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WildWings, 577 Fishponds Road, Fishponds, Bristol. BS16 3AF.UK
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Beidaihe has earned an enviable reputation among western birders for its consistently exciting spring migration. WildWings have led thirteen tours to this eastern mecca and each one has been outstandingly successful.
Despite pressures from development, which are beginning to seriously affect some of the habitats, the volume and variety of migration continues unabated each spring, with dramatic falls of regular Siberian migrants and rare and unseasonal species.
The main attraction of Beidaihe is the opportunity to see much-sought-after Siberian and other far eastern species in a country where the people, culture and way of life are so different from our own. Add a very reasonable price, the sure knowledge that the group will include some top birders from around the UK to help to find the good birds, and it becomes irresistible. Whether you measure it in terms of new species, total number of species, or per mile travelled, the cost represents exceptional value for money - a two and a half week trip to the other side of the world, a round trip of some 10,000 miles, and about 240 species of birds.
And those species include Siberian Rubythroats, Siberian Blue Robins, Siberian Thrushes, White's Thrushes, Lanceolated Warblers, Yellow-browed and Meadow Buntings, Asian Brown and Mugimaki Flycatchers, Needletail Swifts, Red-necked and Long-toed Stints, Great Knots, Asian Dowitchers, Little Whimbrels and Relict and Saunders' Gulls.
Although every spring is different, the pattern and timing of migration and the variety of species is consistent, and birds just pour through, day after day. If we have rain and strong winds, then dramatic falls occur. The numbers of birds involved can be huge, and the spectacle extraordinary.
Each year we turn up something exceptional, from Spoonbilled Sandpiper to Oriental Plover, Fairy Pitta to Grey Bushchat, Blue Whistling Thrush to Blue-fronted Redstart .We've also seen Oriental White Stork, Red-crowned Cranes, Lagger Falcon, Black Baza, Japanese Waxwings, Chestnut-crowned Warblers, Mongolian Larks and Japanese Yellow Bunting, Fujian Niltava, Asian House Martins, Grey-crowned Warbler (a split from Golden Spectacled Warbler), Rufous-faced Warbler, Long-tailed Minivets and Gray’s Grasshopper Warbler. 2007 was no exception with 246 species seen including Ibisbill with chicks, nesting Amur Falcon ,a superb selection of scarce waders, Asian Koel, Japanese Robin and Long-tailed Minivet to name a few.
Optional excursions by coach are offered to the Great Wall; into forested mountains; and down the coast to the south of Beidaihe to visit several estuaries, isolated woods and the legendary Happy Island. On the mountain trip we will be looking for such local breeding species as Chinese Leaf Warbler, Chinese Nuthatch, Claudia’s (Blyth’s) Leaf Warbler, Manchurian Bush Warbler, Eastern Rock Bunting, Grey-sided Thrush, Bull-headed Shrike, Yellow-streaked Warbler and if we are fortunate, Koklass Pheasant and White-bellied Redstart.
We stay throughout the trip in comfortable hotels with en suite facilities; we eat really good Chinese food as you have never tasted before; we have first-class ground agents and local guides; and we really enjoy ourselves. Join us for this unrivalled birding bonanza. Come now, while the woods, estuaries, wetlands, islands and headlands are still pulling in the birds.
Please note: This is an intensive birding trip with long days in the field, and a lot of travelling. It is not recommended for anyone with any mobility problems, or for beginners, we recommend that you are familiar with the commoner eastern vagrants. The trip requires a reasonable amount of stamina. and offers little to non-birding partners - its just birds, birds, birds!
Itinerary
Day 1: Morning KLM flights from London Heathrow and regional airports via Amsterdam to Beijing.
Day 2: Arrive Beijing, transfer to hotel. Rest of the day birding at the Summer Palace.
Day 3: Beijing - birding excursion for Ibisbill and Long-billed Plovers.
Day 4: Early coach to Beidaihe; birding in afternoon.
Days 5-8: At Beidaihe, including optional trip to the Great Wall.
Days 9-13: Optional visit to the south to visit estuaries, woods and Happy Island.
Day 14: At Beidaihe.
Days 15-16: Optional visit to a mountain reserve.
Day 17: Birding mountains (a.m) , return to Beijing (p.m) for overnight stay.
Day 18: Early flight to Amsterdam and then to London Heathrow and regional airports.
Holiday Information
Dates: 3rd – 21st May 2008
Leaders: Mark Andrews and Russell Boland.
Cost: £1279 per person sharing a twin
Single supp: £199 per person.
Deposit: £200 per person
Group Size: The maximum number of participants will be 28 plus the leaders. The group invariably breaks up into smaller parties and couples/ or singles, so rarely are you birding all together. We encourage this independance as we can cover more ground and hopefully find and see more species.
Dates: 6th – 24th May 2009
Advance register for £50 per person (refundable)
No of bird species: approx. 240+ species.
Optional birding excursions
Great Wall - ca. £10
Happy Island and coast (5 days) - ca £100
Mountain reserve (2+ days) - ca £75
Tour price includes:-
* Economy class air travel with KLM from London /Birmingham/Manchester or other regional
airports via Amsterdam to Beijing**
* All prepaid airport taxes
* Transfers in Beijing and Beidaihe
* Hotel accommodation in Beijing and Beidaihe on a room only basis
(breakfast not included) in twin-bedded en suite rooms
* Excursions in Beijing
* Services of WildWings Leaders, local guides and interpreters
* WildWings pre-tour information pack and daily checklist of birds
** Other UK regional airport supplement £50
Tour price does not include:-
* All meals and drinks (allow ca. £125 for meals)
* Laundry, souvenirs, gratuities and other items of a personal nature
* Travel insurance (available from £38.37)
* Visa fees (c£65 for UK passport holders)
* Optional excursions (see above)
