You may have seen my reports from Jianfengling in the vacational section.
I've put them together here, for ease of access (just in case anyone is planning to go there).
This was my second visit to Jianfengling... I was there in February 2009 for a couple of days... report here:
http://www.chinesecurrents.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/ChineseCurrents.com_10.pdf
Wednesday, 27th January 2010, 7.10am to 6pm
I woke up on Monday thinking that it would be good to fly south to escape the worst winter in Beijing for many a year. And just to prove that China is a land of possibilities as well as of extremes, the following day (yesterday) I arrived in a place 2763km from and 30 degrees warmer than the capital. Sanya, in the far south of the island province of Hainan, is popular with those who love sandy beaches, warm sea, and the night life that goes with those attractions. It's also popular with those who really do like to get away from it all:
From Sanya's airport, it's a mere two hour drive to Jianfengling, one of the best rain forest areas in China, and home to the much sought-after Hainan Peacock-Pheasant as well as an impressive supporting cast of mid-altitude southern China species, many of which are represented by sub-species that are endemic to the island.
This is my fifth visit to Hainan and my second visit to Jianfengling. Last year, I saw some very special birds, but didn't get close to seeing the Peacock-Pheasant. Would I have better luck this year I wondered as the car left the warmth and blue skies of the coastal lowlands and headed up the fog-shrouded mountain. I arrived at 3pm, with three hours of exploring left in the day. Alas, the thick fog got even thicker and, remarkably, I only managed to actually see two species of birds - Grey Wagtail and the ubiquitous Puff-throated Bulbul.
"It will be fine tomorrow," said an old man I passed on one of the tracks. In these parts perhaps it's a case of "Thick fog at night, sheperd's delight" I mused.
Sure enough, the fog had completely gone by first light and I was able to enjoy an excellent day's birding:
The Ratchet-tailed Treepie was an early-morning treat. Interestingly, I saw the same species last year in what could have been exactly the same flock - Greater Racket-tailed Drongo (2) and Lesser Yellownape (1). This time, though, I was able to get some kind of shot of it as it flitted about in the canopy of a 1500 year-old tree.
Then, at 10am, I heard a rustle in the leaf litter about 30 yards to my right. It wasn't a "rustle, rustle, rustle" (which is usually indicative of a feeding flock of laughingthrushes), but more of a "rustle" (long silence), "rustle" (long silence), "rustle" (long silence). Then I saw something move. I picked up my binoculars and immediately locked on to the amazing sight of the near-mythical Hainan Peacock-Pheasant.
Just as I was thinking that photography was out of the question, as very little light was reaching the forest floor, the bird started to move towards a small chink of light that had somehow broken through. I looked through my camera, but couldn't see the bird at all, although I could see that I would be shooting hand-held at 1/20th of a second at a ridiculously high ISO (let's call it the "rain forest setting"). Nevertheless, I gave it a go, before getting back to the serious business of watching the bird (and finding another one in an even thicker tangle of undergrowth nearby).
After checking my camera later, I was amazed that I had actually got any image of the bird. On the basis that any shot of a Hainan Peacock-Pheasant can't be that bad a shot, I've included it in the day's photo highlights.
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Ratchet-tailed Treepie (photo), 1
Greater Racket-tailed Drongo, endemic ssp johni, 2
Lesser Yellownape (photo), endemic ssp longipennis, 1
Hainan Peacock-Pheasant (photo), endemic species, 2
Green-billed Malkoha, endemic ssp hainanus, 1
Sultan Tit (photo), sev
Crested Serpent Eagle (2 photos), endemic ssp rutherfordi, 3
White-browed Fantail, 1
Grey-cheeked Fulvetta, endemic ssp rufescentor, c30
White-bellied Yuhina, 2
Hainan Leaf Warbler, endemic species, 1
Grey Wagtail, 1
White Wagtail, few
Spot-necked Babbler, endemic ssp swinhoei, sev
Puff-throated Bulbul (photo), endemic nominate ssp pallidus, c30
Mountain Bulbul (photo), 1
Scarlet Minivet (photo), endemic ssp fraterculus, 1
Black-throated Laughingthrush (photo), endemic ssp monachus, few
Little Grebe, 2
Black Drongo, 1
Streak-breasted Scimitar Babbler, endemic ssp nigrostellatus, few
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10 photos published today of 9 species here:
http://www.chinesecurrents.com/2010birds6.html
Thursday, 28th January 2010, 7.15am to 6.15pm
In all my years of birding in various leech-infested areas of China, I had never had a single one attach itself to me. That was until yesterday when I had three of the grubs from hell eat their way through my socks to feast on my blood. And then, despite my best efforts to protect what blood remained, I had two more today back at the feeding trough. (BTW If you get bitten by a leech don't google "leech infection"... there are 1.5 million listings).
At least I saw some quality birds to make up for my blood loss. It's a shame though that the photos I took today don't do justice to what was actually a very enjoyable day's birding. The problem with Jianfengling is also its advantage - the forest in particularly old and dense, with many generations of trees (some as old as 2,000 years) vying to get their canopies into the sunlight. Not that there was much of that today anyhow. Low light and big lenses don't go together - particularly not when, like me, you prefer not to carry a tripod around all day.
So not many okay shots, but at least I managed to get photos of both Lesser and Greater Yellownape, which were in the same small flock of birds that comprised several Sultan Tits, 2 Greater Racket-tailed Drongos and probably the same Ratchet-tailed Treepie as yesterday.
Also on the plus side, the Spot-necked Babbler actually sat out for all of two seconds (there are many at Jianfengling, but they usually remain in the middle of very thick bushes).
The Hainan-endemic Rusty-cheeked Laughingthrush showed itself at last (but only for a few seconds, in a particularly dark section of the forest), while the flock of 20 or so broadbills were in view for about 10 minutes but were infuriatingly difficult to photograph.
Miss of the day was the Dusky Fulvetta, which I had in my viewfinder at three yards distance, but I had neglected to turn the flash on (handheld at 1/2 second just itsn't good enough - even for my website ;-)
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*Crested Goshawk, 1
*Greater-necklaced Laughingthrush, endemic ssp semitorquatus, 10
Spot-necked Babbler (photo), endemic ssp swinhoei, c15
*Rufous-capped Babbler (photo), endemic ssp goodsoni, few
Greater Racket-tailed Drongo (photo), endemic ssp johni, 4
*Hainan Barbet (Clements = Black-browed Barbet, oorti faber), 2
*Dusky Fulvetta, endemic ssp arguta, sev
Mountain Bulbul , few
Hainan Leaf Warbler (2 photos), endemic species, few
Sultan Tit, 8
Lesser Yellownape (photo), endemic ssp longipennis, 1
Ratchet-tailed Treepie (2 photos), 1
*Greater Yellownape (2 photos), 1
*Asian Palm Swift (photo), c20
Chinese Bulbul, sev
Crested Serpent Eagle, endemic ssp rutherfordi, 2
White-browed Fantail, few
*Silver-breasted Broadbill (photo), endemic ssp polionotus, c20
*Red-flanked Bluetail, ssp cyanurus, 1
*Large Woodshrike, ssp hainanus (also Indochina), 1
Grey Wagtail, few
White Wagtail, few
*Rufous-faced Warbler, 1
*Rufous-cheeked Laughingthrush, endemic species castanotis, few
Grey-cheeked Fulvetta, endemic ssp rufescentor, c30
White-bellied Yuhina, 2
Puff-throated Bulbul, endemic nominate ssp pallidus, c20
Scarlet Minivet, endemic ssp fraterculus, few
Black-throated Laughingthrush, endemic ssp monachus, few
Little Grebe, 2
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*Indicates first time seen on this trip
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12 photos published today of 9 species
can be seen at:
http://www.chinesecurrents.com/2010birds7.html
Friday, 29th January 2010, 7.10am to 5.50pm
A brighter day than yesterday, but where to go? I toyed with the idea of spending the morning in an area where Hainan Partridge has been seen in previous years. But the idea of creeping around in the dark forest just wasn't appealing (limited photo-opportunities + numerous leeches). Decided, instead, to walk the same mountain road as I had walked last year (in February), when I had managed to get some poor shots of a small flock of the Hainan-endemic Whitehead's Magpies (I use White-winged Magpie for xanthomelana, which can be found on the mainland).
Whitehead's Magpie was first described by Ogilvie-Grant in 1899. He named it whiteheadia, in honour of John Whitehead, the English explorer and naturalist, who had discovered the species. Alas, after contracting malaria, the 38 year-old Whitehead died on Hainan, near Haikou, the island's capital, in June 1899.
Interestingly, the IBC's verdict is: "Races well differentiated, possibly worthy of separate species". But split or no split, it would be wonderful if Whitehead's contribution to Hainan ornithology were honoured by a name-change (by more than one person). And, if you're in the mood, there's also Whitehead's Silver Pheasant that's endemic to Hainan.
This time, though, no Whitehead's or anyone else's magpies or pheasants, and not much else to be honest during the four-hour walk – other than a view of the head of a Red-headed Trogon, arguably the most impressive of the island's endemic subspecies. Feast and famine birding is most certainly a feature of Jianfengling. But just as you are thinking that the day is disappearing without much to show for it, the place throws out something that, all of a sudden, makes you stop in your tracks...
...On reaching Yulingu, and deciding to walk the circular river-edge walk, a kingfisher flew up and perched on the fence that skirts the track. Blyth's! I screamed to myself, more in hope than anything else. I chose to pick up the camera before the binoculars, which was perhaps not the best idea as I had some difficulty finding the bird in the viewfinder. I eventually managed to get the bird in the frame and could see that it was a "common" kingfisher. But rather than being disappointed, I was actually quite thrilled to get an okay shot of it (a bird this beautiful doesn't deserve to be called "common").
But hold on a moment, are my eyes deceiving me, or does this bird have a peculiarly long and thin bill? A previously-undescribed Hainan endemic perhaps? Intriguingly, Ernst Hartert in his fascinating paper The Birds of Hainan, published in the 1910 Journal of Zoology (pp 189-254) remarks that, "All these ["common" Kingfisher] specimens have comparatively long bills". Then again, he went on to say that he found them "equally long in many Indian examples". Oh, well, dream on...
Talking of Hainan endemics (real ones this time), I managed to find another Red-headed Trogon (ssp hainanus), which sat out in the open, in good light, long enough for me to get a couple of shots of it.
I have to fly back to Beijing tomorrow, and I will only be able to bird for two hours before I have to leave for the airport. So, let's hope for a bright start in more ways than one.
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*Grey-chinned Minivet (photos of m&f), 2
Hainan Barbet (photo), aka Black-browed Barbet, oorti faber, 8
*Fork-tailed Sunbird (photo), nominate endemic subspecies christinae, 2
Grey-cheeked Fulvetta (photo), endemic ssp rufescentor, c50
White-bellied Yuhina (photo), c30
*Long-tailed Shrike, ssp schach, 1
Spot-necked Babbler, endemic ssp swinhoei, c10
Rufous-capped Babbler (photo), endemic ssp goodsoni, few
White-browed Fantail, few
Mountain Bulbul, few
Hainan Leaf Warbler, endemic species, sev
Scarlet Minivet, endemic ssp fraterculus, 2
*White-capped Forktail (photo), 2
Chinese Bulbul, hainanus ssp, 2
Asian Palm Swift, c30
Grey Wagtail, few
White Wagtail, few
Puff-throated Bulbul (photo), endemic nominate ssp pallidus, c30
Scarlet Minivet, endemic ssp fraterculus, few
Little Grebe, 2
*Black-naped Monarch (photo), ssp styani (also on mainland)
*Common Kingfisher (photo), ssp bengalensis?
*Red-headed Trogon (photo), endemic ssp hainanus, 1
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*Indicates first time seen on this trip
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13 photos published today of 11 species
Can be seen at:
http://www.chinesecurrents.com/2010birds8.html
Saturday, 30th January 2010, 7.10am to 9.30pm
After two hours of constant bird-activity – the best early-morning birding of the trip – I reluctantly got into the car that would drive me to Sanya airport.
Remarkably, within 50 yards of my accommodation, I had found two of the sub-species endemics that had eluded me for three days: Yellow-billed Nuthatch (Hainan is the only place in China this species can be found) and the Grey-capped Pygmy Woodpecker. In fact, I saw all of the birds listed below (except the last three) within 100 yards of my chalet.
The drive from Jianfengling to the airport is always good for a Black-shouldered Kite or two; and sure enough I was able to spot one flying parallel with the fast expressway. The driver kindly pulled over to the hard-shoulder and I was able to get out to get an okay shot.
I arrived at the airport at 11.30, two hours after leaving Jianfengling. My flight back to Beijing was not until 1.10pm, so I decided that I could spend half and hour looking for Olive-backed Sunbirds, one of Hainan's specialities (I haven't seen it anywhere else in China). I headed towards the flowering trees, just opposite the air terminal – the same type of tree that I had seen the sunbird feeding on during my last visit to Hainan. Sure enough, as I approached them, I could hear the distinctive call of the o-b sunbird. The shots (one of which captures the bird in mid song-flight) show a male in full breeding plumage (looking far better than the blotchy males I photographed five weeks ago). As I was watching the sunbirds, a Two-barred Greenish Warbler popped into view. A nice end to a very pleasant trip to the wonderful island of Hainan.
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Fork-tailed Sunbird, nominate endemic subspecies christinae, 2
*Chestnut Bulbul (photo), ssp castanonotus (same as n. Vietnam), 2
*Yellow-billed Nuthatch (photo), endemic ssp chienfengensis, 2
*Grey-capped Pygmy Woodpecker (photo), endemic ssp swinhoei
Grey-chinned Minivet, 2
Hainan Barbet, aka Black-browed Barbet, oorti faber, c15
White-bellied Yuhina, c30
Mountain Bulbul (photo), few
Hainan Leaf Warbler (photo), endemic species, sev
Puff-throated Bulbul, endemic nominate ssp pallidus, c30
Scarlet Minivet, endemic ssp fraterculus, few
*Black-shouldered Kite (photo), ssp vociferus, 1
*Olive-backed Sunbird (2 photos), ssp rhizophorae (s. China), 4 (2m, 2f)
*Two-barred Greenish Warbler (photo), 1
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*Indicates first time seen on this trip
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9 photos published today of 8 species
Can be seen here:
http://www.chinesecurrents.com/2010birds9.html
