Photos with this report (click to enlarge) | |||
 Yellow browed Bunting |
 Black tailed Gull |
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Organization
Jean WANG (bsots@263.net or wyzjeancn@yahoo.com.cn) is based in Beidaihe and organized transport, accommodation and a local guide to the Ibisbill site. She did a great job and I cannot recommend her more strongly.
Our transport to and from Beijing including accommodation for 4 nights, a days car hire with guide and Great wall entrance fees and food came to no more than £300 for the two of us in total!
The Ibisbill trip cost us £100 for the day plus tips, and US$50 for the accommodation at Beijing Capital Airport Hotel. Exchange rates were roughly 10Yuan to 1 GBPound.
The HKBWS directed me to publicvisit@wwf.org.hk to organize a Mai Po permit.
Itinerary
(11.09.2010: Mai Po, Hong Kong
13.09.2010: Afternoon visit to the Guangzhou Botanical Gardens)
15.09.2010 : Ibisbill site and Sha Ta Lake
20.09.2010: Arrived Beidaihe, short evening spell at Lighthouse Point
21.09.2010: Lighthouse Point, coast south of Jinshan Hotel
22..09.2010: Lighthouse Point, Jinshan Fields, Lotus Hill
23.09.2010: Jaioshan Great Wall, Beidaihe Reservoir, Sandflats
24.10.2010: Sandflats, Jinshan fields,
Some notes on visited sites
Ibisbill site: North of Huairou: Be Hai River/Bai He (?) Ecographical Park
A 2 hour drive from Beijing. Our Mandarin speaking guides added excitement to the day out, as we didn’t know what to expect every time they called a bird! The Ibisbill site did not look promising, as a dump truck was moving around 30 metres from the birds! No sign of the Long billed Plovers on this occasion. Crested Kingfisher is in the locality but we opted for a stab at Pied Harrier.
http://77.167.75.191/doc/doca00070.pdf for map of the Ibisbill site.
Sha Ta Lake
Close to Beijing. Looked promising but didn’t really deliver in the limited time. A good number of wildfowl and waders but fairly distant. No harriers but suitable habitat.
Beidaihe
Heavy rain greeted us. Enough birds to keep me busy for my short trip. Could have stayed another week. Saw 3 other birders during the whole trip; some of the key birds they saw during the 4 day period are in brackets. Clearly still enough good birds available for your above average optimistic patch worker.
Jean got us into the Reservoir; the entrance near the International Hotel is the main access. Jinshan Fields was great unless someone got in there before you and booted everything out. The Sandflats were good , but time your visits accordingly. About 10-12Yuan cab fare from the Sandflats to the Jinshan Hotel, so a straight forward commute. Lotus hill was quiet, but perhaps the wind was all wrong when we were up there. There’s a 20Yuan entrance fee.
I understand the Jinshan Hotel closes at the end of September for the season. There are plenty of hotels in the area and Autumn accommodation should not be a problem. Many of the tourists are Russian and menus are displayed accordingly! Most birders , I understand stay at the Beidaihe International Club Hotel opposite the Sandflats in the Autumn.
We had a smooth departure via a regular bus service from Qinhuangdao Bus Station (about 40 minutes from Beidaihe) to Beijing Capital Airport. The coach cost about 130Yuan per person and leaves regularly (?hourly).It took 4 hours. Jean arranged the tickets and transfer to the coach station.
Mai Po
No hiccups with the ‘pre-ordered’permit.HK$120 per person (with an additional refundable deposit).Mass Transit Railway (MTR) to Yuen Long followed by a taxi (approx cost HK$60-70) showing them:
Please print this for Mai Po Marshes and show it to the taxi driver if they do not understand where you want to go to.
我想去元朗新田 米埔自然保護區 (白鶴洲停車場) Enquiry: (852) 2482 5237
Weather & Food
Our weekend in Hong Kong was marred by monsoon rain. This shortened our trip to Mai Po to 5 hours in the afternoon.
Guangzhou Botanical Gardens was 30-minutes or so in a taxi from downtown Guangzhou. The habitat was good but we arrived around 2 pm and stayed till dusk. There were quite a few biting insects. The restaurant in the gardens was very nice but the portions were unexpectedly huge. We had an over the top meal for two for about 140Yuan.
It poured for the first 36 hours we were at Beidaihe. We took a half day excursion to Jaioshan Great Wall . This struggled to open till about 8 and we took the cable car up and walked down. The laughingthrushes were pretty vocal and were about a 20 minute walk up from the cable car. There were quite a few raptors in the vicinity. The trip cost us 400 Yuan for the car and driver and about 100 Yuan for the guide/translator. Entry to the Wall was a bout 40Yuan a person.
Accommodation at the Jinshan Hotel was US $50 a day with breakfast. Pretty inedible for vegetarians ( and probably non veggies unless you want what looked like Shepherds Pie for breakfast!) . By the time we got back from birding it was all pretty stone cold and there wasn’t anything like cereal available. The cut fruit had been ‘nuked’ by the Russians, and we didn’t dare touch it. The Oriental breakfast was not much better. I think a late morning walk to the food street we described below probably would have been sensible but we discovered this only on our penultimate day. Food was cheap if you knew where to eat. The nearby hotels to the Jinshan were diabolical. A 10 minute walk up the road produced a good meal for two vegetarians for 15-25 Yuan. Turn right out of the Jinshan Hotel heading up the road, away from the sea. You will hit the ‘China Petroleun Piple Bureau Beidaihe Hotel’ (!) at the T junction. Turn left and a short way along take the next road on the right. You then turn right at the next crossroad. There a pastry shop on the left and some fruit sellers and food stalls. Carry on for about 200metres and there is a street of restaurants on the right. We ate here for virtually nothing. Noodles seemed particularly popular with the locals but we managed a plate of vegetables and rice. Best to come prepared with the Chinese characters for you desired meal.
We recorded 160 birds during our short visit. Other highlights included two sightings of Siberian Weasel at Beidaihe, a Changeable Lizard at Guangzhou Botanical Gardens, and thousands of Chinese Greenwings near the Ibisbill site.
Striated Heron Butorides striata 2 Near the Ibisbill site ,Be Hei River
Chinese Pond Heron Ardeola bacchus A common resident. Seen at Mai Po, Guangzhou Botanical Gardens,Beidaihe and the Ibisbill Site. Some of the Mai Po birds were still in breeding plumage.
Intermediate Egret Mesophoyx intermedia At least one on the mudflats on 24thSept
Eastern Cattle Egret Bubulcus coromandus 50+ Mai Po
Eastern Spot Billed Duck Anas zonorhyncha10 seen near the Ibisbill site and at the Reservoir at Beidaihe. Some at Sha Ta Lake.
Mandarin Duck, Aix galericulata
Be Hai River / Ibsibill site: 4
Amur Falcon, Falco amurensis
a great male at close range near the Ibisbill site. Single on the Great Wall. 4 on wires between Beidaihe and Beijing on the airport coach.
Oriental Honey-buzzard, Pernis orientalis
1 at Sha Ta Lake.42 kettling at the Badaling Great Wall and several passing close by.
Black Eared Kite Milvus lineatus 4 Mai Po.5 Badaling Great Wall.1 Sandflats Beidaihe on 24th
Japanese Sparrowhawk, Accipiter gularis
A pair on the Great Wall at Jiaoshan, singles at Lighthouse Point were nailed down. The other Accipiters seen were mainly European Sparrowhawk, but many went unidentified.
Besra. Accipiter virgatus, 2 birds showed well at Mai Po.
Hobby Falco subbuteo About a dozen birds a day whilst at Beidaihe. Several standing on the mudflats chasing small insects(?) on the ground!
Peregrine Falco peregrinus A juvenile at Mai Po and a juvenile at Sha Ta Lake.
Saker Falco cherrug 1 being mobbed by 4 Hobbies at the Sandflats was an exhilarating sight on the 24th
Osprey Pandion haliaetus 1 perched at Mai Po against the ‘new’ Shenzhen Skyline was a reminder of how close people got to wiping out the marshes.
Japanese Quail Coturnix japonica A female was flushed on the edge of the mudflat boardwalk on the 24th Sept
White breasted Waterhen Amaurornis phoenicurus Several at Guangzhou Botanical Gardens. Common at Mai Po.
Ibisbill, Ibidorhyncha struthersii
Two non breeding adults or first winter birds North of Huairou at the Be Hai river. Great scope views in the middle of the river.
Grey-headed Lapwing, Vanellus cinereus
12 on the Sandflats on 23rd and 24th
Common Ringed Plover, Charadrius ihateu 3-4 birds on the mudflats were attributed to this species, but I’m sort of worried now!
Mongolian Sand Plover Charadrius mongolus Small numbers(up to 12) on the Sandflats
Terek Sandpiper Xenus cinereus 1 on the Sandflats on 24thSept
Pacific Golden Plover Pluvialis filva Several on the Sandflats
Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrius Over a 100 on the Sandflats
Red necked Stint Calidris Ruficollis Good numbers on the Sandflats
(Oriental Pratincole Glareola maldivarum A flock was on the mudflats on 21st Sept)
Grey rumped Tattler Tringa brevipes
2 on Lighthouse point 22nd 1 on the Sandflats 24th
Caspian Tern Sterna caspia Up to 6 birds were on the mudflats on 23rd and 24th September
Whiskered Tern Chlidonias hybrida 3 at the reservoir on 23rd and 24th Sept
Vega Gull, Larus vegae
Several were attributed to this species
Mongolian Gull, Larus mongolicus
The common gull at Beidaihe
Heuglin´s Gull, Larus heuglini A few dark-mantled adults at Beidaihe sandflats
Black tailed Gull Larus crassirostris Several first year birds were on the sandflats and a couple were seen south of Lighthouse point one morning.
(Little Gull Hydrocoloeus minutus1 was seen by team Sweden on 21st)
Hill Pigeon, Columba rupestris
28 around the Ibisbill site.
Oriental Turtle Dove Streptopelia orientalis Flocks of up to 4 birds were seen on 3 separate days at Beidaihe
Spotted necked Dove Streptopelia chinensi Common in Hong Kong and Guangzhou Botanical Gardens.
Northern Hawk-cuckoo, Cuculus hyperythrus
Heard at Jaioshan Great Wall
Asian Koel Eudynamys scolopacea 10+ at Mai Po
Greater Coucal Centropus sinensis 5 at Mai Po
Grey Nightjar Caprimulgus jotaka 1 hawking at dusk near the Lighthouse Point
House Swift Apus affinis 3 at Mai Po
Dollarbird Eurystomus orientalis A single at Guangzhou Botanical Gardens
White backed Woodpecker Dendrocopos leucotos, One at the Summer Palace
Presumed Grey Capped Pygmy Woodpecker Yungipicus canicapillus 1 by the road side on the approach to Lighthouse Point (or was it the amurensis race of Lesser Spotted Woodpecker – I’ll leave you to come to your own conclusion!)
Great Spotted Woodpecker 1 at Lotus Hill. A flyover calling at Jaioshan Great Wall.
Pied Kingfisher, Megaceryle lugubris
One distantly at Mai Po out in the bay.
White breasted Kingfisher Halcyon smyrnensis 1 at Mai Po
Black capped Kingfisher Halcyon pileata 1 heard at Mai Po
Hoopoe Singles were seen on 5 occasions. A distinctly greyer bird on the mantle than the European counterpart.
Brown Shrike Lanius cristatus Common at Beidaihe. Over 20 were seen here. 1 at Mai Po.
Long tailed Shrike Lanius schach 5 at Mai Po.4 Guangzhou Botanical Gardens
Hair-crested Drongo, Dicrurus hottentottus One at Guangzhou Botanical Gardens and another near the Jinshan Hotel one morning.Single at Mai Po.
Asian Paradise Flycatcher A male was at Mai Po
Azure winged Magpie Cyanopica cyana Several on the outskirts of Beijing. A flock of about 25 at Mai Po. The birds looked surprisingly different from Iberian Azure winged Magpies
Red Billed Blue Magpie Urocissa erythrorhyncha A common star bird
Collared Crow Corvus torquatus 6 at Mai Po
Large Billed Crow Corvus macrorhynchos 14 en route to the Ibisbill.4 at Jaioshan Great Wall
Northern Raven Corvus corax 2 At Jaioshan Great Wall
Red Billed Chough Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax 14 en route to the Ibisbill site.
Eastern Great Tit Parus minor A common bird seen en route to the Ibisbill site, Lotus Wood, near lighthouse Point.
Yellow cheeked Tit Periparus spilonatus
A juvenile bird with a small flock of White – eyes was a real bonus en route to the Ibisbill site
Songar Tit, Poecile songara 3-4 birds en route to the Be Hai River / Ibsibill site.
Marsh Tit Poecile palustris brevirostris 2 birds on the Lotus Hill
Red rumped Swallow Cecropis daurica 1 at Mai Po . Common in small numbers at Beidaihe.
Asian Short-toed Lark, Calandrella cheleensis A probable was flushed from Jinshan Fields on 22nd Sept
Eurasian Skylark Alauda arvensis A low flying bird north of Lighthouse Point was an unwanted first lark of the trip!
Common Tailorbird Orthotomus sutorius A couple at Guangzhou Botanical Gardens and at Mai Po
Chinese Bulbul Pycnonotus sinensis Common in Hong Kong. Present in small numbers on the edge of the Jinshan Hotel grounds and South of the Jinshan Hotel. Present at the Guangzhou Botanical Gardens.
Lanceolated Warbler, Locustella lanceolata
A bird at Lighthouse Point and a single bird that attempted to land on my boot was probably this species
Pallas´s Grasshopper Warbler, Locustella certhiola 4-6 individuals were seen at close range at Lighthouse Point and Jinshan Fields
Thick billed Warbler Acrocephalus aedon 1 at Jinshan Fields on 22nd and in scrub over the road from the International Hotel (near the boardwalk) on 24th. Obviously quite a few around as they were seen by all the other birders we met.
Black Browed Reed Warbler Acrocephalus bistrigicepsCommon in the Beidaihe area. Available in almost any piece of vegetation (roadside flowerbeds included!) 6-12 a day.
Radde´s Warbler, Phylloscopus schwarzi
No more than half a dozen a day at Beidaihe
Dusky Warbler Phylloscopus fuscatus At least 3-4 times commoner than Radde’s
Arctic Warbler, Phylloscopus borealis . A total of 4 birds seen in the Beidaihe area
Yellow browed Warbler Phylloscopus inornatus The commonest warbler by far. One particular hedge south of Jinshan Hotel had about 50 birds!
Pallas’s Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus proregulus 3 were seen on 2 separate day. I in the Jinshan Hotel gardens and 2 on the road side approaching Lighthouse Point.
Pale-legged Leaf Warbler, Phylloscopus tenellipes
1 at Light House Wood on 21st
Yellow Bellied Prinia Prinia flaviventris 2 at Guangzhou Botanical Gardens
Tawny flanked Prinia Prinia inornata 1 at Mai Po
Vinous throated Parrotbill Paradoxornis webbianus A flock at the Ibisbill site and another flock at Jaioshan Great Wall
Masked Laughing Thrush Garrulax perspicillatus 6 in the car park at Mai Po
Plain Laughingthrush, Garrulax davidi
A small group at Jaioshan Great Wall preformed nicely.
Japanese White-eye Zosterops japonicus Common in Hong Kong
Chestnut Flanked White-eye Zosterops erythropleurus Common at Beidaihe
Chinese Starling Sturnia sinensis A flock of 40 at Mai Po was an unexpected delight
Black necked Starling Sturnus nigricollis 10+ of these charismatic birds at Mai Po
(Siberian Thrush, Zoothera sibirica.
A male flew over the Jinshan fields on 24th Sept)
(White´s Thrush, Zoothera dauma 1 seen within 30minutes of the Sibe Thrush over Jinshan Field ! )
Daurian Redstart Phoenicurus auroreus 2 males were seen en route to the Ibisbill
Bluethroat Luscinia svecica A couple at the Sandflats. One in Jinshan Field.
Siberian Rubythroat, Luscinia calliope All males. 3 at Lighthouse Point (including 2 on the beach!) on the 23rd ,1 in some scrub near the mudflats and 1 in Jinshan fields on 24th
Siberian Blue Robin, Luscinia cyane
A single female showed well in the car park at Jinshan Hotel on 21st Sept!
(Rufous tailed Robin, Luscinia sibilans
1 in the Lighthouse Point Wood)
Oriental Magpie Robin Copsychus saularis 4-5 near Mai Po and a similar number at Guangzhou Botanical Gardens
Siberian Stonechat A common migrant with up to 6-10 at Jinshan Fields and Light house Point at any one time.
Asian Brown Flycatcher Muscicapa dauurica 2-6 birds seen most days around Beidaihe. 2 at Jaioshan Great Wall .
Taiga Flycatcher At least 3-4 seen every day in the Beidaihe area
Scaly Breasted Munia Lonchura punctulata 55+ at Mai Po
White Rumped Munia Lonchura striata 6+ at Mai Po
Richard’s or Blyth’s Pipit 2 birds were flushed on several occasions over 2 days at the Jinshan Fields
Olive backed Pipit 14 en route to the Ibisbill site. Singles at Lighthouse Point. Occasional flyovers.
Common Rosefinch Carpodacus erythrinus 2 juveniles showed well at Jinshan Fields on 24th
Pine Bunting Emberizia leucocephalus A transitional male at Jinshan fields on 23rd
Black Faced Bunting Emberiza spodocephala Common in small numbers at Beidaihe from the 22nd Sept
Little Bunting Emberiza pusilla Up to 6 at Jinshan Fields.
Tristram´s Bunting, Emberizia tristrami
3 birds at Jaioshan Great Wall on 23rd
Chestnut-eared Bunting, Emberizia fucata One at Jinshan Fields on 22nd and 24th
Yellow-browed Bunting, Emberizia chrysophrys
2 males at Jinshan Fields on 22nd
(Elegant Bunting, Emberizia elegans
A pair in the wood at the start of the boardwalk (furthest away from the International Hotel.)
Yellow-breasted Bunting, Emberizia aureola
A pair at Jinshan fields on 24th
Chestnut Bunting, Emberizia rutila
4 near the Ibisbill site
Pallas’s Reed Bunting, Emberizia schoeniclus.
A female at Jinshan fields on 22nd September