Sichuan & Tibetan Plateau Tour

Sichuan lies in the very heart of China and is situated on the eastern edge of the vast Tibetan Plateau.  It is a huge province, the size of France and hosts the richest concentration of Chinese specialities and endemics in this vast country. There is a remarkable wealth of birdlife waiting in its rich evergreen and temperate forests, alpine meadows, mighty snow-capped mountains and grasslands of the Tibetan Plateau which form some of the most spectacular scenery of any bird tour! Our unique and special  two-week tour visited the mountains of Labahe,  Balang Shan, Mengbi Shan, the Tibetan Plateau, and finished with a post-tour extension to Shaanxi Province for the amazing Crested Ibis. In all we recorded 275 species which included 54 endemic, near endemic and breeding-endemics. Amongst a very special selection of spectacular species the bird of the trip was Temminck’s Tragopan and families very well represented including 14 ‘galliformes’, 25 species of warbler, 28 species of babbler and 9 species of Rosefinch. 

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Following an overnight flight from London via Hong Kong we eventually arrived at Chengdu in the early afternoon. After meeting Tang Jun we drove to a restaurant for lunch before paying a visit to Yuantan Park where despite the number of people and noise managed to notch up a few birds. First up was Chinese Blackbird, looking and sounding different to the blackbirds back in the UK. A few Vinous-throated Parrotbills showed very well, as did a cracking Yellow-billed (Chinese) Grosbeak, Collared Finchbill and several White-browed Laughingthrushes. With plenty of Chinese Bulbuls, a few Black-throated Tits, Himalayan Swiftlet, and a few other common species we had made a decent start and with most of the target species seen headed to our nearby hotel for a much needed rest before dinner.

We left Chengdu early the next morning and headed out across the Red Basin, a huge area of lowland cultivation, stopping to check out a small wooded area beside a river. What a great move this turned out to be as a displaying Forest Wagtail was seen, quickly followed by a pair of Swinhoe’s Minivets and a very fine Tiger Shrike. A small flock of Ashy-throated Parrotbills also came into view along the narrow stream, and as we watched them a very bright male Yellow-rumped Flycatcher flew in. With a couple of Grey-headed Canary-flycatchers and Asian Paradise-flycatcher, Oriental Greenfinch and a pair of Chinese Grosbeaks seen as well, along with some commoner species things were going well. Moving on, we checked out some sites for Hwamei but only succeeded in getting an Asian Drongo-cuckoo and Brownish-flanked Bush-warbler. So by now it was late morning and we headed to a great little restaurant in Ya’an for another great meal before driving further west to Labahe. 

The road went for miles through a spectacularly scenic river valley with huge, forest-clad mountains on either side and we then stopped to watch a Brown Dipper feeding in the tumbling river. Also here was a Spangled Drongo and a very tape-responsive Alstrom’s Warbler. Once inside the reserve we walked a few kilometres along the road and despite the misty & drizzly conditions managed decent views of Dark-sided Flycatcher, the endemic Yellow-bellied and several Green-backed Tits, a wing-flicking Claudia’s Warbler and a heard only Bianchi’s Warbler. A large flock of Asian House-martins and Himalayan Swiftlets held one or two Pacific Swifts, and a few White-throated Needletails also put in an appearance. Other birds seen included Blue Whistling-thrush, White-capped and Plumbeous Water-Redstarts, Japanese Tit and Red-billed Blue Magpie before reaching our accommodation for the next four nights, set amidst superb forest at 1950m.

Chinese Crested Tern

Chinese Crested Tern copyright Tony Mills

Here's one final photo from my south-east China tour - this one of Chinese Crested Tern on the Min Jiang Estuary is by tour participant Tony Mills. Considering the misty conditions it's a great shot. You should check out his own website at www.notjustbirds.com and see some really great photo libraries.

SE China - the last day

A last early start saw us following the paved path that meanders along the side of the mountains here and despite the humid conditions we enjoyed some great sightings. A flock of Indochinese Yuhinas gave an outstanding show as they came in to inspect our owlet imitation, which also attracted a Chestnut Bulbul as well. 

Indochinese Yuhinas

Both Grey-sided and Streak-breasted Scimitar-babblers and Great Barbet also showed well, as did Orange-bellied Leafbird, whilst Scarlet Minivet was a little distant. A White-necklaced Partridge called repeatedly from the hill above us and was seen briefly by the leaders, but couldn’t be lured closer. Returning to the car park we followed the path beside a fast-flowing mountain stream where a Blue Whistling-thrush flew by, and our final new bird of the tour was a splendid Slaty-backed Forktail to finish our birding in this seldom visited corner of China. In the afternoon we flew back to Shanghai and said our goodbyes to Menxiu who had proven to be a superb guide and a good friend.

Collared Finchbill

David's Fulvetta

Slaty-backed Forktail

Chinese Crested Tern

Another attempt at the elusive Chinese Crested Tern necessitated a 4.40am departure from the hotel, however with driving rain and dense mist it did seem like rather a foolish thing to do! Yet upon arrival at the narrow channel where our boatman was waiting to ferry us across to the estuary, the rain eased enough for us to seriously consider going for it. Once everyone was across and with the day brightening the thick mist was the next obstacle we had to overcome. The tide was receding rapidly but we just couldn’t see more than 50 yards in any direction, but we decided to wade across the channel onto the opposite side of the estuary and try our luck there. The mist did recede a little and we began to see some waders moving around but it was hard going. A small group of around 15 Great Crested Terns could just be made out in the poor conditions some distance away, but there wasn’t anything paler readily apparent amongst them. When they flew away some of the group decided to go with Menxiu and look for White-shouldered Starling so leaving a few foolish souls to continue the apparently futile tern search. Well, after a little while we could see blue sky and the mist lifted just enough to raise our optimism and then we started to hear terns somewhere in the distance and walked towards the commotion. Sure enough we could just about make out a group of Great Crested Terns, which promptly flew off and we wondered if it was just not to be our day. All of a sudden we picked up a couple of terns at the water’s edge which flew up and close past us showing very pale upperparts and a long, dark tipped bill – Chinese Crested Terns!! They disappeared into the mist and celebrations began. But we were not done as the distinctive sound of more terns carried to us through the dense bank of mist further along the coast. So we walked towards it and spotted a line of Great Cresteds on a sand bar, as well as the two Chinese Crested Terns again. The mist lifted sufficiently and we edged closer and closer until we daren’t go any more and lapped up the views of these incredibly rare birds. 

Chinese Crested Tern

Apologies for very rubbish photo (it's the 2 birds on the left!) but hopefully I can post some much better pics later from one of the tour participants.

So feeling rather elated we caught up with the rest of the group and enjoyed nice views of several White-shouldered Starlings on the telegraph wires, along with a flyby Lesser Coucal as well before heading up to Fuzhou Forest Park. We had lunch here before setting out on the trails and despite a heavy shower managed some nice views of Great Barbet, Chestnut Bulbul and Fork-tailed Sunbird. Another trail  gave brief views of a distant Bay Woodpecker, whilst a Collared Owlet flew in and perched overhead and a trio of Rufous Woodpeckers perched up in a big tree. Best of all was a couple Grey-headed Parrotbills called in and they gave nice protracted views as they fed close by. With Menxiu seeing a Pale-headed Woodpecker beside the trail the omens looked promising for our final bash at birding in south-east China tomorrow.

Collared Owlet

Mi Jiang Estuary

Another short internal flight took us to Fuzhou where we arrived early afternoon and drove the short distance to the coast, where we donned wellington boots once again upon reaching a coastal tidal creek. Here a boatman took us a few kilometres along the channel to the edge of the Minjiang Estuary, where we set about searching for the exceedingly rare Chinese Crested Tern. This is undoubtedly one of the best places to find this bird, as a few individuals regularly roost and feed here before returning to their nesting islands some 30kms away. With viewing conditions hampered by the sea mist that is often present here, this wasn’t an easy search but at least 40 Great Crested Terns patrolling the coast and landing at the water’s edge on several occasions kept our hopes high. The incoming tide necessitated a hasty walk up the coast before we had to return across a deeper channel in the middle of the estuary, but on at least two occasions we had views of flyby Chinese Crested Terns to get our pulses racing. They were easy to pick out, being much paler and almost white on the upperparts compared to the Great Crested Terns, with long bills and a quick view in the scope revealed the all-important dark tip to the bill. Plenty of other waders were here and most giving close views including Far Eastern Curlew, Great Knot and Grey-tailed Tattler, along with over 70 Terek Sandpipers and large gatherings of Red-necked Stints. Unfortunately, with high tide at 4.00pm it didn’t give us long to scan the tideline as the water retreated before the light began to fade and we had to return to our waiting vehicles. As we left both Arctic and Dusky Warbler were found amidst some driftwood on the beach. 

Arctic Warbler

Wuyuan

Not far out of the city as we were driving through the rural countryside around Wuyuan we stopped to watch a flock of noisy Masked Laughingthrushes and as we retuned to the minibus a Chinese Bamboo-partridge began calling from above us on the steep slope. As we pulled alongside the area a pair of bamboo-partridges were seen fighting and rolling down the earth bank towards us, when suddenly they realised they were being watched and ran for cover. A short wait then resulted in further views of a slightly ashamed looking individual walking up the slope and away from us. Having just said this species hardly ever shows out in the open, how wrong can you be! 

Masked Laughingthrush

We then returned to the secluded valley again this morning and split up in search of the tough skulkers we wanted to see, which turned up several brief Elliot’s Pheasants and a Tiger Shrike for one group and a juvenile Silver Pheasant for the other. Several Dusky Fulvettas were present this morning and showed very well for everyone, whilst plenty of other common birds were seen. Leaving here we paid a visit to another site for Short-tailed Parrotbill but only succeeded in adding Cinnamon Bittern and Yellow-bellied Prinia to our list. 

Chinese Pond-heron

Red-billed Starling

In the afternoon we headed back to the laughingthrush wood and had Black-collared Starling on some telegraph wires along the way. Once at the wood we walked to the far side where Menxiu found a couple of drake Mandarin Ducks roosting in a tree on the opposite bank, and in the end we counted five males. Also here was a Black-winged Cuckooshrike, as well as several fine Black-naped Orioles and a Grey-faced Woodpecker.