18 months in Shanghai: March 2012 - August 2013 (3 Viewers)

[McMadd]

Especially for Mr Hopkins...and me...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-23282724

Nice that we aren't imagining these things ;D

ATB
Mark

 

[Jeff Hopkins]

I thought the BBC article was going to be about the recent flooding and landslides in Sichuan (which it seems I just escaped).

Nice to know the contact in Taiwan, since it looks like my next project will be there.

Unless it's Korea.

 

[McMadd]

Chronolgically challenged...as usual

Bugger!

Seems I missed a small 'usual haunts' outing with Kevin on 7th April so I shall slot it in now with brief text (huzzah!) and some pics with what was then the new camera (40D gave good service but treated self to 7D...)

So...Yangshan and Nanhui were the destinations this day...migrants the quarry...

Seems we spent time at the 'rubbish dump' site on Yangshan; a new area of mud on the mainland with expert timing to be looking into the sun and then the seawall including the 'new' wader pool that delivered a nice addition to me China list...

So...Yangshan was notable for the continued presence of Varied Tit(s) and a cooperative Manchurian Bush Warbler; Brambling reminding me of Northern winters and Eastern Crowned Warbler re-affirming the Eastern spring was upon us...this echoed by a male Blue-and-White Flycatcher (points for sub-spp); Asian Swallowtail (Papilio xuthus) butterflies; Elegant Bunting and Red-flanked Bluetails. A lone Pale Thrush completed the haul of notable birds and it seems we failed to find anything of note elsewhere on Yangshan...

Returning to the mainland we headed west of our landfall to check some spots we'd come across last autumn...sadly where once there were reeds now are fish ponds...further apparent reclamation or strengthening of the seawall had at least exposed some mud and it held a decent selection of waders...sandplovers, Black-tailed Godwit, Grey (Black-bellied) Plover, Red-necked Stints and Sharp-tailed Sands...a white shape in the air resolved into a nice Gull-billed Tern...

Moving east and then north the along the seawall after detouring through a small fishing town/port saw us flat on the deck trying for shots of tired Barn Swallows...touching to see one of a pair calling to it's knackered mate...touching or the wife giving him an earful for being a slacker...?

Last stop of note was the previously described 'new wader pool' and it delivered the goods in the form of Buff-bellied Pipits, Sharp-tailed Sandpipers, Dusky Thrushes and a lone Ruff...yay...China tick :0)

That seems to have been that then...no more pics to tell me anything else significant was seen and at this distance in time that's all we have to go on!

 

[McMadd]

Chronolgically challenged...as usual

More pics from Yangshan

 

[McMadd]

Chronolgically challenged...as usual

New muddy bit

 

[McMadd]

Chronolgically challenged...as usual

Swallows, sharpies, Dusky (This is how they look numpties...) and Le Ruff...

 

[rockfowl]

Bugger!

[/B]and a lone Ruff...yay...China tick :0)

That'd be a China tick for me.... rockin horse....

 

[BabblerVille]

Hi Jeff

Just back from an island south of here...

...oh...also saw pretty much all the wished for species at extremely short notice...Mr Richard Foster is your man folks...http://birdingtaiwan.blogspot.tw/

Report to follow...all the other reports I've not written yet!

Cheers
M

And it was an absolute pleasure guiding McMadd around, learning the ways of Finland, Shanghai and the Isle of Man. Was good to squeeze so much birding in before the sodding typhoon. Pity I won't make it to Pudong and Yangshan etc before the 18 months is over...

Details of the tours etc at http://TaiwanBirding.com/

 

[McMadd]

Mr Loma Man...Spicy, Sexy Sichuan

Monday 22nd April...some scenery first while I try to remember what birds we saw and write a convincing account of how we saw 'em...note Roland and his friendly Wallcreeper-ing pal...

 

[McMadd]

Mr Loma Man...Spicy, Sexy Sichuan

Monday 22nd April and more scenery...

 

[Jeff Hopkins]

I know exactly where the abandoned road is. I nearly got hypothermia in a downpour there!

But it was a spectacular spot for wallcreeper. We had two or three of them there. And I probably got 6 or 7 lifers on that road.

 

[thirudevaram]

Those blue skies!!! On a trolling note, the Yaks reminds me of the "cow" & "dung".

 

[McMadd]

Monday 22nd April saw us up and at it in the wee small hours...the valley was still dark for all intents and purposes...but we were heading higher...much higher...Balang beckoned and we headed up the long...and winding...road to be in position early before the traffic through the mountains began in earnest...the disruption of the earthquake (remember that?) further south potentially bringing more this route...driving up early also increased (ha!) the chances of surprising a chicken or two on the roadside...

Here however is where writing up adventures from a mere three months ago having had several more since has its perils...or it does when the old brain is overloaded with memories...still...there's the picture trove and the bird log to keep me straight so...

We stayed up top all day alternating between the tunnel at km90 (ish) and the summit shrine and a couple of stops a little lower down...

Excitement at finally being here and having two whole weeks birding ahead was tempered by the first exposure to life at such a high (for me at any rate) altitude...as the sun rose and the day got brighter and warmer the birds started appearing and it was only in the slower moments I could sense my body was aware it was in conditions a normally sedentary desk life weren't used to! Reaction time and decision making when trying to take the pictures slowed and a numbness in the bonce became apparent...nothing life-threatening but an interesting experience for all that!

So...dawn broke slowly, light edging up the valley illuminating clouds below us...birds slowly woke with it...

We patrolled the tunnel area and good birds included Asian House Martin nesting on the rock face; a pair of skittish Kessler's Thrush; a lone Olive-backed Pipit; a pair of fearless Wallcreepers flitting around at our feet, calling softly to each other; a somewhat overshadowed Little Bunting; a cracking male White-capped Water Redstart...

The warming air tempted a couple of big raptors to cruise on by...Himalayan Griffon and Lammergeier...what's not to like? The absence of chickens was one thing but at some point the hillside above the tunnel gained some white dots...careful scrutiny (lifting the bins) revealed we had four...then eleven White Eared Pheasants strutting across the fells...chicken number one safely in the bag!

We zipped through the tunnel early on but of Wood Snipe at the traditional location there was no sign...

Continuing on up we checked the land for another prize chicken or two butt today wasn't to be the day...a Himalayan Griffon cruised over to see if we were ready yet...the summit shrine was most photogenic but barren of any birdlife and we descended vowing to return for battle another day...

Back at the tunnel more birds came and went...Yellow-billed Chough tumbled through the skies; Hodgson's Treecreeper hugged a pine trunk calling to us softly; Large-billed Crows drifted by; Horned Lark was heard briefly; White-throated and Blue-fronted Redstarts gave themselves up...incredible colours; a Himalayan Bluetail was seen at some point in the day...could well have been here! Six Snow Pigeons flew past; distant specks were frustratingly our first sight of Grandala...better views most definitely required...

Finally...Roland got fed up of waiting so looked once again at the slopes above us and duly found the big one...a pair of Chinese Monal slowly strutting across the grass...on view for about ten minutes, giving us ample time to drink up the magnificent colours lit perfectly in sunny blue skies...get in!

We tried a little lower down and a couple of stops added a nice haul of new species...incredibly cute Rufous-vented Tit and Sichuan Leaf Warbler adding themselves to the new species haul. The small flock also held a lone Grey-crested Tit and as we enjoyed this group a smart Chestnut Thrush popped up on top of a roadside tree...both the wanted thrushes seen well on day one...sweet!

Warblers...Hume's, Buff-barred and Greenish all were called and dainty Goldcrest posed while Yellow-browed Warbler called tsee-oo-wheet...Scilly memories...Sichuan Tit reminded me where I was...

Investigating the area around a hairpin bend's signpost the skies provided a nice China tick for me in the shape of a lone Black Vulture (let's not be having any of this Cinereous nonsense thank you very much...)...well..most of one...wing-moult ever so slightly in evidence here! A sunlit hillside here initially seemed quiet but a little patience and a smart Alpine Leaf Warbler popped into view...me likely...

Moving back to the road the trees around the roadside suddenly lit up with a small feeding flock arriving...excellent White-browed Fulvetta; subtle Spectacled Fulvetta, gregarious White-collared Yuhina and a pair of Chinese White-browed Rosefinch all appearing and disappearing in short order...

With the afternoon drawing on we retreated lower down the valley and walked a small trail that was busy, busy, busy...Grey-headed Bullfinch vied with a surprise Red-tailed Minla and a male Rufous-gorgeted Flycatcher...Green-backed Tit added itself to the tally...looking up a mixed 'swift' flock resolved into smaller Pacific and larger...super-spectacular White-throated Needletails...scimitars cruising the golden light of evening...not something you easily tire of!

Finally the light ran out and we drove back to base, heads out the window listening and looking on our torch beams for owls...we arrived at our restaurant of choice with no response from the night birds...food ordered and tv showing the latest progress on the relief of the 'quake we scoffed and supped a beer and did the days list update...Giant Laughingthrush and Scaly-breasted Wren Babbler were both heard...Rosy Pipit must've been up top; Red-billed Blue Magpie I can't recall at all...!

And so to be...zzzzzzzzzzz

 

[McMadd]

Mr Loma Man...Spicy, Sexy Sichuan

Monday 22nd April...redstart, vultures and tits...check out that beard...

 

[McMadd]

Mr Loma Man...Spicy, Sexy Sichuan

Monday 22nd April...Chestnut Thrush, Rufous-vented Tit, Sichuan Leaf Warbler, Rufous-vented Tit, (most of a) Eurasian Black Vulture...

 

[McMadd]

Mr Loma Man...Spicy, Sexy Sichuan

Monday 22nd April...

Alpine Leaf Warbler, White-browed Fulvetta x 2 and female & male Chinese White-browed Rosefinches

 

[McMadd]

Mr Loma Man...Spicy, Sexy Sichuan

Monday 22nd April...Balang...male Rufous-gorgeted Flycatcher, Grey-headed Bullfinch, poopin' goats...a poor substitute for deer or, indeed, pandas...alpine fleurs...lone print of a (one-legged, hopping??) hog badger...

 

[Gretchen]

Nice pics!!! I don't remember seeing pictures of the grey-crested tit before - surely looks like cousin to the US Tufted Titmouse (as I suppose it is).

 

[MKinHK]

a lovely set of pix . . . and miserably gripped, once again, by those Chinese Monal . . . but as for claiming that "Reaction time and decision making ... slowed and a numbness in the bonce became apparent..." were conditions you body wasn't used to I might venture to suggest that these can be found all too frequently among the huge globe-spanning population of Hangover City, Everywheresville,

. . . and if my count is correct, 23 lifers on the day is a terrific haul!

Now the Monal is out of the way, I'm looking forward to hearing more.

Cheers
Mike

 

[Jeff Hopkins]

. . . and miserably gripped, once again, by those Chinese Monal

You're not the only one. :-C

Do love the pix tho. Keep 'em coming!