• Welcome to BirdForum, the internet's largest birding community with thousands of members from all over the world. The forums are dedicated to wild birds, birding, binoculars and equipment and all that goes with it.

    Please register for an account to take part in the discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.
ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

China Birding Notes (1 Viewer)

I find the calls sometimes misleading, a subdued calling Yellow-browed can sound like a Hume's (mandelli) on occasion and many worn Yellow-browed in Spring look like Hume's Warblers. Song is of course a very different matter.
Pale-legged Leaf Warbler's 'ting' is usually slow and I suspect that Sakhalin's is usually a faster tempo. I guess an excited PLLW could sound the same but don't know yet (or a tired Sakhalin slow, who knows). Again, songs are completely different. This spring I'm going to try some simple persuasion to make sure that Sakhalin's aren't sneaking through Hebei on migration unnoticed, though I suspect they are.
 
Hey rockfowl, I just tried to send this privately, but your box was full:

Hi rockfowl, if you want to team up in some leaf-warbler-rich area, I'd be interested in joining you. I'm available Wed. nights thru Sun. nites thru the end of May.
 
rockfowl said:
You're welcome. I'll look further when I have some more spare time and a strong coffee.

It is a shame that there doesn't appear to be anything cast iron to separate Pale-legged and Sakhalin other than song... and perhaps the tempo of call. I suspect that one or two of the heavier-billed PLLW's in your gallery might actually be Sakhalin Leaf though this could also be sex related within PLLW's, difficult to know for sure.
Click to expand...

Hi Mark. THis is especially confusing for relatively novice birders such as myself. However looking at Brazil's I noticed that the leg colour was different (PLLW lighter) and that the Sakhalin's has a grey colour collar and general 'greyness' to the cap, however since nobody mentions this I' guessing this is an error ? However is there a chance that in breeding plumage there is some colour variation ?
 
Hi Kevin,

Basically no my friend, they are both equally variable.

Sakhalin - http://www.tragopan-asie.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/SakhalinLeafWarblerDSC_1545MaiPo20121011.jpg & http://www.tragopan-asie.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/SakhalinLeafWarblerDSC_1561MaiPo20121011.jpg

Pale-legged Leaf - https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-...KI/AAAAAAAAA6U/EVtH3dsKp9s/s1600/IMG_2417.jpg & http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HNK99Lh79V8/UZlZJwqRJfI/AAAAAAAABDg/YILmSKZCIxo/s1600/blog12_8.JPG

Craig,

Because I have a tour group, I obviously have to be around for them. Beidaihe migration period is always warbler-rich, especially concentrated on Happy Island for example. If you happened to be around, I'd always be happy to help, timing depends really on what your hoping to photograph.
 
Frogfish said:
Hi Mark. THis is especially confusing for relatively novice birders such as myself. However looking at Brazil's I noticed that the leg colour was different (PLLW lighter) and that the Sakhalin's has a grey colour collar and general 'greyness' to the cap, however since nobody mentions this I' guessing this is an error ? However is there a chance that in breeding plumage there is some colour variation ?
Click to expand...

It's not that the paintings in Brazil are erroneous; it's that they're theoretical. In PL/Sak, there apparently are no characters in the plumage or bare parts that are consistent enough to provide a solid basis for comparison. Individual variation is a "fog," obscuring any "land" of solid, consistent, species-specific characters. Unless one hears the song, one is only guessing as to whether it's pale-legged or Sakhalin.

To improve our guesses, we'd need to know what proportion of the PL/Saks in (for example) the Shanghai region belong to which species. Since I'm assuming that PL/Sak doesn't sing here, and since the calls are once again too similar to provide a solid basis, then the only hope would be DNA sampling. The results of such a test would be interesting, because I'm assuming that Sakhalin turns right somewhere around Shanghai and flies east across the sea to Japan, whereas pale-legged, the continental species, would continue up the coast en route to Ussuriland.

Someone can correct me if I'm wrong, but I'd think that the farther north along the coast one goes in China, the greater the chance that the PL/Sak one encounters is actually a pale-legged.
 
Last edited:
rockfowl said:
Craig,

Because I have a tour group, I obviously have to be around for them. Beidaihe migration period is always warbler-rich, especially concentrated on Happy Island for example. If you happened to be around, I'd always be happy to help, timing depends really on what your hoping to photograph.
Click to expand...

Thanks, rockfowl. I could be around Beidaihe and Happy Island if you had the time. I'd make the pilgrimage to learn from a man with your expertise.
 
They are identifiable in the hand through biometrics etc.

They also will on occasion respond to playback of song, as has just been proven in South East Asia. Visually I think that they are near impossible and although quoted elsewhere, PLLW mostly ground dwelling, SLW rather arboreal, I have had a singing PLLW in the canopy :smoke:

I'm going to try some song playback (brief of course) in the field this year, chances are most will respond with the rather insect like song if at all. As they call often but rarely sing, chances are probably slim but one never knows.

There are a few Sakhalin breeders that are recorded passing through the NE China flyway, so I see no reason why SLW's shouldn't. I would imagine though that amongst this tricky pair the predominant species are indeed PLLW's and those that I've heard singing always have been.

Certainly fun.... and we haven't even started on the Arctic Warbler complex :-O
 
thrush said:
Thanks, rockfowl. I could be around Beidaihe and Happy Island if you had the time. I'd make the pilgrimage to learn from a man with your expertise.
Click to expand...

There some folk far more knowledgable than me based around Beidaihe during the period. Its always a rewarding experience, though it is the classic, the more you learn, the less you know.
 
Bunting Hunting and Thrush Rush!

My latest one-day coastal trip took place Friday. Highlights
of my 53-species day:

1. Chinese thrush on Lesser Yangshan Island, Zhejiang
2. Pair of chestnut buntings on Lesser Yangshan
3. Verditer flycatcher on Lesser Yangshan
4. Brown-headed thrush at Nanhui, on the coast of Shanghai "Shi"

All that plus my photos. Of particular note is a setup shot I got of a blue-and-white flycatcher. You'll enjoy the photo, as it shows in graphic detail the rigors of the spring migration and the grit of the little bird.

I also have my account of the people I meet as I bird--almost as fascinating as the birds themselves. Take the Old Lady of Lesser Yangshan, for example . . .

It's all here, on craigbrelsford.com:

PDF version (2.6 MB)
Text only
The index to all my reports (worthy of a bookmark!)

I want your feedback! Take care and thanks for listening in.
 

Attachments

  • flycatcher,-verditer019.jpg
    flycatcher,-verditer019.jpg
    185.3 KB · Views: 30
  • falcon,-peregrine002.jpg
    falcon,-peregrine002.jpg
    36.8 KB · Views: 29
  • bunting,-chestnut001.jpg
    bunting,-chestnut001.jpg
    171.2 KB · Views: 39
  • bunting,-chestnut002.jpg
    bunting,-chestnut002.jpg
    88.8 KB · Views: 29
Here's another descriptive photo, this one of an eastern crowned warbler. I'm really getting a kick out of putting these things together.
 

Attachments

  • warbler,-eastern-crowned015.jpg
    warbler,-eastern-crowned015.jpg
    166.5 KB · Views: 45
rockfowl said:
Exactly, a good feature when comparing the daintier Claudia's etc
Click to expand...

Thanks, rockfowl. I'm heading back out tomorrow. I'm going to continue my little self-clinic on leaf warblers. I'm also going to be on the lookout for rare buntings. A year ago around this time, I found a yellow bunting (also known as Japanese yellow bunting, Emberiza sulphurata) on Lesser Yangshan Island.
 
The ashy-throated warbler (灰喉柳莺, huīhóu liǔyīng, Phylloscopus maculipennis) is an easy leaf warbler to ID. My photo gives us a good dorsal view and a peek at the white in the rectrices. Descriptions taken from my draft. I'm deep in my leaf warbler mood, trying to soak up as much knowledge about these birds as I can . . . your input helps me keep my enthusiasm high!
 

Attachments

  • warbler,-ashy-throated002.jpg
    warbler,-ashy-throated002.jpg
    208.7 KB · Views: 27
Bird-netting on Lesser Yangshan Island

We've got a problem out on Lesser Yangshan Island. Yesterday, I found bird netting at Garbage Dump Valley. I found a dead Japanese thrush. I tore down the netting but being alone I had trouble with the strong bamboo poles; most of them are still standing. I balled up the netting and took it to Nanhui, where I threw it in the garbage.

I think that with vigilance the netting problem at Garbage Dump Valley can be solved. My advice is this: (1) Birders using Garbage Dump Valley should check around, especially around the vegetable gardens indicated on the photo. (2) If you find netting, it's your call whether you should tear it down immediately or not. I for one am happy that I got that netting down. (3) No matter whether you find netting or not, you might want to have a friendly talk with the handful of folks who live around there, letting them know that netting is illegal and that birds deserve our love and respect, etc. etc.

Many birders also advise reporting the nets to the police or forestry department. I'm unclear about which law-enforcement agency has jurisdiction over bird-netting on Lesser Yangshan. I've contacted many Chinese birders and will report here if I find something out.

I know some Chinese speakers use this forum. For their convenience, here's the basic story in Chinese:

小洋山，在"垃圾"峡谷住的人，在"垃圾"峡谷上面有个菜园。昨天，我在这个菜园里发现了鸟网。在鸟网上：有一只乌灰鸫刚刚死了。我去找住在垃圾峡谷的老太太，但是找不到。因为我需要赶回上海，没时间等待她，所以我把所有的鸟网都拆掉，把鸟网带南汇去，放在垃圾桶里。亲爱的朋友，如果你下次去小洋山的时候，请你（1）看看当地人是不是又放了鸟网（2）跟本地人说，鸟网是非法的，鸟越来越少我们应该爱护鸟，等等（3）如果你知道相关鸟类管理部门，也请告诉他们有人在杀鸟，希望他们制止这些行为。
 

Attachments

  • thrush,-japanese040.jpg
    thrush,-japanese040.jpg
    210.9 KB · Views: 42
  • Screen-shot-2014-04-25-at-1.25.34-PM.jpg
    Screen-shot-2014-04-25-at-1.25.34-PM.jpg
    224.8 KB · Views: 33
Last edited:
We've got a lively discussion going on the Shanghai Birdwatching Society's Web site. A few birders are planning to go to Lesser Yangshan tomorrow, weather permitting. The plan is to try to persuade the locals to stop. The locals may not turn into bird lovers, but at least they'll know that birders are keeping their eyes on them.

Because Garbage Dump Valley is small, because we have a good idea of who's setting the nets, and because birders go there so regularly, we think that in this case it just may be possible to stop the netting of birds.

Question: What are the English-speaking birders in the Shanghai area prepared to do? What's your plan of action?

The link to our discussion (in Chinese) on shwbs.org is here.
 
The Full Report on "Mist Net Day"

Many of you have already heard about the mist nets that I found and tore down on Lesser Yangshan Island on Thursday. I now have a full report, presented in my normal dual format. It's all on craigbrelsford.com:

PDF version (2 MB)
Text only

I found 51 species on Thursday. Of possible interest to you:

1. Achieved clear recording of call and song of yellow-browed warbler on Lesser Yangshan Island
2. Found and recorded a singing Eurasian siskin on Lesser Yangshan
3. On Lesser Yangshan, cheered on a lustily singing meadow bunting, obviously in search of a mate (a candidate was in the area)
4. Found a Eurasian wryneck at Nánhuì

Shanghai birders have promised to go to Lesser Yangshan and talk to the local folks about the nets. We think there's a good chance that we can keep mist nets off Lesser Yangshan.
 
Warning! This thread is more than 9 years ago old.
It's likely that no further discussion is required, in which case we recommend starting a new thread. If however you feel your response is required you can still do so.

Similar threads

W
Birding China
2
Replies
39
Views
3K
Andy Adcock
Andy Adcock
E
Hola from Ecuador!
Replies
7
Views
484
Allen
Allen
M
New Bird image heavy Blog/Website
Replies
5
Views
571
MikeInPA
M
N
China birding trip
Replies
8
Views
1K
nigeladlam
N
S
Hello from Oklahoma!
Replies
6
Views
478
Fritz73
Fritz73

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 2 (members: 0, guests: 2)
Back
Top