Here's the report on my first October trip - 218 species isn't a bad haul for this time of year considering some dodgy, snowy/misty weather.
but first picture descriptions -
1- afraid only 1 bird pic, but at least it's of one of our Sichuan specialties - White-browed Tit. These birds, at Rouergai, are starting to go down to their wintering areas - the scrub that's found in valley bottoms.
2- one of my Blue-eared Pheasant Stakeouts in the Baxi area. We'd had a zero at my usual scanning site - so we tried an evening watch where we hid in the scrub at the top of the pasture. In theory we would find the birds, but in practice they found us!!!! The birds literally, to find out what the two big green lumps were, stalked us to a 5m distance - we only got a view because we heard a strange low grunting from the lead bird - but on turning round our Chickens scarpered. Luckily at such short range bins - which were impossible to use in such a short time-frame - weren't necessary.
3 - a mystery caterpillar from my second October trip - many of these monsters at Bifeng near Ya'an. Anybody got any idea on these??? This last trip gave us a great view of Red Panda on the West side of Wawu - also both Grey-sided and Chestnut-crowned Bush Warblers. Grey-hooded Parrotbill are also regular on this part of the mountain.
Sichuan 13th - 28th October 2011 – 15 day trip list
Bob East and Sid Francis
Day 1 – Sichuan university, river Chengdu then drive to Wawu
Day 2 – Wawu top – slept at top
Day 3 – Morning top rest of day middle – slept middle
Day 4 – Wawu middle/bottom – slept Chengdu
Day 5 – drive to Wolong – afternoon Den shen Valley – slept Wolong
Day 6 – Balang to Rilong – slept Wolong
Day 7 – Wuyipeng – slept Wolong
Day 8 – Balang – drive to and sleep at Xiaojin
Day 9 – Mengbi Mountain – slept Maerkang
Day 10 – Mengbi Mountain – slept Maerkang
Day 11 – drive to Rouergai – slept Rouergai Town
Day 12 – Baxi – due to landslide had to sleep in a village at Baozhong
Day 13 – Rouergai/Flower Lake area – slept Rouergai Town
Day 14 – Morning Flower Lake area then drive to Songpang – slept Songpan
Day 15 – Drive to Chengdu – morning birding Songpan, afternoon Qingcheng Mountain
1. Snow Partridge Lerwa lerwa – Heard only – days 6, 8
2. Tibetan Snowcock Tetraogallus tibetanus - day 6 – 3 birds
3. Chestnut-throated Partridge Tetraophasis obscures - Heard only –day 6
4. Temminck's Tragopan Tragopan temminckii – 7 – 1male, 3 females
5. Koklass pheasant Pucrasia macrolopha – 6 – single roadside bird giving great scope views
6. White Eared-Pheasant Crossoptilon crossoptilon – 10 – scanned Mengbi
7. Blue Eared Pheasant – 12 – evening pasture stake-out at Baozhong
8. Common Pheasant Phasianus colchicus – 12
9. Golden Pheasant Chrysolophus pictus – 7 - 1 male, 2 females
10. Lady Amherst’s Pheasant Chrysolophus amherstiae – 3 – single male on Wawu road
11. Chinese Grouse Bonasa sewerzowi – 12 – male and female feeding in Willow at Baxi
12. Bar-headed Goose Anser indicus - 9
13. Ruddy Shelduck Tadorna ferruginea – 11,12, 13
14. Gadwall Anas strepera - 11
15. Mallard Anas platyrhynchos – 11, 13
16. Eurasian Widgeon Anas Penelope - 11
17. Spot-billed Duck Anas poecilorhyncha - 11
18. Common Teal Anas crecca – 1, 11, 13
19. Common Pochard Aythya ferina - 11
20. Common Merganser Mergus merganser – 11
21. Speckled Piculet Picumnus innominatus - 4
22. Grey-capped Woodpecker Dendrocopos canicapillus - 4
23. Crimson-breasted Woodpecker Dendrocopos cathpharius – 3, 4
24. Darjeeling Woodpecker Dendrocopos darjellensis – 4, 7
25. White-backed Woodpecker Dendrocopos leucotos – 4 – single male Wawu middle, very close views
26. Bay Woodpecker Blythipicus pyrrhotis - 3
27. Black Woodpecker Dryocopus martius - 12
28. Common Kingfisher Alcedo atthis – 1, 4
29. Himalayan Swiftlet Collocalia brevirostris - 4
30. Himalayan Owl Strix nivicola – 5,6 – spotlighted Den Shen Valley, night and early morning
31. Eagle Owl Bubo bubo – 15 – spotlighted morning just outside Songpan
32. Little Owl Athene noctua – 10, 14
33. Collared Owlet Glaucidium brodiei - Heard only –4,7
34. Asian Barred Owlet Glaucidium cuculoides - Heard only - 6
35. Hill Pigeon Columba rupestris - 9
36. Speckled Wood Pigeon Columba hodgsonii – 2, 4, 6, 7
37. Red Collared Dove Streptopelia tranquebarica - 14
38. Spotted Dove Streptopelia chinensis - 1
39. Black-necked Crane Grus nigricollis – 11, 13, 14 – around 25 birds seen
40. Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus - 1
41. Long-billed Plover Charadrius placidus - 1 – found from motorway river bridge on the Qionglia route to Wawu
42. Green Sandpiper Tringa ochropus - 1
43. Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola - 1
44. Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos - 1
45. Common Redshank Tringa totanus – 13
46. Greenshank Tringa nebularia - 1
47. Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa – 1 – my first Chengdu record
48. Northern Lapwing Vanellus vanellus - 13
49. Pallas's Gull Larus ichthyaetus - 11, 13, 14
50. Common Tern Sterna hirundo - 13
51. Oriental Honey-buzzard Pernis ptilorhynchus – 3, 4
52. Lammergeier Gypaetus barbatus – 8, 9, 10, 11, 14
53. Himalayan Griffon Gyps himalayensis – 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14
54. Cinereous Vulture Aegypius monachus - 11
55. Pied Harrier Circus melanoleucos – 13 – male and female
56. Hen Harrier Circus cyaneus – 6, 11 – all ringtails
57. Chinese Sparrowhawk Accipiter soloensis - 6
58. Eurasian Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus – 7, 9, 10, 11
59. Northern Goshawk Accipiter gentilis – 3, 9, 12
60. Eastern Buzzard Buteo japonicas – 1, 6 – Many in the Sichuan basin this autumn
61. Himalayan Buzzard Buteo burmanicus – 6, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13
62. Upland Buzzard Buteo hemilasius – 12, 13, 14
63. Steppe Eagle Aquila nipalensis – 13, 14 – single bird 13th, a pair on the 14th
64. Golden Eagle Aquila chrysaetos – 10, 12, 13
65. Common Kestrel Falco tinnunculus – 3, 6, 11, 13, 14
66. Saker Falcon Falco cherrug – 11, 13, 14 – total of 9 sightings
67. Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo - 11
68. Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis - 1
69. Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus - 13
70. Little Egret Egretta garzetta – 1, 6, 11
71. Eastern Cattle Egret Bubulcus coromandus – 1, 11, 14
72. Chinese Pond-Heron Ardeola bacchus – 1, 11, 14
73. Grey Heron Ardea cinerea - 1
74. Black Stork Ciconia nigra - 11 – single bird
75. Long-tailed Shrike Lanius schach - 1
76. Chinese Grey Shrike Lanius sphenocercus – 11, 13 – outnumbered Tibetan by 12:1
77. Tibetan Grey Shrike Lanius giganteus – 11 – just a single bird
78. Sichuan Jay Perisoreus internigrans – 9 – group of 3 birds feeding on roadside berries treeline Mengbi
79. Red-billed Blue Magpie Urocissa erythrorhyncha – 2, 4
80. Azure-winged Magpie Cyanopica cyana – 11, 13, 14
81. Black-billed Magpie Pica pica – 9, 10, 11, 14
82. Spotted Nutcracker Nucifraga caryocatactes - 7
83. Red-billed Chough Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax – 9, 12, 13
84. Yellow-billed Chough Pyrrhocorax graculus - 6
85. Daurian Jackdaw Corvus dauurica – 11, 12, 13
86. Carrion Crow Corvus corone – 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15
87. Large-billed Crow Corvus macrorhynchos – 2, 3, 6, 15
88. Collared Crow Corvus torquatus – 15 – single seen with Carrion and Large-billed just outside Songpan
89. Common Raven Corvus corax – 11, 12, 13, 14, 15
90. Long-tailed Minivet Pericrocotus ethologus - 9
91. Grey-headed Canary-flycatcher Culicicapa ceylonensis - 4
92. Ashy Drongo Dicrurus leucophaeus - 3
93. Brown Dipper Cinclus pallasii – 2, 15
94. Blue Whistling-Thrush Myophonus caeruleus - 1
95. Chinese Blackbird Turdus mandarinus - 1
96. Chestnut Thrush Turdus rubrocanus – 6, 7
97. Kessler's Thrush Turdus kessleri – 9, 10
98. Rufous-gorgeted Flycatcher Ficedula strophiata - 7
99. Taiga Flycatcher Ficedula albicilla – 2, 4
100. Vivid Niltava Niltava vivida - 5 – 2 females at Den Shen Valley
101. Himalayan Bluetail Tarsiger rufilatus – 2, 5, 7, 8, 10, 12, 14, 15
102. Golden Bush-Robin Tarsiger chrysaeus - 3
103. Hodgson's Redstart Phoenicurus hodgsoni - 9
104. White-throated Redstart Phoenicurus schisticeps – 6, 8, 12, 13
105. Daurian Redstart Phoenicurus auroreus – 2, 3, 7
106. Blue-fronted Redstart Phoenicurus frontalis – 6, 10, 13
107. White-capped Water-Redstart Chaimarrornis leucocephalus – 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 12, 13, 15
108. Plumbeous Water-Redstart Rhyacornis fuliginosus – 1, 4, 6, 15
109. White-winged Redstart Phoenicurus erythrogastrus – 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 – Common Rouergai area
110. White-bellied Redstart Hodgsonius phoenicuroides - 2
111. Grandala Grandala coelicolor – 6 – very distant views of high flying flocks
112. Little Forktail Enicurus scouleri – 2, 3, 4
113. Siberian Stonechat Saxicola maurus - 1
114. White-cheeked Starling Sturnus cineraceus – 1, 11, 13 – many passage birds at Rouergai town – one flock in hundreds
115. Silky Starling Sturnus sericeus – Sid Only - 1
116. Crested Myna Acridotheres cristatellus - 1
117. Chestnut-vented Nuthatch Sitta nagaensis - 3
118. Przewalski’s Nuthatch Sitta przewalskii – 5, 7, 11 – common Mengbi on conifers with cones
119. Wallcreeper Tichodroma muraria – 3, 4
120. Hodgson’s Tree-Creeper Certhia hodgsoni – 2. 3
121. Sichuan Tree-Creerper Certhia tianquanensis – 2, 7, 13
122. Wren Troglodytes troglodytes - 2
123. Fire-capped Tit Cephalopyrus flammiceps - 3 – top of Wawu
124. Sichuan Tit Poecile weigoldicus – 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15
125. Per David’s Tit Poecile davidi - 7
126. White-browed Tit Poecile superciliosus – 12, 14
127. Rufous-vented Tit Periparus rubidiventris – 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14
128. Coal Tit Periparus ater – 2, 3
129. Yellow-bellied Tit Slyviparus venustulus – 2, 3, 4
130. Grey-crested Tit Lophophanes dichrous – 6, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13
131. Eastern Great Tit Parus minor – 8, 10, 11, 12, 13
132. Green-backed Tit Parus monticolus – 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8
133. Yellow-browed Tit Sylviparus modestus – 3, 4
134. Black-browed Tit Aegithalos bonvalotis – 6, 8
135. Sooty Tit Aegithalos fuliginosus – 7 – flock
136. Hume’s Ground Tit Pseudopodoces humilis - 11, 13, 14
137. Eurasian Crag-Martin Hirundo rupestris - 6
138. Goldcrest Regulus regulus – 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
139. Chinese Bulbul Pycnonotus sinensis - 1
140. Black Bulbul Hypsipetes leucocephalus – 2, 4
141. Mountain Bulbul Hypsipetes mcclellandii - 3
142. Yellowish-bellied Bush Warbler Cettia acanthizoides - 3
143. Alpine Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus occisinensis – 4, 8, 9 – still in Blang area
144. Buff-throated Warbler Phylloscopus subaffinis - 3, 4 – passage Wawu
145. Buff-barred Warbler Phylloscopus pulcher – 2, 3 - few
146. Ashy-throated Warbler Phylloscopus maculipennis – 2, 3 – single birds
147. Eastern Lemmon-rumped (Sichuan ) Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus forresti – 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 – by far commonest phyllo
148. Chinese Leaf-Warbler Phylloscopus yunnanensis – 2, 6, 8 – together with forresti
149. Greenish Warbler Phylloscopus trochiloides – 2 – just a couple of birds
150. Emei Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus emeiensis – 3 – single sitting nicely for plumage ID, Wawu middle
151. Bianchi’s Warbler Seicercus valentine – 2, 3 – no call verification, making assumption that Seicercus Warblers on the top of Wawu were this species
152. White-spectacled Warbler Seicercus affinis - 7 – a Seicercus with large white eyering Wuyipeng – no call verification.
153. White-browed Tit Warbler Leptopoecile sophiae – 6, 8, 9 10, 11, 13, 14 – common in Alpine areas
154. Crested Tit Warbler Leptopoecile elegans – 10, 11, 12, 14 – common Mengbi
155. Sukatchev’s Laughingthrush Garrulax sukatschewi – 14, 15 – many heard only 1 seen
156. Buffy Laughingthrush Garrulax berthemyi – Sid Only – 3, 4 – heard but only one seen
157. Barred Laughingthrush Garrulax lunulatus – 7 – easy to find Wuyipeng
158. Giant Laughingthrush Garrulax maximus - 6, 8, 9, 11, 13, 14
159. Spotted Laughingthrush Garrulax ocellatus - 3, 4 – easy at Wawu middle
160. White-browed Laughingthrush Garrulax sannio - 1
161. Elliot's Laughingthrush Garrulax elliotii – 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15
162. Red-winged Laughingthrush Garrulax formosus – 2, 4, - many calling, but difficult Wawu middle
163. Emei Shan Liocichla Liocichla omeiensis - 3, 4 – common roadside
164. Black-streaked Scimitar Babbler Pomatorhinus gravivox - Heard only - 3
165. Streak-breasted Scimitar Babbler Pomatorhinus ruficollis - 3, 4, 7
166. Rufous-capped Babbler Stachyris ruficeps - 3
167. Scaly-breasted Wren-Babbler Pnoepyga albiventer – calling and one very brief view top of Wawu
168. Pygmy Wren-Babbler Pnoepyga pusilla – 4, 5 – far more heard than the couple seen
169. Chinese Babax Babax lanceolatus - 3
170. Red-billed Leiothrix Leiothrix lutea - 3, 4
171. Green Shrike-Babbler Pteruthius xanthochlorus – 4 – couple of birds in a mixed flock
172. Golden-breasted Fulvetta Alcippe chrysotis - 3, 7
173. White-browed Fulvetta Alcippe vinipectus – 5, 7, 8,
174. Chinese Fulvetta Alcippe striaticollis – 6, 10, 11, 12, 12, 14
175. Grey-hooded Fulvetta Alcippe cinereiceps – 2, 3, 4, 10, 11
176. Dusky Fulvetta Alcippe brunnea – 4 – outside Wawu gates
177. David’s Fulvetta Alcippe davidi - 4
178. Stripe-throated Yuhina Yuhina gularis - 3
179. White-collared Yuhina Yuhina diademata – 2, 3, 7
180. Great Parrotbill Conostoma aemodium – 2, 3
181. Three-toed Parrotbill Paradoxornis paradoxus – 2, 8 – sighting, in snow + mist, of a flock feeding in the scrub on lower side of Monal stakeout at Balang – there are close by areas of bamboo
182. Grey-headed Parrotbill Paradoxornis gularis - 4
183. Ashy-throated Parrotbill Paradoxornis alphonsianus - 4
184. Grey-hooded Parrotbill Paradoxornis zappeyi – 2 – easier to find than Fulvous
185. Fulvous Parrotbill Paradoxornis fulvifrons – 2 - just one flock crossing path
186. Golden Parrotbill Paradoxornis verreauxi - 3
187. Tibetan Lark Melanocorypha maxima – 11, 13 – Flower Lake closed, had to walk to suitable habitat to get decent sighting
188. Oriental Skylark Alauda gulgula – 10, 11, 12, 13, 14
189. Horned Lark Eremophila alpestris – 11, 13, 14
190. Eurasian Tree Sparrow Passer montanus – 1, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14
191. Rock Petronia Petronia petronia – 11, 15
192. White Wagtail Motacilla alba – 1, 8, 11
193. Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea – 1, 7
194. Tibetan Snowfinch Montifringilla adamsi – 14 – one bird seen in the large flock of Rufous-necked Snowfinch
195. White-rumped Snowfinch Pyrgilauda taczanowskii – 11, 12, 14
196. Rufous-necked Snowfinch Pyrgilauda ruficollis – 13, 14 – a singleflock numbering hundreds
197. Olive-backed Pipit Anthus hodgsoni – 2, 4, 6, 9, 10, 11
198. Alpine Accentor Prunella collaris – 8 – difficult, scope
199. Rufous-breasted Accentor Prunella strophiata – 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14
200. Maroon-backed Accentor Prunella immaculate – 2, 3 – top of Wawu
201. Robin Accentor Prunella rubeculoides – 11, 12, 13, 14 – common Hongyuan, Rouergai/Baxi areas
202. Oriental Greenfinch Carduelis sinica – 11 – passage flocks Rouergai
203. Twite Carduelis flavirost – 11, 13, 14
204. Plain Mountain-Finch Leucosticte nemoricola – 7 - difficult, scope
205. Brandt's Mountain Finch Leucosticte brandti – 8 - difficult, scope
206. Red Crossbill Loxia curvirostra – 2, 3, 4 – winter flocks seen on Wawu middle
207. Dark-breasted Rosefinch Carpodacus nipalensis - 6 - female
208. Chinese Beautiful Rosefinch Carpodacus davidianus – 8, 11, 13
209. Pink-rumped Rosefinch Carpodacus eos - 6
210. Chinese White-browed Rosefinch Carpodacus dubius - 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 14, 15
211. Streaked Rosefinch Carpodacus rubicilloides - 10, 13 – females Mengbi, one Male Rouergai
212. Grey-headed Bullfinch Pyrrhula erythaca – 6, 12
213. Chinese Grosbeak Eophona migratoria - 1
214. White-winged Grosbeak Mycerobas carnipes – 10, 13
215. Collared Grosbeak Mycerobas affinis - 10 – one stunning male Mengbi
216. Slaty Bunting Latoucheornis siemsseni – 4 – still present bottom of Wawu
217. Godlewski's Bunting Emberiza godlewskii – 11, 12, 13, 14, 15
218. Little Bunting Emberiza pusilla – 4, 5, 7
Mammals
Plateau Pika – Rouergai
Swinhoe’s Striped Squirrel – Wawu
Leopard Cat – Wolong and possible road kill Rouergai
Red Fox – 2 Rouergai
Tufted Deer – one spotlighted Den Shen Valley
Chinese Ghoral – 2 Balang
Blue Sheep – 100+ near top-point Balang – one animal with three legs that indicates snare poaching.
Pere David’s Macaque – Wawu, - seen rolling stones down valley sides onto road and towards other Macaques (fighting between rival groups???)