Paul Holt on his just-concluded tour to the Beidaihe and Happy Island, China

We've been doing tours to Beidaihe and Happy Island, probababy East Asia's most easily accessed premier migration site, for 20 years and it still produces surprises. This year's highlights included eight Reed Parrotbills (arguably the world's most attractive parrotbill) and great looks at a phenomenal array of shorebirds including three Nordmann's Greenshank, over 140 Asian Dowitchers, 4000 Great Knot, 1525 Broad-billed Sandpipers and a Long-billed Plover. In addition we saw an impressive variety of northbound Siberian migrants such as Siberian Thrush, Siberian Rubythroat and Pechora Pipit; an array of Chinese specialities that included eight different Green-backed Flycatchers and several encounters with both Grey-sided and Chinese Thrushes; and globally threatened species such as Chinese Egret, Japanese Waxwing and Yellow-breasted Bunting. We also found a Kamchatka Warbler, a new bird for east China's Hebei province, and even found time to take in the Great Wall.

Reed Parrotbill

Asian Dowitcher

Green-backed Flycatcher

Amur Falcon female