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Message: <blockquote data-quote="rockfowl" data-source="post: 1809186" data-attributes="member: 64295">Tom,I remember the bird last year, and commented on it (actually, it's very rare to see images that aren't birds in the hand). I checked the last four China Bird reports 2004 to 2008 and there aren't any records of 'migrant locustellas' ie Lanceolated, Pallas's Grasshopper etc before 15th May (usual period for the earliest Lancy's, Pallas's Grasshopper) through NE China, the bulk are usually in the tail end of the third week through to early June. There isn't a single record of Gray's Grasshopper published (not that means too much, stuff isn't reported, sometimes ignored ) but we've had two I think over the years both in or toward the third/fourth week of May.They are it seems extremely rare, probably overlooked, many birders leaving when potentially the main chances of finding one on passage would be late May.Again,  I'm not saying it wasn't, especially with global warming changing patterns quite clearly. Just beware, it's both exceptionally early and rare, and if my group had claimed this, we'd have to fight our corner at some stage as has happened in the past.Mark</blockquote>