1 at JB
Eurasian Kestrel - 7 along the roads
Merlin - 2 at WD
Peregrine Falcon - 2 at WD
White-tailed Sea Eagle - 1 at JB
Hen Harrier - a minimum of 6 females at WD 1 male at JB
Eastern Buzzard - 2 at WD
Rough-legged Buzzard - 2 at WD
Common Crane - 200+ at WD
Hooded Crane - 3 at WD
Black-tailed Gull - some at JB
Common Gull - some juv. at JB
Vega Gull - some at JB
Mongolian Gull - abundant at JB
Heughlin's Gull - at least 1 IDed at JB
Black-headed Gull - at least 1 IDed at JB
Little Owl - 1 at WD 1 at Jinshitan at dusk.
Hoopoe - 1 at WD
Chinese Grey Shrike - 5 at WD
Rook - 1 at WD
Great Tit - scattered around WD
Coal Tit - 2 at WD
Eurasian Skylark - abundant at WD probably around 200+ seen
Chinese Bulbul - 4 near Jinshitan
Naumann's or Dusky Thrush - 2 at WD
Daurian Redstart - 1 near Jinshitan
Siberian Accentor - 1 at WD
Brambling - 15 at WD
Meadow Bunting - 3 at WD
Pallas's Reed Bunting - 40 at WD
Japanese Reed Bunting - at least 15 at WD
Common Reed Bunting - 4 at WD
 

Attachments

  • Common Crane.jpg
    Common Crane.jpg
    212.2 KB · Views: 51
  • Hen harrier.jpg
    Hen harrier.jpg
    119.8 KB · Views: 56
  • Hooded Crane.jpg
    Hooded Crane.jpg
    230.5 KB · Views: 48
  • Oriental Stork.jpg
    Oriental Stork.jpg
    184.6 KB · Views: 55
  • Rook.jpg
    Rook.jpg
    227 KB · Views: 46
Woods behind my house December 31, 2012

I have to admit that I have never really birded the forest directly behind my house. Yesterday I was out playing with my son in the snow and saw 3 Bohemian Waxwings fly overhead coming from the same woods. I decided to investigate today and has about 1.5 hours to go for a walk. It also helps that my motorbike is in the shop for some time having repairs so walking is the new transportation. The woods had deep snow but the weather was quite nice at just below freezing, beautiful blue sky, and no wind. I think I'll be making return visits there.....

Common Pheasant -10
Great Tit - 15
Coal Tit - 10
Dark-throated Thrush - 2
Naumann's Thrush - 2
Daurian Redstart - 1
Siberian Accentor - 5
Brambling - 1
Eurasian Siskin - 1
Pallas's Rosefinch - over 30! This was the surprise of the outing.
Hawfinch - 6
Chinese Grosbeak - 2
Yellow-throated Bunting - 15
 

Attachments

  • Dark-throated Thrush.jpg
    Dark-throated Thrush.jpg
    116.5 KB · Views: 54
  • Pallas's Rosefinch.jpg
    Pallas's Rosefinch.jpg
    125.5 KB · Views: 58
  • Pallas's Rosefinch 2.jpg
    Pallas's Rosefinch 2.jpg
    104.1 KB · Views: 54
  • Siberian Accentor.jpg
    Siberian Accentor.jpg
    130.3 KB · Views: 48
  • Pallas's Rosefinch 09403.mp3
    207.4 KB · Views: 61
Jan. 5, 2012 Forest behind my house

Went out for a 3 hour walk around the mountains/forest behind my house this morning (8-11am). Temperature was -8 but calm and pleasant if you were dressed for it. Very quiet and peaceful walking around in the 6 inches or so of snow. Highlight would be the 40+ Pallas's Rosefinches and also just the sheer numbers of birds for this time of year. Twice I had to stop counting because I was distracted by new sounds or other stuff flying in or out. Shades of migration time!

Common Pheasant - a few
Eurasian Kestrel - 2
Merlin - 1
Great Spotted Woodpecker - 2
Great Tit - many, probably around 80
Coal Tit - 5
Varied Tit - 2
Eurasian Treecreeper - 2
Naumann's/DuskyThrush - 3
Daurian Redstart - 1
Siberian Accentor - 2
Barmbling - 7
Oriental Greenfinch - 1
Eurasian Siskin - 4
Pallas's Rosefinch - over 40! in 2 large groups in one area
Hawfinch - 20+ in one large group
Chinese Grosbeak - 2
Yellow-throated Bunting - around 50
 

Attachments

  • Great Tit.jpg
    Great Tit.jpg
    175.1 KB · Views: 43
  • Naumann's Thrush.jpg
    Naumann's Thrush.jpg
    119.4 KB · Views: 53
  • Pallas's Rosefinch.jpg
    Pallas's Rosefinch.jpg
    129.6 KB · Views: 52
  • Treecreeper.jpg
    Treecreeper.jpg
    166.6 KB · Views: 43
  • Varied tit.jpg
    Varied tit.jpg
    172.5 KB · Views: 49
recordings from Jan. 5

here
 

Attachments

  • Hawfinch 884.mp3
    213.8 KB · Views: 49
  • Hawfinch 095054.mp3
    301.5 KB · Views: 49
  • Eurasian Siskin 90443.mp3
    248.3 KB · Views: 52
Is the occurrence of the varied tit in your region part of this season's irruption, or are you within its normal range?
 
Wow - fabulous numbers in those finch flocks Tom.

Pallas's Rosefinch was one of my best birds from my year in Beijing, so the thought of 40 is a bit mind-blowing.

Cheers
Mike
 
Craig,

They are within their normal range here but they, like most tits, do move around a lot within their range. This winter has been a normal year for them here. Two years ago there weren't any Coal Tits here for a full 12 months when most other years they would be common. Another example of movement within its range. Being right at the end of a long peninsula also increases wierd patterns between years with some birds just not coming down this far.

Mike,

Over 30 Pallas's Rosefinch recorded in the Beijing Botanical Gardens yesterday as well! This is usually one that Beijing birders would come here to see but not this year. Lots of interesting winter stuff here in the north this year. I keep thinking I'm going to see Bullfinch yet but guess I have to put my time in first....
 
Jinshitan Mountains Jan. 19, 2012

Let the games begin!

Yesterday was my last day of work for five weeks. I have birding energy bottled up in me like I've never experienced before. The combination of being busy at work, horrible weather, and still having my motorbike in the shop choked my birding neck but here we go now!

This afternoon I went for a walk with my son in the forest behind my house. It wasn't all birding, there was a lot of stick finding, banging, breaking, and drawing in the snow in there as well! We did well, all things considered, and covered a lot of ground in the 2.5 hours. We started with 8 Bohemian Waxwings right in the complex where I live on some berry-bearing bushes. Again there was a huge group of Pallas's Rosefinch quite near to where I saw the large group a few weeks ago. Now the group had to be at least 60 or more. They reminded me of Brambling in a large group feeding on the ground and all flushing to the trees at any noise only to return back to the same spot within 10 seconds.

Lots of birding coming in the next 5 weeks including Dalian Bay and Jinzhou Bay on Monday.

Common Pheasant - 2
Peregrine Falcon - 1 patrolling the hills and landing on a cell phone tower.
Hen Harrier - 1
Great Spotted Woodpecker - 3
Bohemian Waxwing - 8
Great Tit - 50 or more
Varied Tit - 1
Dusky/Naumann's Thrush - 3 including 1 trying its best to keep the Waxwings away from its berry bush.
Daurian Redstart - 2
Pallas's Rosefinch - 60 or more
Hawfinch - 1
Yellow-throated Bunting - 10
 

Attachments

  • Bohemian Waxwing.jpg
    Bohemian Waxwing.jpg
    122.6 KB · Views: 38
  • Great Spotted Woodpecker.jpg
    Great Spotted Woodpecker.jpg
    216.9 KB · Views: 47
  • Pallas's Rosefinch.jpg
    Pallas's Rosefinch.jpg
    239.3 KB · Views: 46
  • Pallas's Rosefinch 2.jpg
    Pallas's Rosefinch 2.jpg
    304 KB · Views: 42
  • Peregrine Falcon.jpg
    Peregrine Falcon.jpg
    128.5 KB · Views: 49
Another great spread of winter birds Tom, and looking forward to hearing how you get on - based on my birding motto (Always be greedy) my personal target for you is Steller's Sea Eagle!

Cheers
Mike
 
Warning! This thread is more than 4 years ago old.
It's likely that no further discussion is required, in which case we recommend starting a new thread. If however you feel your response is required you can still do so.

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top