China 2010 (1 Viewer)

Thanks Rockfowl

I photographed Mongolian on 8th February.

As far as the pheasant is concerned. I only attribute the pheasants I see in the mountains to subspecies level; I suspect that the coastal pheasants around Beidaihe (and also Happy Island) are mongrels, hence the "ssp??".

And with regard to the Skylark, given there are 689 possible subspecies that could be seen around here I prefer to leave it also as "ssp??". Given the proliferation of races, I certainly wouldn't like to say I've seen something that's called intermedia ;-)

Anyhow, back to the fun birds... yes indeed, the weather forecast does look promising for cranes (assuming that there are still some to the south).

Let's see...

So you did, a nice 1st winter, my error,

Re Pheasants, LOL, my sentiments exactly, Skylark also.....a mess - http://ibc.lynxeds.com/species/eurasian-skylark-alauda-arvensis

Bring on the Cranes!

Saturday, 3rd April, 1.30 to 6pm

Hebei, Beidaihe

The plan was straightforward: Go to the Sandflats while keeping an eye on the sky and fingers firmly crossed in the hope that a flock of cranes would make a grand entrance.

A walk around the sandflats for a couple of hours yielded a flock of c130 Kentish Plover, I Grey Plover, 1 Great Knot; several hundred black-headed, c20 Mongolian, several Vega, c100 Kamchatka, and 1 Black-tailed Gull.

The ponds to the east of what used to be the reservoir held 6 Garganey, 3 Shoveler, a couple of Teal; as well as a few Daurian Redstarts, c10 Vinous-throated Parrotbills, and a few Rustic Buntings.

The Sandflats' woods hosted c30 Red-flanked Bluetails, 1 Naumann's Thrush, 2 Elegant Buntings and my first phylloscs of the year in Beidaihe (2 Pallas's and 1 Yellow-browed). The reedbeds near here held 1 Kingfisher and several Pallas's Reed Buntings.

Just as I was about to leave I saw 9 cranes... Alas, they were of the all too familiar constructionemesisi variety ;-(

Will try Qilihai (again) tomorrow

A nice mixed V tomorrow....:smoke:

Sunday, 4th April, 9am to 4.15pm

Hebei; Beidaihe, Nandaihe and Qilihai

No Vs, Ws, Ys, or whatever in the way of crane sky-writing. Which, given that the flying-conditions were more or less perfect, doesn't bode well (for would-be crane-watchers that is). In fact, there was nothing whatsoever in the sky (moving purposely in a northish direction) all day.

I started off at the Nandaihe ponds - several of which, very sadly, have already succombed to the march of "progress" (note to self: take a deep breath and try to avoid setting off on a thousand word rant). All I will say at this point is that the saddest sight I've seen for a while was a pair of kingfishers taking turns to drill out a nesting hole in a temporary sand bank made by the bulldozers. The futility of this was just too upsetting to photograph.

Not the best start to the day (for them or for me).

The Grey-headed Lapwing I saw here - my first of the spring - did nothing to lift my spirits.

On to Qilihai - which I'm liking more and more, because it's the one place in the region where you can't hear and see construction work.

It's interesting to see the turnover of birds in a short period of time (this was my 3rd visit there in 6 days). The new arrivals were a pair of Black-winged Stilts [I had seen a dozen earlier at the Yang river in Nandaihe, with 4 Garganey there also], a Common Sandpiper, 2 Siberian Stonechats, c50 Far Eastern Curlew (I didn't see a single Eurasian today), and far more Hoopes (c20 here).

Avocet numbers were down to c100 (from c400 on the 30th March); and Eastern Black-tailed Godwits to c60 (from c100).

Will try again for Eastern Water Rail and Japanese Reed Bunting tomorrow at Sandflat's reedbed, while keeping an eye out for approaching cranes (and bulldozers).

242 (Shoveler (monotyoic) - 3rd April)
243 (Pallas's Warbler (monotypic?) - 3rd April)
244 (Black-tailed Gull (monotypic) - 3rd April)
245 Grey-headed Lapwing (monotypic)
246 White Wagtail (sp leucopsis)
247 Black-winged Stilt (monotypic)
248 Common Sandpiper (monotypic)
249 Common Teal (nom ssp crecca)
250 Japanese Quail (monotypic)

Photos of the above species will be posted tomorrow if I can be bothered.

Sorry for the "war-zone" tone of this despatch... :-(

Hi Shi Jin,

"Will try again for Eastern Water Rail and Japanese Reed Bunting tomorrow at Sandflat's reedbed, while keeping an eye out for approaching cranes (and bulldozers)"

Sounds bl****" awful, the speed of change in the last few years has had a similar depressing effect on me. What's happened at Nandaihe and in fact, the coast down to Happy Island is at times beyond comprehension, especially as most of the new builds are still empty.
Not looking forward to witnessing change in a few weeks. Good luck with the rest of your stay.

BTW, what are they doing at the res/sandflats? Only last year had discussions with the local government to curtail plans for a promenade out onto the sandflats, have they changed their minds?

Mark

Hi Rockfowl

Changed their minds? What do you think...

The hardcore laying for the promenade began yesterday. 24 hours later, they had already bridged the mouth of the river.

The "reservoir" is a disaster area. There are trucks dropping hardcore into the middle of it, via a road that they've laid in the past 72 hours.

The charade that the local government is playing - pretending to be eco-friendly and leveraging their imaginary bird-friendly credentials is a sick joke.

Jean asked me to write down my thoughts so she could circulate the article to the local newspaper.

So, if this thread suddenly goes quiet, you'll know I've been thrown out.

But, one thing is for sure, I'll go down fighting.

My article, "Paradise Lost?", is on the front page of my website.

www.ChineseCurrents.com

Sh*t !!! :storm:

The local newspaper's just preaching to the converted, the journalist is one of us. I did lots of media work with Martin Williams last year, usual ********, lots of agreements, nodding heads, loss of culture (cranes), what a load of ****. How many articles does it need, we were on TV fairly constantly last Spring, achieved absolutely nothing.....progress?

I'll join you fighting, Jean knows my thoughts, and yes you may well be thrown out! They're very quick at the old monitoring.

Guess I'll have to seriously rethink the possible/proposed Crane festival, cos there won't be any friggin habitat left to make a point about.

Depressed and angry, rant over, keep on fighting!

And next...

After seeing all the changes down at the reservoir this morning, it's interesting that this afternoon I ended up chatting with a grad student here in QHD whose adviser is working on a development plan for "new section Beidaihe", which apparently encompasses Nandaihe and Changli, at least. This is in the drawing board stages, but she says it is a plan to draw huge numbers of tourists, especially wealthy ones, to the area. Hence the plan for 10 (!!) golf courses, a mall with hundreds of stores, and a raft of other things. When I asked if they'd be putting in a new train stop, she said no, people would use the (new?) airport at Changli.

This is a very long term plan (at least a 10 year project I would think), and I have no idea of the likelihood of this particular plan taking place; however, I think that now is the time to talk to people about things like this. I guess that the plans Rockfowl mentions were already pretty much set in stone when you talked to them last year? Similarly, whatever is happening at the reservoir is already well underway. It's the plans for way down the road that need to be discussed today.

Though I suppose it is easier to discuss smaller projects, I hope that just knowing that this kind of plan is underway could be useful to those of you with opportunities to talk with leaders. If people take environmental concerns into consideration at the right stage of planning, maybe there's a chance of not stopping projects, but helping them to be more bird-friendly?

This is not the first time, nor the last, and some our countries have done horrible things to the lovely gift we have in nature too; it's just we are more aware of it now and so we're suffering a greater pain :-C

Unfortunately Gretchen, Martin Williams started the battle/environmental awareness campaign between 1986-1990 and has been involved ever since and I've been involved, as by the sounds of it has Shi Jin for more than a decade, doesn't seem to mean diddly-squat - money talks.

Apologies Shi Jin, your 'vacational' trip report has become somewhat soured though true. An excellent piece 'Paradise Lost' but dare I ask where the last image was taken, that's not the res is it ?

Didn't mean to disparage anyone's efforts, sorry. Just mentioning that if plans for civic development had been finished and about to start in my hometown (which also is a tourist town), it wouldn't matter what a group of Germans coming in had to say about it after planning was done.

PR about what has happened (like Shi Jin's work) is good, but I was just trying to suggest where sights should be set about what is coming next...

cheers for your concern!

Apologies Gretchen, wasn't suggesting you were but was pointing out that good environmental guidelines for both the birds and people were being recommended from at least twenty years ago. These have been totally ignored despite Beidaihe's international recognition as a major migration hotspot and focus for the conservation of birds using the eastern flyway. Unfortunately, a hundred thousand plus visitors a day in the summer season speak louder words it appears.

Thanks to Mark for letting me know re this thread; even if spoiled my evening!

Just to help show there have been attempts to encourage conservation at Beidaihe, and head off destructive development, for quite some time. (So fears about "what is coming next" - which in various cases has become what has actually transpired.)
- also that had support from locals, including Beidaihe government.
Mention here of bird reserve established by Reservoir in 1988:
http://www.drmartinwilliams.com/beidaihe-birding/beidaihe-autumns-conclusions.html?page=2

In 2005, at request of the Beidaihe government, I drafted a conservation plan for the town:
http://www.drmartinwilliams.com/beidaihe-birding/conservation-plan.html

I've been sad to see only little progress with this; tho been told the government had held off developing some valuable land because of the birds.

Money had been an issue with the reserve established in 1988; led to it fizzling to nothing, with the sign rusting, disappearing, and some trees planted on supposed wetland.
Yet, the Bird Museum showed there is/was some money for birds, but hardly spent in a way many of us would wish. To me, rather horrible, inc with trees planted in front of it so hiding views of the neighbouring Sandflats. Last spring, I advocated also taking measures to enhance the Sandflats environment.
Yet, appropriate for modern world I'm afraid - computer imagery, paintings, models, stuffed birds. Appropriate too to have dinosaur models in there; kids can see dinosaurs of the past, and see something of the great bird flocks etc of the past, albeit recent past. [As for me, I'd long dreamed, foolishly still dream, of creating habitat where cranes and storks etc could land and stopover, as they did till at least the 1940s]
Outside China, too, things are hardly fantabulous as far as nature conservation goes.

Anyway, should see just what happens at the Reservoir; I haven't read everything to see just what is intended. It was never so great for birds, that I've seen; could be far more birds on small area there and in surroundings - IF well landscaped and managed. (Bulldozers, cranes and so forth don't suggest much sensitivity!)

The issue is not at all like just a few foreigners showing up a long way from home and protesting development.
Instead, I've found sympathy for conservation ideas in the town; locals not always so into birds, but do want Beidaihe to remain a good place to live.

Yet money - BIG HUGE POTS AND POTS OF MONEY - talks very loudly.
Does so here in Hong Kong too, where government and developers seem obsessed with concrete, even though govt fond of talking green talk.
Likewise have empty flats; near empty highways; yet there's still money to be made, so who cares if some of the development is just plain madness?

Thanks for your messages of support for The Cause. I know that Martintbird has been fighting this battle for more than 20 years. I can't imagine what this place would be like now had he and the others who have followed in his footsteps not devoted so much time and energy to persuading the powers that be that "Development is not the only principle" (to paraphrase Deng Xiaoping).

Tuesday, 6th April

Hebei, Beidaihe

After two depressing days here I decided that today's bright and sunny weather deserved a fresh approach (it was either that or going back to Beijing and crying into my Guinness). So I concentrated on birding some of the habitat that remains unscathed: The Lotus Hills, the gardens of the Friendship Hotel, and the beach between Beidaihe and Qinhuangdao.

The Lotus Hills were quite lovely, as was the view from the top, from where you could see beyond the white igloo monstrosity just before Qilihai, about 20 bird-miles away. The thing that struck me as I stood on top of the highest peak there was the complete lack of visible migration. There wasn't a single bird in the azure sky - despite the seemingly ideal migration conditions. How odd.

But birds had arrived. I saw more Red-flanked Bluetails here in a few hours than I'd ever seen in a single day anywhere. About 50 birds.

An "Asian" Goldcrest (253), ssp/sp japonensis, which I rank as quite a scarce passage migrant in these parts, was new for the year; as was the Black-faced Bunting (254) . Also, several Brambling, 3 Elegant Buntings and a few Daurian Redstarts were also nice to watch.

The Friendship Hotel at Beidaihe is one of the migration hot-spots in May. Today, though, I didn't even see a single Bluetail here, which is surprising given that a plane load had touched down a mile or so to the west. Just outside the gardens, though, was a small group of Chinese Grosbeaks, including an immaculate male that very kindly twisted its head in my direction as I was lining it up in the viewfinder.

No matter how old you are, there's always a few new things to see. During my 2 hour walk to Qinhuangdao, I saw three things I've never witnessed before.

The first was a marauding flock of bird photographers. I'd seen them in China before, but never in such numbers, and never so heavily tooled up. BTW I refer to them as "them" because, although I don't have anything against (most) bird photographers, I do have a policy of only taking photographs of birds I find myself , so it's not often I find myself in the their company.

Anyhow, this lot had surrounded a flock of gulls on the beach. They were doing what bird photographers tend to do... inching forwards to get a better shot than the last shot. I went back to watching my "own" flock of gulls, several hundred yards from them. While I was photographing an interesting medium-size gull that was showing characteristics of Common Gull, I heard a man screaming. I turned to witness a very odd sight indeed. One of the photogaphers had broken away from the group and was charging towards the line of gulls, with his camera held out in front of him like a gun. If gulls have ever rolled their eyes and shook their heads before flying off, then this was the time to see it. The bucket and spade brigade often disturb feeding and resting waders and gulls on the Sandflats, but there's now a new threat... the Banchee Photographer.

I re-focussed my attention on the bird that looked like a "Common Gull". I had been looking for one of these (on and mostly off of course) for years, and there it was... a bird that had both things, if my understanding is right, that constitute a heinei Common Gull (255) : pale [khaki?] legs, and a same-colour, ringed bill. It was standing near to a bright yellow-legged and bright-yellow (unringed) billed Kamchatka Gull which helped a lot of course. So, if I'm right (have a look at the photo and decide for yourself), it's a "new" bird not only for the year, but also for my China list. In case you are wondering, The BBBC recognise Kamchatca Gull (monotypic) and Common Gull (ssp henei) as distinct species. And The BBBC list is the list that counts of course. Please

I looked behind me and, seeing that the Banchees were approaching, I decided to get as far away from them as possible... and set-off to walk to Qinhuangdao.

After three or four miles, and having survived a raid from a scout, who began waving his camera-free arm at a flock of gulls I was watching (until I shouted at him), I saw something gold ginting on the sea, about a 7 iron (150 yards) out.

This was the third thing I'd never seen before: A Black-necked Grebe (256) actually on the Bo sea (In China, up until then, I'd only seen them on ponds and lakes). I watched and photographed it for several minutes until I noticed another one close by. Getting the two together in the same frame (and both in focus) proved to be too difficult.

As luck would have it, about a mile further down, I found another pair of summer-plumage Black-necked Grebes among a flock of Goldeneye, that were slightly closer-in. Not a great photo by any stretch of the imagination, but getting any photo of a pair of BNG's swimming together on the sea in China can't be that bad a shot.

[Monday was cold, with an easterly wind that was gusting to gale force. Photographed Spotted Redshank (251) , 2 Buff-bellied Pipits (252) and a single Water Pipit]

Photos will be posted soon.

Wednesday, 7th April

Hebei, Yan Mountains

There are some good mountain areas within 90 minutes drive of Beidaihe, and today I visited two locations: "Temple Mountain" and the "East Gate" of "Old Peak".

If you are a bird flying over the area, Temple Mountain must look like an oasis. The pines here are outstanding - not just because they are surrounded by denuded slopes - but also that there were more Chinese Nuthatches here than I have seen at any other location. I had so many sightings in the two hours there that I tend to think that there were three pairs, although it could have been that there were two pairs, ranging widely.

As well as the nuthatches, there were three or four Pallas's Warblers, at least one Yellow-bellied Tit, one Goldcrest, c40 Vinous-throated Parrotbills, several Brambling and a pair of Songar Tits. I was particularly interested in the Songars because I hadn't photographed them so far this year - but try as I might, I could only manage photos of the branches they had just perched on. Also, the three Bluetails I saw here confirmed what I suspected - that this "oasis" would be a good migrant stop-over.

I also saw a Chinese Nuthacth about 1KM up from The East Gate of Old Peak (which remains a well-forested protected area I'm pleased to report). Also there, several Godlewski's Buntings and a Songar Tit (257) that did make it on to the memory card.

Near here, a party of 4 or 5 Common Swifts graced the hillside.

Photos of the Songar Tit - as well as Chinese Nuthatch, Vinous-throated Parrotbill, and Godlewski's Bunting - will be posted soon.

Hi Shi Jin

Is "Temple Mountain" Miao Feng Shan?

I had some good birding here on a couple of visits in 1990/91 with the highlights being Alpine Accentor (on the top), Pallas' Rosefinch, Yellow-bellied Tit and Goshawk.

I'm interested to see your Common Gull alongside the Kamchatka - we get both in HK but almost never together.

Cheers
Mike

Hi Mike

Yes, that's the mountain (miao = Temple).

The "Common" Gull was a few feet too far from the Kamchatka to get them in the same field of view.

I would very much appreciate your comments on the "heinei". As I mentioned, I've never seen one before (not that I know of).

I'll post the pic within the hour (along with the 31 other trip-pics).

Cheers!

Hebei, Beidaihe area, 3rd to 7th April.

Here you can see the consolidated report of the five-day trip and also 32 photographs:

www.ChineseCurrents.com/2010birds32.html

To summarise, these are the photos of the "new" for 2010:

3rd April

242 Shoveler (monotypic)
243 Pallas's Warbler (monotypic?)
244 Black-tailed Gull (monotypic)

4th April

245 Grey-headed Lapwing (monotypic)
246 White Wagtail (sp leucopsis)
247 Black-winged Stilt (monotypic)
248 Common Sandpiper (monotypic)
249 Common Teal (nom ssp crecca)
250 Japanese Quail (monotypic)

5th April

251 Spotted Redshank (monotypic)
252 Buff-bellied Pipit (ssp japonicus)

6th April

253 Goldcrest (spp/sp japonensis)
254 Black-faced Bunting (nom ssp spodocephala)
255 Common Gull (ssp heinei)
256 Black-necked Grebe (nom ssp nigricollis)

7th April

257 Songar Tit (ssp stotzneri)

These are the species I couldn't resist photographing again:

Kingfisher
Black-tailed Godwit
Water Pipit
Red-flanked Bluetail
Daurian Redstart
Chinese Grosbeak
Mongolian Gull
Kentish Plover
Goldeneye
Chinese Nuthatch
Vinous-throated Parrotbill
Godlewski's Bunting

Please note that the addition of Common Gull (ssp heinei) is subject to a review by people who know about these things ;-)

Nice! thanks for taking time to share the photos! Songar and Godlewski's seem like quite nice finds.

Sorry to be dim, but I haven't really figured out where "Old Peak" is - what's the Chinese name? (and is it near somewhere else?)

Hi Shi Jin,

Common Gull complex, you must be bored! That said, we've spent many a 'late' autumn scrutinising the gulls when overhead was quiet and combined with late spring have come to the conclusion that 'heinei' is much more frequent than previously thought. Kamchatka's appear to start coming in mid-November and leave fairly early (ie your winter periods) and birds, always assumed to be 'kam's' in early May are probably not.
They can be very difficult at the best of times, especially when you add sexual differences to size and jizz. That said, your recent bird looks slightly heavy in structure and has a distinct honey coloured eye, henei's can be paler, but perhaps not quite this much?

Some light reading and reference material for your interest -

http://www.birdskorea.org/Birds/Identification/ID_Notes/BK-ID-Common-Gulls.shtml
http://10000birds.com/kamtschatschensis-common-gulls-japan-jan-2008.htm
http://larus.hp.infoseek.co.jp/a_canus.html