Migration Magic Continues....

We returned to the coast this morning, stopping to look at a Yellow Bittern along the way, and walked along the track through the reeds again, which turned out to be quite productive as we found a couple of Pechora Pipits picking their way along the side of the track in front of us. 

Pechora Pipit - a much wanted crippler...

We also saw a couple of Pallas’s Reed Buntings as well to really add a splash of quality to the walk. Other birds seen along here included Bluethroat, Black-faced Bunting, an obliging Pale Thrush, Reed Parrotbill, Oriental Skylark, and a cooperative Manchurian Bush-Warbler was called in as well.

Manchurian Bush Warbler

We drove back along the coast road to the same pool as yesterday and new birds this time included a drake Mandarin Duck, brief Baillon’s Crake for some, and a few Eastern Black-tailed Godwits as well. I particularly liked the fact that Chinese Egret was ignored this morning!

Any patch of trees or bushes can hold migrants,,,

Then we had a picnic breakfast back at the convention centre and although most of yesterdays birds had moved out overnight there were some new quality birds such as Blue-and-white Flycatcher, male Siberian Blue Robin for a few of the group and a pair of Red-billed Starlings. 

Blue-and-white Flycatcher......

Several Yellow-browed Warblers were singing here, a lone Eastern Crowned Warbler was seen, and overhead Pacific Swifts and Asian House Martins flew by. Just as we were about to leave and head out on our 4 hour drive to Yangkou the Siberian Blue Robin appeared again in front of some Chinese bird photographers so we had better views this time and now everyone in the group got to see this little beauty. 

Siberian Blue Robin

As we returned to the coaster Viv spotted a flock of Japanese White-eyes feeding in a large tree. And that was our time at Nanhui done.

Following a drive of a little over four hours we reached Yangkou around 1.30pm and had lunch in a restaurant before driving to the famous Temple Wood, one of the premier migration hotspots in the region. It’s only the size of a football pitch and despite this being a ‘quiet’ day, was jumping with birds. It was all very exciting really as no sooner had we entered the wood than we were confronted with 2 male and a female Blue-and-white Flycatchers, 3 Mugimaki Flycatchers, a fine male Yellow-rumped Flycatcher, Claudia’s Warbler, Pale-legged Leaf-Warbler and numerous Yellow-browed Warblers. 

Yellow-browed Warbler

Further searching revealed lots of Tristram’s Buntings, lots of Red-billed Starlings, a few Pallas’s Warblers, and best of all a Rufous-tailed Robin. A few Eye-browed Thrushes were moving around the area, a Eurasian Hoopoe flew by a couple of times….

Tristram's Bunting

A ten minute drive saw us at what is known as Magic Wood and it was a lot quieter here than I expected but things soon livened up and we witnessed a fall of Grey-streaked Flycatchers (around 50+ were seen), and 100+ Chinese Grosbeaks were estimated here as well this afternoon. At one stage I heard a call and suspected it was a Little Curlew, so we scanned the sandy field next to us but only initially saw a flock of Whimbrel, but when they flew a smaller bird joined them and in the end we saw 3 Little Curlews in flight. 

Little Curlew with Whimbrel.

We walked out to where we thought they had landed but they were very flighty and flew again. It wasn’t until walking back to the coach much later that we finally had decent and tickable views. What a bird. We also saw a pair of Grey-headed Lapwings in the same area as well, plus 2 Dusky Thrushes were feeding out in the open. 

Grey-headed Lapwing.

Also in the wood were a few Oriental Turtle-Doves, several Asian Azure-winged Magpies, Red-billed Blue Magpie and more ‘phylloscs’, Blue-and-white Flycatcher, male Siberian Rubythroat, female Siberian Blue Robin, 10+ Olive-backed Pipits, both Japanese and the endemic Yellow-bellied Tit, White-cheeked Starling and plenty of Tristram’s Buntings. Back at the bus we saw a Little Bunting and also heard 2 Rufous-tailed Robins singing. 

Little Bunting.

It had been a thoroughly enjoyable day with more quality sightings of what we in the UK term ‘Sibe vagrants’. Really loving the birding here…!

SE China - Migrant Hunting Begins.....

Following an 11 hour overnight direct flight with Virgin Atlantic we arrived in Shanghai Pudong Airport around 9.20am and were soon on our way to the area known as Nanhui, just around an hours drive away. After check-in and lunch at a pretty decent hotel we drove to the nearby coast and had our first crack at some migrants. A few Yellow-browed Warblers were joined by a single Pallas’s Warbler skulking in some tall grass beside the road and a rather annoying high NW wind was to remain with us for the rest of the afternoon. We also saw our first Vinous-throated Parrotbills here, and this species would prove to be quite common throughout the tour, but a female Narcissus Flycatcher was a little more of an i.d challenge and a Chestnut Bulbul was a little off course. 

Narcissus Flycatcher (female)

Yet pride of place went to a breeding-plumaged Chinese Egret feeding in a ditch beside the mudflats, and a Black-tailed Gull was also spotted perched on a buoy. Oh yes! We moved down the road a short distance to overlook a vast reedbed where a stonking Reed Parrotbill flew in below our vantage point and we had great views, although much better was to come when we followed a dirt track into the reeds. 

The Chinese endemic Reed Parrotbill - like a Bearded Reedling on steroids!

We could also hear Japanese Swamp Warblers (also known as Marsh Grassbird) singing but they were also keeping their heads down and it looked like they wouldn’t show at all in the strong breeze. But once on the dirt track that runs across this vast area we noticed that this spot was a little more sheltered and after a brief burst of song from the ipod a Japanese Swamp Warbler flew straight in and sang back at us for several minutes, moving between some tall reed stems right out in the open. 

Marsh Grassbird gave crippling views.

This was my best views ever and we could fully appreciate this little beauty for a change! Then a pair of Chinese Grosbeaks appeared and an Eye-browed Thrush flew into dense cover, not to be seen again. It was just a shame that a Manchurian Bush Warbler failed to show at the same spot – but we’d have better chances over the next few days in Rudong.

Birding at Nanhui

Searching for Waders

So with the 2 key target species done and dusted we set about building an impressive shorebird list and began with a flock of 11 Grey-tailed Tattlers roosting in a small pool below the road. 

Grey-tailed Tattlers

Out on the mudflats there weren’t that many birds but a small group of Red-necked Stints was much appreciated. But check this out – just a little further along the road was a moderately-sized pool surrounded by reeds and here we saw 3 Chinese Egrets, Purple Heron, 3 Long-toed Stints, a Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, 3 Terek Sandpipers, 20+ Marsh Sandpipers, several immaculate breeding-plumaged Spotted Redshanks and Curlew Sandpipers, a pair of Garganey, 2 Pheasant-tailed Jacanas, Citrine Wagtail, and best of all – a pair of Black-faced Spoonbills. Amazingly, there were another 23 spoonbills out on the mudflats behind us as well. Not a bad haul huh?

Quite a unique photo - Chinese Egret with Black-faced Spoonbills

2 more Chinese Egrets

With the lure of more migrant passerines up ahead we drove a couple of minutes to a nice area of tall dense trees and bushes surrounding some type of convention centre and despite the large number of noisy locals enjoying the holiday still found an impressive array of goodies. Best of all was a Grey-crowned Warbler we watched feeding in a sheltered area for quite some time and I was pleased to hear it call on several occasions, as these seicercus warblers are really tricky. 

Note the slightly broken eye-ring just behind the eye of this Grey-crowned Warbler.

Grey-crowned Warbler

There were also a skulking Pale Thrush, a Yellow-rumped Flycatcher, several Eastern Crowned Warblers, Yellow-browed Warbler and eventually we nailed a couple of Pale-legged Leaf-Warblers as well. There was also Long-tailed Shrike, a couple more female Narcissus Flycatchers and an Asian Brown Flycatcher.

Eastern Crowned Warbler

Record shot of Pale-legged Leaf Warbler.

With the light fading fast we drove along the coast and walked between some large ponds, witnessing a large movement of Eastern Yellow Wagtails that including many of the attractive taivana subspecies. A LIttle Bunting showed briefly, a Whiskered Tern flew past, we found another Black-faced Spoonbill, 3 Terek Sandpipers flew over, watched an Oriental Reed Warbler singing, and finished with a Black-capped Kingfisher to round of an exciting introduction to our south-eastern China adventure.

Sulawesi & Halmahera September 2015

Our Sulawesi & Halmahera tour runs from 4th - 25th September this year and is a guaranteed departure. Our last tour saw 111 endemics visiting all the major birding sites including Lore Lindu, Tangkoko, Tambun, Dumoga Bone and are currently the only tour company taking groups to Lompobattang for the rare Lompobattang Flycatcher and is only found in southern Sulawesi in the surrounding hills.

The endemic-rich island of Halmahera is such an exciting place to visit and we base ourselves at Foli in search of Moluccan Owlet-Nightjar, Ivory-breasted Pitta and so much more.

For the tour itinerary - click here. 

For last year's tour report - click here.

Satanic Nightjar - Lore Lindu

Great-billed Kingfisher - Tangkoko

Ivory-breasted Pitta - Foli

Ivory-breasted Pitta - Foli

Lilac-cheeked Kingfisher - Tangkoko

Lompobattang Flycatcher - Sulawesi

Maleo - Tambun

Moluccan Megapode

Purple-bearded Bee-eater - Lore Lindu

Sulawesi Dwarf-Kingfisher

Sulawesi Scops-Owl

Sulawesi Pitta

Wallace's Standardwing

Guyana Tour 23rd November - 9th December 2015

Guyana really does offer something special. It's a small South American country nestled on the Atlantic Coast east of Venezuela and west of Suriname and is one of the last unexplored wild places on earth yet offers incredible access into a great variety of pristine habitats. 

It is also a land of great contrasts as you leave behind the coastal city of Georgetown travelling into the interior, over vast unspoilt forests and incredible isolated waterfalls. The lure of Guyana is its true wilderness and amazing wildlife with many sought-after species easier to see here than any of the surrounding countries. 

We have worked hard to offer the most complete itinerary available which includes all the top sites visited by everyone else but also includes the spectacular Kaieteur Falls, and highly sought-after rarities such as the spectacular Sun Parakeet and Red Siskin. 

Zoothera only use the very best local guides and you can rest assured that your money will go to help Guianan owned lodges and local communities. If you want to see cotingas, parrots, Guianan Cock-of-the Rock, Harpy Eagle, the rarely seen Crested Doradito or even Capuchinbird and an endless supply of mouth-watering species then this is the place to go.

See our 2013 trip report - click here. 

See our 2012 trip report - click here.

To see the full tour itinerary - click here.

And here's a few photos......

Blood-coloured Woodpecker

Capuchinbird

Crested Doradito

We also do mammals... Giant Anteater

Green Aracari

Guianan Cock-of-the-Rock

Harpy Eagle

Hoatzin

Spotted Puffbird