China observations (2 Viewers)

Gretchen said:

Interesting sightings above! Great to hear what's being seen.

I've gotten another look at newly arrived warblers. As China Guy says, the season for headaches (and ... he mentioned something else which escapes my mind ) has arrived.

Today I had a fortunate view from above of a small warbler. This is what I saw:

• very erratic flight, changing directions quickly, not quite hovering, but almost
• one full and one small wingbar
• very light, white? (not yellow?) rump visible in flight
• little or no coronal stripe

Perhaps Hume's or Yellow Brow? Other key features to look for? (Little by little I'm seeing more on these fast moving guys.) Not sure which ones should be here yet....

Thanks for any ideas.

P.S. Am adding a sound file from a bird on Monday, which seemed similar (especially flight pattern) but looked yellower - not sure if that was bird or yellow willow flowers it was in. Repeated this song pattern quite a bit.

(If you're interested in the sound file in wav or another format instead, let me know...)

Click to expand...

Hi Gretchen,

I can't seem to download your sound file properly, which is strange given it's a .mp3 file. Probably down to my (lack of) IT expertise...

If your bird had a pale rump, I suspect it was either a Pallas's or a Chinese Leaf. Yellow-browed and Hume's don't have pale rumps.

The phylloscs are a tricky bunch!

Terry

blancheliu said:

Hi, Terry,
The Lesser Frigatebird was spotted at Ming Tombs Reservoir, or known as Shisanling Reservoir last Friday.
The orginal message had been deleted by the photographer.
Please see the attached photo, taken by him, I only saved this one.

Click to expand...

Thanks Blancheliu, I wonder why the original message has been deleted..?

Yesterday (Saturday 16 April) at Ma Chang (Wild Duck Lake), Jesper Hornskov and I saw a Great White Pelican. It was found resting on the reservoir at around 0705 where it remained until around 0845 when it took off, circled, gained height and was lost to view. Although always distant, the flight views clinched the identification - it had solid black wing-tips and secondaries that contrasted strongly with the brilliant white. I believe this may be the first record of this species at this site and I understand from Jesper that it is a very rare bird in northern China.

Terry Townshend said:

Yesterday (Saturday 16 April) at Ma Chang (Wild Duck Lake), Jesper Hornskov and I saw a Great White Pelican. It was found resting on the reservoir at around 0705 where it remained until around 0845 when it took off, circled, gained height and was lost to view. Although always distant, the flight views clinched the identification - it had solid black wing-tips and secondaries that contrasted strongly with the brilliant white. I believe this may be the first record of this species at this site and I understand from Jesper that it is a very rare bird in northern China.

Click to expand...

How to eliminate the escaped of Pelican from somepark?

xiaoming said:

How to eliminate the escaped of Pelican from somepark?

Click to expand...

Of course, impossible to eliminate. Any information about free-flying Great White Pelicans in captivity in China gratefully received.

Gretchen's mp3 warbler

Gretchen said:

Interesting sightings above! Great to hear what's being seen.

I've gotten another look at newly arrived warblers. As China Guy says, the season for headaches (and ... he mentioned something else which escapes my mind ) has arrived.

Today I had a fortunate view from above of a small warbler. This is what I saw:

• very erratic flight, changing directions quickly, not quite hovering, but almost
• one full and one small wingbar
• very light, white? (not yellow?) rump visible in flight
• little or no coronal stripe

Perhaps Hume's or Yellow Brow? Other key features to look for? (Little by little I'm seeing more on these fast moving guys.) Not sure which ones should be here yet....

Thanks for any ideas.

P.S. Am adding a sound file from a bird on Monday, which seemed similar (especially flight pattern) but looked yellower - not sure if that was bird or yellow willow flowers it was in. Repeated this song pattern quite a bit.

(If you're interested in the sound file in wav or another format instead, let me know...)

Click to expand...

Hi Gretchen

The singing phyllosocpus is a Pallas's Warbler & your earlier mp3 posting does include calling Pallas's Reed Buntings, though the latter are largely drowned by Common Magpies and traffic! I've lots of recordings just like that...where the target species is drowned by traffic...

Its excellent that you were able to record your 'mystery birds'.

If you're interested the songs Hume's, Yellow-browed and all members of the Pallas's Warbler complex (Pallas's, Chinese Leaf, Gansu Leaf, Sichuan Leaf & Lemon-rumped Warbler) are all available for free download from one of the best resources on the entire www - Xeno-canto
http://www.xeno-canto.org/asia/all_species.php

Firethroat said:

Hi Gretchen

The singing phyllosocpus is a Pallas's Warbler & your earlier mp3 posting does include calling Pallas's Reed Buntings, though the latter are largely drowned by Common Magpies and traffic! I've lots of recordings just like that...where the target species is drowned by traffic...

If you're interested the songs Hume's, Yellow-browed and all members of the Pallas's Warbler complex (Pallas's, Chinese Leaf, Gansu Leaf, Sichuan Leaf & Lemon-rumped Warbler) are all available for free download from one of the best resources on the entire www - Xeno-canto
http://www.xeno-canto.org/asia/all_species.php

Click to expand...

Hi Firethroat!

Thanks so much for listening and commenting! I know they are crummy recordings, but I always hope that some calls are distinctive enough for those familiar to tell.... Still I know that listening to all the other sounds of China are not so delightful for everyone. It does show one of the problems I face looking for birds in more populated areas.

I use Xeno-canto for some bird calls, but their divisions of the Palla's warbler group doesn't seem very similar to my guidebook. I find that particular group quite frustrating as I'm always trying to figure out "is what they refer to as an X actually a Y?". Maybe I need to persist in taxonomy more :-C

I've used the Macaulay library a little, and just found out about Avocet (MSU) - still often enough I have a bird song with little idea which recordings to start listening to (plus very slow internet these days) - and so always appreciate others' ideas |=)|

two young male Scaly-sided Merganser were in Wuyuan moulting in mid-Apr,and again two young birds(one male,one female) were in heavy moult in early May.

In Rudong,we heard Sakhalin Leaf Warbler twice,new record for Jiangsu Province.

Out and about May 1st weekend

I keep meaning to write up what I saw last weekend - had several nice times out.

Out before 6 a.m. the 30th on campus, lots of birds out after the rain. Interested to see a few egrets fly overhead... I'd started to think that with all the new tall buildings being built around us that we were no longer on the flyway, but perhaps...

Of course, lots of warblers enjoying the wet but not rainy morning! Quite a few which looked like Pallas's and others, mostly not yet able to differentiate. However, most exciting was finding two Asian Stubtails - first time to find them myself! Dong Bei's pictures were a great help because the previous one I'd seen had been skulking on the ground, so that's where I expected to find them; but DB's pictures of them up in the trees helped me to be more open-minded. Interestingly, I think I saw two different ones, in mixed flock with other warblers, and both times they seemed quite aggressive with other species - flying at them. Don't know if it's common, but most of the warblers seem hungry and intent on eating and seem to ignore the others.

May 1 afternoon went out with a few students - so happy that some birds showed up in late afternoon at the sandflats. Still, relatively few waders. We saw a number of Penduline Tits - my first time to see so many so well. We also had excellent views of a Pheasant - which was nice for them. Lots of handsome Black Winged Stilts, and a Great Egret among the Littles were all nice for beginners to enjoy. I thought I saw a Yellow Wagtail among the Whites, but was not able to see face well enough to be sure if it was Yellow or Grey.

May 3 midday I tried to catch the high tide at the sandflats - ages since I saw much water there, but though there was more, it was not really flooded and there were not a lot of waders - I've not got my timing down yet. I was pleased to get to watch a small flock of Whimbrels (8) which were joined by a curlew (probably Eurasian on coloring, but with such a long bill!) It was nice that they were close enough to enjoy without scope, and interesting to see how the Curlew wasn't always close with them, but did "catch up" when the Whimbrels got too far down the beach. Very nice to see them together - and first sighting of either yet this season. (Solo goose on the beach too - but looking straight into the sun so no chance to figure it out.)

Also saw lovely flock of Stonechats - got to see males, females and second year birds (or just not finished moulting birds?). I had one mystery wader, solo but near enough to some little ringed plovers to compare size. Just a bit bigger, but what a long bill! Looking into the sun and didn't see much more, so will remain a mystery I guess.

Anyway, nice to get a bit of a chance to see some of what's flying through.

Had two nice outings this week - just a few hours each, but nice to see some of the birds coming through. I'm still trying to figure out how tides, light and wind affect the birds to be seen on the sandflats. I was glad to finally catch a high tide, but maybe it was too high? If anyone has any tips...

I again saw one lonely curlew with a group of whimbrels and other waders. Feel more like this one was an Eastern, but the light was bad. On the other outing (Lighthouse Point) I finally saw my first Black-naped Oriole. Now that I've heard its song I feel that I've heard it before, so will know what to look for next time I hear it. Lovely bird!

Two queries: I saw two Crested Mynas together. Are they quite likely escapees?

Also I watched two Great Tits, though I only saw one well. That one had a big fat caterpillar which it didn't eat for the several minutes I watched. I thought I saw the other rapidly flapping its wings (begging?). Would the tits already have fledglings?

Seems like you're getting some rewards for escaping from your desk Gretchen

Black-naped Orioles are lovely birds - especially spring males.

Re. the busily feeding warblers in your previous post - grounded migrants are often so hungry that the need for food overcomes caution and they can show really well.

Cheers
Mike

in late May grasshopper warblers are passing Rudong-Pallas's,Middendorff's and Styan's,plus some reed warblers.Still expecting to see a Streaked Reed.

some late migrants still seen on 8 June in Chongming Is. Shanghai
Pallas's,Middendorff's grasshopper warblers
Amur Falcon
Baillion's Crake etc

For anyone interested, I have just posted some notes and photos from a 2-day trip to Wu Ling Shan, Hebei Province on my blog:

www.birdingbeijing.wordpress.com

Breeding phylloscopus warblers, Grey-sided Thrush, White-bellied Redstart etc

Looks like a lovely site and a nice report Terry.

Grey-sided Thrush is high on my "Wanted" list for China.

However, I'm a bit surprised Elisa's Flycatcher is not there.

Sooner or later I'll be in Beijing in the spring/summer.

Cheers
Mike

Hi Mike,

Thanks. Elisae's Flycatcher is there, I am sure. I just didn't see it! I understand that several pairs can usually be seen a little lower down (along the stretch of road beyond the waterfall car park). And sometimes they are seen near the peak.

Next time!

Cheers, Terry

21 May

it reminds me of the owstoni type(2cy male) in Rudong.

Interesting that since this year's migration is delayed,I expect to see second peak of waders coming in late May/early June.Then in early June we saw most of the waders had left.I guessed there might not be a second peak.But then I went to Rudong yesterday for summer breeders and surprisingly saw a few more waders,most of which were 495 Eastern Curlew.

Also more terns:430 White-winged Tern,most of which were imm.

After the hatching of Kentish Plover,Grey-headed Lapwing,Oriental Pratincole etc,I saw yesterday three hatchlings of Eurasion Oystercatcher.

Interesting to hear that Oystercatcher breeds at Rudong. Are there many pairs in this area?

Oystercatcher is a very rare bird in HK with just 4 or 5 records.

Cheers
Mike

This is the first time I see Oystercather breeding here.Maybe 2~3 pairs.
Most of them are winter visitors.