Info requested about Xi'an and Qinling Mnts (1 Viewer)

[Julianm]

Hi,

At the start of April, I am likely to be at a meeting in Xi'an, Shaanxi. I would appreciate information on what the best birding spots are in the city,how to get to them, and what to look out for at that time of year.

I plan on taking a week or so's holiday at the end of the meeting, so suggestions about places further afield would be useful. It seems as if the best birding in the province is in the Qinling Mountains. How accessible is it? Anyone know any good places to stay in that area, english-speaking bird guides, etc.

Thanks

Julian

 

[jurek]

There is some Chinese company which does eco-tourism including Crested Ibis. They should be on the internet.

 

[Mark Bruce]

Hi,

At the start of April, I am likely to be at a meeting in Xi'an, Shaanxi. I would appreciate information on what the best birding spots are in the city,how to get to them, and what to look out for at that time of year.

I plan on taking a week or so's holiday at the end of the meeting, so suggestions about places further afield would be useful. It seems as if the best birding in the province is in the Qinling Mountains. How accessible is it? Anyone know any good places to stay in that area, english-speaking bird guides, etc.

Thanks

Julian

Jilian, You can try the Chengdu Bird Watching Society in neighbouring Sichuan www.scbirds.org . If I remember correctly they go into the Qinling Mountains from time to time. The site is in Chinese but the e-mail address is at the bottom of the page and you can e-mail them.

 

[Mark Bruce]

Jilian, you might want to check this out http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?p=819698#post819698.

 

[Julianm]

Thanks for the comments and suggestions.

I did more research, and have decided to go to Changqing Nature reserve: http://www.cqpanda.com/ on one of these visits: http://www.naturalhistory.bc.ca/VNHS/Birding/TravelInformation/Changqing Invite.pdf

Note that the email address in the pdf is wrong and their new email address is: cqpanda at sohu.com (the prices have changed as well, but that's to be expected).

I'll post here to let people know how I get on.

I'm still wanting any information on where are the best birding spots in Xi'an itself.

Julian

 

[hunson]

HI ,julianm, if you want , just mail to me ,perhaps we can find local birder to assist you.

 

[hunson]

The lifelist bellow is a tour of chinese birders going to a forestry centre ,in Hancheng,Shaan'xi during 21-23 March, used 3 days ,and recorded Totally 42 species. In fact ,Juliannm,if you have a holiday of nearly a week ,maybe Sichuan and Yunan is also a good choice as well.
×7 Brown Eared-Pheasant Crossoptilon mantchuricum
×2 Common Pheasant Phasianus colchicus
×1 Grey-capped Woodpecker Dendrocopos canicapillus
×6 Great Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos major
×1 Grey-headed Woodpecker Picus canus
×1 Eurasian Hoopoe Upupa epops
×1 Collared Scops Owl Otus bakkamoena
×1 Spotted Dove Streptopelia chinensis
×1 Eurasian Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto
×1 Eurasian Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus
×3 Common Kestrel Falco tinnunculus
×1 Red-billed Blue Magpie Urocissa erythrorhyncha
×1 Black-billed Magpie Pica pica
×3 Spotted Nutcracker Nucifraga caryocatactes
×1 Large-billed Crow Corvus macrorhynchos
×1 Brown Dipper Cinclus pallasii
×1 Dark-throated Thrush Turdus ruficollis
×1 Dusky Thrush Turdus naumanni
×4 Orange-flanked Bush-Robin Tarsiger cyanurus
×10 Daurian Redstart Phoenicurus auroreus
×1 Plumbeous Water-Redstart Rhyacornis fuliginosus
×2 Eurasion Nuthatch Sitta europaea
×2 Snowy-browed Nuthatch Sitta villosa
×1 Wren Troglodytes troglodytes
×1 Marsh Tit Parus palustris
×1 Willow Tit Parus montanus
×1 Coal Tit Parus ater
×1 Great Tit Parus major
×1 Long-tailed Tit Aegithalos caudatus
×1 Plain Laughingthrush Garrulax davidi
×2 Spot-breated Scimitar Babbler Pomatorhinus erythrocnemis
×1 Vinous-throated Parrotbill Paradoxornis webbianus
×1 Eurasian Tree Sparrow Passer montanus
×6 Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs
×1 Brambling Fringilla montifringilla
×1 Grey-capped Greenfinch Carduelis sinica
×8 Long-tailed Rosefinch Uragus sibiricus
×4 Grey-headed Bullfinch Pyrrhula erythaca
×1 Godlewski's Bunting Emberiza godlewskii
×1 Meadow Bunting Emberiza cioides
×1 Little Bunting Emberiza pusilla
×1 Yellow-throated Bunting Emberiza elegans