May 28: Paul Holt on the conclusion of his tour to China: Happy island and Beidaihe
We’d finished our recent China: Beidaihe and Happy Island tour having tallied 41 species of wader including sought after specialities such as Long-billed Plover, Asian Dowitcher, Nordmann’s Greenshank, Great Knot, Long-toed Stint and Oriental Pratincole; we’d seen Saunders's Gulls on six dates and up to 24 Relict Gulls on three; 11 species of thrush; nine species of flycatcher including the tour’s first ever Narcissus, umpteen gorgeous Mugimaki’s and Yellow-rumpeds as well as a remarkable encounter with an adult male Green-backed; 12 species of Phylloscopus warbler; four pipits and 12 buntings. Where in the world could you do this? Happy Island and Beidaihe in eastern China of course. We’d seen Siberian bound migrants galore, found woods with skulking Siberian Thrushes, marshes with snipe and displaying Pechora Pipits and coastal sand flats thronged with thousands of birds. Thanks to a superb ground agent we’d also enjoyed some great accommodation and superb food.
Waiting on Happy Island...
...for the likes of Yellow-rumped Flycatcher
...and Eastern Crowned Warbler
The flocks of birds on the sand flats at Beidaihe...
...often contains a Saunder's Gull, usually a sub-adult...
...and around the margins we found Brown Shrike
The relative wilderness of Old Peak...
...where a look up might disclose a White-rumped Needletail...
...and a look down Godlewski's Bunting
Posted: May 28, 2015