What a lovely summer in Norfolk.
Now back this side of The Wall so to speak.
First proper trip out was to the Wenyu river yesterday.
Went out with TT and PA. As well as great company, another benefit of being out with them is that they found lots of good birds... Alas, I didn't connect with the Garganey (PA) or Wryneck (TT).
Here are the highlights (of what I managed to see):
c50 Great White and Little Egrets (majority Great)
c15 Great Cormorants (Most I've see at the Wenyu)
2 high flocks of Oriental Honey Buzzards (several in each flock)
1 sparrowhawk sp
3 Grey-headed Lapwing
c20 Green Sandpiper
few Wood Sandpiper
few Spotted Redshank
sev Greenshank
1 Marsh Sandpiper
1 Common Sandpiper
1 Black-headed Gull (first for the patch this year)
1 Grey-capped Pygmy Woodpecker
2 Brown Shrike
few Black-naped Oriole
1 Black Drongo
sev Siberian Stonechat
1 Richard's Pipit
1 Taiga Flycatcher (saw 15 two days before on a 60km cycle-ride by the river; and also 1 White's Thrush)
1 Olive-backed Pipit
a few grey/brown warblers diving into cover
And....
Wait for it....
A possible first for Beijing (research thus far has yielded no record).
It was found on the Shunyi side of the river by PA.
Then, much to my delight, I watched it fly over to the Chaoyang side, where TT and I photographed it.
I've posted a couple of my shots on to my website
http://www.chinesecurrents.com/wild_water_china.html
It's good to be back.
Shi Jin
Talking of great finds, TT's superb website is well worth a visit if you are interested in the birds of China.
http://birdingbeijing.com/