[Sancho]

Paid a visit yesterday with my son to Mao's birthplace. After visiting the house, we went up to a rural restaurant and while sitting enjoying his (Mao's) favourite dish (braised pork-excellent!), we saw, among other things, Green-backed Tit, Hua Mei Thrush (amazing song), and later on, Blue (Red-Billed) Magpie.

[halftwo]

Do tell us more, Sancho!

[McMadd]

No sparrows? ;D

[Gretchen]

Of course there were sparrows - they have just become a lovely (and chatty) part of the background! (I guess, so far as I know they are ubiquitous )

Sounds like a great day!

[Sancho]

Originally Posted by Gretchen

Sounds like a great day!

Thanks! It was! You wouldn't believe the souvenirs we got...a little plaster bust, a dangly thing for the rear-view mirror, a powder-compact, all with images of the Great Man and his house!
Today I saw what I'm sure was an Ashy Drongo flying over the water-park at the Changsha Botanical Gardens. And an Oriental Magpie Robin sang intermittently throughout the day, as we swam, from the top of the staircase up to the water-slide! Everyone had a look at it through my bins, including most of the lifeguards!
As regards sparrows, I've stopped noticing Tree Sparrows, Crested Mynahs, Blackbirds and Chinese (Light-Vented?) Bulbuls, there are so many of them. Russet Sparrows are really cute, though!

[Sancho]

And today at Yuelu Shan in Changsha, I saw Japanese White-Eye! Cracking little birds, beautiful call. Lots of other stuff in the trees as well, but the foliage and family/in-law duties prevented me from observing patiently...