• Welcome to BirdForum, the internet's largest birding community with thousands of members from all over the world. The forums are dedicated to wild birds, birding, binoculars and equipment and all that goes with it.

    Please register for an account to take part in the discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.
ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Dalian (Jinshitan) Birding Reports (1 Viewer)

You need to learn the call Gretchen.
Thanks for the clues about where to look! Learning the call before seeing the bird seems like a challenge though.

Now I've checked Xeno-Canto, IBC, AVOCET, and Macaullay library and found no recordings for Siberian Accentor! Does someone have one or is there another place to look? (or does it sound like another accentor?)

(Sorry to hijack this thread Tom! Hope you're enjoying the same beautiful clear weather there too.)
 
Does someone have one or is there another place to look? (or does it sound like another accentor?)

(Sorry to hijack this thread Tom! Hope you're enjoying the same beautiful clear weather there too.)

Hey I found one! Since this isn't quite a bona fide source (sound effects?) - would anyone care to comment if it sounds correct? It's here.
 
Sea-farming Ponds Nov. 25, 2011

Bad news: The ponds and surrounding habitat are be filled in. I saw the signs of it a long time ago but it is for real now. First all the local residents were kicked out and their houses destroyed. Then a factory for making concrete was constructed. Now the area is full of dump trucks, new roads, bulldozers, etc... The main pond where the ducks usually are will still be there for a little while but it is the beginning of the end. I'm sure the final result will be a concrete river channel with new housing areas. All the wetland and scrub areas will be completely destroyed. very dissapointing. I have seen over to 200 species there in the last 5 years. This was also where all the Chinese Egrets fed during breeding time after their original feeding sight was destroyed.

Ponds are half frozen.

Here is the list from today in between dump trucks.

Common Pheasant
Japanese Quail - 13
Ruddy Shelduck - 12
Gadwall - 2
Mallard
Spot-billed Duck
Northern Shoveler - 2
Tufted Duck - 1
Common Goldeneye - 25
Smew - 2
Little Grebe - 15
Grey Heron - 1
Eurasian Kestrel - 3
Eastern Buzzard - 1
Common Coot - 21
Green Sandpiper - 1
Black-tailed Gull - many
Vega/Mongolian Gull - many
Oriental Turtle Dove - 8
Bull-headed Shrike - 2
Vinous-throated Parrotbill - 2 groups
Daurian Redstart - 4
Yellow-throated Bunting - over 100
Japanese Reed Bunting - 4
Pallas's Reed Bunting - 40
 

Attachments

  • Bull-headed Shrike.jpg
    Bull-headed Shrike.jpg
    106.4 KB · Views: 43
  • Common Coots.jpg
    Common Coots.jpg
    140.6 KB · Views: 47
  • Common Coots 1.jpg
    Common Coots 1.jpg
    116.7 KB · Views: 51
  • Common Goldeneye.jpg
    Common Goldeneye.jpg
    118.4 KB · Views: 49
  • Eastern Spot-billed Duck.jpg
    Eastern Spot-billed Duck.jpg
    99.8 KB · Views: 54
rest

I believe the dead one is an Eastern Water Rail but other suggestions more than welcome. Huge bill, feet, feather colours.
 

Attachments

  • Eastern Water Rail.jpg
    Eastern Water Rail.jpg
    249.2 KB · Views: 56
  • Ochre-rumped Bunting.jpg
    Ochre-rumped Bunting.jpg
    103.5 KB · Views: 53
  • Tufted Duck.jpg
    Tufted Duck.jpg
    110.7 KB · Views: 45
  • Yellow-throated Bunting.jpg
    Yellow-throated Bunting.jpg
    106.7 KB · Views: 45
  • Back filling.jpg
    Back filling.jpg
    103.5 KB · Views: 54
Last edited:
Bad news: The ponds and surrounding habitat are be filled in.

I know how you feel, Tom.

One of my patches was 'lost', with change of ownership, in the last few years. It creates a hole in one's birding life, similar to the death of a friend.

Is there anywhere locally to which some of these birds can relocate ?
 
Jinshitan Reservoir Dec. 2, 2011

I led some field trips today to the Jinshitan GeoPark. Because of this I spent more time outside today than usual on a work day. I also went to the Reservoir for a short time before dark.

Common Pheasant - at least 20
Great Bustard - life bird!
Mallard - 24
Northern Pintail - 1
Red-breasted Merganser - 7 at the GeoPark
Little Grebe - 2
Great Cormorant - at the GeoPark
Eurasian Kestrel - 1
Peregrine Falcon - 1 at the GeoPark, 2 at the reservoir. One caught a Naumann's Thrush, flew over, and ate it on a rock on the other side of the reservoir.
Northern Goshawk - 1 male, 1 juv. female
Eastern Buzzard - 1
Great Spotted Woodpecker - 1
Great Tit - 10
Vinous-throated Parrotbill - many
Winter Wren - 1
Naumann's Thrush - 30
Dusky Thrush - 10
Daurian Redstart - 5
Blue Rock Thrush - 1 at the GeoPark
Siberian Accentor - 1
Brambling - 45
Meadow Bunting - 10
Little Bunting - 15 including one still in breeding plumage
Rustic Bunting - abundant
Yellow-throated Bunting - abundant
Pallas's Reed Bunting - 20
 

Attachments

  • Peregrine Falcon.jpg
    Peregrine Falcon.jpg
    180.4 KB · Views: 54
  • Chinese Hill Warbler.jpg
    Chinese Hill Warbler.jpg
    223.3 KB · Views: 54
  • Great Cormorant.jpg
    Great Cormorant.jpg
    121.5 KB · Views: 59
  • Naumann's x Dusky Thrush.jpg
    Naumann's x Dusky Thrush.jpg
    118.7 KB · Views: 50
  • Northern Goshawk.jpg
    Northern Goshawk.jpg
    257.8 KB · Views: 62
Last edited:
Hey Tom, congratulations! (I happened to just see that bird change identities in a few minutes ;) It was while I was busy playing my "can I identify it?" game with your new pics and deciding that the 3rd one was a cormorant and not a goose :-O) It does have huge wings. It's great you caught a picture too.
 
Great find Tom - it's always wnderful to know these huge birds somehow survive in NE China.

Eyes on the sky Gretchen!!!


Cheers
Mike
 
P.S. Lovely picture of the Geopark - very scenic! Have you described it before - not sure what kind of spot it is...
 
Last edited:
Jinshitan Dec. 24, 2011

Really tied up at work for the last 3-4 weeks. I went out for a drive yesterday with my brother-in-law and saw some Brown-eared Bulbuls which is a first for me in Jinshitan. They are usually seen at a few places in Dandong, but a first for me here in Dalian. I heard something different from the platform and an investigation turned out to be quite rewarding. We were not birding at all but managed to see the following at a coastal viewpoint along the road.

Eurasian Kestrel - 3
Rough-legged Buzzard - 1
Common Buzzard - 1
Brown-eared Bulbul - 2
Chinese Hill Warbler - 1
White-cheeked Starling - 2
Yellow-throated Bunting
Oriental greenfinch
Great Tit
Daurian Redstart

Big birding weekend coming up for New Years.
 

Attachments

  • Brown-eared Bulbul.jpg
    Brown-eared Bulbul.jpg
    171.7 KB · Views: 59
  • Common Buzzard.jpg
    Common Buzzard.jpg
    87 KB · Views: 43
  • Common Buzzard 2.jpg
    Common Buzzard 2.jpg
    67.7 KB · Views: 42
  • White-cheeked Starling.jpg
    White-cheeked Starling.jpg
    77 KB · Views: 44
Jinshitan Dec. 31, 2011

Three locations: Jinshi Golf Club, Reservoir, and sea-farming ponds.

A whole day birding but I feel like I missed some key winter birds for the area. Despite this it was a good day out. Cloudy, no wind, trace amounts of snow, and warm enough for the motorbike (-5 to 0) I really covered the golf club well but came up empty handed on Varied Tit, Rosefinches, Accentor (very surprising), and other winter birds.

The sea-farming ponds are completely finished. I was able to cover one small field that usually isn't reachable (thanks to an ice crossing). It is basically the only habitat left in the entire area. Very very dissapointing. Sometimes I have to force myself not to think about it. So so depressing. I don't know what I can do in the short time after work now. Maybe the country club will come back when they finish the 100 acre housing development nearby. I am so sick of development, land reclamation, demountainization and the rest. It just sucks.

Highlights of the day - getting caught in a rabbit/pheasant snare! See photo. Almost driving into an uncovered storm drain while looking at the Kestrel making sure it wasn't a Merlin. People steal the covers and recycle them b/c they're metal.

Total list today from the three places:

Common Pheasant - between 60-80 (not joking!)
Japanese Quail - 3
Common Shelduck - 50
Falcated Duck - 30
Mallard - 2
Spot-billed Duck - 1
Red-breasted Merganser - 19
Common Merganser - 1
Great Cormorant - 1
Pelagic Cormorant - 4
Eurasian Kestrel - 2 (one being chased away by a Goshawk)
Northern Goshawk - 2 big adults
Eastern Buzzard - 3
Upland Buzzard - 1 (95% sure the same one as the 2-3 previous winters)
Common Gull
Black-tailed Gull
Mongolian Gull
Hill Pigeon - 1
Oriental Turtle Dove - 1
Great Spotted Woodpecker - 3
Chinese Grey Shrike - 1 chasing/scolding an Eastern Buzzard
Great Tit - over 50 and I checked every one!
Eurasian Skylark - 2
Chinese Bulbul - approx. 35
Brown-eared Bulbul - 3 (I guess this is the year for them here)
Vinous-throated Parrotbills - many many
Naumann's Thrush - 30
Daurian Redstart 5-10
Oriental Greenfinch - one group of 19
Meadow Bunting - 3 singles
Little Bunting - 1
Rustic Bunting - only 3
Yellow-throated Bunting - ridiculous numbers. This place is covered with them in the winter.
Pallas's Reed Bunting - 8
Japanese Reed/Ochre-rumped Bunting - 6
 

Attachments

  • Common Merganser.jpg
    Common Merganser.jpg
    70 KB · Views: 43
  • Eurasian Kestrel.jpg
    Eurasian Kestrel.jpg
    55.4 KB · Views: 39
  • Ochre-rumped Bunting.jpg
    Ochre-rumped Bunting.jpg
    73.9 KB · Views: 47
  • Pallas's Reed Bunting.jpg
    Pallas's Reed Bunting.jpg
    153.2 KB · Views: 44
  • Red-breasted Merganser.jpg
    Red-breasted Merganser.jpg
    63.1 KB · Views: 45
rest from today

Going to Wafangdian tomorrow - stayed tuned.
 

Attachments

  • Pelagic Cormorant.jpg
    Pelagic Cormorant.jpg
    70.9 KB · Views: 48
  • Pelagic Cormorants.jpg
    Pelagic Cormorants.jpg
    79.6 KB · Views: 38
  • snare.jpg
    snare.jpg
    196.1 KB · Views: 49
  • Upland Buzzard.jpg
    Upland Buzzard.jpg
    59.8 KB · Views: 51
  • confirmation!.jpg
    confirmation!.jpg
    56.8 KB · Views: 56
recordings

Some recordings from today. Both Brown-eared Bulbul recordings have Chinese Bulbuls calling in the background. Brown-eared are the high pitch.
 

Attachments

  • Brown-eared Bulbul.mp3
    165 KB · Views: 49
  • Brown-eared Bulbul 2.mp3
    398.3 KB · Views: 63
  • Chinese Hill Warbler.mp3
    817.5 KB · Views: 62
Wafangdian Jan. 1, 2012

Day trip todayto Wafangdian. It's a place about an hour from my house on the west side (Bo Hai) of the penninsula. The birding site is not near the city of Wafangdian but that's what the whole area is called. Temperature was extremely cold with very high wind. Some of the pictures below are unclear because of the hot air escaping through the car windows when I put them down to shoot. When I did jump outside, I had literally 30 seconds before my fingers felt like they were about to freeze up. Anyone who has been here in the winter is very familiar with the Dalian wind. It's not the temperature, but the wind that chills you to the bone.

The birding site near Wafangdian is a huge area of rice and corn fields near a large river with many sea-farming ponds. There are little tracks criss-crossing through and it can be frustering when it seems like the birds are always two tracks over from where you are. By this time, there are only a tiny amount of water holes on the fast flowing river so locating the ducks present is a matter of finding open water. The cranes and storks always seem to be on the move and a lot of time can be spent trying to locate where they are at any particular time. We spent some time today scanning large areas from the car and this seems to work better instead of trying to keep moving. It's an amazing place in the winter and is undoubtably amazing during migration also but I am always covering Jinshitan at that time.

Be sure to take the counting challenge with the one crane picture. Take a glance at the photo, guess how many, and then count them to see how close you were.

List:
Common Pheasant
Bean Goose - 86
Whooper Swan - 12 huddled around a tiny piece of water
Ruddy Shelduck - 300
Spot-billed Duck
Mallard
Common Pochard - 3
Tufted Duck - 1
Common Goldeneye - 8
Common Merganser - 1
Little Grebe - 5
Oriental Stork - 72!
Eurasian Kestrel - 1
White-tailed Sea Eagle - 5
Hen Harrier - 1
Eastern Buzzard - 1
Rough-legged Buzzard - 3
Upland Buzzard - 2
Common Crane - 114
Great Spotted Woodpecker - 2
Chinese grey Shrike- 1
Eurasian Skylark - approx. 50
Yellow-throated Bunting
Pallas's Reed Bunting - 15
Ochre-rumped Bunting - 10 (need to get out of the car to get more buntings!)
 

Attachments

  • Bean Geese.jpg
    Bean Geese.jpg
    141.5 KB · Views: 55
  • Bean Geese 2.jpg
    Bean Geese 2.jpg
    45.5 KB · Views: 56
  • Common Cranes.jpg
    Common Cranes.jpg
    29.8 KB · Views: 56
  • Common Cranes 2.jpg
    Common Cranes 2.jpg
    39.1 KB · Views: 51
  • Eurasian Skylark.jpg
    Eurasian Skylark.jpg
    153.5 KB · Views: 54
rest from today

Jinzhou Bay and Dalian Bay tomorrow.
 

Attachments

  • Little grebe.jpg
    Little grebe.jpg
    121.5 KB · Views: 45
  • Oriental Stork.jpg
    Oriental Stork.jpg
    172.7 KB · Views: 55
  • Upland Buzzard.jpg
    Upland Buzzard.jpg
    45.2 KB · Views: 46
  • White-tailed Sea Eagle.jpg
    White-tailed Sea Eagle.jpg
    57.4 KB · Views: 42
  • White-tailed Sea Eagle 2.jpg
    White-tailed Sea Eagle 2.jpg
    131.4 KB · Views: 45
Hi Dong Bei,

I know what you mean about the habitat. Our immediate vicinity has changed so much in 15 years - used to have quite a bit of wetland and forest in our area and now its just a forest of 20 story buildings! It is easier to just not think about it...

Nice pictures yesterday and today - nice to see the 2 kinds of mergansers! Do you often see Pelagic Cormorants? I think the ones I've seen have been Great... I still can't tell Kestrels from Merlins - was sure your pic was the latter. The first of your Brown-eared Bulbul recordings sounds just as I remember hearing one 2 years ago, but the second was less familiar - I'll have to look around and see if we have any this year. And wow - lots of storks, good number of cranes, elegant buntings, and even sea eagles - seems like good birding!
 
Warning! This thread is more than 4 years ago old.
It's likely that no further discussion is required, in which case we recommend starting a new thread. If however you feel your response is required you can still do so.

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top