rockfowl
Mark Andrews
I've seen similar pale-looking young Siberian so was being cautious but yes, a very nice Mountain Weasel!
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Sichuan Birding (6 Viewers)
- Thread starter china guy
- Start date
I've seen similar pale-looking young Siberian so was being cautious but yes, a very nice Mountain Weasel!
china guy
A taff living in Sichuan
Just back from a 28 day trip on a route that took us from Chengdu, via Kangding and Ganzi, to South Qinghai - then west towards the Kekexili - north to Lake Qinghai - and finally back to Sichuan with a couple of nights at Tangjiahe before getting back to Chengdu.
Main focus of this trip was mammals - we got contact into contact with 31 species
1-Long-eared Pika - Ganzi area of Sichuan
2-Plateau Pika
3-Chinese Red Pika - one dead example at Huzhu Beishan, Qinghai
4-Glover's Pika - Kanda Shan, Nangqian, Qinghai
5-Himalayan Marmot
6-Chinese Dormouse - only known from 2 examples caught at Wanglang, Sichuan - during lamping at Tangjiahe we observed a grey Doormouse type rodent, with long tail that ended in a 'fur ball' - Chinese Doormouse seems the obvious candidate
7-Woolly Hare
8-Asian Badger - one dead example close to Ganzi
9-Wild Boar - Tangjiahe
10-Tibetan Fox
11-Red Fox
12-Tibetan Wolf - a group of 2 adults and 2 juv animals seen hunting,foraging close to Qumarleh, Qinghai - a single animal seen in the Zhidoi area
13-Himalayan Palm Civet - Tangjiahe
14-Pallas's Cat - adult with two kittens - Zhidoi area
15-Kiang
16-Wild Yak - common Wild Yak Valley
17-Blue Sheep
18-Agrali - Wild Yak Valley
19-Tibetan Gazelle - also seen in Sichuan in Shiqu area
20-Przewalski's Gazelle - 50+ in the gazelle reserve area at Qinghai Lake
21-Tibetan Antelope - west of Zhidoi
22-Reeve's Muntjac - Tangjiahe
23-Tufted Deer - Tangjiahe
24-Alpine Musk Deer - flushed up by the Wolves close to Qumarleh
25-Siberian Roe - heard only at Huzhu Beishan
26-White-lipped Deer - Zhidoi and Qumarleh areas
27-McNeil's Red Deer - Between Yushu and Nangqian
28-Gansu Red Deer - 2 animals on Rubber Mountain
29-Chinese Goral - Tangjiahe
30-Takin - Tangjiahe
31-Per David's Rock Squirrel - Tangjiahe
Highlight for me was the encounter with Pallas's Cat that gave long views of an adult with 2 kittens. Ironically we couldn't find the species mentioned in the last few posts - Mountain Weasel - which is usually a normal tick on one of these trips
Birds were also pretty good - new China species for me included an Eastern Imperial Eagle at Wild Yak Valley and Long-legged Buzzard around Golmud.
Pictures
1 - in the Kekexili area - my car looking tiny in typically vast panorama
2 - a bit of tenting in this trip - a 5 star camping ground
3 - the Pallas's Cat - with one of the kittens
4 - Kiang are quite easy to find
5 - one of the rarest species encountered - Przewalkski's Gazelle - once common but now reduced to around 600 animals in the Qinghai lake area.
Main focus of this trip was mammals - we got contact into contact with 31 species
1-Long-eared Pika - Ganzi area of Sichuan
2-Plateau Pika
3-Chinese Red Pika - one dead example at Huzhu Beishan, Qinghai
4-Glover's Pika - Kanda Shan, Nangqian, Qinghai
5-Himalayan Marmot
6-Chinese Dormouse - only known from 2 examples caught at Wanglang, Sichuan - during lamping at Tangjiahe we observed a grey Doormouse type rodent, with long tail that ended in a 'fur ball' - Chinese Doormouse seems the obvious candidate
7-Woolly Hare
8-Asian Badger - one dead example close to Ganzi
9-Wild Boar - Tangjiahe
10-Tibetan Fox
11-Red Fox
12-Tibetan Wolf - a group of 2 adults and 2 juv animals seen hunting,foraging close to Qumarleh, Qinghai - a single animal seen in the Zhidoi area
13-Himalayan Palm Civet - Tangjiahe
14-Pallas's Cat - adult with two kittens - Zhidoi area
15-Kiang
16-Wild Yak - common Wild Yak Valley
17-Blue Sheep
18-Agrali - Wild Yak Valley
19-Tibetan Gazelle - also seen in Sichuan in Shiqu area
20-Przewalski's Gazelle - 50+ in the gazelle reserve area at Qinghai Lake
21-Tibetan Antelope - west of Zhidoi
22-Reeve's Muntjac - Tangjiahe
23-Tufted Deer - Tangjiahe
24-Alpine Musk Deer - flushed up by the Wolves close to Qumarleh
25-Siberian Roe - heard only at Huzhu Beishan
26-White-lipped Deer - Zhidoi and Qumarleh areas
27-McNeil's Red Deer - Between Yushu and Nangqian
28-Gansu Red Deer - 2 animals on Rubber Mountain
29-Chinese Goral - Tangjiahe
30-Takin - Tangjiahe
31-Per David's Rock Squirrel - Tangjiahe
Highlight for me was the encounter with Pallas's Cat that gave long views of an adult with 2 kittens. Ironically we couldn't find the species mentioned in the last few posts - Mountain Weasel - which is usually a normal tick on one of these trips
Birds were also pretty good - new China species for me included an Eastern Imperial Eagle at Wild Yak Valley and Long-legged Buzzard around Golmud.
Pictures
1 - in the Kekexili area - my car looking tiny in typically vast panorama
2 - a bit of tenting in this trip - a 5 star camping ground
3 - the Pallas's Cat - with one of the kittens
4 - Kiang are quite easy to find
5 - one of the rarest species encountered - Przewalkski's Gazelle - once common but now reduced to around 600 animals in the Qinghai lake area.
Attachments
What an exciting trip! "Highlight for me was the encounter with Pallas's Cat that gave long views of an adult with 2 kittens" - that would have been my highlight too even without long views! I guess the Pallas's Cat is still pretty tough to see, even in the right places?
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Jeff Hopkins
Just another...observer
Amazing list, Sid. Pallas' Cat would have been the highlight for me, too.
kittykat23uk
Well-known member
Same here! 
I guess we need to look at getting visas soon Sid?
I guess we need to look at getting visas soon Sid?
rockfowl
Mark Andrews
Impressive stuff Sid, congratulations!
thirudevaram
Trapped in mist ***s
Mammals apart, The 5 star camping tent looks tempting for a fresh morning. Great stuff, Sid!
sichuan jiujiu
A Birder for Sichuan
Pallas' Cat also was the first objective of my last trip. Before school will start again tomorrow my two daughters and me hence spent the past days in Kangding to look for this cat. Previously I've heard some local Tibetans saying that they have seen it when they used to be herders up in the Mt Minya Konka area. Unfortunately, persistent rain and snow didn't give us too many chances to be out and successful this time.
More common here, however, was an often desired wader; perfectly camouflaged and easily overseen when you don't know where to look after. Even the bill shows the same curve as the pebble stones: Ibisbill
Below one more picture of a bird which initially puzzled me seriously. I first saw a female bird very busy with flycatching; it perched on a dead branch above a river and showed 100% flycatcher behavior. Never thought of a Flowerpecker, but after the male bird joined in there was no doubt left.
More common here, however, was an often desired wader; perfectly camouflaged and easily overseen when you don't know where to look after. Even the bill shows the same curve as the pebble stones: Ibisbill
Below one more picture of a bird which initially puzzled me seriously. I first saw a female bird very busy with flycatching; it perched on a dead branch above a river and showed 100% flycatcher behavior. Never thought of a Flowerpecker, but after the male bird joined in there was no doubt left.
Attachments
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Wolong Mammal photos
Hi all,
I came across the Flickr profile of the Smithsonian Institution recently which has hundreds of photos taken with motion activated camera traps at Wolong. Very interesting to see and worth a look if you haven’t seen them before. Even includes a few mammal species not on Sid’s impressive summer list!
Just go to https://www.flickr.com/photos/smithsonianwild/ and search Wolong in the search bar, making sure you select to search the Smithsonian photostream and not everyone’s uploads.
Incidentally, I noticed that the goral are labelled as Himalayan Goral, whereas I was under the impression it was Chinese Goral found in the area. Are they mislabelled or am I wrong?
Ed
Hi all,
I came across the Flickr profile of the Smithsonian Institution recently which has hundreds of photos taken with motion activated camera traps at Wolong. Very interesting to see and worth a look if you haven’t seen them before. Even includes a few mammal species not on Sid’s impressive summer list!
Just go to https://www.flickr.com/photos/smithsonianwild/ and search Wolong in the search bar, making sure you select to search the Smithsonian photostream and not everyone’s uploads.
Incidentally, I noticed that the goral are labelled as Himalayan Goral, whereas I was under the impression it was Chinese Goral found in the area. Are they mislabelled or am I wrong?
Ed
sichuan jiujiu
A Birder for Sichuan
The whole Goral business is not quite easy as there exists different information on taxonomy and distribution (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goral, http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/661349/goral#ref1012223). Distribution is an easier ID feature in Sichuan, while coat colour, tail length and colouration of the fore-legs only sometimes may be of help. Not always these can lead to a 100% ID, for they are difficult to verify in bad light conditions and of course vary with the age of the animal as well as the season.
In Wolong and the mountainous areas of Sichuan you can find both Long-tailed and Chinese Goral. The Chinese Goral is supposed to have a thicker dorsal stripe and a shorter but still bushy tail. The pale throat patch should show orange edges.
Himalayan Goral is not supposed to be here. Its range is in the Himalayas and the adjacent parts of Tibet.
I suggest most of the pictures on your smithsonian link show Chinese Goral. There could be one showing a Long-tailed Goral, but unfortunately you can't see the tail on this picture.
Just a few days back we could see both in Tangjiahe. And the ID was not always easy.
(Whilst Asian Black Bear, Leopard Cat, Chinese Serow, Chinese Ferret Badger or Porcupine were much easier to identify )
In Wolong and the mountainous areas of Sichuan you can find both Long-tailed and Chinese Goral. The Chinese Goral is supposed to have a thicker dorsal stripe and a shorter but still bushy tail. The pale throat patch should show orange edges.
Himalayan Goral is not supposed to be here. Its range is in the Himalayas and the adjacent parts of Tibet.
I suggest most of the pictures on your smithsonian link show Chinese Goral. There could be one showing a Long-tailed Goral, but unfortunately you can't see the tail on this picture.
Just a few days back we could see both in Tangjiahe. And the ID was not always easy.
(Whilst Asian Black Bear, Leopard Cat, Chinese Serow, Chinese Ferret Badger or Porcupine were much easier to identify
)
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china guy
A taff living in Sichuan
I'm also just back from a trip also focusing on mammals that was able to take in Ruoergai, Balang and Longcanggou,
Most sensational sighting came at Ruoergai, where we saw a pair of Wolves kill a young Yak (a solitary and almost definitely sickly animal) - and then rip it to pieces. Afterwards they took off into the marsh area of flower Lake carrying large pieces of the kill to a safer area.
As ever Tibetan Foxes were fairly common - but unfortunately no cats.
Birds included a flock of Ca15 inquisitive Sichuan Jay in forest close to Baxi Village - Crested Tit Warbler were also pretty easy to find in the conifers.
Longcanggou was wide open for anyone to get into - road is still drivable - at the moment they are digging ditches for electric cables that go up to a new drinking water station.
We have learned that summer trouble with foreigner admission probably stems from the police who are not happy at all the birders staying unregistered in the local hotel - which influenced the park into sometimes refusing admission (if there's an accident they're scared of being lumped with the responsibility). Apparently park attitudes stiffened after some birders 'complained' to the security guys who refused to open the gates.
I'm afraid we have to work on the principal that it's their park - and try and swallow our anger when they say no. This trip we went through the gates at 5.00 each morning - long before security had woken. Luckily the gate was open on the 4 mornings we went in - so we never had to ask for permission.
Getting into these kind of sites is always a bit of a lottery. We never phone ahead to the park - asking if you can get in will invariably receive a definite no answer. Turning up early, keeping a low profile and waiting for an open gate has worked well for us this year.
The weather at Longcanggou was very misty which didn't help our Red Panda spotting - we only got one animal. However during early morning we saw a pair of Red Giant Flying Squirrel in a lower section of the park. Outstanding birds included a single Black Eagle. Black-faced, Spotted, Red-winged Laughingthrushes, Emei Liocichla and Golden Parrotbill were all massed in berry feeding flocks in the area where the road starts to become non-drivable for buses.
At Balang we did a lot of night watching from the forestry protection station up the pass to the around 80km mark (it was invariably too foggy to go beyond this point). Many Chinese Goral a couple of Long-tailed Goral, Sambar Deer, Complex-toothed Flying Squirrel (got a brilliant view of one flying), Himalayan Civet (a funny incident where one had a stand-off with a Goral - which made a run at it) and, over three nights, many nice sightings of Leopard Cat.
As footnote to the discussion on Goral in the last two posts - its interesting to note that Chinese Goral is totally omitted from the plate section of Xie and Smith, Guide to the Mammals of China!!!!
Birds on Balang included Wood Snipe (dusk views of a pair where one dived bombed us after I played a call), Golden-Bush Robin (also many at Longcanggou), Sharpe's Rosefinch but not a sniff of Monal or any other chickens appart from a calling Golden Pheasant, Tragopan, and a single Koklass. Luckily we got our White-eared and Blood Pheasants at Mengbi.
Most sensational sighting came at Ruoergai, where we saw a pair of Wolves kill a young Yak (a solitary and almost definitely sickly animal) - and then rip it to pieces. Afterwards they took off into the marsh area of flower Lake carrying large pieces of the kill to a safer area.
As ever Tibetan Foxes were fairly common - but unfortunately no cats.
Birds included a flock of Ca15 inquisitive Sichuan Jay in forest close to Baxi Village - Crested Tit Warbler were also pretty easy to find in the conifers.
Longcanggou was wide open for anyone to get into - road is still drivable - at the moment they are digging ditches for electric cables that go up to a new drinking water station.
We have learned that summer trouble with foreigner admission probably stems from the police who are not happy at all the birders staying unregistered in the local hotel - which influenced the park into sometimes refusing admission (if there's an accident they're scared of being lumped with the responsibility). Apparently park attitudes stiffened after some birders 'complained' to the security guys who refused to open the gates.
I'm afraid we have to work on the principal that it's their park - and try and swallow our anger when they say no. This trip we went through the gates at 5.00 each morning - long before security had woken. Luckily the gate was open on the 4 mornings we went in - so we never had to ask for permission.
Getting into these kind of sites is always a bit of a lottery. We never phone ahead to the park - asking if you can get in will invariably receive a definite no answer. Turning up early, keeping a low profile and waiting for an open gate has worked well for us this year.
The weather at Longcanggou was very misty which didn't help our Red Panda spotting - we only got one animal. However during early morning we saw a pair of Red Giant Flying Squirrel in a lower section of the park. Outstanding birds included a single Black Eagle. Black-faced, Spotted, Red-winged Laughingthrushes, Emei Liocichla and Golden Parrotbill were all massed in berry feeding flocks in the area where the road starts to become non-drivable for buses.
At Balang we did a lot of night watching from the forestry protection station up the pass to the around 80km mark (it was invariably too foggy to go beyond this point). Many Chinese Goral a couple of Long-tailed Goral, Sambar Deer, Complex-toothed Flying Squirrel (got a brilliant view of one flying), Himalayan Civet (a funny incident where one had a stand-off with a Goral - which made a run at it) and, over three nights, many nice sightings of Leopard Cat.
As footnote to the discussion on Goral in the last two posts - its interesting to note that Chinese Goral is totally omitted from the plate section of Xie and Smith, Guide to the Mammals of China!!!!
Birds on Balang included Wood Snipe (dusk views of a pair where one dived bombed us after I played a call), Golden-Bush Robin (also many at Longcanggou), Sharpe's Rosefinch but not a sniff of Monal or any other chickens appart from a calling Golden Pheasant, Tragopan, and a single Koklass. Luckily we got our White-eared and Blood Pheasants at Mengbi.
Thanks for your help with the goral Roland. Ok, so in Encyclopaedia Britannica link it states that modern taxonomists now provisionally recognise three species of goral, and as it doesn’t list the Chinese Goral (Naemorhedus griseus) I presume it would be subsumed into the Himalayan Goral (N. goral). I have had a look at images of both species online, looking at the features you mention are supposed to differentiate them, and to my inexperienced eye I am struggling to tell them apart… I think it was no accident that Xie and Smith omitted the Chinese Goral in their plates haha. The pic shows a goral I photographed at Wolong in 2011, which I took to be Chinese Goral based on distribution, and from what you’ve said sounds like that is the correct species (or subspecies).
On a side question, you imply that Wolong is not in the Himalayas. I originally assumed that the Hengduan mountains were the eastern most extent of the Himalayas, sort of the equivalent of the Karakorum in the west, but never hearing or reading that I began to doubt it. So technically are the Hengduan Mountains not a subrange of the Himalayas? If so I wonder where the official division between the ranges is (if it is possible to make one). One of these days I am going to have to make myself a map with all the names of the Sichuan ranges; Longmen, Daxue, Qionglai, Min, etc to get to grips with the geography.
Sid, wow, must been quite something to see the wolves. Always very enjoyable to hear what you’ve seen. The tips about visiting parks is useful. So frustrating to make these long journeys to visit places and then be turned away at the gate!
On a side question, you imply that Wolong is not in the Himalayas. I originally assumed that the Hengduan mountains were the eastern most extent of the Himalayas, sort of the equivalent of the Karakorum in the west, but never hearing or reading that I began to doubt it. So technically are the Hengduan Mountains not a subrange of the Himalayas? If so I wonder where the official division between the ranges is (if it is possible to make one). One of these days I am going to have to make myself a map with all the names of the Sichuan ranges; Longmen, Daxue, Qionglai, Min, etc to get to grips with the geography.
Sid, wow, must been quite something to see the wolves. Always very enjoyable to hear what you’ve seen. The tips about visiting parks is useful. So frustrating to make these long journeys to visit places and then be turned away at the gate!
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sichuan jiujiu
A Birder for Sichuan
The Himalaya strictly is the "mountain range in South Asia separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau"(Wikipedia). Nothing else! Many people mix up the Himalayas with the Tibetan Plateau or lump them together. This actually is quite incorrect. Anyway, regardless of the terms, the mountains stay where they are, so it might be worth having a brief look at their location in this major area. Please view the map attached.
The Hengduan Mountain Range (Hengduan means Transversal Crossing) got its name in relation to the Himalayas. It runs North-South and is shaping the big valleys of the well known Rivers Yangzi, Salween (Nu Jiang), Mekong (Lancang Jiang). Some authors include the mountains of Sichuan in the Hengduan Mountains. However, I personally think they are too far away, separated through a huge area of grassland and stretch rather crisscross through the Eastern Tibetan Plateau. Therefore I think they deserve a respective status.
I personally prefer the term Mountains of the Eastern Tibetan Plateau.
So, returning to our Goral, for geographical reasons it would make sense to have no Himalayan Gorals in Sichuan... But, admittedly that's a more taxonomic question.
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Yes, thanks very much Roland for the explanation and map; I was one of those that thought the Tibetan Plateau was part of the Himalayas! Hengduan Mountains had also confused me as I had noticed that the name was primarily associated with the area around the Three Gorges, yet some included the west Sichuan mountains within the range.
Interesting question to consider the flora fauna similarities between these mountains. My MacKinnon book shows loads of bird species with distributions that curl around the Tibetan Plateau from Sichuan to Nepal. Not that surprising considering how good birds are at dispersal and how similar much of the habitat must be. I’ve noticed before many plant species are shared e.g. Himalayan Giant Lily. Yet the diversity and number of endemic species with restricted ranges is surely due to a lack of connectivity within these mountainous regions. I do find looking at species distributions strangely fascinating so thanks for that excuse Gretchen |=)|
Interesting question to consider the flora fauna similarities between these mountains. My MacKinnon book shows loads of bird species with distributions that curl around the Tibetan Plateau from Sichuan to Nepal. Not that surprising considering how good birds are at dispersal and how similar much of the habitat must be. I’ve noticed before many plant species are shared e.g. Himalayan Giant Lily. Yet the diversity and number of endemic species with restricted ranges is surely due to a lack of connectivity within these mountainous regions. I do find looking at species distributions strangely fascinating so thanks for that excuse Gretchen |=)|
RonMac
Well-known member
kittykat23uk
Well-known member
Really looking forward to our trip, only a week to go now!
Sichuan mountains late Oct visit
Dear All,
just back from a short trip to Sichuan. As always, a world class place with fantastic birds, absolutely stunning scenery and great food.
Itinerary
Tue Songpan pass between Songpan and Jiuzhaigou
Wed Grasslands on the road Songpan - Hongyuan - Maerkang
Thu Mengbishan - Balangshan
Fri am Balangshan
Highlights
Chinese Monal
6-7 at Monal site, Balangshan. Calling a lot and seen very well.
White Eared-Pheasant
15-20 Balangshan
Pere David's Owl
1 at Songpan pass. To my surprise it was calling a misty early morning in the end of October (without us initially playing the tape). Got great scope views of the calling male. Memorable!
Short-Eared Owl
1 at "Wood Snipe hillside", Balangshan. Migrating or wintering?
Wood Snipe
1 flushed in dry bushy forest at 3000m, Balangshan. A couple of hundred altitude meters straight below the breeding grounds. A big surprise, we almost stepped on it.
Ibisbill
1 seen super well on a river south of Hongyuan.
"Tibetan" giganteus Grey Shrike
2 on the Grasslands
Sichuan Jay
3+1 at Mengbishan
White-Browed Tit
5+2 on the Grasslands
Crested Tit-warbler
2 at Songpan pass
Sukatschew's laugher
2 seen and at least 6 more heard, clearly more obvious than when I have been there in springtime.
Three-Banded Rosefinch
Male and female at Songpan pass
Sharpe's Rosefinch
1 male at 3300m Balangshan
Dark-Rumped Rosefinch
2-3 females at 3300m Balangshan.
Autumn is definitely not a bad timing to visit Sichuan, I warmly recommend it. Frequently it seemed even more birdy than in spring. We came across several substantial flocks of tits, rosefinches, redstarts, buntings, laughers, tit-warblers etc. Migrating flocks of siskins, crossbills, thrushes, starlings and finches were common. Lots of vultures. Birds were showy and active and also easy to see thanks to less greenery than in spring/summer. In total we noted 99 species in the four days. And the weather was excellent.
Of less public interest but on a personal note, I passed the 1000-species-in-China on this trip. A pretty good feeling.
Big thanks to Roland for excellent company and great arrangements throughout!
Cheers,
jocko
Dear All,
just back from a short trip to Sichuan. As always, a world class place with fantastic birds, absolutely stunning scenery and great food.
Itinerary
Tue Songpan pass between Songpan and Jiuzhaigou
Wed Grasslands on the road Songpan - Hongyuan - Maerkang
Thu Mengbishan - Balangshan
Fri am Balangshan
Highlights
Chinese Monal
6-7 at Monal site, Balangshan. Calling a lot and seen very well.
White Eared-Pheasant
15-20 Balangshan
Pere David's Owl
1 at Songpan pass. To my surprise it was calling a misty early morning in the end of October (without us initially playing the tape). Got great scope views of the calling male. Memorable!
Short-Eared Owl
1 at "Wood Snipe hillside", Balangshan. Migrating or wintering?
Wood Snipe
1 flushed in dry bushy forest at 3000m, Balangshan. A couple of hundred altitude meters straight below the breeding grounds. A big surprise, we almost stepped on it.
Ibisbill
1 seen super well on a river south of Hongyuan.
"Tibetan" giganteus Grey Shrike
2 on the Grasslands
Sichuan Jay
3+1 at Mengbishan
White-Browed Tit
5+2 on the Grasslands
Crested Tit-warbler
2 at Songpan pass
Sukatschew's laugher
2 seen and at least 6 more heard, clearly more obvious than when I have been there in springtime.
Three-Banded Rosefinch
Male and female at Songpan pass
Sharpe's Rosefinch
1 male at 3300m Balangshan
Dark-Rumped Rosefinch
2-3 females at 3300m Balangshan.
Autumn is definitely not a bad timing to visit Sichuan, I warmly recommend it. Frequently it seemed even more birdy than in spring. We came across several substantial flocks of tits, rosefinches, redstarts, buntings, laughers, tit-warblers etc. Migrating flocks of siskins, crossbills, thrushes, starlings and finches were common. Lots of vultures. Birds were showy and active and also easy to see thanks to less greenery than in spring/summer. In total we noted 99 species in the four days. And the weather was excellent.
Of less public interest but on a personal note, I passed the 1000-species-in-China on this trip. A pretty good feeling.
Big thanks to Roland for excellent company and great arrangements throughout!
Cheers,
jocko
