Beidaihe 2010 Trip Report

By assistant tour leader Russ Boland.

Summary
Wildwings’ 16th trip to this renowned Asian migration spot was another great success our group enjoyed some truly memorable birding. Of a total of 250 species recorded, highlights were many and, to name a few, included a Black Bittern, Chinese Egret, displaying Amur Falcons, two Ibisbills, three Asian Dowitchers, an excellent passage of Little Whimbrel, four endangered Saunder’s Gulls, Long-tailed Minivet, Siberian Bush Warbler, Grey-crowned Warbler, two Blue and White Flycatchers, Fujian Niltava, Tiger Shrike and four Red-billed Starlings. Throw into this mix the ever-popular waders like Grey-tailed Tattler, Red-necked and Long-toed Stints, Great Knot and Sharp-tailed Sandpipers, and the usual array of passerine stunners such as taivana Yellow Wagtail, Siberian Rubythroat, Siberian Blue Robin, Siberian and White’s Thrushes, Yellow-rumped and Mugimaki Flycatchers, and you have yet another classic Beidaihe migration fest.

Development Update
Unfortunately, like many parts of this vast country, and especially the coastal provinces, development seems to be taking place at a frightening rate. The once highly productive Yang He area has been severely affected, with large tower blocks looming ominously along the sky line nearby. Of major concern before our departure was the ongoing development of the Heng Ho Reservoir in Beidaihe. This site looks set to be designated as some form of Country Park, and major works have taken place here recently. Perhaps, in this case, our fears may prove unfounded as some of the habitat created looked excellent and was already puling in the birds. The situation in the south did not give rise to optimism, however. The small, isolated copse which is aptly-named the Magic Wood now hosts a bustling heronry (the result of disturbance to a long-established former site further along the coast) which, inevitably, has had a ruinous effect on the understory. Fortunately, another section of the wood is now maturing. This will hopefully continue to provide feeding and safe resting for a diverse range of tired migrants for which the site has become almost legendary. Such is the rate of dredging, excavation and earth-moving in the general area that the landscape changes noticeably from year to year, yet the birds, the ultimate survivors, keep on coming. WildWings will continue to monitor the situation here, looking at areas old and new. We will hopefully use the knowledge and experience amassed from our many trips to make the most of the brilliant birding still on offer.

Daily Summary
Thursday 6th May
Arriving in Beijing around mid-day on our overnight flight from Amsterdam, we were met by Jean, our supremely resourceful local guide. Conditions here were, typically, much warmer and humid than those we had left behind in the UK. After a short coach journey through the suburbs of this vast metropolis, we booked in to our comfortable hotel. The group were then shown a conveniently placed mini-market across the street, where we could buy fruit, water and snacks very cheaply, including the obligatory ‘proper’ pot noodles!

After a short siesta and freshen-up it was time to hit the field. With its extensive wooded areas and large ornamental lakes, the nearby Summer Palace, a former imperial retreat, is a very popular public park for Beijing’s residents. From our perspective it also offers a gentle introduction to Chinese birding, with the chance of seeing the odd speciality. Once the resident Azure-winged Magpies White-cheeked Starlings and Crested Mynas were under the belt we began our walk around the lake, concentrating where possible on the quieter areas. The willows along the lakeside often hold migrating passerines and we counted up to 15 Taiga Flycatchers, at least 15 Pallas’s and 5 Yellow-browed Warblers and, best of all, a very obliging Claudia’s Warbler. A little later on we nailed our target bird here - a splendid Crested Kingfisher, and were then treated to an excellent display by a hunting Osprey. A male mandarinus Blackbird showed briefly, and continuing the theme two Mandarin Ducks were on one of the wooded islands - a much more realistic setting than your average park lake in the UK! That evening we visited a nearby restaurant for our first taste of superb Chinese food. If you like your Far-eastern grub as much as your birding, then this trip offers the best of both worlds!

Friday 7th May
An early start was required to beat the Beijing traffic out of the city, on our way to look for Ibisbill and other specialities. We didn’t have to travel particularly far to pick up our first notable birds of the day in the form of two Swan Geese flying over the city. This is a winter visitor to the Hebei province but, as we were to witness later, several other species signified a late spring. Several large flocks of buntings were also on the move. Nearing the favoured Ibisbill area, we had time to enjoy a pair of Russet Sparrows, 14 Hill Pigeons and three Grey-faced Buzzards. After a couple more stops where we added Daurian Redstart plus Godlewski’s and Siberian Meadow Buntings, we began a search of the river for our main target species. It wasn’t long before two of these superb waders were located, giving fantastic and prolonged views. In close proximity were two Long-billed Plovers - another river-dwelling speciality. Sadly, this area has not escaped the developers either and it seems particularly galling that it is aimed at leisure, rather than the need to create homes and crops. A very productive walk along the river then produced a singing Chinese Hill Warbler, a fly-over ring-tail Pied Harrier and Eastern Buzzard, several Vinous-throated Parrotbills, Songar Tit, a Crested Kingfisher, 10 Taiga Flycatchers, and single Little, Pallas’s Reed and Japanese Reed Buntings - the latter a real surprise here.

Later in the afternoon, after a short break and a pot noodle back at the hotel, we visited the nearby Yuan Yuantan Park. Although inundated with human visitors, this relatively small park always turns up something of interest and usually holds a few migrants. In the quieter spots we found Grey-headed Woodpecker, at least five Olive-backed Pipits, a Bluethroat, five Pallas’s and two Dusky Warblers, 10 Taiga Flycatchers, a single Brown Flycatcher and also a skulking Siberian Rubythroat, which teased and tantalised the group and gave us a taste of the birding to come. At the local restaurant that evening we celebrated a successful first full day’s birding in China with cold beers and fine food.

Saturday 8th May

Another very early start was necessary in order to arrive at Beidaihe nice and early and maximise our day. After approximately three hours of motorway by coach, whiled away by many of us with a snooze, we arrived at Beidaihe itching to get into the field. Once we had checked in at the famous, and very comfortable, Jin Shan hotel we began a tour of the best local sites. First stop was nearby Lighthouse Point, where a quick scan through a small group egrets foraging by the moored fishing boats revealed a Chinese Egret - one of the world’s rarest herons! A fantastic start and this rich vein of form would continue. Chinese Penduline and Yellow-bellied Tits flicked around in the taller trees, a perched-up Chinese Goshawk was another excellent record and this was quickly followed by a Grey Nightjar which we watched make landfall. Our next call was the Jin Shan Field, an excellent spot for ground-foraging pipits, buntings and chats, and a great vis-mig spot. Literally the first bird we put our bins on, incredibly, was a Little Whimbrel. This is a regular but sometimes difficult species to catch up with, and the vast majority are seen passing over. This was a supremely obliging individual, though, and our photographers must have thought all their birthdays had come at once! The Friendship Hotel was next, and what is arguably the best migrant trap in Beidaihe. The wooded grounds offer superb feeding and shelter for many different passerines, and it is the place to see several thrush species. We recorded our first Siberian Blue Robins, had a couple of Bluethroats and several Brown Shrikes, and then enjoyed excellent views of two superb Grey-backed Thrushes along with eight Eye-browed Thrushes. The grounds were rather busy with resident folk at the time of our visit so we returned to the Jin Shan. A late Rustic Bunting and a Yellow-browed Bunting were seen taking refuge in the hotel’s many inviting hedges, and these birds would whet our appetites even further. A very short bus ride later, and we were scanning the Sand Flats for gulls and waders. Our trip list was beginning to build up very nicely with six Pacific Golden Plover, four Red-necked Stints, single Black-tailed, Heuglin’s and Vega Gulls and a Caspian Tern among the commoner species. We then began a steady circuit of the Heng Ho Reservoir and marshes, and although under development it was clear the birds were arriving thick and fast. Our first Pacific Swifts were seen, followed by our first Black-browed Reed Warbler and a nice party of wagtails, which included several handsome taivana type Eastern Yellows, 10 ocularis Pieds , a Citrine and a japonicus Buff-bellied Pipit. A nice selection of waders including 10 Wood Sandpipers and a Temminck’s Stint were also vied for our attention. Further along and we added Amur Falcon, further Yellow-browed and Rustic Buntings plus a rarer Yellow-throated Bunting, Eastern Crowned Warbler, an interesting thrush showing characters of a Dusky/Naumann’s intergrade and a Baillon’s Crake.

As first days go, this would take some beating and that evening we enjoyed our first of many excellent authentic dinners at the Jin Shan.

Sunday 9th May

The rather murky and drizzly conditions we woke to brought in the first influxes of several species, and the days ahead were richly anticipated. Today would also see Wildwings participate in the Beidaihe International Bird race - an event open to teams in China and beyond which is organised to raise the profile of bird watching in Beidaihe and, hopefully, interest the politicians enough to start conserving the dwindling habitat here.

There was an obvious increase in the smaller passerines, with up to 30 Yellow-bellied Tits and a major influx of Japanese White-eyes at large around the Jin Shan area. Phylloscopus warblers had increased significantly and a singing Hume’s Warbler and our first Pale-legged Leaf Warbler were located at Lighthouse Point. A mixed flock of c.80 Whiskered and White-winged Black Terns passed over here mid-morning. The first Yellow-rumped Flycatchers were found, including at least four stunning males. The Little Whimbrel stayed put at the Jin Shan Field until mid-day at least, whilst a very confiding Blyth’s Pipit also vied for attention here. At the Friendship Hotel the first White’s Thrush was found, along with a Chinese Song Thrush and a Rufous-tailed Robin, but the star bird here was an elusive Elisae’s Flycatcher. The phyloscopus warblers would be well represented with counts of 200 Yellow-broweds, 100 Pallas’s, 50 Radde’s and 25 Dusky Warblers. A couple of hardy souls tried the Sand Flats and found six Mongolian Plovers and 30 Black-tailed Gulls. Factor in an Osprey, two Japanese Quails, 20 Pacific Swifts, a flock of 15 Ashy Minivets, , a Rufous-bellied Rock Thrush and a calling Oriental Scops Owl( it did its best to delay some much-needed shut-eye!) and you have another note-book busting day.

Monday 10th May

Today saw a return to more, fine settled conditions. There had been an obvious departure of phyloscopus warblers overnight and things seemed generally quieter. This is Beidaihe, however, and things are often not what they seem! Several of the group spent the morning at the Sand Flats and Reservoir. At the Sand Flats a raft of 18 Black-necked Grebes bobbed about just off the shoreline, and 15 Pacific Golden Plovers and a single Pallas’s Reed Bunting were also logged. At the res. the resident pair of Amur Falcons continued with their amorous, and noisy, couplings in the tree tops, while down below superb ‘yellower than yellow’ Citrine Wagtail entertained us along with c.30 Eastern Yellow Wagtails, and a highly-desired Long-toed Stint. Later, back in home territory two Richards Pipits were seen, including an obliging bird at the Jin Shan Field which provided a good education as it crept around in the same area as yesterday’s Blyth’s Pipit. At the Jin Shan, a couple of the group were distracted from their Pot Noodles by two passing Oriental Honey Buzzards, while a Pied Harrier passed over Lighthouse Point. With another day of great birding coming to an end, we then learned that Wildwings had taken first place in the International Bird Race!

Like last year, the awards ceremony, staged at the Jin Shan Hotel, was a no-expense-spared event, hosting several hundred people. Among them were innumerable journalists snapping away at the panel of some pretty high-ranking party members. Several speeches later and the trophies were handed out to the stirring refrains of ‘The Magnificent Seven’! We were then treated to another sumptuous spread of fine food.
It was a hugely enjoyable affair, and a prime example of the Chinese way of doing things: a mix of the brash, the bizarre and the bonkers!

Tuesday 11th May

Apart from two more Blyth’s Pipits early doors, it was a relatively quiet start bird -wise, and we boarded the bus for the nearby Lotus Hills after breakfast. This site offers a combination of nice, unspoilt mature woodland and a rather lofty view point that can be very rewarding for visible migration watching - given the right conditions. Although the winds weren’t right for ‘vis-mig’ we like to familiarise the group with all the key local birding spots just in case.

Making our way through the wooded lower section, things seemed fairly quiet, although did we log a Pale-legged Leaf Warbler and a male Yellow-rumped Flycatcher. Approaching the viewpoint we then found a splendid Hair-crested Drongo with amazing iridescent plumage. We decided to spend a short time scanning the skies over the surrounding area - time well spent with two Eastern Marsh Harriers passing through. We also located an obligatory Red-bellied Blue Rock Thrush and had excellent views of a couple of Eurasian Hobbys. Following on from the Bird Race Awards, another journo and cameraman had accompanied us to do a televised report on foreign birdwatchers. The assistant leader was duly interviewed, but one can only imagine how his South Yorkshire lingo came over on Chinese TV!
Making our way back towards the bus, two Greater Necklaced Laughingthrushes were watched foraging near the site of the old aviary. These smart birds, mainly found in South-East Asia, are thought to have been released here some time ago by local monks. Down at the park entrance we then found a cracking Eastern Crowned Warbler feeding along with the Pale-legged Leaf Warbler. We had then aimed to visit the Yang He/Nandeihai but found the route blocked by the police who were marshalling (peacefully, we are glad to report) some form of demonstration by locals. Cutting our losses, we headed back to Beidaihe and decided to visit the Sandflats. Our best find here were two Pechora Pipits, one showing particularly well. Out on the beach, we then logged two Red-necked Stints, two Far-eastern Curlews and three Vega Gulls among a nice selection of commoner species. A small group then decided to bird the reservoir area where they found two more Citrine Wagtails and a couple of Vinous-throated Parrotbills. A couple of hours’ birding back around the Jin Shan area produced, among others, a Wryneck, a Chestnut-eared Bunting and a corking male Chestnut Bunting on Jin Shan Field.

Wednesday 12th May

Our fifth day at Beidaihe and things were beginning to move up a gear. Once again it was warm and dry, with just a light variable wind. After a couple of ‘steady’ hours early on the scene was set for a classic Beidaihe day, and the day would belong to the thrushes. The action centred on the grounds of The Friendship Hotel, which comes in to its own when conditions are right. A male Siberian Thrush set the ball rolling, this bird surviving a collision with a window, much to the frustration of the local Red-billed Magpies which, incredibly, have learned to flush tired migrants in to windows for easy pickings! Four more (three males) were later found - a great showing from this much desired species. Among a flock of c.40 Eye-browed Thrushes were two Pale, a single Grey-sided and two Grey-backed Thrushes! Also in the mix were three (two stunning males) White-throated Rock Thrushes, two Dusky’s, a Naumann’s and two Chinese Song Thrushes! White’s Thrushes are always well received and at least 15 birds were counted in the area from Lighthouse Point to Friendship - an exceptional total of a stunning bird. The chats, too, were very well represented, with conditions seemingly just right for these birds, also. Siberian Rubythroats totalled 30, Siberian Blue Robins 20, and Siberian Stonechats about 40. We were also in the midst of a stunning fall of Bluethroats, with a count of c.100 made. The Jin Shan Field is particularly attractive to this species and the majority of birds were thought to have moved through in three different ‘waves’.
The first three Lanceolated Warblers were found, with Oriental Reed Warbler and Grey-streaked Flycatcher also entering note books for the first time. A Chinese Grosbeak briefly showed in the trees by old buildings that are known as Suzy Wong’s, and 10 Olive-backed Pipits, a single Richard’s Pipit, two Eastern Crowned Warblers, and 6 Yellow-rumped Flycatchers added yet more variety.
After all this, our cold beers tasted particularly good that evening!

Thursday 13th May

Things generally seemed much quieter this morning, although there was a slight increase in phyloscopus warblers, and several Siberian Rubythroats remained at large. We would be leaving Beidaihe after breakfast for four days birding in the Laoting area, but another Lanceolated Warbler, a singing Chinese Grosbeak at Friendship and a Grey-backed Thrush in the Jin Shan didn’t exactly leave us with the urge to escape! The Laoting area can really produce, though, and sometimes difficult decisions have to be made! Our first port of call was the Yang He area where the small wood remains relatively untouched. We quickly located our first Daurian Starling, followed by the first of six Dark-sided Flycatchers. A steady amble through the wood produced Yellow-rumped and Brown Flycatchers, Little and Black-faced Buntings, a fly-over Richard’s Pipit and a rather flighty Siberian Thrush. The next stop was Da Pu Hey - an area of extensive grassland and small copses. Entering one of the wooded areas we were treated to something of a flycatcher-fest, with at least five Mugimaki, 3three Yellow-rumped, plus a couple each of Dark -sided and Grey-streaked among the commoner Brown and Taiga Flycatchers. We also enjoyed several Eye-browed Thrushes, which were rooting through the leaf litter. In the more open habitat we then added Asian Short-toed Lark to our list, flushed four Japanese Quails, and then managed to pick out several more stunning taivana found among a mixed flock of Eastern Yellows. Edging around another wooded area we found two more Grey-backed Thrushes with associating Eye-broweds, followed by a stunning Forest Wagtail.
A little later, the harbour at Laou Yu Jian offers a completely different vista - open sea or a huge area of mud. Fortunately we chanced upon the latter, as the tidal regime, undoubtedly influenced by the development, is notoriously difficult to gauge. Several species of wader were busily feeding close inshore in superb light. With time pressing on we made the most of our visit here, enjoying 13 superb Great Knots, 10 Mongolian Plovers, 54 sakahlina Dunlin, 85 baueri Bar-tailed Godwits and a Grey-tailed Tattler. All these were eclipsed by three Saunder’s Gulls, including a marvellous breeding-plumaged adult.
Our last call was the aptly-named Magic Wood. Concentrating our efforts on the younger plantation, not wishing to disturb the nesting herons nearby, we notched up an impressive number of species for such a small area, including three Whites and a Siberian Thrush, three Rufous-bellied Woodpeckers, a Rufous-tailed Robin, several Siberian Blue Robins and a rather annoyed-looking Oriental Scops Owl that we unwittingly disturbed! Our first day ‘down south’ had certainly been productive and really whetted our appetites for what was to come.

Friday 14th May

After a quick breakfast we were back on the coach and heading for the Magic Wood for our second of several visits planned for the next few days. As is often the case here, things can be relatively quiet early on, with migrants regularly appearing later in the day. However, a Pied Harrier drifted over, two Whites and two Siberian Thrushes, perhaps yesterday’s birds, were found and at least three Lanceolated Warblers were flushed from the grassy areas. Several wary Eye-browed Thrushes, always a good indicator species, were behaving like newly arrived birds. The first of the day’s 20 Japanese Quails were inadvertently ‘booted’ out! Things looked promising for return later that day, as we now had to leave for our boat trip over to the legendary Happy Island. Using new ‘high-powered’ transport, we arrived at our destination in mere minutes, rather than the forty-odd minutes it used to take. The trade-off with this increase in comfort, of course, is that the chances of identifying anything on the way over is almost zero, but it would be great for the odd twitch, though! Happy Island is a typical migration spot: phenomenal some days, just ticking over on others and very poor on a quite a few more! Today seemed fairly quiet, but there is always something to sustain interest. Using the temple as a base, we began to work the wooded inner circuit. There was a nice selection of passerines present, including a Two-barred Greenish, Pale-legged and Arctic Warblers, eight Grey-streaked Flycatchers, four Dark-sided Flycatchers (these two providing a good ID education), a Rufous-tailed Robin, a couple each of Mugimaki and Yelow-rumped Flycatchers, our first Tristram’s Bunting, and best of all, a Blue Whistling Thrush. Eastern Marsh Harrier breeds here, and we were entertained during our coffee break by the obligatory stunning male. It was now time to work the wader roost, with Asian Dowitcher our target bird. Our initial scans from the embankment over-looking the shore were not that promising, with the waders some way out. The tide appeared to be coming in, though, and birds were slowly working their way closer. It was some time before our persistence paid off, with two of our group coming up trumps. The rest of us were alerted and though distant, we could all identify three snoozing Asian Dowitchers. We also logged c.100 Great Knot, c.100 Dunlin, c.200 Bar-tailed Godwits, 12 Terek Sandpipers and 30 impressive Far-eastern Curlews. Back on the mainland, returning to the Magic Wood, it was clear their had been something of a wader arrival, and we were soon watching a party of 13 Sharp-tailed Sandpipers feeding along a road side dike. 30 of both Curlew Sandpipers and Marsh Sandpipers were also recorded. At Magic Wood three more Lanceolated Warblers were found along with two more Tristram’s Buntings, a male Yellow-browed Bunting and a Pallas’s Reed bunting. A good selection of the usual phylloscopus warblers rounded off an excellent and extremely varied day’s birding.

Saturday 15th May

Today we would concentrate our efforts on the mainland. It was another very fine morning, and we were on the road nice and early again for another visit to the Magic Wood. Again, things appeared fairly quiet on arrival, but this place soon gives up the ghost with a little effort. Apart from the usual fare (we were now rather blasé about Siberian Rubythroat and Siberian Blue Robins!) our first Thick-billed Warbler showed briefly, two more Lanceoloated Warblers were found and a Richard’s Pipit passed overhead uttering its distinctive call. Sadly, it seemed one of the Whites Thrushes had met a sticky end, with just the wings remaining from this mystical creature. With none of the dreaded Red-billed Blue Magpies in this area, perhaps it fell victim to a more majestic foe! We decided to try our luck at the harbour area again. This time the tide was some way out, but small numbers of gulls, terns and waders were loafing just out of telescope range. Of particular interest was a single gull that shouted ‘Relict’ but better views would be required to nail the ID. Although soft underfoot we managed to safely negotiate a route across the mud to gain better views. For comparison, four Saunders and numerous Black-headed Gulls were also present. Although still distant, through our ‘scopes the bird, an adult in seldom-seen summer plumage, ticked all the boxes. Ever curious, our intrepid leader even ventured out further, gamefully returning from his slog not in not too bad a condition after experiencing the dubious delights from the Gulf of Bo Hai! Making our way back to the coach, we then flushed a female Siberian Thrush from the sea wall. It pays to be tuned-in at all times! The Big Wood was our next stop. This are has been hit hard recently by the omni-present development, and as we began checking the area over, heavy machinery was at work constructing a new road that will eventually split the site in half. Another Thick-billed Warbler was quickly located near the bus, before we spread out and began a steady walk through the main compartment. It quickly became obvious that we were witnessing the fruits of a superb phylloscopus fall, with the woodland floor alive with these waifs. The majority were Yellow-browed and Pallas’s, numbering some 200 and 100 respectively. Among these were an Eastern Crowned Warbler, an Arctic Warbler and three Two-barred Greenish Warblers. Nearby, a lone Japanese Waxwing and male Blue and White Flycatcher were seen, although only by the chosen few. Next up came our first Red-flanked Bluetail, followed by a Chinese Leaf Warbler - an exceptional lowland record. With such quality birding, we decided to stay put and it wasn’t long before more goodies were found. A large Hawk Cuckoo passed though, a Grey-sided Thrush foraged on the deck with Eye-browed Thrushes but WildWings third-ever Fujian Niltava wasn’t remotely obliging, although the fact that it was a female did ease the frustration somewhat! With such engrossing birding, time was ticking away, and we decided to make a late return to the Magic Wood. Here, the Phylloscopus fall was much less apparent but another Eastern Crowned Warbler was found, along with another Red-flanked Bluetail. We had not finished with the rarities just yet as a female Long-tailed Minivet put in a brief appearance. Phew! For a WildWings Beidaihe extravaganza this wasn’t quite up there with the very best, but it was a superb day’s birding.

Sunday 16th May

This was to be our last full day in the Laoting area. Up early and ready to go again, but before the coach’s auto pilot could be set for the Magic Wood, a couple of the group checked out a small copse across the main road by our hotel - the likely refuse of the calling Oriental Scops Owl. With no owl having the courtesy to show itself to us, we headed back out in to the field. We could spend a short time at the Magic Wood before catching the boat over to Happy Island again. Yet another, or one of the same, Siberian Thrushes was quickly found, along with two more Lanceolated Warblers and two more Japanese Quails, and we had a splendid female Amur Falcon briefly fly over our heads. Apart from this little showing, the general opinion was that lots of birds had departed overnight. Again, we were back over on Happy Island in no time, to find the place very quiet. We learned that yesterday had seen much more activity, which tied in well with the events on the mainland. After dropping our gear off near the temple, we began to work the area again. Shortly afterwards we had excellent views of an Oriental Honey Buzzard flying over. With a stiff breeze whipping, this prompted a few of the group to try a bit of ‘vismig’ from the raised viewing point near to the temple. Birding in the wooded circuit was very steady, with a small selection of species present including a White-throated Rock Thrush, Yellow-rumped, Brown and Grey-streaked Flycatchers plus a Two-barred Greenish Warbler. One hardy member of the group tried the wader roost and was rewarded with 60 Mongolian Plovers, 40 Red-necked Stints, 26 Great Knot, 48 Far-eastern Curlew and 14 Terek Sandpipers. With Happy Island officially classed as ‘very quiet’ today we decided to cut our losses and make an early departure with the aim of spending more time on the mainland. Rain was threatening, and by the time we reached the harbour at Laou Yu Jian it had arrived and become heavy. The Magic Wood was calling, however, and we decided to check it out, heavy rain or not! Approaching the site we counted at least 50 White-winged Black Terns hawking over paddies. The wood itself certainly wasn’t as vibrant as it had been, although we did find another Yellow-breasted Bunting and a Tristram’s Bunting. The rain was making observation decidedly difficult, so we headed back to our hotel earlier than planned to get dried off and warmed through, plus there was always the sole English speaking Chinese TV channel to entertain; number 9 I believe!

Monday 17th May
Usually, wet weather tends to put a dampener on things, so to speak, only briefly, but we awoke to leaden skies and pouring rain! With suitable gear donned, though, we weren’t letting it hold us back and we headed for our final efforts at the Magic Wood. It seemed most of the migrants had cleared out, or sensed the rain a lot earlier than we had! As alaways thee were still birds to be found and our fairly limited list did include a party of five Tristram’s Buntings, a Rufous-bellied Woodpecker and an Eastern Crowned Warbler. We then moved on to the Big Wood working on the theory it would be more sheltered, for birds anyhow! We had a better selection here, including a Large Hawk Cuckoo, a Chinese Song Thrush and a Rufous-tailed Robin, but it was much quieter than on our previous visit. With the conditions showing no sign of letting up we decided to cut our losses and head back to Beidaihe. Before leaving the Laoting area we counted more White-winged Black Terns, this time 140, hawking over the paddies. Back at Beidaihe it was still raining heavily, most of us elected to get dried off and wait out the rain with a cuppa, a Pot Noodle or a bar of Dove (the chocolate not the soap!). A hardy bunch did take a walk down to Lighthouse Point, and were rewarded with an Arctic Warbler among a small showing of regulars. Late afternoon the rain began to ease off, prompting birders in to action. It was fairly lean, migrant-wise, around the Jin Shan area although a nice flock of some 40 Chestnut-flanked White-eyes could be grilled feeding among the blooming trees near the entrance. The ever efficient Beidaihe grape vine soon had many a grown man hot-footing it up to the Friendship Hotel, where another thrush-fest was taking place. A handy gazebo offered some rather cosy viewing of seven (four males) Siberian Thrushes, single Grey-sided, Grey-backed and Chinese Song and 15 Eye-browed Thrushes. The cherry on the cake was a Red-throated Thrush; perhaps newly arrived, it was far less obliging than its cousins. A rather soggy Rufous-tailed Robin foraged near the thrushes and another goody, a Lesser Cuckoo, was seen nearby. The day had ended on high note and we were itching to see what would be discovered the next day.

Tuesday 18th May

By dawn the heavy rain had passed over, leaving rather murky and drizzly conditions. The Friendship Hotel was the main attraction first thing, with the obliging Siberian Thrushes continuing to thrill all who wanted to see them. This site also hosted a stunning male Red-flanked Bluetail, which favoured an area of conifers with up to five Tristram’s Buntings and four Yellow-browed Buntings. Down at Lighthouse Point, a Two- barred Greenish, a Pale -legged and an Arctic Warblers were busy feeding up but general pyhlloscopus numbers were thin. If conditions weren’t conducive to a large passerine fall, they were bringing through Pacific Swifts, with over 400 logged. You become rather blasé at your peril here, however, and the extra vigilance was rewarded with a Grey-crowned Warbler at Lighthouse mid-morning. To add variety, and mystery, two feral Masked Laughing Thrushes were also found here. The murk had all but cleared by mid-day and one party headed for the Reservoir and Sandflats. A good variety of migrants were logged in the habitat-rich wooded, marshy areas by the res., including Yellow-rumped and Mugimaki Flycatchers, a Naumann’s Thrush and 10+ Chestnut Buntngs. Three Oriental Honey Buzzards were watched heading south along the coast. Turning attention to the Sandflats, an excellent 31 Red-necked Stints were counted on the surprisingly high tide, along with a three Long-toed Stints and a Kamchatka Gull. The pulling power of this place was graphically displayed when a party of eight Sharp-tailed Sandpipers dropped out of the sky for a spot of beachcombing. Back at Beidaihe a Yellow-breasted Bunting found the Jin Shan Field to its liking, another Red-flanked Bluetail (this time a female-type) was found at the Friendship and the Siberian Thrush total increased to an exceptional nine birds. As dusk approached, 22 Little Whimbrel were seen heading over Lighthouse Point. As we bid farewell to one of the group who had to leave us early, a nice gathering of Pacific Swifts over the Jin Shan provided a fitting send-off.

Wednesday 19th May

Today, after breakfast, we would leave Beidaihe for a night at Old Peak where we would seek out upland specialities. The few hours before departure turned out to be pretty action-packed, leaving us wondering what we might be missing? Lighthouse Point was the place to be early doors, with two of our group finding a Pallas’s Grasshopper Warbler which unfortunately wouldn’t play ball with anyone else. A party of nine more Little Whimbrel passed over and a White-throated Rock Thrush, Rufous-tailed Robin and an ArcticWarbler completed a nice passerine hat-trick. Elsewhere, 60 Pacific Swifts were counted over the Jin Shan area - the tail-enders of yesterday’s superb passage, three more Japanese Quails were flushed, two Thick-billed Warblers were found, and a single Siberian Thrush was at Friendship. We arrived at the entrance to the Old Peak National Park around mid-day. The warm and sunny conditions made for excellent distant viewing, but a blustery wind made the task of listening for bird song difficult. Our two target birds here, Manchurian Bush Warbler and Blunt-winged Warbler, weren’t giving themselves up easily due to the windy conditions, but with patience we managed tickable views of them in a more sheltered area. A bonus here was a Chinese Hill Warbler which flew down from its lofty refuge to see what all the fuss was about. It was also good to grill more familiar species like Meadow and Godlewski’s Buntings and Daurian Redstart. After a picnic lunch we arrived at our hotel on the Zu Shan mountain. In the right conditions i.e high pressure, this is really stunning setting with wooded peaks and valleys for as far as the eye can see. Another of our target birds, Chinese Nuthatch, was found with relative ease behind the hotel. Taking a mini bus up to Old Peak itself, we spent a couple of hours watching and listening for more target species and enjoying the spectacular views on offer. Apart adding another upland speciality to our list in the form of Yellow-streaked Warbler, plus a pair of Goshawks, it was were rather quiet due to the strong wind, so we decided to take a steady walk down the concrete road which leads down the mountain. The stars of the show early on were the displaying Claudia’s Warblers, which breeds up here in good numbers. Here they entertained us with their delightful wing-dropping exercises. Further Chinese Nuthatches were seen along with two corking Yellow-throated Buntings and two singing Hume’s Warblers. Further down, those with acute hearing would be able to pick out the ultra-high pitched song of Asian Stub-tail, and we were then stopped in our tracks by the simple but very distinctive song of a male White-bellied Redstart. This is an ace skulker and an extremely difficult species to pin down, but as luck would have it, we were treated to brief but stunning views of this enigmatic bird. Our second Elisae’s Flycatcher of the trip was seen nearby and, continuing down, we then located the first of two singing Chinese Leaf Warblers.
With daylight fading it was time to call it a day and head back to the hotel for a meal and celebratory beer, and an early night in preparation for a very early start in the morning.

Thursday 20th May

With a lot to pack in today we were up at dawn, then on the mini-bus and up to the watch points again in no time at all. A spectacular vista awaited us, and the strong wind had dropped to just the lightest of breezes. Taking a steady walk to the best habitat, we were greeted with mechanical song of more Chinese Leaf Warblers and the brilliant display of Claudia’s Warblers. This is favoured cuckoo habitat, and Common, Oriental, Indian and Large Hawk Cuckoos were all advertising their presence. Grey-backed and Grey-sided Thrushes breeds in this area- the latter has a very restricted range indeed - and excellent views were had of one hopping along the road in front of us. Whilst watching Claudia’s and Chinese Leaf Warblers, our second male Blue and White Flycatcher of the trip alighted in front of us briefly. Taking a steady amble down the mountain once again, Chinese Nuthatch,Yellow-throated Buntings, Hume’s Warblers, Silver-throated Tit (an eastern form of Long-tailed Tit) and another Elisae’s Flycatcher kept us engaged along the way. Approaching our hotel for a late breakfast we were surprised to see nesting Yellow-rumped Flycatchers - a species that is thought to breed further north. Yet another Elisae’s was found and our totals for Claudia’s and Chinese Leaf Warblers rose to 30+ and 11 respectively. After breakfast we boarded the bus for the scenic drive back to the lowlands. A quick stop at the park entrance allowed us to get a glimpse of Manchurian Bush Warbler again, plus five Vinous-throated Parrotbills and our second Spangled Drongo of the trip. A short while later our journey to the Great Wall was interrupted by a traffic accident ahead. A back log quickly ensued and it became clear no one was going any where fast. This inconvenience did allow us to add a fly-past Striated Heron to the trip list whilst enjoying an ice cream out of the mini-bus in the hot sun! With no sign of movement ahead, the traffic jam was beginning to put us behind schedule. It was time for Jean, our local guide extraordinaire, to work her magic and incredibly her phenomenal powers of persuasion soon had us moving. Our guides tend to carry a lot of clout! Arriving much later than anticipated at the Jao Shan, we were disappointed to discover that the ski-lift operation has closed for the day. It was a no go, despite Jean’s best efforts! Still, there was good habitat around the park entrance and 21 Common Rosefinches, Arctic and Eastern Crowned Warblers did offer some compensation. A large gathering of 50+ Pacific Swifts put on a show for us as we headed back to our mini-bus. Despite the hold-up earlier we all agreed it had been an excellent couple of days of different birding in a stunning location.

Friday 21st May

Our penultimate day dawned warm and sunny. From the off, It was clear there had been a major influx of Brown Shrikes in to the area - always a good omen. The shrikes apart, it took a little while for new arrivals to show, but when they did it was clear the inevitable ‘headless chicken time’ was upon us!
A Dollar Bird was seen briefly at Lighthouse Point, the first few Lanceolated Warblers of the day were found, along with several Thick-billed Warblers and Black-browed Reed Warblers.
After breakfast a stunning male Tiger Shrike was found among a small party of Brown Shrikes at the Friendship Hotel. Soon after, a couple of the group checking Suzie Wong’s found a Von Schrenk’s Bittern - a classic Beidaihe example of birds occurring in places they’re not supposed to! Next came a Siberian Bush Warbler at Friendship, which had tried to escape detection by hiding out in some small, neatly trimmed shrubs with an amazing six Lanceolated Warblers! In order to see this, we opted to a try ‘bush-tickling’ rather than ‘bush-bashing’ but, alas, the bird was seen only by its finder. Also in Friendship, tenacious birders then found a Collared Scops Owl and a Watercock - obviously not a fussy individual!
A little later another wetland species, a Yellow Bittern, was seen near the Jin Shan Field and remarkably a second Von Schrenk’s Bittern was found in the grounds of the Jin Shan Hotel! Surely the nearby Heng Ho Reservoir had not dried out overnight?
That afternoon, as cloudy conditions began to move in, we once again spread out to cover other sites. Obviously something good was lurking somewhere, and one tuned-in observer checking the reservoir (which was still full of water, by the way) stumbled across an ultra- rare Black Bittern. At the Sandflats there was another good selection of coastal species including seven Greater Sandplovers, 40 Black-tailed Gulls and a nice flock of 50+ longipennis Common Terns. Back at Beidaihe the Jin Shan Field was the place to be with a Red-billed Starling taking centre stage. Quality back-up birds included a well-described Swinhoe’s Snipe and a Richard’s Pipit. An evening migration watch then logged 56 Whimbrel and 28 Greenshank passing over. This had been another classic Beidaihe day, serving up a remarkable array of migrant birds. Daily totals included 100 Brown Shrikes, seven Black Drongos, 30 Oriental Turtle Doves and 12 Black-naped Orioles. The chats were beginning to get rather thin on the ground but 4 Siberian Rubythroats , four Sibe Blue Robins and two Rufous-tailed Robins brought more beauty and mysticism to the mix. The acro warblers were predictably late coming but the 40 Black-browed Reed Warblers suggests the flood gates were about to open for this species. Another wave of circa 40 Dusky Warblers was logged and five Two-barred Greenish Warblers ensured the phyllosc buffs were well catered for.
Back home, the term ‘Mad Friday’ is often used when workers go out on the town after their last shift before Christmas. Here it had an all-new meaning, and that night a very lengthy log would follow more great food and beer!

Saturday 22nd May
We awoke to another fine and dry morning, and this being our last day’s birding we aimed to go out with a bang! Down at Lighthouse Point a Forest Wagtail, a singing Chinese Grosbeak and two Red-billed Starlings got the day off to a flyer. A Richard’s Pipit and a Chestnut-eared Bunting were still favouring the Jin Shan Field but only a fraction of yesterday’s Brown Shrikes remained. Another, or the same, Forest Wagtail flew out from the Jin Shan Hotel, and remarkably another Red-billed Starling, probably yesterday’s Jin Shan Field bird, was found in the hotel grounds constantly trying to evade assault from a Great Spotted Woodpecker. With the Black Bittern fresh in our minds, the majority of our group decided to spend a few hours down at the Reservoir. Although we failed to re-find the bittern, it was an extremely fruitful exercise, beginning with two Plain Laughing Thrushes patrolling the entrance - this is a mountain-breeding species but these could well have been late returning birds. Later, a Daurian Starling, our second Tiger Shrike, two Arctic and Pale-legged Leaf Warblers, a White’s Thrush, a mandarinus Blackbird, a Rufous-tailed Robin and a Mugimaki Flycatcher were nicely in the notebook. Two Yellow Bitterns were then seen (this time in more suitable habitat) and we were once again treated to the amorous couplings of the local Amur Falcons. Our second Pallas’s Grasshopper Warbler was sniffed out and yet another Red-billed Starling was seen - capping a fine display from this rare migrant. At the Sandflats three Great Knots, a single Red-necked Stint and six Mongolian Plovers were the pick of the waders, while a Blyth’s Pipit and a Japanese Reed Bunting were good passerine records. Back at Beidaihe a third Pallas’s ‘gropper’ was led us a merry dance, as they do, and a notable finale was provided by a single passing Little Whimbrel - part of a big Whimbrel movement of some 250 birds - that we watched passing over from the Jin Shan Field.
Again, it had been an excellent day’s birding with counts of six Rufous-tailed Robins, four Siberian Rubythroats, five Siberian Blue Robins, eight Black-naped Orioles, 10 Taiga Flycatchers, 10 Oriental Reed Warblers and 50 Black-browed Reed Warblers among the regular but no less appreciated Radde’s , Dusky and Pallas’s et al. Facing a very early call for our coach back to Beijing, we didn’t have time for extra celebratory beer that night, but I’m sure this trip will linger long in the memory none the less.

A species list by tour leader Mark Andrews is also available.