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Sichuan Birding (2 Viewers)

Vinaceous Rosefinch?

Hi,

Hoping for a little ID help if people don't mind. I took these photos (which unfortunately are pretty poor) during May a couple of years ago at Luoji Shan, on the path you can take if don't want to use the chair lift. I've got the odd bad photo of something unidentified that I've meant to put a name to, and I thought it was about time I actually did... But anyway I was thinking a female Vinaceous Rosefinch. Would be very nice to have this confirmed, or told better.

Thanks

Ed
 

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Hi Ed - Female Vinaceous Rosefinch is correct - this, apart from passage Common Rosefinch, is the lowest found of the Sichuan Rosefinches.

Hi Jeff - yes its strange to get excited of Common Starlings - when I was a kid, growing up in Birmingham UK, I was fascinated by the noise made by huge numbers of winter birds that roosted on the warm roofs of city center buildings. But apparently those days have long gone - and European Common Starling numbers have taken a big dip - so best look after your birds, if our European trend carries on you could be guiding Starlingless Brit twitchers after a lifer.

News out here - Roland and guest just got Tawny Fish Owl at Tangjiahe.
 
Hi Sid, thanks for confirming the ID. It's useful knowing about Vinaceous Rosefinch being found at lower elevations; it definitely helps, complete novice as I am, having an idea what species to expect in different habitats. In case of interest a few of the other species I saw that time at Luoji Shan included Black-faced Laughingthrush, Golden Bush Robin, Fire-tailed Sunbird, Rufous-breasted Accentor and Verditer Flycatcher. Some forewarning, I still have a few grainy warbler photos left to identify, and if I get stuck I'm sticking them here...
 
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No problem Ed - I think your Fire-tailed Sunbird, a species not seen this far north, is more likely a Mrs Gould's. And send on the Leaf Warblers - always like to see what folk have found.

Warbler song woke me up this morning from a tree just over the road from the house. A song with trill that I couldn't immediately place - and with good reason the tree contained a flock of Yellow-streaked Warbler - a bird I'm more used to hearing in the sub-alpine habitats.

Another summer visitor that has just arrived is Swinhoe's Minivet - I first heard them 2 days ago - but today they were many, including a flock of over 100 birds
 
Yes, I was surprised when my MacKinnon book showed the Fire-tailed Sunbird further south, but anyway I've attached a blurry photo. It was feeding on Bergenia that was growing abundantly at that spot. As for warblers, here is one which I am unsure about (again at Luoji Shan). Currently I am favouring a Tickell's Leaf Warbler?..
 

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Hi Ed!

Your Sunbird definitely is a fire-tailed: Long tail and red. That makes the difference to Mrs Gould's. A nice record for Sichuan! Might be the first one?!?

The Warbler looks very much like a Greenish to me. Main feature is the missing head stripe (as far as the picture shows) and a small bill which distinguishes it from Large-billed. Also the eyebrow is quite straight or even bends up a bit at the rear.

Your image of the female Rosefinch, even if blurry, unmistakably shows Vinaceus. This is the only bird of this size in Sichuan which has that typical 'cafe au lait' colour. Female Slaty Bunting has more red in its brown.

r
 
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As for updates on the standard Sichuan birding sites:
this year seems to become a hard one (and rainy season hasn't started yet...).
Wawu Shan and Labahe definitely remain closed.
Longcanggou will soon experience a huge road construction to enable tour busses to drive up to the so called "Natural Bridge" (a rock lying across a gully and thus forms a bridge). Lots of the dense road side bamboo will be buried by diggers and worker's camps. The only question left to answer is when does the construction start. These decisions are always made secretly and abruptly. Closure will probably follow after the Dove Tree blossom period (i.e. end of May).
Wolong was still and well accessible two weeks ago. The new research station is almost finished (see image) with the old one dumped down into the bamboo forest (see second image). They buried a TV and internet cable along the path on the uphill section to provide the station with all necessities of life. However, construction was paused during winter. Maybe the main reason why we could managed to see quite a few Temminck's Tragopans at various sites. This will certainly change when construction continues. I got the feeling that there is the plan to build a nice concrete stairway up the whole slope. Probably not to invite high-heels (the more common reason at tourist spots) but rather to effectively force foreign birders to apply for a permit into the nature reserve.

Apart from that our trip was quite successful. We managed to see most of the delicate gamebirds of Sichuan:
Temmincks Tragopan (Wuyipeng, Longcanggou, Erlangshan, Balang Shan)
White-eared Pheasant (along the Barkam - Hongyuan road)
Blue-eared Pheasant (Baxi)
Golden Pheasant (Tangjiahe)
Chestnut-throated Partridge (Balang)
Chinese Monal (Balang)
Tib. Snowcock (Balang)
Snow Partridge (Balang)
Chinese Grouse (Baxi)
Blood Pheasant (ssp geoffroyi in Balang and ssp berezowskii in Baxi and Jiuzhaigou county)
Common Pheasant (Baxi, Zoige)
Koklass Pheasant (Balang, Tangjiahe)
Lady Amherst's Pheasant was the only tragedy: On the west side of the old Erlang Mountain road we witnessed a gruel kill: Two grim looking guys in a Toyota Landcruiser V8 without number plate (so certainly no poor poachers) first passed us while we were looking at Chinese Babax. Behind the next bend they became visible for us again. They suddenly stopped and we heard a gun shot. One of the guys got off the car, picked up a freshly killed female Lady Amherst's Pheasant and threw it into the trunk. Looked like routine work! They used a pistol to shoot at the bird. So, doubtlessly they must have been high ranked government or military officials.
Don't know how many pheasants they already have killed that early morning!
Sadly, we were too late - just half an hour - to disturb their vicious behavior.

On the Zoige Grassland we found 44 Black-necked Cranes. Looked like they have just arrived that day (4/4): exhausted and hungry.

Good luck to all birders coming to Sichuan this year. You'll need it!
Best,
Roland
 

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Hi Roland,

As usual, once you know the correct species you wonder why you hadn’t suspected it! The tips for identifying Greenish Warblers are great, thanks. I am almost confident now that I would be able to identify one next time I see one! Seeing the Long-tailed Sunbird was a treat in itself, but I hadn’t appreciated I was lucky to see it in Sichuan.

That demolition work is quite an eyesore at Wuyipeng and makes a mockery of its conservation aims. I don’t really understand why they want to discourage foreign visitors along that path (to sell permits to make money?); it hardly penetrates the reserve, and when I visited a couple of years back it was one of the few tracks it was possible to follow so you thought they’d have some areas open. You recommended Dengsheng a while back and I had planned to hike that valley last year but unfortunately had to cancel because of the floods and landslides. Hopefully this year I’ll have opportunity again.

Shame about the gamebird poaching. I had wondered about their vulnerability if they are happy to be observed from vehicles.

Best wishes

Ed
 
That demolition work is quite an eyesore at Wuyipeng and makes a mockery of its conservation aims.

Well, luckily it doesn't look like this all over Sichuan; and Balang Shan was really tremendous a few weeks ago. I hope that garbage dump at Wuyipeng just is temporary and they clean it up before they open their new research station. At least they have set up a primitive cable car to bring the building material up. So they should be able to haul the waste down and out again.

You recommended Dengsheng a while back and I had planned to hike that valley last year but unfortunately had to cancel because of the floods and landslides. Hopefully this year I’ll have opportunity again.

Dengsheng certainly holds good birds. On a recent night walk I heard a couple of Himalayan (Tawny) Owls and saw two Hog Badgers. Also you can get Chinese Thrush there. Try to find a place a few steps away from the roaring water. This makes it easier to localize them (when they sing ;)). And, I've seen Long-tailed and Plain-backed there as well.
 
You have got great gamebirds Roland.:t:

Poaching is not a big deal in Sichuan n Yunnan but when the officials are involved, they make a very bad example.
 
Just back from latest trip with Ron and Sue McIntyre - where we combined Red Panda and a journey south into the warmth of the of the Xichang lake and Miyi areas.

We got our Red Panda at Longcanggou - but, mainly due to foggy weather, it took a couple of days watching. For our journey it made more logistical sense to take Longcanggou over Labahe, since our journey was taking advantage of the G5 motorway - which gives very quick and easy travel into that part of Central South Sichuan that juts into the Yunnan border around Panzhihua.

As far as Labahe is concerned - it's apparently very recently reopened, but we still don't know the situation with regards to access for the best Red Panda areas - and if the track leading to our Panda sites is again open to tourists.

At Longcanggou you can find autumn Red Panda behaving in the same way as the Labahe animals - climbing and feeding off berry bearing trees.
We saw our RP near the top of the of the track - but about a week before our trip started Robbi got one much lower down - for those who know the site, below the area of this year's Grey-hooded Parrotbill nest site. The animals should be looked for in all the areas where the natural mixed forest takes over from the the lower plantation and broad-leaved forest areas.

On the subject of the Parrotbill - just as we watched the Red Panda - a pair of curious Grey-hooded Parrotbill came in and stayed around for a good while. There were also a flock of Three-toed Parrotbill in the area.

Another exciting thing about this trip was the ease with which we found Yunnan Nuthatch around Xichang (and further down the road at Miyi) - which is just around 3 hours drive from Longcanggou. You can find them in the hill pine plantations - in some areas they appeared as abundant!!!!!
The other exciting bird that should appear in this area is Brown-winged Parrotbill - but although we've found it in the Ninang area, on this trip we were unlucky.

Pics come from Ron and Sue - they show me and Ron scoping our Red Panda - while the habitat pics shows, with the area marked where our Red Panda berry tree was found, how difficult it can be to find the animals in the 'tree clutter.' Thanks to Ron's sharp eyes we got it - I'd already long walked past!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hello,

I am contemplating the possibility of looking for red panda in sichaun combined with looking for Tibetan wolf and Tibetan fox in qinghai. Other mammals, birds etc not to be overlooked but these are the three key species that i'd be most interested in focusing on. Thinking about autumn this year, or next depending on cost. Do you happen to know how feasible that would be in terms of best viewing time of the year and logistics? Looking for a guide to arrange this ideally, happy to split guiding between the two locations if that would be a good plan.

Thanks,

Jo
 
Just back from latest trip - 249 species in 10 days birding - birds included a road side Monal, Wood Snipe, Sichuan Jay at three separate sites, a female Painted Snipe at a river site in the middle of Chengdu, Tawny Fish Owl at Tangjiahe, Tibetan Grey Shrike collecting nesting material at Ruoergai and Spectacled Parrotbill at Baxi (new site for this species).
Longcanggou was still open - Grey Hooded Parrotbill was showing well - but with the Rhododendron season in full bloom many cars were driving a muddy slippery track - which didn't help the birding.
Tangjiahe are still letting birders go after the Parrotbill - this year's price was 1000RMB/man and 600RMB for the guide - but we couldn't go up because of a storm the night before which left the roads littered with broken branches and the rivers in full torrent. Last year we just turned up and were allowed up - this year we had to apply in advance
Now one day at home and then off again!!!!!

Hi Jo -
sorry for the delay in replying to your query. First thing to tell you is that there's no need to go to Qinghai for Tibetan Fox and Wolf - you can find both species on Rouergai.
see - http://mammalwatching.com/Palearctic/palearctchina.html
and look for - Sichuan, 2012: Richard Webb, 1week & 23 species including Pallas's Cat, Red Panda, Chinese Serow, Chinese Goral and a dead Steppe Polecat. A great report from an exciting and insufficiently explored area
This year most difficult thing will be to find Red Panda - but Labahe will again be opening for October.
 
Lady Amherst's Pheasant was the only tragedy: On the west side of the old Erlang Mountain road we witnessed a gruel kill: Two grim looking guys in a Toyota Landcruiser V8 without number plate (so certainly no poor poachers) first passed us while we were looking at Chinese Babax. Behind the next bend they became visible for us again. They suddenly stopped and we heard a gun shot. One of the guys got off the car, picked up a freshly killed female Lady Amherst's Pheasant and threw it into the trunk. Looked like routine work! They used a pistol to shoot at the bird. So, doubtlessly they must have been high ranked government or military officials.
Don't know how many pheasants they already have killed that early morning!
Sadly, we were too late - just half an hour - to disturb their vicious behavior.

Roland, this passage took my breath away. I've read it numerous times with a mixture of horror and fascination. Two things stand out. First, your analysis. An unmarked, expensive car, armed men, all pointing to government officials. Sounds about right. Second, your remark that "sadly," you arrived too late. You apparently said this without irony! A lot of people would consider themselves lucky to have arrived late to a scene in which many serious crimes were being committed simultaneously.

I'm heading to the Erlang Road next month. I'll tread carefully there, your nightmarish story ever-present in my mind.
 
Although these poachers are quite mean people towards animals, they never would attack people; politeness and fear in front of the law are the reasons. These are no Desperadoes from South America or Mexico|=@|. Even during hunting season in parts of Europe there's a higher risk to accidentally get between the line of an amateur gunner's riffle and his prey than anywhere in Sichuan.
Firearms here usually are self-made and thus don't have a long range.
Furthermore, Sichuan poachers are rather using snares and traps than firearms. So really, nothing to worry about except for the animals.
 
Although these poachers are quite mean people towards animals, they never would attack people; politeness and fear in front of the law are the reasons. These are no Desperadoes from South America or Mexico|=@|. Even during hunting season in parts of Europe there's a higher risk to accidentally get between the line of an amateur gunner's riffle and his prey than anywhere in Sichuan.
Firearms here usually are self-made and thus don't have a long range.
Furthermore, Sichuan poachers are rather using snares and traps than firearms. So really, nothing to worry about except for the animals.

I hear you. These guys aren't drug runners. But accidents can happen; people can do things on the spur of the moment that are totally out of character and that they'll regret later. I had a poacher aim a slingshot at me in Tengchong. (He didn't fire.)
 
Back from my latest trip - just examined myself in the mirror - no bullet wounds or slingshot missiles lodged in any of me tender bits.
Fully concur with Roland - things are much more dangerous in Europe where during the hunting season lead and shot are flying around like mad.
I also doubt whether the Pheasant in question was shot with a pistol - I used to live on the Falkland islands and owned both pistols and rifles. Anybody who is able to shoot a bird with a pistol is worthy of a job with an elite sniper team - shooting gamebirds is difficult enough with a long bore rifle and scope - that's why they invented shot guns. All of the hunting guns used here - apart from those 'lent" from official sources - are home made muzzle loaders - gunpowder and shot.

This latest trip was another short 10 day job - that was focused on specific species and habitats. my client had already done Qinghai so no grassland. We chalked up 262 species - all the chickens were at home - some nice male Tragopans, Golden Pheasant at Pingwu Park, and Longcanggou was still open for Lady A.
Big birds seen during the trip included Pere David's Owl and recently returned Firethroat (May 1st record).

Pictures -
Pingwu Park - Pingwu is a convenient stop off on the route back to Chengdu. The park gives opportunity for Golden Pheasant but also has species that might be needed for a list clean-up - three breeding Leaf Warbler - Kloss's, Chinese, Eastern Crowned. We also got Chinese Blue Flycatcher, Slaty Bunting, Moustached Laughingthrush, Grey-crowned Warbler, Chinese Bamboo Partridge, Spectacled Fulvetta, Speckled Piculet, Sooty Tit and a singing Zappy's Flycatcher (the blue and Whites reported from Tangjiahe in my last post were also Zappey's).

Longcanggou - still open. Driving the top of the track - saw a flock of 10+ Grey-hooded Parrotbill up here.

Away again today on the next birding mission
Sid
 

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. . . [T]hings are much more dangerous in Europe where during the hunting season lead and shot are flying around like mad. . . . Pingwu is a convenient stop off on the route back to Chengdu.

You ought to see Florida, where in addition to hunters we have rattlesnakes as thick as your arm, a few species of poisonous spider, and of course 'gators.

Pingwu looks good. Need slaty bunting. Thanks for the info.
 
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