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Message: <blockquote data-quote="FXM" data-source="post: 1640775" data-attributes="member: 48286">Hi Mark,Crane and Stork update:"I assume Mr Diao at the LH has been on duty since the beginning of October, any news from earlier in the month?"As far as I know he's not been on duty at all this Autumn."There appears to be no sightings of Oriental Stork so far this year? Considering that the world pop passes through, have part of this group, the first wave passed through before your arrival, off the top of my head 27th Oct in previous years was around the first wave."You are correct. No one that I have spoken to has mentioned them!"No sightings of White-naped Crane mentioned, traditionally the earliest of the movers?"The Dutch team saw everyting except WNC (and Sandhill). There was always a team in place, and the Dutch boys were trying especially hard for this one."Are you aging the Red-crowned or are the conditions/visibility hindering this process this year, remember last year, evidence suggested a very good breeding year."It would be nice to be given the opportunity to age anything but the weather has been completely against me/us for the most part. The only decent weather came just prior to my arrival during which the Dutch team made the most of it. It was also good for a couple of days subsequently but you can see from my earlier posts that was all I could do. If I/we could age them we did."Very few Siberian Crane juveniles mentioned, as above or mostly adults powering through, as usual, not needing to teach juv's the route?"It appears that the group of Sibes that left Shen Yang did so during the very poor conditions here. Unless they chose to pass directly over the top of the windmill on the flats I/we would have had no chance of seeing them. I suspect they came down on the inland side. I had a look from the Lotus Hills Watch Tower late morning today and it was much clearer on that side. Maybe?"The 07.45 Siberian Cranes on the 4th would again suggest that there is a staging post just to the west of Qinhuangdao,remember we've seen Storks and Cranes rising before from this area. I can't see how they could clear the Jiaoshan Mountain this early and unfortunately, we couldn't do proper counts and risk investigating the area during our previous periods."I arranged for the photographer to show me his photos of this group of cranes but I have not seen him or his photographer friends since. He was certain they were Sibes however. But..."As Martin suggests, Tian Ma Hu could be worth a visit as could the military area JW knows about. Qiliha was the driest I've ever seen it this Spring, so unless they had some decent rain this year, doubtful, it is probably on a severe decline."I'm heading towards the latter tomorrow but it was very dry when I visited it on 5th June this year. Might find somewhere else whilst I'm looking. Plus I've arranged to visit the former on my last morning."Anybody on HI? This area needs to be monitored in future, maybe next year with an FXM team?"I would have been there this year and last but they keep telling me it's closed. If they know the visit is linked to the Beidaihe Crane Festival then I'm sure we could work something out for next year. It's pretty obvious based on my observations that the mudflats here are an important staging/resting area for cranes and storks."Without appearing to take the P, how much time are you spending at the watchpoint ? I know it's difficult when it's very quiet, but remember many cranes are now passing across the bay and will remain unheard and probably unseen from the road inwards. It seems an astonishingly slow year compared with the last three."I've been down on the flats for at least one to two hours every morning and have spent probably an average of 4.5hrs every afternoon.  When the conditions were 'right' the cranes came and you could find them pretty easily. I told everyone about the phenonemum of cranes heading out over the bay and arriving 'behind' the windmill so we've all been looking. I'm also well aware of the 'probable' staging area to the west of Qinhuangdao. Once again I told everyone to keep checking that area. The problem for the most part is that it's been virtually impossible to see these locations. For the most part they had to be close or you had no chance of seeing them. The weather conditions associated with thermals have been virtually non-existant. One interesting thing re Storks is that although the sibes have left the storks are still up at Shen Yang. Maybe they've ALL still to come down - or the second wave at least. "I have a couple of 'big-players' interested in getting involved next year, timing is going to be difficult but it has to be done. Maybe finally, we could put that rather dreadful Birdwatching Centre to good use - I see what you mean Martin, a wasted opportunity again and one we should perhaps forcefully suggest to put right!"Had a look through the window and already it seems to be deteriorating. Maybe they are packing things away for the Winter."Two/three days left Frank? Got to be the prime time to finally see the Bustards surely? Suggest Sandflats bridge early, when they are likely to be kicked off the fields to the north, otherwise a visit to specsavers."There has been one report of a Great Bustard thus far so I've given up on this one. What will be will be. I'd spent my usual two hours down on the sandflats after breakfast. The Dutch team strolled down there later as I headed off to the res. for a couple of hours. Two of them were looking towards the sea at gulls and the third was looking inland and a bustard was heading NORTH in the poor conditions following the line of the road. The usual pattern just the wrong direction. To give you some idea of the conditions: for at least a week, looking from the windmill, it was fifficult to make out the HUGE advertisments that line the main road running north south. The huge signs that bustards do well to avoid..."And yes, Ladakh awesome... No Black-necked Crane (they were in a sensitive area) but I did see two Snow Leopard"Great stuff. Love to go there."Martin, disastrous news about Poyang, are things likely to improve? If not, they'll be better off staying in the north! Be in touch shortly."They were doing great at Mo He but the weather has turned nasty so they've headed off south. More than 2000 Sibes are on the way towards Shen Yang. That's a lot of Sibes and may well be one very good reason that there have been so few sightings this far south i.e they had absolutely no reason to leave the rich pickings of the specially created Mo He. Maybe this will change the timings in future years? Having said that if the ground freezes it doesn't matter how good it is they have to come south.Cheers for now.Frank<img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite2" alt=";)" title="Wink    ;)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=";)" /></blockquote>

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