Depressing Day Jan. 2, 2011
Spent with the day three Chinese birders. Leighton, a Beijing birder who now works in Dalian, and his two friends from Beijing. Together we covered Jinzhou Bay, Dalian Bay, Daheishan, and Jinshitan.
We began at Jinzhou Bay, a great winter gull location near a large garbage dump, and found the place devoid of gulls. I think we saw around 50 total and there should have been at least a thousand or more. Also, no winter sea eagles there for the first time ever. Disappointed, we left for Dalian Bay (only a 20 minute drive)
At Dalian Bay there was about 400 Mongolian Gulls and one Vega that I could make out. There was a decent cast of ducks there and this was probably the best of the locations today.
Daheishan yielded life Brown-eared Bulbuls for Leighton which was a highlight but not much else.
Jinshitan was dead. We had to really work for anything.
List from Jinzhou Bay:
Ruddy Shelduck approx. - 150
Mallard
Spot-billed Duck
Mongolian Gull - 50
Grey Heron - 5
Eurasian Skylark - 2
Dalian Bay:
Common Shelduck - 1
Ruddy Shelduck - a few
Falcated Duck - 30
Mallard
Spot-billed Duck
Common Goldeneye - 50
Common Merganser - 10
Red-breasted Merganser - 20
Little Grebe - 3
Great-crested Grebe - 50
Peregrine Falcon - 2
Mongolian Gull - 400
Vega Gull - 1
Daiheishan (Big Black Mountain)
Common Pheasant - 3
Spot-billed Duck
Brown-eared Bulbul - 4 (I guess this is the winter for them)
Chinese Bulbulb - 1
Naumann's Thrush - 15
Dusky Thrush - 2
Red-throated Thrush - 1
Daurian Redstart - 1
Yellow-throated Bunting
Jinshitan: mainly at the Jinshi Golf Club
Common Pheasant - 2
Common Shelduck - 50
Falcated Duck - 15
Red-breasted Merganser - 8
Eurasian Kestrel - 1
Mongolian Gull - a few
Great Tit - 4
Chinese Bulbul - 6
Brown-eared Bulbul - 4
Naumann's Thrush - 2
Daurian Redstart - 1
Brambling - 3
Meadow Bunting - 3
Yellow-throated Bunting - 1!
Spent with the day three Chinese birders. Leighton, a Beijing birder who now works in Dalian, and his two friends from Beijing. Together we covered Jinzhou Bay, Dalian Bay, Daheishan, and Jinshitan.
We began at Jinzhou Bay, a great winter gull location near a large garbage dump, and found the place devoid of gulls. I think we saw around 50 total and there should have been at least a thousand or more. Also, no winter sea eagles there for the first time ever. Disappointed, we left for Dalian Bay (only a 20 minute drive)
At Dalian Bay there was about 400 Mongolian Gulls and one Vega that I could make out. There was a decent cast of ducks there and this was probably the best of the locations today.
Daheishan yielded life Brown-eared Bulbuls for Leighton which was a highlight but not much else.
Jinshitan was dead. We had to really work for anything.
List from Jinzhou Bay:
Ruddy Shelduck approx. - 150
Mallard
Spot-billed Duck
Mongolian Gull - 50
Grey Heron - 5
Eurasian Skylark - 2
Dalian Bay:
Common Shelduck - 1
Ruddy Shelduck - a few
Falcated Duck - 30
Mallard
Spot-billed Duck
Common Goldeneye - 50
Common Merganser - 10
Red-breasted Merganser - 20
Little Grebe - 3
Great-crested Grebe - 50
Peregrine Falcon - 2
Mongolian Gull - 400
Vega Gull - 1
Daiheishan (Big Black Mountain)
Common Pheasant - 3
Spot-billed Duck
Brown-eared Bulbul - 4 (I guess this is the winter for them)
Chinese Bulbulb - 1
Naumann's Thrush - 15
Dusky Thrush - 2
Red-throated Thrush - 1
Daurian Redstart - 1
Yellow-throated Bunting
Jinshitan: mainly at the Jinshi Golf Club
Common Pheasant - 2
Common Shelduck - 50
Falcated Duck - 15
Red-breasted Merganser - 8
Eurasian Kestrel - 1
Mongolian Gull - a few
Great Tit - 4
Chinese Bulbul - 6
Brown-eared Bulbul - 4
Naumann's Thrush - 2
Daurian Redstart - 1
Brambling - 3
Meadow Bunting - 3
Yellow-throated Bunting - 1!