Dalian (Jinshitan) Birding Reports (6 Viewers)

Dalian and Jinzhou Bays Dec. 29, 2014

I set out with my class to go to Wafangdian but unusually high temperatures meant very thick fog and the toll-way was closed to get there. We rerouted to Dalian Bay only to be met with the same thick fog. Not sure what to do, we decided to head for breakfast and wait a bit until the toll-way opened. Unfortunately this never happened but the fog did lift a little around Dalian and Jinzhou Bays which are quite near each other. It is only 15 minutes between them even though they are in different seas which makes for quite different birds at times. We plan to try to get to Wafangdian at a later date in January. The thing about Dalian in winter is that there is either one of two options weather-wise: Cold and clear with a nasty biting wind or warm and pleasant with heavy fog.

Jinzhou Bay Dump, CN-21
29-Dec-2014 09:00 - 11:00
Protocol: Stationary
14 species

Ruddy Shelduck (Tadorna ferruginea) 50
Common Shelduck (Tadorna tadorna) 1000
Gadwall (Anas strepera) 1
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) 100
Eastern Spot-billed Duck (Anas zonorhyncha) 25
Common Pochard (Aythya ferina) 30
Red-breasted Merganser (Mergus serrator) 2
Saunders's Gull (Saundersilarus saundersi) 1
Black-headed Gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus) 30
Black-tailed Gull (Larus crassirostris) 2
Mew Gull (Larus canus) 15
Herring Gull (Larus argentatus) 250
Common Magpie (Pica pica) 10
Tree Sparrow (Passer montanus) 10



Dalian Bay, CN-21
29-Dec-2014 11:00 - 13:00
Protocol: Traveling
1.0 kilometer(s)
18 species

Common Shelduck (Tadorna tadorna) 150
Falcated Duck (Anas falcata) 10
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) 10
Common Pochard (Aythya ferina) 50
Common Goldeneye (Bucephala clangula) 15
Common Merganser (Mergus merganser) 25
Red-breasted Merganser (Mergus serrator) 10
Common Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) 1
Little Grebe (Tachybaptus ruficollis) 2
Great Crested Grebe (Podiceps cristatus) 15
Black-headed Gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus) 10
Black-tailed Gull (Larus crassirostris) 35
Mew Gull (Larus canus) 10
Herring Gull (Larus argentatus) 5
Common Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) 1
Common Magpie (Pica pica) 10
White/Pied Wagtail (Motacilla alba) 2
Tree Sparrow (Passer montanus) 10

Jinshi Golf Club Jan. 2, 2015

Spent a lot of time at the waterhole which remains open. My hide comes tomorrow so will see what I can see there next week. Had a short walk around later in the morning that was quite productive considering the short time. Had a very obliging male Long-tailed Rosefinch. Olive-backed pipit is again very rare in winter here.

Jinshi Golf Club, CN-21
02-Jan-2015 08:15 - 12:15
Protocol: Traveling
2.0 kilometer(s)
29 species (+1 other taxa)

Common Shelduck (Tadorna tadorna) 2
Red-breasted Merganser (Mergus serrator) 2
Common Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) 30
Eurasian Sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus) 1
Herring Gull (Larus argentatus) 2
Oriental Turtle-Dove (Streptopelia orientalis) 1
Great Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos major) 2
Common Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) 1
Bull-headed Shrike (Lanius bucephalus) 1
Common Magpie (Pica pica) 10
Japanese Tit (Parus minor) 75 not high
Eurasian Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes) 1
Light-vented Bulbul (Pycnonotus sinensis) 4
Brown-eared Bulbul (Hypsipetes amaurotis) 3
Beijing Babbler (Rhopophilus pekinensis) 4
Vinous-throated Parrotbill (Sinosuthora webbiana) 60
Daurian Redstart (Phoenicurus auroreus) 2
Dusky Thrush (Turdus eunomus) 4
Naumann's Thrush (Turdus naumanni) 10
Dusky/Naumann's Thrush (Turdus naumanni/eunomus) 30
Siberian Accentor (Prunella montanella) 10
Olive-backed Pipit (Anthus hodgsoni) 1
Meadow Bunting (Emberiza cioides) 1
Ochre-rumped Bunting (Emberiza yessoensis) 1
Little Bunting (Emberiza pusilla) 1
Yellow-throated Bunting (Emberiza elegans) 50
Brambling (Fringilla montifringilla) 40
Long-tailed Rosefinch (Uragus sibiricus) 4
Hawfinch (Coccothraustes coccothraustes) 1
Tree Sparrow (Passer montanus) 50

the

rest

Love the thrush flash mob at the water hole . . .

Cheers
Mike

Wafangdian Jan. 6, 2015

Afternoon trip with my class resulted in a lifer - White-naped Crane. The weather was very nice but cold. Lots to see and a great time was had by all.

Wafangdian, CN-21
06-Jan-2015 14:00 - 16:00
Protocol: Traveling
5.0 kilometer(s)
21 species

Ruddy Shelduck (Tadorna ferruginea) 150
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) 100
Eastern Spot-billed Duck (Anas zonorhyncha) 20
Little Grebe (Tachybaptus ruficollis) 7
Oriental Stork (Ciconia boyciana) 4
Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea) 1
Upland Buzzard (Buteo hemilasius) 2
White-naped Crane (Grus vipio) 1 photographed
Common Crane (Grus grus) 200
Herring Gull (Larus argentatus) 2
Hill Pigeon (Columba rupestris) 1
Common Kingfisher (Alcedo atthis) 1
Common Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) 1
Chinese Grey Shrike (Lanius sphenocercus) 1
Common Magpie (Pica pica) 20
Japanese Tit (Parus minor) 1
Naumann's Thrush (Turdus naumanni) 1
White-cheeked Starling (Sturnus cineraceus) 40
Ochre-rumped Bunting (Emberiza yessoensis) 5
Pallas's Reed Bunting (Emberiza pallasi) 10
Tree Sparrow (Passer montanus) 10

Congratulations Tom!

With all those quality winter birds I'm waiting for you to nail a Steller's Sea Eagle . . .

Cheers
Mike

Mike,

I think that I might have seen a distant Steller's at the same place above 6-7 years ago. I was chatting with a Chinese photographer there a few weeks ago and asked if anyone had ever photographed Steller's there. He said he had never seen photos but heard there was one there 6-7 years ago. I'm left wondering if that was the same bird I saw or if the rumour was started by me......! I'm sure that is the place if one was to drift over to Liaoning.

On a separate note, I have about had it with photographers flushing cranes. Yesterday there was a person there clearly driving up to a huge group of cranes wherever they landed. I have no problem with people taking photos of beautiful wildlife but aggressively approaching too close and flushing everything every 5 minutes is too far - especially cranes that are trying to feed on a very cold day.

Jinshi Golf Club Jan. 10, 2015

Stephen and I headed out early to set up my new bird hide beside the waterhole that is still open at the reservoir there. We waited in vain for 1.5 hours wondering if the birds were scared by the blind before realizing that there was another waterhole on the other bank where they all were drinking|=\| (loads of Thrushes, Brambling, etc)...... We moved the blind in that direction but they would simply come down to drink wherever we weren't. A bit frustrated at the loss of more than an hour of time, we packed up the blind and went for a walk around to see what else was there. We covered a lot of ground for not as many birds as we expected.

Jinshi Golf Club, CN-21
10-Jan-2015 07:00 - 11:00
Protocol: Traveling
2.0 kilometer(s)
26 species (+1 other taxa)

Common Merganser (Mergus merganser) 6
Red-breasted Merganser (Mergus serrator) 14
Japanese Quail (Coturnix japonica) 2
Common Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) 20
Pelagic Cormorant (Phalacrocorax pelagicus) 1
Herring Gull (Larus argentatus) 8
Oriental Turtle-Dove (Streptopelia orientalis) 2
Eurasian Hoopoe (Upupa epops) 1
Great Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos major) 2
Azure-winged Magpie (Cyanopica cyanus) 40
Common Magpie (Pica pica) 40
Japanese Tit (Parus minor) 40
Light-vented Bulbul (Pycnonotus sinensis) 5
Brown-eared Bulbul (Hypsipetes amaurotis) 2
Beijing Babbler (Rhopophilus pekinensis) 1
Vinous-throated Parrotbill (Sinosuthora webbiana) 25
Daurian Redstart (Phoenicurus auroreus) 2
Dusky Thrush (Turdus eunomus) 2
Naumann's Thrush (Turdus naumanni) 30
Dusky/Naumann's Thrush (Turdus naumanni/eunomus) 35
Siberian Accentor (Prunella montanella) 5
Meadow Bunting (Emberiza cioides) 4
Yellow-throated Bunting (Emberiza elegans) 40
Brambling (Fringilla montifringilla) 20
Long-tailed Rosefinch (Uragus sibiricus) 6
Hawfinch (Coccothraustes coccothraustes) 1
Tree Sparrow (Passer montanus) 25

Stephen and I thought we did quite well to get 34 species in mainly forest habitat during three hours this morning. Beautiful morning to be out. We covered an area that usually holds many Scops Owls and Nightjars during late spring, summer, and early fall.

Forest area and coast near Xiao Yao Wan, CN-21
24-Jan-2015 07:00 - 10:00
Protocol: Traveling
5.0 kilometer(s)
34 species

Common Shelduck (Tadorna tadorna) 2
Falcated Duck (Anas falcata) 100
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) 1
Eastern Spot-billed Duck (Anas zonorhyncha) 2
Red-breasted Merganser (Mergus serrator) 7
Common Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) 15
Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea) 2
Common Buzzard (Buteo buteo) 1
Black-headed Gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus) 1
Black-tailed Gull (Larus crassirostris) 25
Herring Gull (Larus argentatus) 20 roughly 15 Mongolian, 4 Vega, 1 Heughlins
Great Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos major) 1
Common Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) 1
Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus) 1
Bull-headed Shrike (Lanius bucephalus) 1
Common Magpie (Pica pica) 10
Japanese Tit (Parus minor) 55
Eurasian Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes) 1
Light-vented Bulbul (Pycnonotus sinensis) 4
Brown-eared Bulbul (Hypsipetes amaurotis) 1
Goldcrest (Regulus regulus) 5
Beijing Babbler (Rhopophilus pekinensis) 3
Daurian Redstart (Phoenicurus auroreus) 6
Naumann's Thrush (Turdus naumanni) 5
Crested Myna (Acridotheres cristatellus) 3
Siberian Accentor (Prunella montanella) 10
White/Pied Wagtail (Motacilla alba) 1 hanging out around fishing docks. Strange winter record.
Meadow Bunting (Emberiza cioides) 5
Yellow-throated Bunting (Emberiza elegans) 50
Brambling (Fringilla montifringilla) 2
Pallas's Rosefinch (Carpodacus roseus) 1 98% certain. Heard and briefly seen. Common during some winters here.
Long-tailed Rosefinch (Uragus sibiricus) 8
Oriental Greenfinch (Chloris sinica) 14
Tree Sparrow (Passer montanus) 10

the

rest

twitter account

For all the twitter people, here is one started by my class today. We'll be posting updates as they come. The account is @enwi12

There will be no activity there from Jan. 31-March 1 because we will be on our Chinese New Year's break.

Tom

Wafangdian Crane site Jan. 29, 2015

Went with my class yesterday. Didn't get out of the bus much and concentrated on the large birds there. Had fantastic views of the storks all in one group right beside the road.

Wafangdian, CN-21
29-Jan-2015 14:00 - 15:30
Protocol: Traveling
5.0 kilometer(s)
15 species (+1 other taxa)

Taiga/Tundra Bean-Goose (Anser fabalis/serrirostris) 80
Greater White-fronted Goose (Anser albifrons) 2
Ruddy Shelduck (Tadorna ferruginea) 20
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) 150
Little Grebe (Tachybaptus ruficollis) 6
Oriental Stork (Ciconia boyciana) 16
Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea) 2
Northern Harrier (Circus cyaneus) 1
Common Crane (Grus grus) 150
Hooded Crane (Grus monacha) 1
Common Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) 1
Merlin (Falco columbarius) 1
Common Magpie (Pica pica) 10
Naumann's Thrush (Turdus naumanni) 1
Ochre-rumped Bunting (Emberiza yessoensis) 1
Tree Sparrow (Passer montanus) 10

Jinshitan Sea-farming Ponds Feb. 24, 2015

Back from a 3.5 week holiday. Checked out the ponds for a bit this morning. Many brackish water ponds had waterholes and that's where the ducks were. All fresh water still frozen solid.

Jinshitan Sea-farming Ponds, CN-21
24-Feb-2015 09:30 - 12:00
Protocol: Traveling
4.0 kilometer(s)
27 species

Common Shelduck (Tadorna tadorna) 500
Gadwall (Anas strepera) 15
Falcated Duck (Anas falcata) 10
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) 350
Northern Pintail (Anas acuta) 3
Common Pochard (Aythya ferina) 10
Common Goldeneye (Bucephala clangula) 40
Common Merganser (Mergus merganser) 15
Common Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) 2
Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea) 3
Black-headed Gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus) 1
Black-tailed Gull (Larus crassirostris) 150
Herring Gull (Larus argentatus) 25
Hill Pigeon (Columba rupestris) 1
Little Owl (Athene noctua) 1
Great Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos major) 1
Common Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) 2
Common Magpie (Pica pica) 10
Skylark (Alauda arvensis) 20
Japanese Tit (Parus minor) 2
Brown-eared Bulbul (Hypsipetes amaurotis) 2
Daurian Redstart (Phoenicurus auroreus) 1
Meadow Bunting (Emberiza cioides) 3
Yellow-throated Bunting (Emberiza elegans) 15
Pallas's Reed Bunting (Emberiza pallasi) 10
Long-tailed Rosefinch (Uragus sibiricus) 2
Tree Sparrow (Passer montanus) 10

Jinshitan Feb. 25+26, 2015

Heavy snow for most of the day yesterday but I did get out for an hour in the afternoon for a short walk behind my house.

Went for a short ride today to the Geopark platform area.

The Yellow-legged Vega Gull pictured is the same variety as the "birulai" ssp discussed a few years ago on this forum. I love ebird that just has a blank for Herring Gull!

Random sightings in Jinshitan, CN-21
25-Feb-2015 16:00 - 17:00
Protocol: Traveling
1.0 kilometer(s)
10 species

Common Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) 5
Northern Goshawk (Accipiter gentilis) 1
Great Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos major) 2
Common Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) 1
Common Magpie (Pica pica) 10
Japanese Tit (Parus minor) 30
Yellow-throated Bunting (Emberiza elegans) 10
Brambling (Fringilla montifringilla) 5
Oriental Greenfinch (Chloris sinica) 2
Tree Sparrow (Passer montanus) 10



Jinshitan Geopark Platform area, CN-21
26-Feb-2015 14:45 - 16:15
Protocol: Traveling
1.0 kilometer(s)
13 species

Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) 15
Pelagic Cormorant (Phalacrocorax pelagicus) 3
Black-tailed Gull (Larus crassirostris) 50
Herring Gull (Larus argentatus) 5
Common Magpie (Pica pica) 10
Japanese Tit (Parus minor) 10
Light-vented Bulbul (Pycnonotus sinensis) 3
Goldcrest (Regulus regulus) 2
Daurian Redstart (Phoenicurus auroreus) 1
Naumann's Thrush (Turdus naumanni) 2
Yellow-throated Bunting (Emberiza elegans) 2
Brambling (Fringilla montifringilla) 4
Tree Sparrow (Passer montanus) 10

Short drive north Feb. 27, 2015

Stephen and I went chasing a Short-eared Owl he had seen 10 days ago hunting from a perch in a field of scrub. We had no luck with the owl but did pick our way back home stopping at various places and ended up hiking around a mountain temple area for a few hours as well.

Yellow Sea Coast from Jinshitan to Zhuanghe, CN-21
27-Feb-2015 07:00 - 12:00
Protocol: Traveling
15.0 kilometer(s)
34 species

Ruddy Shelduck (Tadorna ferruginea) 15
Common Shelduck (Tadorna tadorna) 45
Gadwall (Anas strepera) 15
Falcated Duck (Anas falcata) 1
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) 20
Eastern Spot-billed Duck (Anas zonorhyncha) 2
Northern Shoveler (Anas clypeata) 2
Northern Pintail (Anas acuta) 1
Common Pochard (Aythya ferina) 12
Smew (Mergellus albellus) 2
Common Merganser (Mergus merganser) 1
Common Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) 10
Pelagic Cormorant (Phalacrocorax pelagicus) 19
Eurasian Sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus) 1
Common Buzzard (Buteo buteo) 3
Black-tailed Gull (Larus crassirostris) 50
Herring Gull (Larus argentatus) 15
Oriental Turtle-Dove (Streptopelia orientalis) 8
Great Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos major) 3
Common Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) 2
Chinese Grey Shrike (Lanius sphenocercus) 2
Common Magpie (Pica pica) 10
Skylark (Alauda arvensis) 20
Japanese Tit (Parus minor) 45
Beijing Babbler (Rhopophilus pekinensis) 3
Vinous-throated Parrotbill (Sinosuthora webbiana) 10
Daurian Redstart (Phoenicurus auroreus) 2
Naumann's Thrush (Turdus naumanni) 10
Rustic Bunting (Emberiza rustica) 1
Yellow-throated Bunting (Emberiza elegans) 35
Pallas's Reed Bunting (Emberiza pallasi) 15
Brambling (Fringilla montifringilla) 3
Oriental Greenfinch (Chloris sinica) 4
Tree Sparrow (Passer montanus) 10

View this checklist online at http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S22088701

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (http://ebird.org)

Wafangdian, Pikou, and Jinshitan March 7, 2015

An entire day's birding with Lim Poh Bee from Singapore. We covered a lot of areas with different types of habitat. Two distant Glaucous Gulls at Pikou and very close encounters with Little Owl were the highlights of the day. We enjoyed a warm day with very little wind.

Wafangdian, CN-21
07-Mar-2015 07:00 - 11:00
Protocol: Traveling
4.0 kilometer(s)
37 species (+2 other taxa)

Taiga/Tundra Bean-Goose (Anser fabalis/serrirostris) 150
Whooper Swan (Cygnus cygnus) 75
Ruddy Shelduck (Tadorna ferruginea) 70
Common Shelduck (Tadorna tadorna) 8
Gadwall (Anas strepera) 5
Falcated Duck (Anas falcata) 2
Eurasian Wigeon (Anas penelope) 2
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) 200
Eastern Spot-billed Duck (Anas zonorhyncha) 50
Northern Pintail (Anas acuta) 50
Eurasian/American Green-winged Teal (Anas crecca) 12
Common Pochard (Aythya ferina) 125
Tufted Duck (Aythya fuligula) 1
Common Goldeneye (Bucephala clangula) 35
Smew (Mergellus albellus) 6
Japanese Quail (Coturnix japonica) 9
Common Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) 10
Oriental Stork (Ciconia boyciana) 22
Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea) 4
Upland Buzzard (Buteo hemilasius) 1
Common Crane (Grus grus) 48
Black-headed Gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus) 3
Black-tailed Gull (Larus crassirostris) 5
Herring Gull (Larus argentatus) 3 all Mongolian
Great Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos major) 3
Common Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) 3
Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus) 1
Chinese Grey Shrike (Lanius sphenocercus) 3
Common Magpie (Pica pica) 10
Skylark (Alauda arvensis) 10
Japanese Tit (Parus minor) 20
Naumann's Thrush (Turdus naumanni) 2
Dusky/Naumann's Thrush (Turdus naumanni/eunomus) 8
Crested Myna (Acridotheres cristatellus) 2
White-cheeked Starling (Sturnus cineraceus) 30
Meadow Bunting (Emberiza cioides) 6
Ochre-rumped Bunting (Emberiza yessoensis) 2
Yellow-throated Bunting (Emberiza elegans) 20
Pallas's Reed Bunting (Emberiza pallasi) 25


Yellow Sea Coast from Jinshitan to Zhuanghe, CN-21
07-Mar-2015 13:00 - 14:00
Protocol: Stationary
14 species

Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) 20
Common Pochard (Aythya ferina) 20
Common Merganser (Mergus merganser) 1
Great Crested Grebe (Podiceps cristatus) 4
Far Eastern Curlew (Numenius madagascariensis) 1 seen well and photographed
Eurasian Curlew (Numenius arquata) 125
Black-tailed Gull (Larus crassirostris) 250
Mew Gull (Larus canus) 20
Herring Gull (Larus argentatus) 105 100 Mongolian, 5 Vega
Glaucous Gull (Larus hyperboreus) 2 photographed
Eurasian Collared-Dove (Streptopelia decaocto) 1
Light-vented Bulbul (Pycnonotus sinensis) 2
Naumann's Thrush (Turdus naumanni) 1
Oriental Greenfinch (Chloris sinica) 3


Jinshitan Sea-farming Ponds, CN-21
07-Mar-2015 15:30 - 17:00
Protocol: Traveling
3.0 kilometer(s)
23 species (+1 other taxa)

Whooper Swan (Cygnus cygnus) 4
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) 40
Eastern Spot-billed Duck (Anas zonorhyncha) 3
Common Goldeneye (Bucephala clangula) 2
Red-breasted Merganser (Mergus serrator) 1
Common Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) 5
Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea) 5
Northern Harrier (Circus cyaneus) 1
Common Buzzard (Buteo buteo) 1
Black-headed Gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus) 2
Black-tailed Gull (Larus crassirostris) 50
Feral Pigeon (Columba livia (Feral Pigeon)) 1
Oriental Turtle-Dove (Streptopelia orientalis) 5
Little Owl (Athene noctua) 2
Great Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos major) 1
Common Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) 2
Chinese Grey Shrike (Lanius sphenocercus) 1
Common Magpie (Pica pica) 10
Skylark (Alauda arvensis) 5
Japanese Tit (Parus minor) 10
Vinous-throated Parrotbill (Sinosuthora webbiana) 30
Daurian Redstart (Phoenicurus auroreus) 3
Dusky/Naumann's Thrush (Turdus naumanni/eunomus) 10
Tree Sparrow (Passer montanus) 10

Hello Tom,

I was referred to you as a good local source by Pete Dunten or eBird. It led to my just now joining the bird forum.net You can find my Hello post there with more detail about me just posted there. After quickly looking at some of your posts I have to say that I am jealous.

I assume since you are Canadian and teaching in Jinshitan you are with Maple Leaf. I spent one year with them about 15 years ago in the Kaifaqu campus before being recruited away by Shenyang Aerospace University. The Chinese government decided at the end of the last school year that I was too old for another work visa, so am now taking my disability retirement pay and living with my wife and family in Panjin, Liaoning. (Actually, Panjin, Dawa County - just on the south edge of the developed area or Panjin proper)

I just got started birding here in Panjin about a month ago and I have to say that it is sometimes depressing just how low the populations are here. But it makes a challenge and is good physical therapy for my arthritis. I make a hobby out of not just watching but positively identifying and collecting photos of as many species as I can.

To the point though, I recently snapped a couple of telephotos of LBB (little brown birds) that I was having trouble getting close enough to identify and after returning home, the only thing that seemed to match up to me was the Rufous-backed bunting aka Jankowski’s bunting (Emberzia Jankowski). Obviously this seemed unlikely, but I have not found anything else that matches appearance. Equally obvious is that this is one I need to get right as it would be an unreported population of an endangered species. Attached are my photos - what do you think?

Owen Krout

little bunting i think

cheers,
James

Hi Owen and welcome to birdforum.

Yes, they are Little Buntings. They are not as easy to ID in their dull plumage in winter.

I've heard good things about Panjin from other birders. I think you will have a lot to see in a month or so and find Panjin quite birdy during migration times. Apparently good numbers of gulls breed in the area including Saunders's Gull. Please feel free to post any photos on this thread for identification in the future. It's good to know there are another pair of eyes on the ground in Liaoning Province! As you said above, it would be very rare to see Jankowski's Bunting in the area but there is always a chance, so let's keep looking.

Tom

Had rare truly clear blue skies today, so I made a trip out to capture some better pictures. With the better shots to work with I agree they were Little Buntings. I had originally ruled it out as the poorer quality images didn't seem to show the slight cresting of the head feathers. With good light today and one more cooperative bird I got a closer view that shows the crest and some breast streaking that I didn't see before. Today's image matches well with the Oriental Bird Club's posting.

I understand that many birds see into the ultra-violet range. I wonder if all these little brown birds stand out as obviously different viewed in that range.