[Shi Jin]

And something new...

372 Osprey Beijing, Huairou 31st March 2011

Also there: 3 Grey-headed Lapwings; Mixed flock of 12 Whooper and Bewick Swans; 1 male Smew; 200 Mallard; several Elegant Buntings; c50 Teal; 2 Naummsky Thrushes; c50 Vinous-throated Parrotbills; and 2 Ibisbills.

[Gretchen]

Nice shot of the Osprey! Looking forward to seeing what you're seeing! Hope it's the right amount of challenge and doesn't reduce the bird-watching joy.

(And let's not discuss rails...)

[MKinHK]

Great to have you back in the game Shi Jin

and what a great way to start . . . terrific pic of Temminck's Tragopan in the snow, plus the mega rare Jankowski's Bunting and a Hebei Orange-headed Thrush - wonderful stuff!

1,000 in China - bring it on!

Cheers
Mike

[Shi Jin]

Thanks Mike

Appreciate your encouragement.

Here are a few more from the archives:

373 Japanese Thrush 18th Dec 2009 Hainan Yanoda
374 Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker 18th Dec 2009 Hainan Sanya
375 White-rumped Shama 22nd Dec 2009 Hainan Near Sanya


(About to set off for Wild Duck Lake in Beijing with a particular bird in mind)

[Shi Jin]

Sunday, 8th April; Beijing, Wild Duck Lake

It was a long shot.

I'd tried several times before to get a sight of Oriental Plover - the most spectacular gem in the gaudy asiatic-plover collection. But had failed.

A handful are recorded every year at a steppe-like area close to Wild Duck Lake, in north-eastern Beijing.

But I'd never been in the right place at the right time.

Surely, by "8th April" they would have been and gone.

But the beautiful spring weather - brilliant blue sky, and (unusual for Beijing) zero pollution, tempted me to make the 90 minute drive to the what is known locally as Yeyahu.

I decided to go in the late afternoon because 1) the many people who go there at the weekend to ride horses or race sand buggies would be on their way back to Beijing for dinner; and 2) the light would be better for photography.

I was driving my wife's car (I only have a bike to my name), so decided to park at the start of the stoniest of dirt tracks and walk the three miles or so to the lake.

After walking for only 10 minutes or so, and close to the "third" wind turbine, I saw a very distant flock of 5 waders - so distant in fact that I lost them in my bins.

I carried on for another 10 minutes and, looking at the field to my right, saw a distant stone make a quick spurt to the left.

I picked up my bins to check it out. This "stone" seemed to be more brick red than the others around it. Then it moved again.

I picked up my camera. Thanks to the magnification being twice that of my bins (and the image stabilizer) I could see that this was no stone.

It was, in fact, one of the most spectacularly-marked birds I've ever seen.

What's more, my birding CV in China goes back 24 years and I had never managed to find one... until now!

A lifer no less.

And I was watching not one, but FIVE of them (at least two males).

A lifer and also a wonderful contribution to the "1000 in China" challenge.

376 Oriental Plover, 8th April 2012, Beijing, Wild Duck Lake

Other birds of note:

5 Little Ringed Plovers
2 Black-winged Stilts
2 Northern Lapwings
1 female Daurian Redstart
1 female Red-flanked Bluetail
1 Blyth's Water Rail calling
2 Bitterns booming
c12 Pallas's reed Buntings
c50 White Wagtails
c20 Asian Short-toed Larks

[Richard Klim]

Congrats on the Oriental Plover, Shi Jin.

That was long one of my most-wanted Palearctic species. I had my fingers firmly crossed in Manchuria with Jesper Hornskov last May, but knew that we would need some luck. Chancing upon four birds in Nei Mongol made the trip for me - watching the incredible display flight over the steppe in the early morning sunshine was unforgettable!

[Shi Jin]

Thanks Richard

Your Inner Mongolian experience of these must have been astounding.

I heard that those lucky enough to be on that trip also saw many other amazing things.

Cheers

Shi JIn

[etudiant]

Originally Posted by Shi Jin

Photographing 365 bird species in 152 days was a bit tiring to say the least.

After a long rest, I'm ready for my next challenge...

To photograph 1000 species in China (no time frame and no time limit I hasten to add).

Makes sense to use the 365 species here as a base (at least it does to me).

And to add to it as I find photos that are randomly stored on my several hard drives.

And yes, I'll also be publishing new shots as I continue to explore this amazing country.

Wonderful! Just a splendid idea.
Your project underscores the riches China has.
Maybe it will also help more people to appreciate and take care of them.
If the fates allow, I'd someday love to visit China for birding, not just Shanghai for business as in the past.

[Shi Jin]

Thanks Etudiant

Wonderfully put.

Yes indeed, if it inspires even just a few people to take more of an interest in what is going on here in terms of the environmental issues that affect the birds of China, then it would have been well worth the effort.

On that note. there is an excellent World Bank report (within their China in 2030 publication) that identifies the challenges and opportunites.

The PDF can be downloaded here: http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/201...cutive-summary

Click on Supporting Report 3: Seizing the Opportunity of Green Development in China (2.70mb pdf)

Best regards.


Shi Jin

[Shi Jin]

377 Crested Myna 16th May 2006 Hebei Beidaihe
378 Lanceolated Warbler 17th May 2006 Hebei Beidaihe
379 Little Cormorant 22nd Apr 2007 Yunnan Ruili
380 Red-winged Laughingthrush 30th Dec 2009 Sichuan Emei Shan

[rockfowl]

Congratulations on the plovers Shi Jin, wonderful birds and cracking shots... one I have yet to 'bump' into.

[Shi Jin]

Thanks Rockfowl

Yes, at last managed to catch up with The plover. Even though it took me 24 years of China-birding to do so.

So, it terms of you not "bumping" into them yet... take comfort from one of the great Guinness advertising lines:

"Good things come to those who wait".

Cheers to that

Shi Jin

[Shi Jin]

Wild Duck Lake, Beijing, 15th April 2012

The dust storm was horrible. So horrible, in fact, I left the area and went to the "reserve" to the east of the lake, which is designed for tourists not birders.

But, thanks to the high wind, very few people had gone there for a Sunday afternoon stroll.

'Twas also dust-free. So, all things considered, it was quite a pleasant circular walk of about two and a half miles.

Things got even better between 5pm and 6pm, when the wind dropped completely, the sun shone brightly, the bitterns were booming. and the harriers quartering.

c 100 Mallard
c20 Smew (several drakes)
a few Falcated Duck
at least 1 Baikal Teal
c10 Purple Herons
a pair of displaying Great Crested Grebes
a few Little Ringed Plovers
1 Northern Lapwing (photo)
a few Eastern Marsh Harriers (photo of 1 male)
7 Bewick's Swan (photo of 2)
well-marked extremely "pied" Great Cormorant

and 2 for the photo challenge

381 Coot (That's 381st species not 381 Coots of course)
382 Greater Short-toed Lark (flock of c100)


Cheers


Shi Jin

[Shi Jin]

Thoughts of spending Saturday in Hong Kong (and particularly thoughts of tonight's birders' curry that Mike very kindly invited me to, as well as the prospect of photographing the "two spoon-billed sandpipers" at Mai Po) were scuppered when I saw the dire weather forecast.

So, I decided to head back to Beijing on the 6pm flight. Well, it's now 9.50pm and I am still waiting at Hong Kong airport. The weather today was extraordinary. At 11am, the sky was literally as black as night. Has it ever been darker anywhere in the world during the day - even during total eclipses - I wonder?

So, three days of meetings. And not a single photograph (complete darkness doesn't photograph well).

Time for a flash from the past methinks... and memories of sun-lit days of yore.

383 Broad-billed Sandpiper, Beidaihe, Hebei province
384 Brown Accentor, Lhasa, tibet
385 Yellow Bittern, Beidaihe, Hebei province

[Gretchen]

Very nice shot of the yellow bittern - I've never gotten to see one quite that well. Indeed, sunlit days.... Does seem that up and down the whole coast we're seeing rain - but you may have had some of the most dramatic part!

[Shi Jin]

Thanks Gretchen

It's the closest I've got to a Yellow Bittern (so close, that it's claws look a bit threatening).

Yes, crazy weather on Friday all across northern, eastern, and southern China. (My travel nightmare got worse. Didn't take off from HK until 11.30pm. Got home after 3.30am.)

[Shi Jin]

Sunday, 22nd April, Wenyu River, Chaoyang, Beijing

Chaoyang is technically "central" Beijing, so delighted to see a male Pied Harrier so close to the heart of the capital. It hunted the reedbed for a few minutes, before a mob of Magpies chased it off.

My first Pied Harrier for my local patch (which is just a 15 minutes cycle-ride from where I live).

Also a late Daurian Jackdaw, seen on the 16th there (1st winter, that had me wishing for Western Jackdaw for a few seconds at least...)

[Richard Klim]

Stunning, Shi Jin!

Although Pied Harrier is technically on my list, it feels rather hollow as I've yet to see an adult male.

[Larry Wheatland]

Superb pics as ever

[Shi Jin]

Thanks Richard (not seeing a male Pied Harrier is no bad thing... as it means you'll have to come back to China).

Thanks Larry, delighted you continue to enjoy the photos.

Now for a bit of interactivity:

The China May Day holiday beckons. Not just a time for workers uniting, but also for birders birding.

I've narrowed my options down to three:

A. Jilin province for more Siberian Cranes than you can shake a stick at (Close to all of the world's population of 3ish thousand birds have been seen on one lagoon at this time of year).

B. Beidaihe and Happy Island to look for rarities from all points of the compass.

C. Jiangxi province for the rarest and most local of the world's laughingthrushes. Interestingly, a friend of mine's great grandfather - John David Digues La Touche (1861-1935) - was a friend of the Revd Père Frédéric Courtois (1860–1928), the chap whose family-name it takes. There's also Pied Falconet; and Elliot's Pheasant in the area. And a chance (in the unlikely event of me finding the three rare ones on the first day) of a dash towards the Fujian border for the near-mythical Cabot's Tragopan.

Decisons, decisions...

I'll leave it to you to decide. A, B, or C?

[AndrewK]

Really enjoying those pictures as always Shi Jin!

My vote goes for C, just for the sheer adventure of chasing rare and elusive birds!

Andrew

[lewis20126]

Originally Posted by Shi Jin

C. Jiangxi province for the rarest and most local of the world's laughingthrushes. Interestingly, a friend of mine's great grandfather - John David Digues La Touche (1861-1935) - was a friend of the Revd Père Frédéric Courtois (1860–1928), the chap whose family-name it takes. There's also Pied Falconet; and Elliot's Pheasant in the area. And a chance (in the unlikely event of me finding the three rare ones on the first day) of a dash towards the Fujian border for the near-mythical Cabot's Tragopan.

Decisons, decisions...

I'll leave it to you to decide. A, B, or C?

For photography, I'd go for C; the Laughers are really photogenic and to get good shots (at eye level) of the Pied Falconet, make sure you get permission to go up to the roof of the restaurant! This will make sense if it is the same place we saw them at a couple of years ago.

cheers, alan

[Gretchen]

Well, have to admit, I vote for my patch cuz I like to see what people are finding here Don't blame anyone for voting for something more exotic, but still no knowing what might turn up in Beidaihe!

[MKinHK]

Cracking Pied Harrier pix!

Three good options it really doesn't matter - but Wuyuan is lovely!

Cheers
Mike

[Richard Klim]

Originally Posted by Shi Jin

A. Jilin province for more Siberian Cranes than you can shake a stick at (Close to all of the world's population of 3ish thousand birds have been seen on one lagoon at this time of year).

The Siberian (and other) Cranes, and geese etc, at Momoge NR certainly make an impressive spectacle. But (speaking with the authority of an experienced non-photographer more than happy to leave the frustration and hard work to the paparazzi ), it can be difficult to get really close and personal with the larger congregations of birds, as so often at large wetland sites. Scattered family groups (eg, on roadside lagoons) and overflying formations can offer good photo ops though.