China Birding Notes (1 Viewer)

A. platyrhynchos said:

Hi Craig, Great to see that you're checking on Century Park, my former 'home spot'. ...

Click to expand...

I'm proud to cover Century from time to time, not only to remember the good work you've done there, Daniel, but also and most importantly because it's the best birding park in Shanghai. I know that Gongqing and Binjiang are also good, but they're hard to reach. Nothing beats the quality plus convenience of cat-free Century Park!

7 of Shanghai's 14 Bunting Species!

Recent research. Highlight is the huge bunting day on Lesser Yangshan last Sunday! Enjoy!

Sun. 2 Nov. 2014
Lesser Yangshan

Weather: Morning cloudy, intermittent drizzle, low visibility (< 5 km). Visibility gradually improved to about 20 km as the skies cleared. Wind continued throughout the day. 10°-19°C.

In the Shanghai region, 14 Emberiza species are common to rare, either as migrants or breeders or both. On Sunday, within the space of a few hours on the Temple Mount on Lesser Yangshan Island, Elaine and I stood among 7 of the 14, one of them the endangered Yellow-breasted Bunting. Tundra or Taiga Bean Geese made a dramatic pass overhead, and a Western Osprey carried a fish in its talons in its aerodynamic way. Eurasian Siskins and Bramblings were present in appreciable numbers.

Site 1. Garbage Dump Coastal Plain, Lesser Yangshan Island, Zhejiang (07:20-07:35, 10:25-10:35, 15:50-16:25)

Eastern Buzzard: 2 on Garbage Dump Coastal Plain (Yangshan) on 2014-11-02
Peregrine Falcon: 1 on Garbage Dump Coastal Plain (Yangshan) on 2014-11-02
Daurian Redstart: 1 on Garbage Dump Coastal Plain (Yangshan) on 2014-11-02
Stejneger's Stonechat: 2 females on Garbage Dump Coastal Plain (Yangshan) on 2014-11-02
Eurasian Siskin: 40 (2 flocks) on Garbage Dump Coastal Plain (Yangshan) on 2014-11-02
Rustic Bunting: 1 on Garbage Dump Coastal Plain (Yangshan) on 2014-11-02

Site 2. Garbage Dump Gully, Lesser Yangshan (07:35-07:45, 09:05-10:25)

Bull-headed Shrike: 1 juv. at Garbage Dump Gully (Yangshan) on 2014-11-02
Long-tailed Shrike: 1 at Garbage Dump Gully (Yangshan) on 2014-11-02
Japanese Bush Warbler (Horornis diphone canturians) or Manchurian Bush Warbler (H. borealis borealis): 1 at Garbage Dump Gully (Yangshan) on 2014-11-02
Pallas's Leaf Warbler: 1 at Garbage Dump Gully (Yangshan) on 2014-11-02
Yellow-browed Warbler: 2 at Garbage Dump Gully (Yangshan) on 2014-11-02
Goldcrest: 2 at Garbage Dump Gully (Yangshan) on 2014-11-02
Red-flanked Bluetail: 3 (1 adult male) at Garbage Dump Gully (Yangshan) on 2014-11-02
Daurian Redstart: 2 at Garbage Dump Gully (Yangshan) on 2014-11-02
Grey Wagtail: 1 at Garbage Dump Gully (Yangshan) on 2014-11-02
White Wagtail: 2 at Garbage Dump Gully (Yangshan) on 2014-11-02

Site 3. Xiǎoyánglíng Cove, Lesser Yangshan (07:45-09:05)

Western Osprey: 1 at Xiǎoyánglíng Cove (Yangshan) on 2014-11-02
Feral Pigeon (Rock Dove): 1 at Xiǎoyánglíng Cove (Yangshan) on 2014-11-02
Peregrine Falcon: 2 at Xiǎoyánglíng Cove (Yangshan) on 2014-11-02
Long-tailed Shrike: 1 heard at Xiǎoyánglíng Cove (Yangshan) on 2014-11-02
Eyebrowed Thrush: 1 at Xiǎoyánglíng Cove (Yangshan) on 2014-11-02
Pale Thrush: 3 at Xiǎoyánglíng Cove (Yangshan) on 2014-11-02
Red-flanked Bluetail: 1 at Xiǎoyánglíng Cove (Yangshan) on 2014-11-02
Daurian Redstart: 2 (1 male, 1 female) at Xiǎoyánglíng Cove (Yangshan) on 2014-11-02
Eurasian Siskin: 70 (flock) at Xiǎoyánglíng Cove (Yangshan) on 2014-11-02
Tristram's Bunting: 7 at Xiǎoyánglíng Cove (Yangshan) on 2014-11-02

Site 4. Temple Mount (10:50-14:40)

Taiga Bean Goose or Tundra Bean Goose: 37 on Temple Mount (Yangshan) on 2014-11-02. At 12:58, 36 passed overhead in 1 flock. At 13:43, a single individual passed overhead.
Common Kestrel: 1 on Temple Mount (Yangshan) on 2014-11-02
Long-tailed Shrike: 4 on Temple Mount (Yangshan) on 2014-11-02
Japanese Tit: 4 (2 heard only) on Temple Mount (Yangshan) on 2014-11-02
Light-vented Bulbul: 2 on Temple Mount (Yangshan) on 2014-11-02
Barn Swallow: 2 on Temple Mount (Yangshan) on 2014-11-02
Pallas's Leaf Warbler: 1 on Temple Mount (Yangshan) on 2014-11-02
Yellow-browed Warbler: 3 on Temple Mount (Yangshan) on 2014-11-02
Goldcrest: 1 on Temple Mount (Yangshan) on 2014-11-02
Eyebrowed Thrush: 1 on Temple Mount (Yangshan) on 2014-11-02
Red-flanked Bluetail: 4 on Temple Mount (Yangshan) on 2014-11-02
Daurian Redstart: 11 on Temple Mount (Yangshan) on 2014-11-02
Eurasian Tree Sparrow: ca. 30 on Temple Mount (Yangshan) on 2014-11-02
Olive-backed Pipit: 2 on Temple Mount (Yangshan) on 2014-11-02
Brambling: 80 (3 flocks) on Temple Mount (Yangshan) on 2014-11-02
Chinese Grosbeak: 8 on Temple Mount (Yangshan) on 2014-11-02
Eurasian Siskin: 2 on Temple Mount (Yangshan) on 2014-11-02
Tristram's Bunting: 1 female on Temple Mount (Yangshan) on 2014-11-02
Little Bunting: 1 on Temple Mount (Yangshan) on 2014-11-02
Yellow-browed Bunting: 8 on Temple Mount (Yangshan) on 2014-11-02
Rustic Bunting: 4 on Temple Mount (Yangshan) on 2014-11-02
Yellow-throated Bunting: ca. 40 on Temple Mount (Yangshan) on 2014-11-02
Yellow-breasted Bunting: 1 female or 1st-winter on Temple Mount (Yangshan) on 2014-11-02
Chestnut Bunting: 3 females on Temple Mount (Yangshan) on 2014-11-02

Not wanting to waste even the slightest bit of the short autumn day, Elaine and I ate our late lunch while driving around Lesser Yangshan. We stopped at a kind of barracks housing workers. A land-reclamation project is taking place behind the barracks. There, we saw our first Northern Lapwing of the season.

Site 5. Around Land Reclamation Project East of Main Birding Areas on Lesser Yangshan Island, Zhejiang (15:00-15:30)

Little Grebe: 2 at land reclamation project (Yangshan) on 2014-11-02
Grey Heron: 9 at land reclamation project (Yangshan) on 2014-11-02
Great Egret: 8 at land reclamation project (Yangshan) on 2014-11-02
Little Egret: 6 at land reclamation project (Yangshan) on 2014-11-02
Great Cormorant: 1 at land reclamation project (Yangshan) on 2014-11-02
Northern Lapwing: 1 at land reclamation project (Yangshan) on 2014-11-02
Curlew Sandpiper: 2 at land reclamation project (Yangshan) on 2014-11-02
Common Kingfisher: 1 at land reclamation project (Yangshan) on 2014-11-02
Blue Rock Thrush: 1 at land reclamation project (Yangshan) on 2014-11-02
White Wagtail: 1 at land reclamation project (Yangshan) on 2014-11-02

Mon. 3 Nov. 2014
Shanghai

Weather: Cool, dry. A beautiful fall day. Visibility excellent. Leaving the park, we enjoyed crisp views of the waxing moon through our binoculars. At 17:30, the pollution index was 78. 11°-17°C.

A too-brief sweep through Zhongshan Park netted us our first Zhongshan Park record this fall of Blue-and-white Flycatcher. The graceful Black-throated Bushtits continue their presence. Also seen were autumn mainstays Yellow-browed Warbler and Mugimaki Flycatcher.

Site 1. Zhongshan Park (16:35-17:30)

Spotted Dove: 1 at Zhongshan Park (Shanghai) on 2014-11-03
Common Kingfisher: 1 at Zhongshan Park (Shanghai) on 2014-11-03
Light-vented Bulbul: 25 (ca. 18 heard only) at Zhongshan Park (Shanghai) on 2014-11-03
Black-throated Bushtit: 15 (in a single loose flock) at Zhongshan Park (Shanghai) on 2014-11-03
Yellow-browed Warbler: 8 (4 heard only) at Zhongshan Park (Shanghai) on 2014-11-03
Common Blackbird: 1 heard at Zhongshan Park (Shanghai) on 2014-11-03
Oriental Magpie-Robin: 2 (1 heard only) at Zhongshan Park (Shanghai) on 2014-11-03
Blue-and-white Flycatcher: 1 female at Zhongshan Park (Shanghai) on 2014-11-03
Red-flanked Bluetail: 3 at Zhongshan Park (Shanghai) on 2014-11-03
Mugimaki Flycatcher: 1 female at Zhongshan Park (Shanghai) on 2014-11-03
Eurasian Tree Sparrow: ca. 25 in fruiting tree at Zhongshan Park (Shanghai) on 2014-11-03

Dear Asia Birders,

I am looking for any records of large spiders catching birds, such as documented in

http://www.biosch.hku.hk/ecology/por...r32-p23-25.pdf

Look at the end of the pdf file, on page 25!

If you know of such a record, please email me at
[email protected]

Your record would be used in a scientific publication.

Thank you, Bruno Walther, Taipei Medical University

Are Birds Adjusting to the Cats?

Wed. 5 Nov. 2014
Shanghai

Weather: 20°C, sunny.

On yet another gorgeous fall day, Elaine and I made another of our quick trips to old Zhongshan Park. We noted the ways in which two species seem to be adjusting to the plague of cats at Zhongshan. Grey-backed Thrushes have discovered that on "Cat-free Island" they can forage on the ground without pressure; all the Grey-backed Thrushes that we saw and heard today were on or near the tiny island. Likewise, some Red-flanked Bluetails, perhaps in response to cats, were seen high in the upper canopy, having given up their terrestrial ways and behaving like flycatchers.

Site 1. Zhongshan Park, Shanghai (15:45-17:05)

Spotted Dove: 7 at Zhongshan Park (Shanghai) on 2014-11-05
Japanese Tit: 2 heard at Zhongshan Park (Shanghai) on 2014-11-05
Light-vented Bulbul: 7 at Zhongshan Park (Shanghai) on 2014-11-05
Black-throated Bushtit: 9 (flock) at Zhongshan Park (Shanghai) on 2014-11-05
Pallas's Leaf Warbler: 3 (1 heard only) at Zhongshan Park (Shanghai) on 2014-11-05
Yellow-browed Warbler: 7 (3 heard only) at Zhongshan Park (Shanghai) on 2014-11-05
Virous-throated Parrotbill: 1 heard vaguely in the distance at Zhongshan Park (Shanghai) on 2014-11-05
Grey-backed Thrush: 8 (3 female, 1 male, 4 heard only) at Zhongshan Park (Shanghai) on 2014-11-05
Common Blackbird: 1 at Zhongshan Park (Shanghai) on 2014-11-05
Red-flanked Bluetail: 9 (1 adult male) at Zhongshan Park (Shanghai) on 2014-11-05
Mugimaki Flycatcher: 5 at Zhongshan Park (Shanghai) on 2014-11-05
Eurasian Tree Sparrow: ca. 50 at Zhongshan Park (Shanghai) on 2014-11-05
Tristram's Bunting: 1 at Zhongshan Park (Shanghai) on 2014-11-05

Flock of 70 COMMON STARLING at Lake Poyang on Saturday. SIBERIAN, HOODED, & COMMON CRANE have arrived. At Wuyuan, Jiangxi today, got sustained views & voice-recordings of GREY-SIDED SCIMITAR BABBLER. Common Starling recorded only twice in Jiangxi in previous 5 yrs. (according to birdtalker.net), w. a smattering of records from S of Yangtze R. in that time. Nice birding with you, Michael Grunwell!

that's an impressive flock for the region.
Common Starling is annual in Guangdong and HK.

jonathmartinez said:

that's an impressive flock for the region.
Common Starling is annual in Guangdong and HK.

Click to expand...

Good to know, Jonathan! I'm now in Wuyuan, Jiangxi.

Still no Short-tailed Parrotbill and Scaly-sided Merganser. Will try again today.

Despite not finding the megas yet, Elaine and I are far from disappointed. We've turned the forest into our classroom. There's much to learn.

Attached is a recording I made yesterday. I'm interested in your opinion of the bird that calls at 0:08 and 0:21. Here's the scenario: Elaine and I were about 1 km from the road in one of those heavily wooded valleys around Kengkou, near Wuyuan. The sound I recorded was coming from farther up the valley, perhaps on or near the ridge, and was being made by a single, I would say rather large bird. I'm thinking it's a Hawk-Cuckoo, possibly Rufous (Hierococcyx hyperythrus). On xeno-canto.org, recordings of Hierococcyx hyperythrus are few, so I have little basis for comparison. But listen to the recording of the Common Hawk-Cuckoo (Hierococcyx varius), also attached herewith. Note the similarities of the call of the Common Hawk-Cuckoo to the call of the bird I recorded. Both calls are of three syllables, the first two syllables being of the same pitch and the third being slightly lower. I'm thinking that the sound I recorded may be some type of "winter call," i.e., a shortened version of the fuller call delivered during mating season.

WUYUAN UPDATE: It's rare enough to positively ID bush warblers outside mating season. Today, Elaine & I ID'd 2! Near a stream at Pheasant Valley here in Wuyuan County, Jiangxi, I heard a high-pitched whistle. Elaine & I not only never saw the bird making the whistle, but we also never witnessed so much as the shaking of a leaf. A tiny, skulking, ground-loving bird was somewhere in front of us. A comparison of our recordings with those I've downloaded from xeno-canto.org confirmed the ID: Asian Stubtail. Earlier, we heard an abbreviated, "amateurish" rendition of the well-known song of Brown-flanked Bush Warbler. The bush warbler did not sing again, but I made a recording of its call & got a good look at the bird. Among our other highlights today were breathtaking, sustained views of Grey-sided Scimitar Babbler. Walking across a fallow rice paddy, I came upon the freshly shed skin of a cobra & high-tailed it out of there. Life is good at Wuyuan!

'Autumn Birding Around Shanghai, 2014' Is Now Up!

What is it like to bird in the Shanghai region in the fall? Elaine and I endeavored to find out. We have created an exhaustive report, possibly the first of its kind, documenting the 163 species of bird we found. "Autumn Birding Around Shanghai, 2014" covers a 41-day period beginning 27 Sept. 2014 and ending 6 Nov. 2014 (we birded 34 of the days). The report covers Yángkǒu (Rudong), where we spent 9 days; Lesser Yangshan, which we visited 8 times; Chongming and Hengsha islands in the Yangtze River delta; and 14 short trips to parks in Shanghai.

To view the entire report, with notes and observations as well as records organized by site and by species, please click here.

To view the list by species only (in Chinese and Pinyin as well as Latin), please click here.

To view the list of all my reports, please click here (this would be a good page for you to bookmark and visit often!).

Among the highlights from "Autumn Birding Around Shanghai, 2014":

-- Spoon-billed Sandpiper and Nordmann's Greenshank: found on 6 occasions (4 SBS, 2 Nordmann's) in first week of October at Yángkǒu

-- Among the 11 Emberiza species seen were the East Asian specialties Tristram's Bunting, Chestnut-eared Bunting, Yellow-throated Bunting, and Chestnut Bunting, as well as the endangered Yellow-breasted Bunting

-- Grey-backed Thrush, "Chinese" Blackbird, Eyebrowed Thrush, Japanese Thrush, Pale Thrush, Red-throated Thrush, Dusky Thrush: China is a Turdus hotspot, and these East Asian species bear witness to the diversity of thrushes here

-- Japanese Paradise Flycatcher: this near-threatened East Asian endemic was seen regularly at Yángkǒu as well as on Lesser Yangshan

-- Reed Parrotbill: this species is near-threatened but locally common in suitable habitat. We witnessed a flock of 40 on Hengsha Island

-- Grey-tailed Tattler and Great Knot: both of these threatened species were noted at Yángkǒu

-- Siberian Thrush, White's (Scaly) Thrush: much-loved Asian ground thrushes, frequently seen at Yángkǒu and on Lesser Yangshan

-- Blue-and-white Flycatcher, Verditer Flycatcher, Rufous-tailed Robin, Siberian Rubythroat, Mugimaki Flycatcher, Taiga Flycatcher: these East Asian muscicapids each made appearances

-- Black-winged Kite: a pair, first seen in Yángkǒu in September, was still there in early October

-- Oriental Scops Owl and Brown Hawk-Owl: Asian specialties noted at Yángkǒu and on Lesser Yangshan

-- Bull-headed Shrike: handsome East Asian shrike, frequently noted

"Autumn Birding Around Shanghai, 2014" is a snapshot not only of the birding situation in the Shanghai area but also of Elaine's and my progress as birders. In our Big Year 2014, we have been striving to become experts on Chinese birds in as short a time as possible. Every day I'm out birding gives me new insights and material useful for my Photographic Field Guide to the Birds of China, which I continue to create. We want this report to reflect where we are as birders.

Please use, enjoy, and give me feedback on the report. Even a quick note with some of your impressions will be useful to me. Thank you.

On 15 Nov. 2014 at Pheasant Valley, Wuyuan, Jiangxi (29.2142, 117.5626), Elaine and I heard an Asian Stubtail singing unseen from near the base of a heavily wooded, steep hillside. It was the second bush warbler we'd heard singing that day (a Brown-flanked Bush Warbler also sang very briefly). Here's a snippet of the Stubtail's song.

An Impressive Bird: Grey-sided Scimitar Babbler

Pomatorhinus swinhoei (华南斑胸钩嘴鹛, huánán bānxiōng gōuzuǐméi) is endemic to SE China. On our recent trip to Wuyuan County in Jiangxi, Elaine and I frequently noted this bird. As is typical for babblers, Grey-sided Scimitar Babblers are hard to see clearly; we were lucky to get the attached shot on our next-to-last day. A voice recording was easier to obtain. In the attached recording, a pair is calling. The birds were only 4 m from me but barely visible in the dense bamboo.

Return to Lesser Yangshan!

After a 19-day hiatus, Elaine and I on Saturday returned to Lesser Yangshan Island. The most interesting bird was a Brown-headed Thrush seen in the morning at Garbage Dump Gully. Turdus chrysolaus breeds on Honshu, Hokkaido, and Sakhalin and is infrequently seen in the Shanghai region. Brown-headed Thrush was one of five Turdus species seen on Saturday, the others being Dusky Thrush (54), Pale Thrush (14), Grey-backed Thrush (1), and Eyebrowed Thrush (1). As was the case in October, Meadow Buntings were singing. 3 Scaly-breasted Munia were a somewhat uncommon sighting. On Temple Mount, about 10 good trees behind Guānyīn Temple have been felled as part of the refurbishing of the building. On an island on which trees are scarce, even the loss of 10 trees is significant.

Sat. 22 Nov. 2014
Lesser Yangshan Island

Weather: 14°-19°C, foggy in morning, sunny but hazy throughout day

Elaine and I made three quick pass-throughs of Garbage Dump Coastal Plain.

Site 1. Garbage Dump Coastal Plain, Lesser Yangshan Island, Zhejiang (30.638860, 122.060089; 07:35-07:45, 10:55-11:05, 13:50-14:05)

Feral Pigeon (Rock Dove): 1 on Garbage Dump Coastal Plain (Yangshan) on 2014-11-22
Long-tailed Shrike: 1 on Garbage Dump Coastal Plain (Yangshan) on 2014-11-22
Light-vented Bulbul: 1 on Garbage Dump Coastal Plain (Yangshan) on 2014-11-22
Plain Prinia: 1 on Garbage Dump Coastal Plain (Yangshan) on 2014-11-22
Red-flanked Bluetail: 1 on Garbage Dump Coastal Plain (Yangshan) on 2014-11-22
Daurian Redstart: 14 on Garbage Dump Coastal Plain (Yangshan) on 2014-11-22
Yellow-throated Bunting: 4 on Garbage Dump Coastal Plain (Yangshan) on 2014-11-22

In Garbage Dump Gully, Elaine and I once again honed our ability to distinguish the call of Yellow-browed Warbler from the call of Pallas's Leaf Warbler. In the Shanghai region, it's important to have these calls down pat, as the species are so common here. Once an ID of a Pallas's or Yellow-browed is secured, one can move on to the next bird; but if it's not clear that the leaf warbler is either Pallas's or Yellow-browed, then more scrutiny is required, lest one miss an ID of a more difficult Phylloscopus. The Brown-headed Thrush appeared only fleetingly, and I was unable to get a record shot. However, I had a good enough look to clearly distinguish the species, and its hint of an eyebrow suggested it was a first-winter bird. Grey-backed and Eyebrowed Thrush were represented by 1 individual each. Dusky Thrush was the most conspicuous bird; its vaguely kazoo-like call was frequently heard as individuals flew from treetop to treetop.

Site 2. Garbage Dump Gully, Lesser Yangshan Island, Zhejiang (30.641565, 122.062836; 07:45-08:20, 09:00-10:55, 14:05-14:30)

Spotted Dove: 2 in Garbage Dump Gully (Yangshan) on 2014-11-22
Long-tailed Shrike: 3 in Garbage Dump Gully (Yangshan) on 2014-11-22
Japanese Tit: 6 (1 heard only) in Garbage Dump Gully (Yangshan) on 2014-11-22
Light-vented Bulbul: 15 in Garbage Dump Gully (Yangshan) on 2014-11-22
Pallas's Leaf Warbler: 5 in Garbage Dump Gully (Yangshan) on 2014-11-22
Yellow-browed Warbler: 4 in Garbage Dump Gully (Yangshan) on 2014-11-22
Grey-backed Thrush: 1 in Garbage Dump Gully (Yangshan) on 2014-11-22
Eyebrowed Thrush: 1 in Garbage Dump Gully (Yangshan) on 2014-11-22
Pale Thrush: 7 in Garbage Dump Gully (Yangshan) on 2014-11-22
Brown-headed Thrush: 1 prob. 1st-yr. in Garbage Dump Gully (Yangshan) on 2014-11-22
Dusky Thrush: 29 in Garbage Dump Gully (Yangshan) on 2014-11-22
Red-flanked Bluetail: 2 in Garbage Dump Gully (Yangshan) on 2014-11-22
Daurian Redstart: 16 in Garbage Dump Gully (Yangshan) on 2014-11-22
Olive-backed Pipit: 2 in Garbage Dump Gully (Yangshan) on 2014-11-22
Black-faced Bunting: 1 in Garbage Dump Gully (Yangshan) on 2014-11-22
Meadow Bunting: 1 in Garbage Dump Gully (Yangshan) on 2014-11-22
Yellow-throated Bunting: 8 in Garbage Dump Gully (Yangshan) on 2014-11-22

Site 3. Xiǎoyánglíng Cove, Lesser Yangshan Island, Zhejiang (30.642243, 122.066940; 08:25-08:55, 14:30-15:00)

Peregrine Falcon: 2 at Xiǎoyánglíng Cove (Yangshan) on 2014-11-22
Pale Thrush: 4 at Xiǎoyánglíng Cove (Yangshan) on 2014-11-22
Dusky Thrush: 13 at Xiǎoyánglíng Cove (Yangshan) on 2014-11-22
Red-flanked Bluetail: 1 at Xiǎoyánglíng Cove (Yangshan) on 2014-11-22
Daurian Redstart: 7 at Xiǎoyánglíng Cove (Yangshan) on 2014-11-22
Blue Rock Thrush: 2 at Xiǎoyánglíng Cove (Yangshan) on 2014-11-22
Meadow Bunting: 2 (1 male, 1 female) at Xiǎoyánglíng Cove (Yangshan) on 2014-11-22

Along with Garbage Dump Gully, Temple Mount is one of the major birding areas on Lesser Yangshan. We found 3 Scaly-breasted Munia, a common bird in S China but less frequently noted in this region, the northern edge of its range.

Site 4. Temple Mount, Lesser Yangshan Island, Zhejiang (30.639945, 122.048277; 11:35-13:45)

Eastern Buzzard: 1 on Temple Mount (Yangshan) on 2014-11-22
Common Kestrel: 1 female on Temple Mount (Yangshan) on 2014-11-22
Long-tailed Shrike: 4 on Temple Mount (Yangshan) on 2014-11-22
Japanese Tit: 1 heard on Temple Mount (Yangshan) on 2014-11-22
Pale Thrush: 3 on Temple Mount (Yangshan) on 2014-11-22
Dusky Thrush: 12 on Temple Mount (Yangshan) on 2014-11-22
Daurian Redstart: 5 on Temple Mount (Yangshan) on 2014-11-22
Blue Rock Thrush: 2 on Temple Mount (Yangshan) on 2014-11-22
Eurasian Tree Sparrow: 20 on Temple Mount (Yangshan) on 2014-11-22
Scaly-breasted Munia: 3 on Temple Mount (Yangshan) on 2014-11-22
White Wagtail: 1 on Temple Mount (Yangshan) on 2014-11-22
Olive-backed Pipit: 2 on Temple Mount (Yangshan) on 2014-11-22
Meadow Bunting: 1 female on Temple Mount (Yangshan) on 2014-11-22

Elaine and I attempted sunset images of Blue Rock Thrush on the beautiful rocks of Lesser Yangshan. We drove to a land reclamation project east of the birding areas.

Site 5. Around Land Reclamation Project East of Main Birding Areas on Lesser Yangshan Island, Zhejiang (15:40-16:30)

Little Grebe: 4 at land reclamation project (Yangshan) on 2014-11-22
Blue Rock Thrush: 2 at land reclamation project (Yangshan) on 2014-11-22
Little Egret: 4 at land reclamation project (Yangshan) on 2014-11-22
Great Egret: 5 at land reclamation project (Yangshan) on 2014-11-22
Grey Heron: 2 at land reclamation project (Yangshan) on 2014-11-22
White Wagtail: 2 at land reclamation project (Yangshan) on 2014-11-22

List of Place Names

Donghai Bridge (Dōnghǎi Dàqiǎo [东海大桥]): bridge 30 km long connecting Nánhuì (Shanghai) & Lesser Yangshan Island (Zhejiang)

Garbage Dump Coastal Plain: broad area between Donghai Bridge & Garbage Dump Gully on Lesser Yangshan Island. 30.638860, 122.060089.

Garbage Dump Gully: birding spot on Lesser Yangshan Island near Donghai Bridge, known for its tall trees. A small garbage-processing plant has been built at the mouth of the gully. 30.641565, 122.062836.

Lesser Yangshan Island (Xiǎo Yángshān [小洋山]): island in Hangzhou Bay (inlet of East China Sea), reachable by Donghai Bridge. Part of Zhejiang Province, China. 30.634096, 122.058079.

Temple Mount: area on Lesser Yangshan Island (Zhejiang), named after Guānyīn Temple (Guānyīn Chánsì [观音禅寺; on the sign atop the temple, the characters are written right to left ("寺禅音观")]). 30.639945, 122.048277.

Xiǎo Yángshān (小洋山): see Lesser Yangshan Island

Xiǎoyánglíng Cove: small, scenic bay & surrounding land on Lesser Yangshan Island. Named after Xiǎoyánglíng Tǎ (小洋陵塔), a Buddhist monument. To reach the cove, walk through the tunnel from Garbage Dump Gully. 30.642243, 122.066940.

Nice shot of the munia Craig

Cheers
Mike

Sunday on Hengsha Island, Shanghai

This past Sunday, Elaine and I made our third trip this month to Hengsha Island (Héngshā Dǎo [横沙岛]) and first since 6 Nov. Hengsha Island is a small (56 sq. km) alluvial island at the mouth of the Yangtze River. It's part of Shanghai.

Our bird of the day was Chinese Grey Shrike. We had sightings at four locations, two of them spaced a few kilometers from the other two. We think it most likely that the sightings involved 2 individuals. Birds seen in appreciable numbers were Eurasian Coot (360), Eurasian or Oriental Skylark (303), Pallas's Reed Bunting (ca. 200) Chinese Penduline Tit (140), Northern Lapwing (65), and Dusky Thrush (50). Thanks to Jan-Erik Nilsen, Daniel Bengtsson, and especially Jonathan Martinez for sifting through a series of blurry photos, allowing me to add a female Smew to the list.

The 2 Northern Shoveler were strangers amid a sea of Eurasian Coot. Elaine did a nice job digging out 3 Great Crested Grebe (having reminded me that we'd seen that sp. in the same general area on 6 Nov.). Eurasian Bittern was a welcome addition to our Fall 2014 list. As on our two previous trips to Hengsha, we weren't lulled to sleep by the appearance of yet another Little Egret; we were on the lookout for the telltale marks of the similar Chinese Egret. The 9 Common Snipe were ID'd by the white trailing edge to the wing. The Dunlin were foraging on the mudflats outside the sea wall at low tide. I didn't wish to make Skylarks a special project, but I photographed them whenever possible, usually grabbing flight shots after stumbling upon a group while walking across the reedbeds. The photos don't allow me to reach a firm conclusion regarding taxonomy. A few photos seem to show a buff trailing edge to the wing (a characteristic of Oriental Skylark) but bright white outer rectrices (a characteristic of Eurasian Skylark). I'm not even certain of which of the ssp. we may be dealing with here; Skylarks, it seems, are yet another group of East Asian birds ripe for further study. The impressively large flocks of Chinese Penduline Tit underscore the importance of Hengsha Island to this and other reed-dependent species such as Reed Parrotbill. Speaking of reed-dependent species, as I was following the Chinese Grey Shrike, I kept kicking up Pallas's Reed Buntings; every few steps would set another 15 or so flying. Considering that I must have been startling the same birds at least some of the time, I'll limit my estimate to 200 birds. Could Common Reed Bunting have been in the mix? Possibly, but each time I checked, I noted the pointier bill characteristic of Pallas's. With some or most of the birding area at Hengsha Island slated to be turned into a container port, one has to wonder where in the city-province of Shanghai the reed-loving passerines as well as waterfowl are going to find refuge.

Despite visiting the same habitats and operating in a similar way to our previous two trips to Hengsha, Elaine and I noted no Rustic Bunting and only 2 Yellow-throated Bunting.

Weather: 16°-21°C, partly cloudy.

Site 1. Eastern Hengsha Island, Shanghai (31.297333, 121.859434 [S gate of birding area]; 07:55-16:30)

Mallard: 13 (flock of 12, 1 single) at E Hengsha Island on 2014-11-23
Eastern Spot-billed Duck: 38 (3 flocks, plus singles) at E Hengsha Island on 2014-11-23
Northern Shoveler: 2 at E Hengsha Island on 2014-11-23
Eurasian Teal: 14 (flock of 13, 1 male flying w. Smew) at E Hengsha Island on 2014-11-23
Smew: 1 female at E Hengsha Island on 2014-11-23
Little Grebe: 9 at E Hengsha Island on 2014-11-23
Great Crested Grebe: 3 at E Hengsha Island on 2014-11-23
Eurasian Bittern: 3 at E Hengsha Island on 2014-11-23
Grey Heron: 24 at E Hengsha Island on 2014-11-23
Great Egret: 17 at E Hengsha Island on 2014-11-23
Little Egret: 53 at E Hengsha Island on 2014-11-23
Great Cormorant: 2 at E Hengsha Island on 2014-11-23
Eastern Marsh Harrier: 2 juv. males at E Hengsha Island on 2014-11-23
Eastern Buzzard: 2 at E Hengsha Island on 2014-11-23
Common Moorhen: 14 (4 heard only) at E Hengsha Island on 2014-11-23
Eurasian Coot: 360 at E Hengsha Island on 2014-11-23
Northern Lapwing: 65 (flock) at E Hengsha Island on 2014-11-23
Kentish Plover: 3 at E Hengsha Island on 2014-11-23
Common Snipe: 9 at E Hengsha Island on 2014-11-23
Common Redshank: 8 at E Hengsha Island on 2014-11-23
Common Greenshank: 17 at E Hengsha Island on 2014-11-23
Common Sandpiper: 1 at E Hengsha Island on 2014-11-23
Dunlin: 120 at E Hengsha Island on 2014-11-23
Feral Pigeon (Rock Dove): 1 at E Hengsha Island on 2014-11-23
Common Kingfisher: 1 at E Hengsha Island on 2014-11-23
Common Kestrel: 2 at E Hengsha Island on 2014-11-23
Peregrine Falcon: 1 at E Hengsha Island on 2014-11-23
Long-tailed Shrike: 23 at E Hengsha Island on 2014-11-23
Chinese Grey Shrike: 2 at E Hengsha Island on 2014-11-23
Skylark sp.: 303 at E Hengsha Island on 2014-11-23
Chinese Penduline Tit: 140 (2 flocks) at E Hengsha Island on 2014-11-23
Crested Myna: 19 at E Hengsha Island on 2014-11-23
Dusky Thrush: 50 at E Hengsha Island on 2014-11-23
Daurian Redstart: 9 at E Hengsha Island on 2014-11-23
Eurasian Tree Sparrow: 39 (flock) at E Hengsha Island on 2014-11-23
White Wagtail: 4 at E Hengsha Island on 2014-11-23
Richard's Pipit: 11 at E Hengsha Island on 2014-11-23
Buff-bellied Pipit: 66 at E Hengsha Island on 2014-11-23
Little Bunting: 9 at E Hengsha Island on 2014-11-23
Yellow-throated Bunting: 2 at E Hengsha Island on 2014-11-23
Pallas's Reed Bunting: ca. 200 at E Hengsha Island on 2014-11-23

A nice set of photos as usual, Craig !

And, Yes, where will all the reedbed-dependent species go when the area is "developed" ?

johnjemi said:

A nice set of photos as usual, Craig !

And, Yes, where will all the reedbed-dependent species go when the area is "developed" ?

Click to expand...

Thanks, John!

I'd like to see a study comparing Shanghai to other megalopolises in the world as regards the amount of land under protection. Shanghai is a "shì (市)," and it's large: it covers 6,340 sq. km, making it the size of Delaware in the United States. 25 million people live in this shì, a huge population. But with such a large area, and considering its location (mouth of Yangtze + East Asian Australasian Flyway), you might think that there would be plans to set aside a large wetland. A nub of eastern Chongming Island is preserved as Chongming Dongtan Birds National Nature Reserve (崇明东滩鸟类国家级自然保护区), and on the mainland there's Pudong Nanhui Dongtan Wetland (浦东东滩湿地). But both reserves (especially the latter) are small.

By way of comparison . . .

Hong Kong has a land area of a little over 1000 sq. km but 40 % of this is covered by some form of protected area.

Cheers
Mike

MKinHK said:

By way of comparison . . .

Hong Kong has a land area of a little over 1000 sq. km but 40 % of this is covered by some form of protected area.

Cheers
Mike

Click to expand...

Just the kind of perspective we need. Thanks, Mike! Hong Kong's sterling example puts to shame that of Shanghai. In Shanghai and throughout mainland China, what's happening environmentally is a monumental shirking of responsibility, an assault on the land that will be remembered with chagrin for generations to come.

And no, Shanghai can't cry poverty. Shanghai is gobbling up every last square meter of land not so it can survive, but so it can get rich.

Century Park!

Sun. 30 Nov. 2014
Shanghai

For its combination of convenience and quality of birding, Century Park is the best place to bird in the city. Today, a three-hour and fifty-minute trip to Century kept the birding juices flowing and netted Elaine and me some good exercise. Species of the Day honors go to Goldcrest (5), a tiny jewel of a bird that never ceases to delight. Nearly bare branches hanging over the walking trail attracted a pair, and they approached to a meter and a half of my appreciative face. As is their wont in East Asia, today's Goldcrests were associating with Pallas's Leaf Warbler (11). Dusky Thrush (63) was the most conspicuous winter visitor, with Pale Thrush (25) also having a notable presence. 2 of the 9 Red-flanked Bluetails we saw were the attractive adult males, less common in our area.

Missing or nearly missing birds: to our surprise, Elaine and I saw zero buntings. As the session was ending, we realized we hadn't seen a single Daurian Redstart all day. To acquire one, I suggested we go one more time to a place where I've often seen Daurian Redstarts. Sure enough, we managed to scratch out a single female there. We would not have been surprised to find Yellow-bellied Tits, but they are an irruptive species, and they don't seem to have made an incursion into the park. Those most irruptive of species, Bohemian and Japanese Waxwing, have been reported in Century Park this time of year, and they were on our radar screen, but we saw none. Has Yellow-browed Warbler finally cycled out of the Shanghai area? Today we saw none. Mugimaki Flycatcher also may have left the Shanghai area for its core wintering areas farther south. Why no Vinous-throated Parrotbill on our list? Most likely the Vinous-throated Parrotbills at Century occur in one or perhaps two flocks, and we just happened to miss them.

Site 1. Century Park (Shìjì Gōngyuán [世纪公园]), Pudong New Area (Pǔdōng Xīn Qū [浦东新区]), Shanghai (31.219361, 121.551900; 08:45-12:35)

Little Grebe (Tachybaptus ruficollis): 6
Black-crowned Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax): 1
Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea): 1
Little Egret (Egretta garzetta): 1
Common Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus): 6
Oriental Turtle Dove (Streptopelia orientalis): 1
Spotted Dove (Spilopelia chinensis): 29
Long-tailed Shrike (Lanius schach): 6 (1 heard only)
Azure-winged Magpie (Cyanopica cyanus): 45
Japanese Tit (Parus minor): 4
Light-vented Bulbul (Pycnonotus sinensis): 131 (101 heard only)
Pallas's Leaf Warbler (Phylloscopus proregulus): 11
Chinese Hwamei (Garrulax canorus): 1
Goldcrest (Regulus regulus): 5
White-cheeked Starling (Spodiopsar cineraceus): 8 (flock)
White's Thrush (Zoothera aurea): 2
Grey-backed Thrush (Turdus hortulorum): 3
Common Blackbird (Turdus merula mandarinus): 68
Pale Thrush (Turdus pallidus): 25 (3 heard only)
Dusky Thrush (Turdus eunomus): 63 (1 heard only)
Red-flanked Bluetail (Tarsiger cyanurus): 9 (2 adult males)
Daurian Redstart (Phoenicurus auroreus): 1
Eurasian Tree Sparrow (Passer montanus): ca. 20
White Wagtail (Motacilla alba): 2 (1 heard only)
Olive-backed Pipit (Anthus hodgsoni): 18
Chinese Grosbeak (Eophona migratoria): 13
Eurasian Siskin (Spinus spinus): 30 (flock)

A Brisk Walk Through Changfeng Park, Shanghai

Tues. 2 Dec. 2014
Shanghai

Weather: 7°C. Sunny and cool.

Elaine and I scratched out 18 species at Changfeng Park. The surprise of the day was a flock of 9 Red-billed Leiothrix at Chángfēng Yī Hào Lǜdì, the green space between the park and Suzhou Creek. These birds had surely been set free by someone, for they displayed little fear of us. After getting fleeting glimpses of truly wild Red-billed Leiothrix in Yunnan and Jiangxi, Elaine finally could appreciate the beauty of this species. The flock of Vinous-throated Parrotbill that we observed was almost completely silent. We moved quickly on the brisk December day, almost making a complete circle of Yínchú Hú (银锄湖), the man-made lake that is the centerpiece of the 364,000 sq. m park. We finished up on Gubei Bridge spanning Suzhou Creek, enjoying the beautiful cityscape and searching in vain for Black-crowned Night Heron. The plague of cats continues to be evident at Changfeng, and we happened upon a man furtively selling a slingshot to another man.

Site 1. Changfeng Park (Chángfēng Gōngyuán [长风公园]), Putuo District (Pǔtuó Qū [普陀区]), Shanghai (31.224860, 121.399155; 14:30-16:45)

Little Egret (Egretta garzetta): 1 flying over Suzhou Creek
Feral Pigeon/Rock Dove (Columba livia): ca. 30 (flock)
Spotted Dove (Spilopelia chinensis): 17
Long-tailed Shrike (Lanius schach): 4
Azure-winged Magpie (Cyanopica cyanus): 15
Eurasian Magpie (Pica pica): 2
Japanese Tit (Parus minor): 6
Light-vented Bulbul (Pycnonotus sinensis): 95 (ca. 75 heard only)
Pallas's Leaf Warbler (Phylloscopus proregulus): 5
Yellow-browed Warbler (Phylloscopus inornatus): 1
Red-billed Leiothrix (Leiothrix lutea): 9 (flock) at Chángfēng Yī Hào Lǜdì (长风壹号绿地)
Vinous-throated Parrotbill (Sinosuthora webbiana): 15 (flock)
Common Blackbird (Turdus merula mandarinus): 50 (5 heard only)
Pale Thrush (Turdus pallidus): 5
Red-flanked Bluetail (Tarsiger cyanurus): 1
Daurian Redstart (Phoenicurus auroreus): 4 (1 male, 3 females)
Eurasian Tree Sparrow (Passer montanus): 14
Chinese Grosbeak (Eophona migratoria): 1