Dalian (Jinshitan) Birding Reports (11 Viewers)

[Dong Bei]

Jinshitan Sea-farming Ponds April 4, 2014

Was out yesterday after work for an hour. There was extreme wind that kept a lot of the regular flyovers to a minimum. On the Grey Heron picture below play "find the kingfisher". First Swallows and Kingfisher of the year yesterday.

Pheasant – 4
Common Shelduck – 28
Mallard – 14
Spot-billed Duck – 4
Garganey – 4
Eurasian Teal – 2
Tufted Duck – 2
Common Merganser – 2
Little Grebe – 1
Grey Heron – 4
Pelagic Cormorant – 1
Eurasian Kestrel – 2
Common Coot – 8
Little Ringed Plover – 14
Kentish Plover – 25
Black-tailed Gull – 250
Common Gull – 4
Mongolian/Vega Gull – 3
Oriental Turtle Dove – 1
Common Kingfisher – 1
Barn Swallow – 2
Vinous-throated Parrotbill – 2
Crested Myna – 1
White Wagtail – 10
Brambling – 4

 

[thrush]

Nice comparing your reports with those from MKinHK, especially at this time of year, and especially inasmuch as Shanghai's about equidistant to Hong Kong and Liaoning. As the three of us report, a picture emerges . . .

 

[Dong Bei]

Jinshitan Sea-farming Ponds April 4, 2014

Very windy again today and I decided to do a bit of sky watching where the main river channel runs into the sea out on a very blustery sea wall. Tomorrow morning the wind chill is predicted at -1.

Common Pheasant - 2
Common Shelduck - 245
Gadwall - 4
Mallard - 15
Eurasian Teal - 2
Common Goldeneye - 4
Common Merganser - 2
Great Crested Grebe - 2
Eurasian Kestrel - 1
Eurasian Oystercatcher - 2
Little-ringed Plover - 10
Kentish Plover - 4 huddled up under a bridge to get out of the wind.
Eurasian Curlew - 1
Great Knot - 9
Black-tailed Gull - 150
Common Gull - 10
Mongolian/Vega Gull - 3
Black-headed Gull - 3
Barn Swallow - 2
White Wagtail - 2 leucopsis
Meadow Bunting - 1

 

[Dong Bei]

Jinshitan Sea-farming Ponds April 5, 2014

Early morning outing with Stephen and my daughter. Didn't feel like April 5 with a -2 wind chill for much of the morning. My daughter wants to say that she spotted most of the birds! She also does an excellent job on the list.

Common Pheasant - 3
Common Shelduck - 215
Mandarin Duck - 1
Gadwall - 2
Mallard - 77
Spot-billed Duck - 10
Garganey - 3
Eurasian Teal - 4
Tufted Duck - 2
Common Goldeneye - 3
Little Grebe - 2
Grey Heron - 6
Eurasian Kestrel - 2
Eurasian Sparrowhawk - 1
Peregrine Falcon - 1
Common Coot - 11
Little-ringed Plover - 3
Kentish Plover - 3
Black-tailed Gull - 120
Mongolian Gull - 15
Black-headed Gull - 3
Hill Pigeon - 2
Oriental Turtle Dove - 2
Common Kingfisher - 1
Great Spotted Woodpecker - 2
Great Tit - 4
Barn Swallow - 1
Eurasian Skylark - 4
Chinese Bulbul - 8
Vinous-throated Parrotbill - 25
Goldcrest - 2
Dusky x Naumann's Thrush - 1
Thrush Sp. - 3 (flyovers that I would like to have seen land - smallish and silent)
Red-flanked Bluetail - 2
Daurian Redstart - 1
White Wagtail - 10 leucopsis and 1 lugens (I believe the photographed bird is lugens? Not common here at all)
Olive-backed Pipit - 3
Brambling - 11
Oriental Greenfinch - 5
Meadow Bunting - 3
Pallas's Reed Bunting - 4

 

[Gretchen]

Wish I could say I was as good as your daughter at spotting birds. I can't see the kingfisher among the herons - which quadrant is it in?

 

[MKinHK]

That wagtail is a beauty - looks like lugens to me Tom

Cheers
Mike

 

[Dong Bei]

Thanks Mike, I believe it's the first one I've ever seen here? At least I'm not remembering any previously. From what I gather in the book, they are a sub-species that usually migrate south through Japan? Given the description of breeding range (From Kamchatka, eastern Russia, northern Japan, etc...) in the Brazil guide, it seems not that unlikely to turn up in the Dalian area during migration. Maybe most go through Japan or Korea? I do agree that they are a beauty.

Gretchen, it's just in front of the most right Heron.

Tom

 

[Dong Bei]

Country Club April 6, 2014

Family visit to this place from 2-4 this afternoon. Japanese Waxing and White's Thrush are both quality for this area.

Common Pheasant - 2
Mallard - 2
Black-winged Stilt - 1
Oriental Turtle Dove - 2
Spotted Dove - 1
Common Kingfisher - 2
Hoopoe - 1
Great Spotted Woodpecker - 1
Japanese Waxwing - 16
Great Tit - 3
Chinese Bulbul -5
Crested Myna - 1
White-cheeked Starling - 15
White's Thrush -1 (very good for here)
Dusky Thrush - 2
Naumann's Thrush - 2
Dusky x Naumann's Thrush - 20
Red-flanked Bluetail - 12
Grey Wagtail - 2
White Wagtail - 4 (3 leucopsis, 1 ocularis)
Brambling - 8
Oriental Greenfinch - 2
Chinese Grosbeak - 2 (a pair with the male singing)
Yellow-browed Bunting - 1 stunning male in breeding plumage
Rustic Bunting - 4 also in breeding plumage
Black-faced Bunting - 1

 

[Dong Bei]

Jinshitan Sea-farming Ponds April 7, 2014

An hour and a half today after work. More migrants coming in daily.

Common Pheasant - 5
Common Shelduck - 32
Gadwall - 3
Mallard - 30
Spot-billed Duck - 10
Garganey - 1
Eurasian Teal - 8
Tufted Duck - 2
Common Goldeneye - 4
Red-breasted Merganser - 1
Little Grebe - 12
Grey Heron - 4
Egret Sp - 1 flyover today at work
Eurasian Kestrel - 1
Common Coot - 5
Black-winged Stilt - 6
Little-ringed Plover - 12
Kentish Plover - 70
Far Eastern Curlew - 1
Dunlin - 2
Black-tailed Gull - 200
Common Gull - 5
Mongolian/Vega Gull - 10
Black-headed Gull - 30
Saunders's Gull - 1
Hill Pigeon - 2
Pacific Swift - 35
Barn Swallow - 2
White Wagtail - 8 leucopsis
Meadow Bunting - 1

 

[Terry Townshend]

Hi Tom,
Agree that your wagtail is a lugens.. a nice male! They breed in Japan and are scarce winter visitors to Beijing (Paul Holt has found a handful wintering along a small river near his home for the last two winters). Others probably go undetected in NE China, so I guess they must come through your patch on migration in small numbers. Very smart in spring (almost a cross between leucopsis and ocularis with that black back and black eyestripe).
Nice spot!
Terry

 

[Dong Bei]

Jinshitan Sea-farming Ponds April 10, 2014

Early morning visit to the wetlands only. Did not get to the mudflats because every time I tried to leave the wetlands, something else would fly in. Migration is on!

A Coypu has made a residence right in the main area that I bird and I am quite happy to see at least one mammal species when I visit. This morning he/she was out finding something to eat.

Be sure to play the "find the Dunlin!" challenge on the picture below. I also like the shot of the Garganey landing. To me, it looks like 3 pictures of one individual stitched together.

The camera was rolling this morning

Common Pheasant - 1
Common Shelduck - exactly 50
Falcated Duck - 18 (some winter here and are long gone. Each spring, more come in from the south in smaller numbers, refuel, and leave quite quickly)
Mallard - 30
Spot-billed Duck - 10
Garganey - 3
Eurasian Teal - 3
Tufted Duck - 2
Little Grebe - 7
Grey Heron - 8
Eurasian Kestrel - 1
Eastern Buzzard - 1 very high and migrating straight north
Common Coot - 8
Little-ringed Plover - 8
Kentish Plover - 80
Spotted Redshank - 1
Dunlin - 1
Black-tailed Gull - 30
Common Gull - 30
Mongolian/Vega Gull - 2
Black-headed Gull - 15
Chinese Penduline Tit - 5
Yellow-bellied Tit - 1
Barn Swallow - 8
Dusky/Naumann's Thrush - 4
White Wagtail - 5 leucopsis, 15 ocularis
Yellow Wagtail - 2 thunbergi
Richard's Pipit - 1
Red-throated Pipit - 2
Buff-bellied Pipit - 20
Brambling - 15
Oriental Greenfinch - 3
Eurasian Siskin - 1
Meadow Bunting - 2
Chestnut-eared Bunting - 2
Black-faced Bunting - 2
Pallas’s Reed Bunting - 5
Japanese Reed Bunting - 1

 

[Dong Bei]

some

more

 

[Dong Bei]

last

ones

 

[Dong Bei]

Country Club April 10, 2014

Very brief (40 minutes) visit after work. Didn't cover all the areas there.

Common Pheasant - 2
Eurasian Kestrel - 2
Oriental Turtle Dove - 2
Spotted Dove - 2
Japanese Waxwing - 4
Japanese Tit - 2
Chinese Bulbul - 3
Red-billed Starling - 2
White-cheeked Starling - 6
Eurasian Blackbird - 1
Pale Thrush - 1
Naumann's Thrush - 1
Dusky Thrush - 8
Dusky/Naumann's Thrush - 20
Red-flanked Bluetail - 2
White Wagtail - 3 leucopsis
Yellow Wagtail - 1
Olive-backed Pipit - 10
Brambling - 35
Oriental Greenfinch - 5
Yellow-browed Bunting - 1
Rustic Bunting - 2
Yellow-throated Bunting - 1
Black-faced Bunting - 6

 

[Dong Bei]

the

rest

 

[MKinHK]

Nicde shot of the Dusky Thrush Tom

Mike

 

[Gretchen]

Nice shot of the Dusky Thrush Tom

Mike

And I enjoyed seeing the flock of brambling in the grass - I haven't seen a group like that.

 

[Dong Bei]

Geopark Platform area April 11, 2014

Things continue to roll here with a short visit to the Geopark entrance area. Turned into more than 50 Bluetails and 6 Grey-faced Buzzards! While Grey-faced Buzzard does pass through in the fall in high numbers (ex: Laotieshan), they are not usually seen heading north through the areas I usually cover. The Bluetails were 5-10 in every direction and lined the access road in and out as well. This morning I saw 3 from where I park my bike to my office. Also the first warbler of the year yesterday, 1 Pallas's Leaf Warbler.


Jinshitan Geopark Platform area, CN-21
11-Apr-2014 15:00 - 16:00
Protocol: Traveling
0.5 kilometer(s)
18 species (+1 other taxa)

Gray-faced Buzzard 6
Far Eastern Curlew 1
Black-tailed Gull 10
Peregrine Falcon 1
Barn Swallow 1
Coal Tit 1
Yellow-bellied Tit 4
Japanese Tit 5
Pallas's Leaf Warbler 1
Light-vented Bulbul 2
White-browed Chinese Warbler 1
Red-flanked Bluetail 50
Siberian Stonechat 1
Dusky/Naumann's Thrush 4
White Wagtail 1 leucopsis
Olive-backed Pipit 2
Meadow Bunting 2
Black-faced Bunting 12
Brambling 14
Oriental Greenfinch 12

 

[Dong Bei]

Sea-farming Ponds April 11, 2014

I quickly left the Geopark area to see what was happening at the ponds. There was a large machine touching up the banks of my favourite pond so not much birdlife in the area. The weather was also getting cold fast and there was some fog developing. I had dressed for warmer weather and left after just a short look around.

Jinshitan Sea-farming Ponds, CN-21
11-Apr-2014 16:00 - 16:45
Protocol: Traveling
1.0 kilometer(s)
35 species (+1 other taxa)

Play the "count the ducks" photo below (Common Shelduck). Take a good look and then estimate the total. Guaranteed you'll guess low.

Common Shelduck 85
Mallard 35
Eastern Spot-billed Duck 5
Eurasian Teal 9
Tufted Duck 2
Common Goldeneye 6
Common Merganser 4
Red-breasted Merganser 1
Ring-necked Pheasant 3
Little Grebe 8
Gray Heron 10
Eurasian Sparrowhawk 1
Eurasian Coot 6
Kentish Plover 5
Little Ringed Plover 4
Common Sandpiper 1
Black-headed Gull 10
Black-tailed Gull 40
Common Gull 20
Mongolia/Vega Gull 5
Oriental Turtle-Dove 3
Pacific Swift 35
Eurasian Kestrel 2
Barn Swallow 30
Red-rumped Swallow 1
Japanese Tit 2
Vinous-throated Parrotbill 5
Red-flanked Bluetail 3
Daurian Redstart 1
Dusky/Naumann's Thrush 3
Crested Myna 2
Eastern Yellow Wagtail 1
White Wagtail 12 10 ocularis, 2 leucopsis
Buff-bellied Pipit 5
Yellow-throated Bunting 3
Brambling 4

 

[Dong Bei]

Country Club April 12, 2014

Massive count of 112 Bluetails at the Country Club this afternoon! They are everywhere at the moment. 3 at work, 2 outside the place we had dinner, 3 beside my garage. Male Bluetails are as pretty as birds get here in the north.

Country Club, CN-21
12-Apr-2014 15:00 - 16:30
Protocol: Traveling
1.0 kilometer(s)
18 species (+1 other taxa)

Mallard 2
Little Egret 2
Japanese Tit 4
Red-flanked Bluetail 112 Amazing numbers, huge fallout
Gray-backed Thrush 1
Eurasian Blackbird 1
Dusky Thrush 20
Naumann's Thrush 3
Dusky/Naumann's Thrush 10
White-cheeked Starling 6
Gray Wagtail 1
White Wagtail 1 1 leucopsis
Olive-backed Pipit 2
Japanese Waxwing 15
Yellow-throated Bunting 2
Black-faced Bunting 10
Brambling 8
Oriental Greenfinch 4
Chinese Grosbeak 6