Liaoning, Shenyang aka 辽宁沈阳 (1 Viewer)

Hello Creba, welcome back! So mid to late April? I would love to get some wild sightings of SC myself as I have so far been really talented in missing them by just a day or so in several locations and times. There is a conservation hatchery here for Red-Capped Crane and I have been looking for an excuse to get out there again anyway so I'll see if the Professor there has any hints on where to look for SC about that time frame. He has captive birds hatched there, but is somewhat elusive about any details on releases. A good idea as if details got out tourists would swarm from the nearby Red Beach Tourist Area and disturb the birds. Panjin was until fairly recently a hotbed for Red-capped, but numbers have declined dramatically in the last few years. Shenyang to Panjin or vice-versa is only about an hour by train, so I'll see if I can stir up some likely prospects around either.

Today, I had my first morning visit for this trip to the grounds of Shenyang University, North of the channel. This place was a real eye opener last time. I was so surprised of how many short stay migrants I could find in such an urban environment.

It is quit early in the season, so birds are probably not as plenty as last time. However, the deciduous trees don’t have their leaves yet, just some scrubs are flowering. That makes birds easier to spot, so I was hopeful that would increase my chances. At first, as I feared, nothing especially interesting. Without the leaves it becomes clear how much Azure-winged magpies are around. At one point 20 or so flew across the street to the railway. Tree sparrow, Common magpies, Japanese Grosbeak and Oriental Turtle dove were also common locals last time. No Barn swallows and Brown shrikes yet. Last time the swifts just arrived, so I don’t expect them this time. The best observation was a squirrel, didn’t expect it here. Because of the lack of migrants I made my round very quick and had spare time to explore further.

I took the tunnel to the South side of the water channel. Last time I passed by there once maybe 6 years ago and that was when we were hurrying. I didn’t remember there was a lot of green, but luckily I remembered incorrectly. On the side, close to a railway, there is nice enough, about 20m by 200m green area leading to a small park around a pond, hidden next to it is a Natural History Museum!

More Azure winged magpies and Tree sparrows here, but no Grosbeaks. However, I had several additional encounters here, some new for me in Shenyang and China, not lifers though. First thought I heard a faint Yellow-browed warbler, but it ended up to be a Goldcrest, a bird I am much more familiar with in my home country. Two Dendrocopus woodpeckers, I am almost sure they were Great spotted woodpeckers. Seriously doubting my previous sightings of White-backed woodpeckers at Shenyang University , Could they both occur here? They never play a good enough model to close my ID. One day I hope to confirm one or the other…

Varied Tit was a nice surprise here, first for me downtown Shenyang. I had to go to Bingyu valley last time to see it. Had some undetermined birds with short sightings also, some trush, probable flying Hoopoe (couldn’t focus my bins on time), probably heared white wagtail (would be certain if in Belgium) and at first I noted possible waxwills after I thought to have heared a short faint ringing. Afterwards, reevaluated it as ‘must have been wishful thinking after reading Owen’s post’ and decided to scrap it from my list all together and then forgot about it. But at the entrance of the tunnel to return, again, faint ringing of Waxwills and +20 flew over. Still not 100% at that point, but luckily found them along the tracks. Had to look 50m or so away, looking over a low building. Most seemed Bohemian waxwings, some were smaller and could have been Japanese, but I noted them all 27 as the later. Also a squirrel here, before I returned home.

Species list for Shenyang University (both S and N of Channel), 01 April 2018, 6:00 - 8:00:
Naming according to Observation.org
L = Lifer, C = New to China list, T = New to Trip list, P = New Patch addition
Oriental Turtle Dove - Streptopelia orientalis (T)
Azure-winged Magpie - Cyanopica cyanus (T)
Eurasian Magpie - Pica pica
Bohemian Waxwing - Bombycilla garrulous (C,T,P)
Varied Tit - Sittiparus varius (T,P)
Goldcrest - Regulus regulus (C,T,P)
Eurasian Tree Sparrow - Passer montanus
Chinese Grosbeak - Eophona migratoria (T)

Trip list: 8 (+6) , not counting city pigeons
China list: 95 (+2)
Lifelist: 362 (+0)

Additional probables:
Great Spotted Woodpecker - Dendrocopos major
Eurasian Hoopoe - Upupa epops
White Wagtail - Motacilla alba

This afternoon we made a Family visit to Wanquan Park. That is the former zoo of Shenyang and now has some children attractions and playgrounds. No real time for birding, but still noted 5 species on the go for this new patch. Among other again Waxwings! We past 2 groups of 5 and 22 at a minimum. Plenty to go around at this time of year it seems. Or is it just today?

Species list for Shenyang Wanquan park, 01 April 2018 (12:15 - 16:45):
Naming according to Observation.org
L = Lifer, C = New to China list, T = New to Trip list, P = New Patch addition
Azure-winged Magpie - Cyanopica cyanus (P)
Eurasian Magpie - Pica pica (P)
Eurasian Tree Sparrow - Passer montanus (P)
Bohemian Waxwing - Bombycilla garrulous (P)
Grey-capped Greenfinch - Chloris sinica (T,P)

Trip list: 9 (+1)
China list: 95 (+0)
Lifelist: 362 (+0)

Hi Creba,
Congratulations on your Greenfinch. That is one that I haven't managed to find yet in the three years I've been birding here. I was working on trying to find potential locations for viewing cranes Sunday. For details on a day of full of "Mao" and "Bu yo" you can check my last post at my thread: https://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=301937&page=21

Shenyang University 02-03 April 2018

Yesterday and this morning I went again to the campus of Shenyang University. I feel it is harder work to get some extra species than last trip in May 2015. Still early in the season of course. There was some rain predicted yesterday, raising my hopes for a possible fallout. But the few drops clearly were not enough.

For both days the only additions were Yellow-Browed Warbler, Brambling and Yellow-throated Warbler and I could finaly positively identify Great spotted Woodpecker. The YBW were much less noisy then in 2015. Only the one today had one type of call. The description and figure of Great spotted Woodpecker in Brazil show a the black bar from nape to base of bill, but the individuals I saw closely enough, all didn't have the bar connect to the nape. also the shoulder patch is much reduced to the sides, compared to European ones. Hence, my previous confusion. This time it was a male and showed all red parts in the correct locations for Great spotted (just at the nape) and didn't have streaking on underparts. I guess it is supspec. japonicus.

Both days Waxwings were still flying around, but also included herons, probably Grey Herons (?) and Amur Falcon. Later one was definitely not Peregrine or Saker, but could have been Hobby I guess. Another unidentified was a Sparrowhawk fleeing from the noisy Azured-Winged magpies. The Godcrest was still in the neighborhood Yesterday, but no luck today. The Varied Tit could be a resident on the South side. It was singing today.

Species list for Shenyang University (both S and N of Channel), 02 April 2018, 5:30 - 8:00:
L = Lifer, C = New to China list, T = New to Trip list, P = New Patch addition

Oriental Turtle Dove - Streptopelia orientalis
Azure-winged Magpie - Cyanopica cyanus
Eurasian Magpie - Pica pica
Bohemian Waxwing - Bombycilla garrulus
Varied Tit - Sittiparus varius
Yellow-browed Warbler - Phylloscopus inornatus (T)
Goldcrest - Regulus regulus
Eurasian Tree Sparrow - Passer montanus
Brambling - Fringilla montifringilla (C,T,P)
Chinese Grosbeak - Eophona migratoria
Yellow-throated Bunting - Emberiza elegans (T,P)

No possitive ID
Grey Heron - Ardea cinerea
Eurasian Sparrowhawk - Accipiter nisus
Amur Falcon - Falco amurensis

Species list for Shenyang University (both S and N of Channel), 03 April 2018, 5:30 - 7:30:
L = Lifer, C = New to China list, T = New to Trip list, P = New Patch addition

Oriental Turtle Dove - Streptopelia orientalis
Azure-winged Magpie - Cyanopica cyanus
Eurasian Magpie - Pica pica
Bohemian Waxwing - Bombycilla garrulus
Varied Tit - Sittiparus varius
Yellow-browed Warbler - Phylloscopus inornatus
Eurasian Tree Sparrow - Passer montanus
Chinese Grosbeak - Eophona migratoria
Great Spotted Woodpecker - Dendrocopos major (T,P)

Call of the YBW (best with earpeaces or headphones)
https://china.observation.org/sound/9/67009.mp3
https://china.observation.org/sound/0/67010.mp3
(tell me if I am totally wrong!)

Trip list: 13 (+4)
Patch list: 30 (+3)
China list: 96 (+1)
Lifelist: 362 (+0)

Shenyang University 05 april 2018

Yesterday I didn't feel like going into the cold and got some needed sleep. Today it started to itch again and although I think it was colder than yesterday, I went out to hopefully find something new again at the University grounds. Clothed myself with double layers however. It was hard work again because birds were very silent. Luckily, most deciduous trees and shrubs are still without leaves, although many are flowering and ( I think) willows have their first shoots. With the help of the lack of cover on the side of the birds, I located a Red-flanked Bluetail (female or imm. male), my first in China, on the North side. When returning home I tried again and I did find it, but at a different patio.

The Bohemian Waxwings are still around and seem to have still increased in numbers. The biggest group of about 150 were resting in the trees along the railway on the South side. At first pass I was frustrated because of the bad light conditions with grey skies. At a second pass they moved a bit and I could place myself comfortably on a wall to have another closer look. An odd whistle of a Waxwing flying over made me keep on looking. In the end I noticed a red bar at the tip of a tail, contrasting because of other birds on the background, in total 3 times, but I kept the number of Japanese Waxwing, a lifer for me, to at least 1.

I could not spot any other migrants (assuming now the Varied tit is a local).

Species list for Shenyang University (both S and N of Channel), 05 April 2018, 5:35 - 8:15:
L = Lifer, C = New to China list, T = New to Trip list, P = New Patch addition

Oriental Turtle Dove - Streptopelia orientalis
Great Spotted Woodpecker - Dendrocopos major
Azure-winged Magpie - Cyanopica cyanus
Eurasian Magpie - Pica pica
Bohemian Waxwing - Bombycilla garrulus
Japanese Waxwing - Bombycilla japonica (L,C,T,P)
Varied Tit - Sittiparus varius
Red-flanked Bluetail - Tarsiger cyanurus (C,T,P)
Eurasian Tree Sparrow - Passer montanus
Chinese Grosbeak - Eophona migratoria

For a phone recording of the whistle of Japanese Waxwing, please check: https://china.observation.org/sound/9/67089.mp3 (after 14 sec)

Trip list: 15 (+2)
Patch list: 32 (+2)
China list: 98 (+2)
Lifelist: 363 (+1)

Hi Bart,

I was going to suggest that you take a closer look at the Bohemian Waxwing as it is not uncommon here to have a few Japanese Waxwing mixed in with them.

I don't know how familiar you are with the area, but if you follow the footpath along the bank of the channel (Xinkai River) it is a nice walk up to Beiling Park (Tomb of the Second Qing Emperor and surrounding park). Metro also has a station just to the west of the South Gate. If you haven't been in Beiling is worth the entry fee just to see and can have some decent birding for Passeriformes. We used to live a couple of hundred meters from the West Gate and would sneak in early in the morning with the other locals before the park officially opened. There is, or was anyway, an old gate, no longer used along the wall of the tomb itself about half way up along the west wall with some really neat old style Chinese dragon heads. At that time an overgrown area which I discovered due to being willing to get off the pavement and explore out into the wooded area. The area near the South Gate and along the way to the Tomb gets very busy but if you go north a bit the crowd suddenly thins out and 15 years ago would actually dwindle to a very few people.

I am sorry to say that I wasn't an active birder at the time I was living in Shenyang and hence never made it to Dongling Park and the adjacent Bird Island, but have been told they are good birding. Just taking the Metro down to the Wulihe stop and walking along the river bank parks might yield a few water birds.

Hi Owen,

Thanks for the tip. I have seen the path along the river and have wondered how far it would go, but never went as far as try to walk it. I never thought about it because at the point of the University it looks quite sterile with concrete banks. I had a look at a map just now and actually it does look interesting enough to at least try it. I don't think I will walk all the way to Beiling Park, but there seem to be some smaller parks along the way that might be worth the effort. It wont be for tomorrow, but maybe later.

I have been to Beiling Park twice and have noticed some birds (19 species in total right now), but always on the go with Family, so never made it far North in the park. I still can post my May 2015 visit at some point... I also made it to Dongling Park and Bird island the first time in 2009. Not really that much to see in the summer, but I still have fond memories of the colony of Amur falcons at Dongling and a Long-billed Plover at 'Bird' Island.

Bart

Errata #65

It seems I made some mistakes with regards to post #65.
1) in bold it was of course Yellow-throated bunting, not Warbler
2) The calls from 03-April are definitely Pallas's Warbler, not Yellow-Browed Warbler`

I even had similar recordings online myself, but internet here isn't always reliable enough to easily check.
Now I start to doubt my ID of Yellow-Browed Warbler the day before that. I shouldn't really have called it. Somebody have an idea about the phenology of the two species? ... checked eBird for all Liaoning patches and it shows Yellow-browed starting to come trough in the last quarter of the month. Thus, highly likely I also miss ID'ed the 2 Phylloscopus on 02-April.
I changed Yellow-Browed to Pallas's for 02-April, but to unsure. All my list counts stay the same, except the patch list, that is 33 now.

Sunday 8 April Shenyang University and Ningshan Park

It was snowing on the morning of 6 April, but I still decided to do my round at Shenyang University. Hoping it would quit down, it didn’t really. Of the usuals, no magpies could be observed. Two Oriental greenfinches were my first this year at this location. Another trush I frustratingly couldn’t name. Waxwings were still flying around.

On Saturday (7 April) no birding visits, but managed to spot a white wagtail during a family outing to a waterpark on the border with Fushun. That’s a new one for the trip list.

On Sunday (8 April), I decided to walk the bank of the river towards Beiling Park as suggested by Owen. There was a tiny park on the way to a bigger park with a quite large lake. Two bridges go across it. The water seemed dead, similar to the river and thus no waterbirds to spot. I covered the footpath along the South side of the lake which had some birds in the trees. I doubt I will return here later.

The name I found on Bingmaps for the small park is Xiacuiyuan, the bigger one is Ningshan Park. Xiacuiyuan was more exciting with my very first of both Vinous-throated Parrotbill and a Black-headed Bunting. It also had a small Crossbill (a little bit bigger then Oriental greenfinch) but with Yellow collared face and also on the lower back. The crown was bright red, only the underparts and wings had the wine reddish color of a red crossbill. I assume this is some hybrid that escaped its cage.

Before and after that I went through the North part of the University Campus, with two more additions to my lifelist. Finally the trushes were showing themselves properly. I will include the birds of Xiacuiyuan to the patch list of Shenyang University as its really small and the locations are really too close to eachother from a bird’s eye view.

Species list for Shenyang University and suroundings (N of Channel + Xiacuiyuan), 08 April 2018:
L = Lifer, C = New to China list, T = New to Trip list, P = New Patch addition
5:40 – 6:10 (University North side)
Azure-winged Magpie - Cyanopica cyanus
Oriental Turtle Dove - Streptopelia orientalis
Eurasian Tree Sparrow - Passer montanus
Chinese Grosbeak - Eophona migratoria
Dusky Thrush - Turdus eunomus (L, C, T, P) 6ex

6:20 – 6:35 (Xiacuiyuan park, only addtional)
Vinous-throated Parrotbill - Sinosuthora webbiana (L, C, T, P)
Grey-capped Greenfinch - Chloris sinica
Black-headed Bunting - Emberiza melanocephala (L, C, T, P)

7:45 – 8:15 (University North side, only additional)
Eurasian Hoopoe - Upupa epops (T,P) 2ex
Great Spotted Woodpecker - Dendrocopos major
Naumann's Thrush - Turdus naumanni (L, C, T, P) 1 ex.
Red-flanked Bluetail - Tarsiger cyanurus
Eurasian Magpie - Pica pica

Trip list: 20 (+5)
Patch list: 38 (+5)
China list: 102 (+4)
Lifelist: 367 (+4)

In the afternoon I visited the small natural History museum of the University on the South side. There were still Waxwings hanging around.

Species list for Ningshan Park, 08 April 2018, 6:40 – 7:15:

Eurasian Tree Sparrow - Passer montanus
Grey-capped Greenfinch - Chloris sinica
Eurasian Hoopoe - Upupa epops
Pallas's Leaf Warbler - Phylloscopus proregulus
Bohemian Waxwing - Bombycilla garrulous 70ex
Also heard a probable Great Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos major)

Patch list: 6

Shenyang University and suroundings 09 april 2018

Remarkables of todays tour were 2 male Red-flanked Bluetails and the fact that the Bluetails have increased their numbers. The same goes for Pallas’s Leaf Warblers, some even singing after the temperatures started to increase (after 8:00). A White wagtail was new for the patch list. Still large groups of waxwings, but couldn’t spot a Japanese again.

Species list for Shenyang University and suroundings (N and S of Channel + Xiacuiyuan), 08 April 2018, 5:44 – 8:45:
L = Lifer, C = New to China list, T = New to Trip list, P = New Patch addition

Oriental Turtle Dove - Streptopelia orientalis
Great Spotted Woodpecker - Dendrocopos major major (at one point 1 couple chasing a third one)
Azure-winged Magpie - Cyanopica cyanus
Eurasian Magpie - Pica pica
Bohemian Waxwing - Bombycilla garrulus
Pallas's Leaf Warbler - Phylloscopus proregulus 5 ex
Dusky Thrush - Turdus eunomus
Red-flanked Bluetail - Tarsiger cyanurus 8ex (2 males)
Eurasian Tree Sparrow - Passer montanus
White Wagtail - Motacilla alba (P)
Chinese Grosbeak - Eophona migratoria
Grey-capped Greenfinch - Chloris sinica


Trip list: 20 (+0)
Patch list: 39 (+1)
China list: 102 (+0)
Lifelist: 367 (+0)

Hi Bart, great to see this thread active each time you visit. I just spent a few minutes catching up from the posts above and it sounds like you're having a great time figuring out your sightings. In a few weeks you could bird somewhere like Beiling Park and see different migrants each day but it sounds like you are right between seasons at the moment. I always found the best weeks for migrants (in terms of volume) to be the last week of April and the first week of May but I was a bit south also.

The best way to separate Pallas's from Yellow-browed is by call and it looks like you have that figured out. Waxwings will flock around urban gardens in winter and I always found that the ratio was around 500:1 in terms of Bohemian:Japanese. Again, I mostly birded 400 kms south of you so it could be different there. Bluetails and Wagtails are the first migrants to show up and this just means that more are coming. When migration really gets under way you could see anything anywhere. You might have a Siberian Blue Robin visiting a potted plant on a 4th floor balcony downtown, for example.

Also, I think all your woodpeckers would most likely be Great Spotted there, as you have concluded. I have seen White-backed east of Shenyang near Dandong but always at really high elevation.

I was fortunate enough to visit the Siberian Crane site near Faku and attended a meeting in support of preserving the area from development. I saw 2-3 in a field near the large wetland/lake there. It is a large area of fields with a small adjacent village. I also missed the "hundreds" by a few minutes.... It was around 45 minutes north of Shenyang if I remember it correctly.

Keep posting here, I love following what you see.
Tom

Good Stuff, Bart. There is a big passage of Bluetails at the moment in Shanghai, they are literally everywhere.

thirudevaram said:

Good Stuff, Bart. There is a big passage of Bluetails at the moment in Shanghai, they are literally everywhere.

Click to expand...

Show me picture from Grand Gateway then yoof

Shenyang University 11 april 2018

Hi Tom, Nice to see you sometimes still visit this forum. Unfortunately, my vacation will end on April 20th, so just before the prime migration. But it does allow to check the Huanzidong Reservoir for Siberian Cranes. We have a plan to go tomorrow! I don't have very high hopes since we are not going very early in the day (family visit) and also later in the season from my understanding. But since this is probably my only and last chance, every interesting sighting will be a plus.

Today I did my usual rounds of the University grounds. Nice numbers of Bluetails, often singing Pallas's leaf warblers and Goldcrests. Also, my first Yellow-Browed Warbler of the trip, confirmed by sound and, surprisingly it took so long, Japanese Tit (also didn't see it here in 2015). Yesterday I saw my first Swifts above the University in passing and the same birds seem to be flying around. I didn't expect them so early. No Barn swallows in Shenyang yet. While checking the swifts I noticed a Sparrowhawk flying over, but no idea how to start determining which species it was. Oh, and Waxwings still around, about 150 of them.

Species list for Shenyang University and suroundings (N and S of Channel), 08 April 2018, 5:45 – 8:40:
L = Lifer, C = New to China list, T = New to Trip list, P = New Patch addition

1 Eurasian Sparrowhawk - Accipiter nisus ??
2 Oriental Turtle Dove - Streptopelia orientalis
3 Common Swift - Apus apus 4ex (T)
4 Great Spotted Woodpecker - Dendrocopos major
5 Azure-winged Magpie - Cyanopica cyanus
6 Eurasian Magpie - Pica pica
7 Bohemian Waxwing - Bombycilla garrulus
8 Varied Tit - Sittiparus varius
9 Japanese Tit - Parus minor (T,P)
10 Pallas's Leaf Warbler - Phylloscopus proregulus min 11ex
11 Yellow-browed Warbler - Phylloscopus inornatus 1ex
12 Goldcrest - Regulus regulus 4ex
13 Dusky Thrush - Turdus eunomus
14 Red-flanked Bluetail - Tarsiger cyanurus min 11ex (incl. 2 males)
15 Eurasian Tree Sparrow - Passer montanus
16 Chinese Grosbeak - Eophona migratoria
17 Grey-capped Greenfinch - Chloris sinica

Trip list: 22 (+2)
Patch list: 40 (+1)
China list: 102 (+0)
Lifelist: 367 (+0)

Hi Bart, at this time of year, your sparrowhawk was probably a Eurasian Sparrowhawk, if not a Goshawk. Japanese or Chinese Sparrowhawks would be highly unlikely at this time of year. My first records for Chinese and Japanese were the second week of May.

Ironically my only record for Siberian Crane where you are going is from the second week of April! Check every distant egret looking bird!

Tom

Quick notes Huanzidong 12 April

Quick notes about the visit today to Huanzidong reservoir, because I don't have the time for a full report, that will have to come later.

I did see some Siberian cranes, 8 to be exact, but at far distance on the South side. The easiest access to the lake is however on the North side (along the dam), but from that location most birds are even further. As I feared I missed having a scope and having family around was also not ideal (although they went to great length to please me). Plenty to see, just a fraction close enough to ID and count. Noteworthy for the moment were the hundreds of Spoonbills, 2 Oriental storks, Oriental Pratincole and the fact that I saw several Barn swallow couples around the lake, in contrast to Shenyang. Best observable were the Black winged stilts.

Great to hear that you had success for Siberian Crane there Bart! The one time I was there we were being led around and I wished I had more time there by myself to fully check out the area as well. Very happy that you got your target.

Huanzidong 12 April final report

To get to the Huanzidong Reservoir we had the help of a friend of my in-laws (they do not have a car themselves). It took us 2 hours to go and the same time to return, so double the time I read otherwise. The GPS of our driver showed a location on the South-West side. The first views of the lake at the south east side immediately looked promising with white birds on the southernmost tip of the bay. I asked to stop the car and could see enough to confirm they were Siberian cranes. Really massive birds compared to two spoonbills in between them. I could also observe one coming in to land at the moment I was urged to stop because the others were getting nervous to stop on the side of the big road. I was hoping for better views later. A bit further the driver asked for directions and was pointed to the road east of the lake that leads to the north side of the lake, along the dam. At the end of the dam there is a small peninsula with a modest settlement (and public toilets) that indeed gave the best views of the lake and with some shorebirds close by, but no Cranes. Most observations were from this location.

From one local we heard that all cranes were gone, another told us they were feeding in the fields around the lake during the day. After some initial birding at the viewpoint we decided to go further along the road towards the west to see if we could see birds in the fields or get other viewpoints. No Cranes were seen and also no additional good viewpoints for binoculars were encountered. At the moment all fields are barren of any crop and it looks like one big waste land, very much like the fields we encountered during the trip from Shenyang. But boy, the tons of plastic that are flying around in the fields, I wonder how much ends up in our food…

Although a little more west of the peninsula there is a S-curve in the road from which you can have a nice view of the northwest side with a scope I can imagine. With bino’s I could just observe that a lot of groups of birds were standing there. Around there we did have the two Oriental storks flying low above the fields and dropping in the northeast corner of the lake and also a nice group of Eurasian curlews flying around on the way back. We went as far as the road that runs west of the lake, but found out it was a long detour to go around all the way. The distance between the sometimes bumpy road and the lake was much too far. All roads leading closer were field roads that looked like a 4x4 could take but were too risky for a sedan car. It would also be too far of a distance to walk for my family and they dind’t feel like waiting more than an hour along the roadside if I would go by myself. Thus we returned to the north side and took a pick nick break there while I tried to get better views to get some ID confirmations.

A group of 20 or so Spoonbills came closer, but still too far to look for the black faced kind. I am assuming almost all are the regular type. Locals were pointing us to the ‘bai se de’ birds thinking we were looking for white birds only. There was one other party of Chinese tourists walking around with one lady on high heels and a massive porro binocular that probably got fooled by that. But I assume, like my wife, they were a bit disappointed by the advertisement on the internet as a ‘Park’. My wife even said later the lady was asking people to help her focus the large binocular, so no birder at all, and that they probably expected they could feed the Cranes.

A thing I would agree on is that for such a site, an oasis for birds in a barren landscape, they could do a little more effort to get people close enough from all sides to get better views for the average Chinese tourists. They might not be able to feed the birds, but closer views of the number of birds there can help people understand how special the place is at least at provincial level. It could get some revenue in for the locals that, according to the driver, still prefer to eat the birds then watch them. The handful of western birders that can visit the site cannot sustain such an economy. But then again, if you see how easily some of the touristic places in China are overdeveloped and get droves of tourist, I doubt the environment of the lake can handle that.

When we returned I requested to drive by the southeast bay again to see if we could get closer. Unfortunately, the other people in the car were not keen on finding a way closer to the bay (wanted to go before traffic in Shenyang), although I thought (and later confirmed on satellite images) there was a paved road going close to the south edge that potentially could get better views. On top of that, although I could figure out from the side of the main road, there was still at least 1 crane, it had moved to the other side of the bay. Even though I still walked between the fields to the edge of the large reed beds, the views were still a couple of blurry white spots with reddish where a face should be and they were bigger than some other blurry white spots going back and forth (Spoonbills feeding). A walk close to the reed beds could also have been interesting. I had pheasants calling, some pipit maybe, some quails flushing out and some very distant, probably harrier. But all too fast and no time to chase behind.

Thus, I did have my goal species, but still with some regret I was close to have it even better.

Species list for Huanzidong reservoir, 12 April 2018, 10:20 – 14:05:
L = Lifer, C = New to China list, T = New to Trip list, ??=too uncertain (not counted in lists)

1 Swan Goose - Anser cygnoides (L, C, T)
2 Taiga Bean Goose - Anser fabalis ?? – Didn’t actual make ID with Tundra species. Which one is more likely?
3 Common Pochard - Aythya ferina (C,T)
4 Common Pheasant - Phasianus colchicus (T)
5 Little Grebe - Tachybaptus ruficollis – (T) 4 ex along the dam
6 Great Crested Grebe - Podiceps cristatus (C, T)
7 Eurasian Spoonbill - Platalea leucorodia (C, T)
8 Grey Heron - Ardea cinerea (T)
9 Little Egret - Egretta garzetta (T)
10 Eurasian Coot - Fulica atra (C, T)
11 Siberian Crane - Leucogeranus leucogeranus (L, C, T) - 8ex southeast bay
12 Black-winged Stilt - Himantopus himantopus (C, T) - 64ex seen close by
13 Pied Avocet - Recurvirostra avosetta (C, T) - 23ex seen close by
14 Northern Lapwing - Vanellus vanellus (C, T)
15 Little Ringed Plover - Charadrius dubius (C, T)
16 Kentish Plover - Charadrius alexandrines ??
17 Eurasian Curlew - Numenius arquata (C, T) - 21 ex
18 Bar-tailed Godwit - Limosa lapponica (C, T) - 1 ex with 1 foot missing
19 Common Snipe - Gallinago gallinago (C, T) - 5 ex
20 Oriental Pratincole - Glareola maldivarum (L, C, T) - 1 ex
21 Black-headed Gull - Chroicocephalus ridibundus (C, T)
22 Mew Gull - Larus canus (C, T)
23 Common Kingfisher - Alcedo atthis (T) – 2ex
24 Common Kestrel - Falco tinnunculus (T) – 2 ex
25 Eurasian Magpie - Pica pica
26 Barn Swallow - Hirundo rustica (T)
27 Eurasian Tree Sparrow - Passer montanus
28 White Wagtail - Motacilla alba
29 Black-faced Bunting - Emberiza spodocephala – 1ex at the northern peninusula

Trip list: 45 (+23)
Patch list: 27
China list: 117 (+16)
Lifelist: 369 (+3)

Erratum post #70: Black headed bunting at Xiacuiyuan park should have been Black-faced Bunting of course. This was not a lifer or new addition to China list. Corrections made in counts above.

Bart, I absolutely loved reading your description above. Sounds like you had a typical experience for your first visit to an excellent birding area in NE China. A little bit of confusion, frustration, comedy, but you saw your target. Indeed, it takes a few visits to get to know the site well and how/where to go. I've had this type of experience many many times and eventually you get to know it. I laughed out loud about the high heels, wanting to feed, and eat. I was in a restaurant once near a well known crane site near Dalian flipping through a bird guide and the waitress thought I brought my own picture menu! I loved your last sentence of that paragraph where you reflect that maybe it's not such a good idea if it is too easy for tourists to get to

The Spoonbills were probably all Eurasian but always worth it to check them out if possible. The quails were most likely Japanese Quail which would definitely be in the habitat you described.