Here's some pics to sum up our Yunnan trip - we got to Goaligong, Tengchong, Nabang, Husa and Ruili
pic 1 - Golden-throated Barbet - we got so many of those classic tropical forest birds that are a speciality of SW Yunnan - they included both Yellownapes, Greater Flameback, Blue-bearded Bee-eater, Golden-fronted Leafbird, Common Green magpie, both Racket-tailed Drongos, Long-tailed Broadbill and a host of other stuff.
pic 2 - Scarlet Finch - also bumped into a few of the birds that make this part of Chine especially interesting - such as, Black-headed Shrike Babbler, Grey-bellied Wren Babbler, Greater Rufous-headed Parrotbill, Rusty-fronted Barwing, Yellow-throated fulvetta, Scaly Laugher, Rufous-necked Laugher, Grey-cheeked Warbler, Slaty-bellied Tesia, White-tailed Nuthatch, Black-backed Forktail, Black-breasted Thrush - but still need so much more that we'll be back next winter.
pic 3 - Grey-cheeked Warbler - our list as of today is 207 birds - I fished out a pic of the Grey-cheeked Warbler a couple of hours back and confirmed it against the OBC images. OBC is a must for confirming dubious sightings.
pic 4 - all praise Photoshop - Rufous-throated Partridge - photography can be difficult, one moment Meggie was trying to get shots against a harsh sun in the canopy, while in the next second something would be scampering along in the gloom of the forest under-scrub - hardly time to change settings. Some of our pics ain't in the masterclass - but we snaped a lot species.
pic 5 - you can't help birding, even when you're trying to concentrate on driving home - Rufous-necked Laugher - these guys were hopping around on the crash barriers to the main road north about 20kms outside Ruili. Meggie had to dodge trucks to get the pic. If that was not enough I turned around and saw movement across the road - frigging Greater Rufous-headed Parrotbills - Meggie side-steps some more horn blarring trucks and she gets a pic - a Purple Sunbird then turns up as a Newbie to our list, but we resist birding temptations, we're late we have to head back to Sichuan - but 5 minutes further on, an emergency stop, as a Steppe-Eagle decides to make a fly-over!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!