Leifengshan - Nabang

Spent the morning on Leifengshan, where we found ourselves at 7.45am waiting for sunrise! Walking up to the top of the mountain along the road was enlivened by Scaly Thrush, Slender-billed and Maroon Orioles and stacks of previously seen species. About three-quarters of the way up we found a cracking Rufous-bellied Woodpecker beside the road, along with a Black-headed Greenfinch singing away from the top of a pine tree, as well as a flock of Ashy Bulbuls. 

Large Hawk-Cuckoo

At the summit a Large Hawk-Cuckoo, Collared Owlet & Pygmy Cupwing were seen but a flock of 100+ Tibetan Serins was quite a sight and sound. The feeding station was relatively quiet with Red-billed Leiothrix, Bar-throated Minla, Black-throated Bushtits and nice views of the series plus some common species being seen. 

Black-throated Bushtits

Tibetan Serins

So we left at 1.15 for the 4 hour drive to Nabang. En-route we made a random stop and saw a pair of Striated Swallows, with a pair of Black Eagles circling overhead. Approaching the town a Slaty-backed Forktail put in a brief appearance. Our hotel for the next 3 nights is rather basic but is the best in town and does have hot showers, although the hard beds weren’t to everyone’s liking!

Baihualing - Tengchong

We spent the morning birding the higher elevations and walked quite a way into the Gaoligongshan National Park. The day got off to a flier with crippling views of Grey-bellied Wren-Babbler from a feeding station. There wasn’t a hide, so we just stood in the open watching this crippling endemic feeding at the edge of the forest some 3 metres away from us. Amazing! 

Grey-bellied Wren-Babbler

There was also a Grey-capped Woodpecker nearby, along with some Mountain Bulbuls, Blue-fronted Redstart, Rufous-gorgeted Flycatcher and other common species. The track up into the mountains went through great forest, but just as last year, bird activity was slow and over the course of the next 3 hours the only new birds were Hume’s Treecreeper, a flock of Black-faced Warblers, Chinese Leaf Warbler and a large group of Yellow-browed Tits.

Following lunch back at the hotel we drove for around 3 hours to a nice hotel at Tengchong.

Baihualing Just Gets Better and Better

In the afternoon we went lower down to Hide No 37 where there were two megas – Hume’s Pheasant and Moustached Laughingthrush.

Mrs Hume's Pheasant

Western Moustached Laughingthrush

1. 1 Mrs Hume’s Pheasant
2. 5 Blyth’s Shrike-Babbler
3. 1 Crested Finchbill
4. 4 Flavescent Bulbul
5. 2 Black-streaked Scimitar-Babbler
6. 2 Streak-breasted Scimitar-Babbler
7. 12+ Rusty-capped Fulvetta
8. 10+ Yunnan Fulvetta
9. 2 Moustached Laughingthrush
10. 4 Scarlet-faced Liocichla
11. 19+ Silver-eared Mesia
12. 8+ Black-headed Sibia
13. 4 Whiskered Yuhina
14. 4+ Black-breasted Thrush
15. 2 Grey-winged Blackbird
16. 3 Large Niltava
17. 2 Himalayan Bluetail
18. 1 Golden Bush-Robin
19. 1 Daurian Redstart
20. 1 Blue-fronted Redstart
21. 2 Chestnut-bellied Rock-Thrush
22. 2 Grey Bushchat
23. 2 Orange-bellied Leafbird
24. 1 Mrs Gould’s Sunbird

Black-breasted Thrush

Black-streaked Scimitar-Babbler

Blue-fronted Robin

Chestnut-bellied Rock-Thrush (female)

Golden Bush-Robin

Baihualing Still...!!

Hide No 11 is the highest feeding station on the mountain and the main targets were Hill Partridge and White-gorgeted Flycatcher, both of which we scored, but the latter is a really scarce bird in these parts. The weather was rainy and cold, so the best place to be was in a hide this morning.

Hill Partridge

1. 5 Hill Partridge
2. 4 Rufous-throated Partridge
3. 1 Mountain Hawk-Eagle
4. 2 Golden-throated Barbet
5. 1 Blyth’s Shrike-Babbler
6. 1 White-throated Fantail
7. 3 Green-backed Tit
8. 4 Yellow-cheeked Tit
9. 3 Mountain Bulbul
10. 1 Buff-barred Warbler
11. 1 Sichuan Leaf Warbler
12. 6+ Grey-throated Babbler
13. 10+ Rufous-capped Babbler
14. 8+ Rusty-capped Fulvetta
15. 27+ Yunnan Fulvetta
16. 30+ Red-tailed Laughingthrush
17. 5 Blue-winged Minla
18. 5 Scarlet-faced Liocichla
19. 15+ Rusty-fronted Barwing
20. 8+ Black-headed Sibia
21. 6+ Beautiful Sibia
22. 5 Chestnut-vented Nuthatch
23. 2 Long-tailed Thrush
24. 5 Black-breasted Thrush
25. 3 Grey-winged Blackbird
26. 1 White-gorgeted Flycatcher
27. 6 Large Niltava
28. 7 Himalayan Bluetail
29. 5+ Rufous-gorgeted Flycatcher
30. 1 Mrs Gould’s Sunbird
31. 1 White Wagtail

Chestnut-vented Nuthatch

Himalayan Bluetail

Long-tailed Thrush

Mountain Bulbul

Red-tailed Laughingthrush and Rufous-throated Partridge

View from the hide

Baihualing - second afternoon

We literally had to tear ourselves away from the morning's hide as we all wanted to see a male Scarlet Finch but we’d already booked Hide No 77 for the afternoon. The highlights from this more open setting was a great little Chestnut-headed Tesia, 3 species of barbet side-by-side, a few Long-tailed Sibias, Chestnut Thrush, another Long-tailed Thrush and a very obliging Streaked Spiderhunter.

1. 4 Rufous-throated Partridge
2. 2 Great Barbet
3. 4 Golden-throated Barbet
4. 1 Blue-throated Barbet
5. 3 Ashy Drongo
6. 2 Yellow-cheeked Tits
7. 1 Chestnut-headed Tesia
8. 2 Buff-barred Warbler
9. 2 Hill Prinia
10. 4+ Rufous-capped Babbler
11. 9+ Rusty-capped Fulvetta
12. 20+ Yunnan Fulvetta
13. 25+ Red-tailed Laughingthrush
14. 12+ Blue-winged Minla
15. 4 Scarlet-faced Liocichla
16. 10+ Rusty-fronted Barwing
17. 9+ Silver-eared Mesia
18. 7+ Black-headed Sibia
19. 10+ Beautiful Sibia
20. 4 Long-tailed Sibia
21. 3+ Whiskered Yuhina
22. 5+ Chestnut-vented Nuthatch
23. 1 Long-tailed Thrush
24. 4 Black-breasted Thrush
25. 1 Chestnut Thrush
26. 3+ Large Niltava
27. 6+ Himalayan Bluetail 
28. 3+ Rufous-gorgeted Flycatcher
29. 2 Orange-bellied Leafbird
30. 2 Black-throated Sunbird
31. 1 Streaked Spiderhunter

Beautiful Sibia

Blue-throated Barbet

Chestnut Thrush

Chestnut-headed Tesia

Golden-throated Barbet

Great, Blue-throated & Golden-throated Barbet

Hill Prinia

Himalayan Bluetail (female)

Long-tailed Sibia

Long-tailed Sibia

Orange-bellied Leafbird

Red-tailed Laughingthrush

Rufous-throated Partridge

Rusty-fronted Barwing

Scarlet-faced Liocichla

Streaked Spiderhunter

Yellow-cheeked Tit

Yunnan Fulvetta