This post is written from Chengdu Mother and Child Hospital - my best tick of the season turned up 3 days ago. At 3.7kg, with a dark hairy crest, and the kind of prominent tackle that indicates that this is a male of the species - the young gent pictured in this post - has been named Saker after that glorious Falcon we so enjoy watching up on the grasslands. In fact I had to rush back from Ruoergai to get home in time for all the delivery excitement - but not before being lucky enough to watch two wild Sakers in full glorious flight. Lets hope this is a sign that this little boy can hope for a future life of individual freedom - and a childhood where it can still enjoy Sichuan nature at its wild, unspoilt best.
And on the subject of unspoilt nature - I have some more calls from the last trip to the West of Wawu area.
Wawu park this year has been more affected by new development and a an increase in tourists. The birds are still there - but more habitat is being destroyed - and greater numbers of tourists groups can make quiet, enjoyable birding a challenge. I'm afraid this site is going the same way as Emei Shan and Jiuzhaigou - there's even a plan to build the park road in a big one-way circle - a couple of weeks back dumper trucks and diggers were hard at work on the left fork, near the gate, that goes past the temple - they were dumping spoil from the digging on the verges on the main park access road, burying bird rich vegetation and scrub, even knocking down a few smaller native trees, in mounds of mud!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hence our interest in exploring the west of Wawu area and exploring an alternative site for those who enjoy birding away from the madding crowd.
This last trip was the second time I've taken guests to this site - and although the weather gave us some severe problems we manged many of those species we'd expect at the main Wawu site. Grey-hooded Parrotbill were easy during our April vist and during this last trip Golden Parrotbill were plentiful in the lower sections. We've also had Great, Three-toed, Brown and Ashy-throated - the only major Wawu Parrot we're missing is Fulvous. Temminck's Tragopan were also relatively easy, with heavy rain they were standing out on the track - but we've only had Lady A and Silver Pheasant during early spring.
Within this area - where there's plantation at the bottom levels and areas of primary pine at the top (partly logged in the 90's) - gives us much the same kind of habitat found on Wawu - but you're able to get into all that transition vegetation, which you pass over in the cable-car at Wawu, where the sub-tropical rises in into sub-alpine. Lots of bamboo - but I'm afraid the logging has left fragmented areas of primary forest. Animals found in this area include Takin, Red Panda and there have been sightings of Giant Panda. During April we got great views of Asian Black Bear (one of these fantastic animals was recently shot dead by the Police on the top of Wawu because it taken to visiting the top hotel kitchen!!!!!!).
There is decent accommodation just before you get to forestry protection station which marks the entrance to the forest park - but a vehicle is extremely useful since there's a lot of track and it takes at least a 15km before you get up into higher areas.
And I've not to see a tourist at this site - which does make for pleasant birding - and a feeling that you're really visiting wild China.
Here are some calls from this last trip - made just over a week ago
White-browed Shortwing - at the mid section just above a point on the road where it becomes near impossible to drive (you hear the rain- we had some difficult weather). We got nano-second glimpses of 3 birds. Other singers around this point and lower include - lots of Marten's Warbler and Omei Liocichla - we also got a single Chestnut-headed Tesia. The recording of Kloss's Leaf Warbler from my last post comes from here.
Brown Bush Warbler - one of the truly special Sichuan calls. This bird is far easier here than the top of Wawu - Russet, Aberrant and Yellowish-bellied Bush warbler are all present - the search will be on for Chestnut-crowned and Grey-sided.
A nice duet - Great Parrotbill and Spotted Laughingthrush. Just before a down-pour created a mini flash flood. Black-faced and Red-winged are here - and we saw a sorry looking Rusty Laugher in a cage at the bottom village.