[Dong Bei]

Common Kingfisher
Black-capped Kingfisher
Pacific Swift
Eurasian Cuckoo
White-breasted Waterhen (moving north, even seen in Russia last year. First for me in Jinshitan but have seen many in S.E. Asia)
Snipe, Common and possibly Swinhoe's (it's on the ID forum now)
Whimbrel
Common Greenshank
Green Sandpiper
Common Sandpiper
Chinese Egret
Cattle Egret
Chinese Pond Heron
Striated Heron
Brown Shrike
Eye-browed Thrush
Grey-backed Thrush (1 dead one)
Asian Brown Flycatcher
Red-throated Flycatcher
Mugimkai Flycatcher
Blue and White Flycatcher
Common Stonechat
White-cheeked Starling
Great Tit
Barn Swallow
Red-rumped Swallow
Chinese Bulbul
Yellow-browed Warbler
Eastern Crowned Warbler
White Wagtail
Grey Wagtail
Forest Wagtail
Olive-backed Pipit
Greenfinch
Common Rosefinch
Black-faced Bunting
Little Bunting

[dbeeke]

Nice list. White-breasted Waterhen is moving north as well? I didn't know.

Awesome picture of the Mugimaki Flycatcher. That sure is a sharp bird!

Dave

[Dong Bei]

Common Pheasant
Mallard
Spot-billed Duck
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Common Kingfisher
Black-capped Kingfisher
Eurasian Cuckoo
Oriental Cuckoo
Pacific Swift
Little Owl
Common Moorhen
Whimbrel
Common Greenshank
Green Sandpiper
Wood Sandpiper
Common Sandpiper
Little-ringed Plover
Black-tailed Gull
Eurasian Kestrel
Little Grebe
Cattle Egret
Chinese Egret
Grey Heron
Chinese Pond Heron
Striated Heron
Black-crowned Night Heron
Brown Shrike
Ashy Minivet
Grey-backed Thrush
Eye-browed Thrush
Siberian Rubythroat
Siberian Blue Robin
Grey-streaked Flycatcher
Asian Brown Flycatcher
Red-throated Flycatcher
Mugimaki Flycatcher
Yellow-rumped Flycatcher
Siberian Stonechat
Daurian Starling
White-cheeked Starling
Great Tit
Chinese Penduline Tit
Barn Swallow
Red-rumped Swallow
Chinese Bulbul
Chinese Hill Warbler
Yellow-browed Warbler
Arctic Warbler
Radde's Warbler
Eastern-crowned Warbler
Vinous-throated Parrotbill
Yellow Wagtail
Grey Wagtail
White Wagtail
Forest Wagtail
Olive-backed Pipit
Oriental Greenfinch
Black-faced Bunting
Tristram's Bunting
Little Bunting
Meadow Bunting
Chestnut Bunting
Common Reed Bunting

[Dong Bei]

Here's the last ones.

[MKinHK]

A terrific selection - I especially enjoyed the Siberian Blue Robin trying to blend in behind the dandelion!


Cheers
Mike

[Dong Bei]

I love this week of May. Next week should also have some goodies.

[Dong Bei]

Went to Jinzhou Bay today to find the place devoid of shorebirds! This is one of the best places nearby for Oystercatchers, plovers, stints, redshanks, stilts and everything else. There is some work being done there currently but not enough to scare everything off. I was left wondering if something happened to the water. The entire area is extremely polluted from factories, sewage, and a garbage dump. The sewage is usually a magnet for migrating shorebirds but today (May 16!) nothing. The only things there were a few plovers and a group of Yellow Wagtails.

After this I went to the Country Club where migrant numbers are also trickling off. It's supposed to rain tonight and all day tomorrow so hopefully that brings some new things in. I'm attaching a picture that I took from a fast moving car of something new called "demountainization". The terms deforestation, desertification and the like have long been in existence. This is something new altogether. Basically it involves taking down mountains piece by piece and then throwing them into the ocean to create new development zones. And here we thought the sea levels were rising from glacial melt!

Total list from today, the majority from the Country Club:

Common Pheasant
Mallard
Spot-billed Duck
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Common Kingfisher
Oriental Cuckoo
Oriental Turtle Dove
Whimbrel
Green Sandpiper
Common Greenshank
Black-tailed Gull
Eurasian Kestrel
Chinese Egret
Cattle Egret
Chinese Pond Heron
Striated Heron
Brown Shrike
Black-naped Oriole (heard only)
Eye-browed Thrush
Asian Brown Flycatcher
White-cheeked Starling
Barn Swallow
Red-rumped Swallow
Yellow-browed Warbler
Arctic Warbler
Vinous-throated Parrotbill
Yellow Wagtail
Olive-backed Pipit
Oriental Greenfinch
Black-faced Bunting
Chestnut Bunting
Meadow Bunting

[Dong Bei]

Common Kingfisher
Pacific Swift
Common Greenshank
Green Sandpiper
Common Sandpiper
Chinese Pond Heron
Striated Heron
Siberian Thrush (first in Jinshitan for me)
Eye-browed Thrush (usually not a common bird, always 10-20 a day now this year)
Asian Brown Flycatcher
Dark-sided Flycatcher
Grey-streaked Flycatcher
White-cheeked Starling (also very uncommon in years past but not this year)
both swallows
Olive-backed Pipit
Oriental Greenfinch

[Gretchen]

Thanks for posting the two flycatcher pics - I've been following that question. As I see in these two pics, both kinds can have some yellow on lower mandible - is that right? (Someone mentioned that as a possible distinguishing mark, but perhaps not?)

I'd like to ask too, is that a wood sand with the Green shank?

By the way, of the above pics, I enjoy them all, but thought the yellow-rumped flycatcher with yellow flowered background was really beautiful! (The meadow bunting was very handsome too, and the Tristram's, and the mugi's of course!)

[MKinHK]

Wow - a pair of Sibe Thrushes!

Great to see them out in the open - they're always deep in the forest in HK.

Cheers
Mike

[Dong Bei]

Gretchen,

I've found that aside from mandible colours (hard to see unless you have good pics to review) Dark-sided usually sit on the highest and most clearly exposed perch available. Asian Brown usually are lower in the branches but just as exposed. I also find their head shape different but maybe that is only something slightly noticeable unless you have the two side by side. I find the dark-sided to have more of a rounded head and therefore smaller looking. Other indicators are the length of the wings while sitting (Dark-sided wings almost extend half way down the tail) and obviously the amount of dark smudging on the chest.

The sandpiper referred to is a Green Sandpiper -- white supercilium does not extend past the eye.

Tom

[dbeeke]

Wow. Awesome pics of Chestnut Bunting, Siberian Thrush, Siberian Rubythroat, all birds that are not common in Jinshitan... Interesting to hear the changes from year to year! Some of those pictures are incredibly sharp, like the Blue Robin

You will need to jump back to Jinzhou after the rains to see your shorebirds again! Then again, you would be missing all the landbirds. Sounds like a critical fallout condition at prime time. Work will have to wait.

Dave
Currently in Canada

[Dong Bei]

Spot-billed Duck
Mallard
Greater Spotted Woodpecker
Common Kingfisher
Oriental Cuckoo
Whimbrel
Common Greenshank
Common Sandpiper
Green Sandpiper
Chinese Pond Heron
Striated Heron
Brown Shrike
Black-naped Oriole
Eurasian Blackbird
Eye-browed Thrush
Siberian Rubythroat
Grey-streaked Flycatcher
Asian Brown Flycatcher
Dark-sided Flycatcher
Red-throated Flycatcher
Yellow-rumped Flycatcher
White-cheeked Starling
Great Tit
Barn Swallow
Red-rumped Swallow
Chinese Bulbul
Dusky Warbler
Radde's Warbler
Thick-billed Warbler
Yellow-browed Warbler
Eastern Crowned Warbler
Vinous-throated Parrotbill
Yellow Wagtail
White Wagtail
Forest Wagtail
Olive-backed Pipit
Oriental Greenfinch
Black-faced Bunting
Little Bunting
Tristram's Bunting
Chestnut-eared Bunting
Yellow-breasted Bunting

[Dong Bei]

A huge wedding in the Country Club kept many birds away.

Common Pheasant
Mallard (first family of the year)
Spot-billed
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Common Kingfisher
Eurasian Cuckoo
Oriental Turtle Dove
Eurasian Kestrel
Chinese Egret
Striated Heron
Brown Shrike
Black-naped Oriole
Eurasian Blackbird
Rufous-tailed/Swinhoes Robin
Asian Brown Flycatcher
Dark-sided Flycatcher
Yellow-rumped Flycatcher
White-cheeked Starling
Great Tit
Barn Swallow
Red-rumped Swallow
Chinese Bulbul
Lanceolated Warbler (the day before at a different place and photo credits go to my dear wife )
Black-browed Reed Warbler
Oriental Reed Warbler
Yellow-browed Warbler
Arctic Warbler (over 100)
White Wagtail
Grey Wagtail
Forest Wagtail
Oriental Greenfinch
Black-faced Bunting

[Dong Bei]

Mallard
Spot-billed Duck
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Common Kingfisher
Oriental Cuckoo
Ruddy-breasted Crake (first for me)
Common Greenshank
Green Sandpiper
Common Sandpiper
Eurasian Sparrowhawk
Intermediate Egret
Chinese Egret
Chinese Pond Heron
Striated Heron
Brown Shrike
Black-naped Oriole
Eye-browed Thrush
Eurasian Blackbird
Asian Brown Flycatcher
Dark-sided Flycatcher
Grey-streaked Flycatcher
Yellow-rumped Flycatcher
Red-throated Flycatcher
Blue and White Flycatcher
Mugimaki Flycatcher
White-cheeked Starling
Great Tit
Barn Swallow
Red-rumped Swallow
Chinese Bulbul
Dusky Warbler
Black-browed Reed Warbler
Oriental Reed Warbler
Arctic Warbler
Grey Wagtail
White Wagtail
Forest Wagtail
Oriental Greenfinch
Common Rosefinch
Chinese Grosbeak
Black-faced Bunting

[MKinHK]

Great place to see a Ruddy-breasted Crake - I'm used to see White-breasted Waterhens above knee height and scrambling around in bushes, but crakes - never.

Cheers

Mike

[dbeeke]

Your Jinshitan species list must be growing and growing! Ruddy-breasted Crake! Wow! Impressed with Chinese Grosbeak as well. Stunning picture of Blue and White Flycatcher.

Dave Beeke

[Gretchen]

Nice to see how many different flycatchers you are seeing - guess that's usual for there?

Congratulations on the crake and it's being visible! (Like how your swallow is definitely showing off that red-rump!)

[Dong Bei]

Common Pheasant
Mallard
Spot-billed
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Common Kingfisher
Eurasian Cuckoo
Oriental Cuckoo
Pacific Swift
Ruddy-breasted Crake
Common Moorhen
Common Sandpiper
Kentish Plover
Black-tailed Gull
Eurasian Kestrel
Little Grebe
Chinese Egret
Striated Heron
Cinnamon Bittern (excellent looks at a female. First positive ID in Jinshitan for me but have seen many in South East Asia)
Brown Shrike
Black-naped Oriole
Eurasian Blackbird
Asian Brown Flycatcher
Dark-sided Flycatcher
Red-throated Flycatcher
White-cheeked Starling
Great Tit
Barn Swallow
Red-rumped Swallow
Chinese Bulbul
Lanceolated Warbler
Oriental Reed Warbler
Arctic Warbler
Vinous-throated Parrotbill
White Wagtail
Greenfinch
Common Rosefinch
Chinese Grosbeak
Black-faced Bunting



Gretchen, that's all 7 Flycatchers I've seen here in two days. It's usual to get all 7 each year but never many Blue and White.

[MKinHK]

What a tart your RB Crake is! Strutting about like a diva on a raised stage - ours scuttle about in weedy ponds and spend that vast majority of the time deep in cover.

Cheers
Mike

[Dong Bei]

Went to several places around the area and did some birding in recent days

Common Pheasant
Mallard
Spot-billed Duck
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Common Kingfisher
Little Owl
Ruddy-breasted Crake
Common Moorhen
Eurasian Curlew
Little-ringed Plover
Black-tailed Gull
Oriental Honey-buzzard
Eurasian Kestrel
Northern Hobby
Little Grebe
Chinese Egret
Great Egret
Grey Heron
Chinese Pond Heron
Striated Heron
Brown Shrike
Tiger Shrike
Black-naped Oriole
Blue Rock Thrush
Eurasian Blackbird
Daurian Redstart
Grey-streaked Flycatcher
Dark-sided Flycatcher
Asian Brown Flycatcher
White-cheeked Starling
Great Tit
Chinese Penduline Tit
Barn Swallow
Red-rumped Swallow
Chinese Bulbul
Chinese Hill Warbler
Black-browed Reed Warbler
Oriental Reed Warbler
Arctic Warbler
Vinous-throated Parrotbill
Chestnut-flanked White-eye
Yellow Wagtail
White Wagtail
Forest Wagtail
Greenfinch
Chestnut Bunting
Meadow Bunting

[Gretchen]

Nice you're seeing quite a bit! (I'm stuck in front of my computer - haven't seen an egret in several weeks except those that flew over the building!) I'm still waiting to see a blue rockthrush, but am enjoying yours (as well as your handsome tiger shrike).

Are the forest wags pretty numerous there, or just quite photogenic? I love the pics you've put up of them..

[Dong Bei]

Migrants are trickling out and the Country Club was very quiet. I did see one Oriole very upset at its reflection in the window. Looked like it had some problem with its eye. Lots of young in or out of nests as well.

[Dong Bei]

First Dollarbird yesterday. Other than that, not much happening. Nesting in the Country Club are:

Chinese Bulbul
Our lovely sparrows and magpies (woohoo!)
Chinese Grosbeak
Little Grebe
Common Kingfishers
White-cheeked Starlings
Eurasian Blackbird
Possibly Forest Wagtail but not sure (they are there every day for the last few weeks)
Striated Heron (in the hills behind)
Vinous-throated Parrotbills
Black-naped Orioles
Brown Shrike
I'm sure some Cukoos have slipped in a few eggs here and there
Great Tit

[Gretchen]

Originally Posted by Dong Bei

I'm sure some Cuckoos have slipped in a few eggs here and there

I guess so with all the pics you've had of them!

Have you actually seen any nests? I wonder if the orioles have similar nests to the pendulous NA oriole nests. Wondering if wagtails nest on the ground, and have no idea what nesting for shrikes or parrotbills might be like.

Nice you've seen a dollarbird - I wonder if it might breed there too...