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Birding Dalian + Hainan (1 Viewer)

cranefan

Well-known member
Hello all,

A last minute request for any help possible! I'm expecting to be travelling to China next week, and should have a couple of days free in Dalian (21-22 October) and Hainan (27-28 October). I would love to fit in some birding in these places if possible!

I wondered if anyone knows any local birders or bird guides in either of these locations? I speak Chinese so that's not a problem. Any suggestions would be much appreciated!

Thanks,
Aron
 
Welcome Cranefan to the China birding threads.

I am further north in the Panjin, Liaoning area, but I did reach out to the one real expert I know from that area. He is back in British Columbia now, but he knows the area like the back of his hand. You might want to look through Tom's old thread from when he was still in the Dalian area at: https://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=165968

I will say the one sure bet for this time of year should be Laotaishan at the southern tip of the peninsula.

Are you referring to Hainan Island in Hong Kong? If so, there is another expert for Hong Kong, Mike is at: https://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=367545

Both are superb places to bird!
 
Hi Owen,

Thanks so much for sharing - it sounds like just setting up camp at Laotieshan for a couple of days might be the way to go! I'll read those reports with interest.

I meant Hainan as in Hainan Province (Jianfengling, Yinggeling etc.). At the moment I'm planning on trying Jianfengling but of course some local expertise would make all the difference.

Thanks again
Aron
 
Dalian birding

Aron,

Where exactly in Dalian are you staying? Are you able to travel? Laotieshan is 1 hour southwest of Dalian city, 1.5 hours from the Dalian Development Zone, and 2 hours southwest of Jinshitan where I lived.

Owen is correct. Laotieshan is a premier birding site this time of year. It will depend on the weather considerably but the forest areas near the point and farm areas just back inland a few kms should produce a nice list for you. You should prepare to see most of the east Asian bunting species among many other things. You will be at the tailing end of raptore migration as well so there should be a lot of raptors to be seen crossing the Bohai.

There are some budget options to stay there about 5-10 kms inland from and could be other options closer to the point as well. There are a few small hotels that may not be able to reserve online but if you speak Mandarin, you should not have a problem. Also, arrange a black or regular cab to pick you up and drop you off in the area at certain times. There is also a bus station right at the bottom of the turnoff to go into the protected area but the last bus of the day is often before birders want to go home around 5:00 pm. You can search my old forum about birding in Dalian as Owen said but also check www.birdingbeijing.com for good maps of the area showing trails, etc... I've also attached some maps here that I've used in the past. On the image titled "capture 2", the red areas are not able to be entered by birders because that is a military area. Part of the Laotieshan experience has been the dance between where you can and cannot go due to military sensitivities in the area. I'm hoping that now people there are most used to Chinese and foreign birders in the area because Laotieshan has grown in popularity considerably in the last 5-10 years. On the same image, the blue lines show popular birding trails/roads. On the image titled "capture" the red line shows the main access road and the blue dot shows the hotel where I usually stayed. I was easily able to find a black cab near that hotel to drop me off and pick me up whenever I wanted.

In addition to the birds, the place is known for snakes :) By this late in the year, depending on the temperature, they might all be in their winter dens. However, look carefully before venturing off the trail too far. There are a lot of rat snakes, Keelbacks, etc.. that are not poisonous but there are Pallas's Pit Vipers in the area (as well on Snake Island off the the coast there) that you do not want to encounter. Long thick pants and good boots!

Dalian will be quite birdy because it's on a south facing peninsula and you will be there in the fall. There should be good numbers of migrants in the forest/farming areas just inland from the point if you're not seeing good raptor numbers during the day from the lighthouse platform area.

Tom
www.revealednature.com
 

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Hi Tom,

Thank you so much for taking the time to put all this information together! This looks extremely useful, thank you.

I was planning to stay as close to Laotieshan as possible so your suggestion looks ideal. And the snakes warning especially well noted!

I look forward to reading through your old thread with interest.

Thanks,
Aron
 
Just thought I would mention that the activity seems to still be hopping at LaoTaiShan. If you (or anyone else) don't know, you can check on ebird by clicking on Explore and then Explore Regions and enter Liaoning, China.
 
Hi all,

Apologies for the delay! In the end I had only a morning free at Laotieshan itself, but all your advice was extremely helpful.

The day before, I was taken along to visit the bird ringing station nearby, where birds caught included Red-flanked Bluetail, Coal Tit, Brambling, Yellow-throated Bunting, Dusky Thrush, Grey-backed Thrush, Tristram's Bunting, Little Bunting and Rustic Bunting. Frustratingly I didn't manage to see all of these species anywhere else, though a walk around the station did turn up what I'm almost certain was a Yellow-browed Bunting - I can post pictures when back home.

The next morning, I arrived at the car park near the lighthouse shortly after dawn, and it was immediately apparent that birds were on the move. The first hour was amazing. By far the most numerous species was Chinese Bulbul (which I suppose has massively expanded its range northwards since my field guides were published). From first light, flocks of thousands were continually arriving, flocking round the trees and lighthouse in impressive murmurations and then heading out to sea - this continued throughout the time I was there (until around midday). Smaller flocks of Brown-eared Bulbuls would fly up to join the Chinese Bulbuls at the last moment as they headed south. There also seemed to be a steady stream of magpies coming in from the north, congregating around the lighthouse and then heading out to sea.

There were lots and lots of Coal Tits around - while I'm not sure I specifically saw any head out to sea, groups kept whipping past my face at pace, and they certainly seemed to be on the move - though not a species I was aware to be migratory.

There were also lots of Japanese Tits, Yellow-browed Warbler, Dusky Thrush and Goldcrest around, and as the day progressed flocks of Oriental Greenfinches arrived, with a few Brambling and Siskin among them. Then later on, a steady stream of raptors was arriving off the sea (arriving from the north-east and using the peninsula as a staging post to build up height before heading off south again?). While my raptor ID skills are pretty pitiful, the vast majority of these looked like Eastern Buzzards to me. Plenty of Accipiters were also coming through, though none that looked definitely like anything other than Eurasian Sparrowhawk.
I may have to post a few pictures on the ID page. It didn't seem to be possible to get up to the lighthouse platform, though I didn't really try - there was plenty to be seen standing by the eagle status commemorating the first birding festival.

Overall it was a pretty amazing morning - not a huge variety of species, which seems to be higher earlier in the season - but several species in astounding numbers, and wonderful to watch migration unfolding so visually at such a scale. Also great to get a lifer in the form of Chinese Hill Warbler, and very pleased to see Yellow-bellied Tit. I would love to return, possibly a little earlier in the year and hopefully with other pairs of eyes to help out.

My species list from a morning at Laotieshan (though I certainly missed plenty), in order of sighting:
Daurian Redstart
Oriental Magpie
Chinese Bulbul (thousands)
Tree Sparrow
Coal Tit (hundreds)
Yellow-throated Bunting
Japanese Tit
White-cheeked Starling
Peregrine
Yellow-browed Warbler
Dusky Thrush (hundreds)
Oriental Turtle Dove
Brown-eared Bulbul
Pallas's Warbler
Goldcrest
Oriental Greenfinch
Brambling
Siskin
Pheasant
Black-tailed Gull
Vega Gull (or Mongolian? didn't really look)
Wren
Vinous-throated Parrotbill
Chinese Hill Warbler
Yellow-bellied Tit
Eastern Buzzard
Amur Falcon
Long-tailed Tit (caudatus)

Thank you again all!
 
Aron, great to read this report! Sounds like a typical day at Laotieshan during migration. Great that you were able to visit the banding station and I'm assuming Mr. Sun was there doing his usual banding duties? Yes to Chinese Bulbul rapidly expanding north compared to field guides. I know what you mean about not knowing exactly where to stand to take it all in. Yes, if you were there 4 weeks ago there would have been even more, including more raptors and passerines.

Great stuff! Sorry, in a hurry and need to run.
Tom
 
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