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Dalian (Jinshitan) Birding Reports (1 Viewer)

Tom,

I remember the bird last year, and commented on it (actually, it's very rare to see images that aren't birds in the hand). I checked the last four China Bird reports 2004 to 2008 and there aren't any records of 'migrant locustellas' ie Lanceolated, Pallas's Grasshopper etc before 15th May (usual period for the earliest Lancy's, Pallas's Grasshopper) through NE China, the bulk are usually in the tail end of the third week through to early June. There isn't a single record of Gray's Grasshopper published (not that means too much, stuff isn't reported, sometimes ignored ) but we've had two I think over the years both in or toward the third/fourth week of May.
They are it seems extremely rare, probably overlooked, many birders leaving when potentially the main chances of finding one on passage would be late May.
Again, I'm not saying it wasn't, especially with global warming changing patterns quite clearly. Just beware, it's both exceptionally early and rare, and if my group had claimed this, we'd have to fight our corner at some stage as has happened in the past.

Mark
 
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I won't stand by the record until death and I have no photos to back it up. The "no photos" thing really perturbs me but I could not for the life of me relocate it because it flew to the other side of water. For what it's worth, my earliest record of Dusky Warbler is May 13 and I had 2 on the same day. This of all years, is not one that I'd expect to have early records in as it is supposed to reach 20 degrees here tomorrow for the first time this year.

Tom
 
It's a hard one, you can barely see the sod's let alone photograph them. Dusky Warbler is an early bird , continuing through until quite late in May, reflects the Autumn passage when you can still pick them up, certainly in Hebei in November. Locustellas aprt from Japanese Swamp seem to generally be Late May/early June returning August/early September. I can tell it's not an early year from records that yourself, Gretchen and Shi Jin have been posting, in fact quite the opposite with many traditional wintering/early birds still being recorded. One of them things and a shame there's no photograph, though as I said, images are rare of these elusive creepers so I'm not surprised there's no 'hard evidence'.
 
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Mike,

Adult Varius. Here's a picture from Dandong a few years ago.

By the way, I met a guy from the Hong Kong Bird Watching Society that knew you the other day in Dandong. There was a big birders conference there last weekend and many Chinese birders were out birding around the Great Wall there.

Gotta run,

Tom
 

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Country Club May 6, 2010

Another trip to the country club today. It's my only place left! I was a little disappointed - I guess I was expecting more during this week.

Common Pheasant
Spot-billed
Mallard
Great-spotted Woodpecker
Common Kingfisher
Black-capped Kingfisher
Common Swift
Whimbrel
Green Sandpiper
Common Greenshank
Eurasian Kestrel
Amur Falcon
Little Grebe
Cattle Egret
Chinese Egret
Chinese Pond Heron
Brown Shrike
Dusky Thrush
Red-flanked Bluetail
Asian Brown Flycatcher
White-cheeked Starling
Great Tit
Chinese Penduline Tit
Barn Swallow
Red-rumped Swallow
Chinese Bulbul
Radde's Warbler
Dusky Warbler
Yellow-browed Warbler
Eastern Crowned Warbler
Grey Wagtail
White Wagtail
Greenfinch
Brambling
 

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Country Club May 9, 2010

Common Pheasant
Spot-billed
Little Grebe
Striated Heron
Grey Heron
Chinese Egret
Eurasian Kestrel
Northern Hobby
Oriental Honey Buzzard
Little-ringed Plover
Common Greenshank
Green Sandpiper
Common Sandpiper
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Common Kingfisher
Pacific Swift
Common Swift
Brown Shrike
Dusky Thrush
Asian Brown Flycatcher
Yellow-rumped Flycatcher
Red-throated Flycatcher
White-cheeked Starling
Red-billed Starling (female, first for me here)
Great Tit
Barn Swallow
Red-rumped Swallow
Chinese Bulbul
Chinese Hill Warbler
Dusky Warbler
Yellow-browed Warbler
Vinous-throated Parrotbills
Chestnut-sided White-eye
White Wagtail
Forest Wagtail
Grey Wagtail
Olive-backed Pipit
Oriental Greenfinch
Chinese Grosbeak
Black-faced Bunting
Little Bunting
 

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Ah, those little white-eyes made it up there too. Your pic is almost exactly what I saw! Thanks for posting it. The Grosbeak's beak is impressive in this pic.

Congrats on the new starling too! (which I also thought looked like a very handsome bird). I've not seen a forest wagtail yet, and have to watch for them - do you see them in less open (more forested) places?
 
Country Club May 12, 2010

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
 

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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
 
Country Club May 14+15, 2010

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
 

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next set of pics

Here's the last ones.
 

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


Cheers
Mike
 
more pics from Saturday

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

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Jinzhou Bay and Country Club May 16, 2010

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
 

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Country Club May 18, 2010

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
 

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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!)
 
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
 
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