Longcanggou to Erlang Shan

We birded the lower slopes of Longcanggou this morning and had an enjoyable walk along the road, picking up several new trip ticks. A singing Chinese Blue Flycatcher posed nicely on a bare branch right next to us, an Oriental Cuckoo flew over and a Wedge-tailed Green-Pigeon was also seen. 

Chinese Blue Flycatcher

As always there were several large flocks and we had nice views of a pair of Brown Bullfinches, Steve R picked up a showy Speckled Piculet, and in the flocks we also saw a Marten’s Warbler, Chestnut-crowned Warbler, Japanese White-eye, Kloss’s and Large-billed Leaf-Warblers, Red-tailed Minla, and there was also a nice pair of Pere David’s Fulvettas. To finish a nice little session we had further views of Sichuan Bush-Warbler before heading back to the lodge, loading our luggage on-board and setting out on the five hour drive to Luding.

Pere David's Fulvetta

Speckled Piculet

Along the way we stopped for a ‘rest stop’ and in the gardens behind the toilets we found Yellow-streaked Warbler and a cracking Tiger Shrike. A short drive further and we headed along the Old Erlang Shan Road where a pair of Spotted Nutcrackers greeted our arrival.

Spotted Nutcracker

As it was 4.15pm we had timed it perfectly and in glorious late afternoon sunshine we managed to find a number of great birds that would definitely make things easier tomorrow. Amazingly, I managed to call in a Rufous-tailed Babbler that perched on top of a bush for a little while and although it was partially obscured by a branch the views were good. Our first Collared Finchbills, Brown-breasted Bulbuls, Daurian Redstart and a White-browed Fulvetta followed. 

Barred Laughingthrush

And our run of good luck continued when a Barred Laughingthrush hopped up into a leafless bush right below us and began to sing for several minutes. Wow! Many Grey-crowned Warblers were showing well in the area and we enjoyed repeated views, and an Indian Blue Robin hopped along the side of the road right in front of us. 

Indian Blue Robin

Walking back to our waiting coach a Long-tailed Rosefinch played hide-and-seek but was seen by most of the group.

Longcanggou Day 3

Well it rained all morning and into the early afternoon. We had already driven up the absolutely awful track to the start of the paved section of road ie the last 3kms before the pass and spent most of this time sheltering in a large worker’s tent hovering around the fire. We tried walking out and even drove up to the pass but it rained constantly and the mist rolled in and out. After lunch we gave up and drove lower and sure enough the sun came out and we had blue sky. So we birded several areas on the way down and had quite a few flocks which gave us some previously seen species such as Emei Shan Liocichla, Golden-breasted and Grey-hooded Fulvettas, Red-tailed and Blue-winged Minlas, Ashy-throated and Sichuan Leaf-Warblers etc.

We eventually got to my target area and we quickly located a singing Emei Leaf-Warbler that posed just a few metres away from us and sang its heart out. 

Emei Leaf Warbler

The first of many Brown Shrikes that we were too see in the afternoon was also present as well. Moving to another area we walked through lovely forest where lots of Kloss’s Leaf-Warblers were singing. We stumbled upon several flocks and had close views of Chestnut-crowned Warbler and Yellow-browed Tit amongst a bunch of commoner species. Moving on another flock held Ultramarine and Ferruginous Flycatchers & Yellow-bellied Tit, and another Oriental Honey Buzzard and a Mountain Hawk-Eagle flew over. We also managed decent views of a singing Marten’s Warbler and further on a Grey-crowned Warbler was also seen.

After dinner we went up the valley and called in a Himalayan (Chinese Tawny) Owl that flew right over us and hovered right above our heads before flying away. A lifer for me and what a buzz!

Longcanggou Again!

Headed up into the hills at 5.15am in a couple of small minivans and drove to the pass, stopping along the way to secure absolutely crippling views of a pair of Grey-hooded Parrotbills. Sounds easy right? Well, it was our second stop where we searched for this rare endemic and it was very pleasing to find them right beside the main track. What a bird! 

Grey-hooded Parrotbill

Up at the pass we had our breakfast and watched 14 Oriental Honey Buzzards flying over in the clear blue sky, plus a couple of White-throated Needletails. 

Oriental Honey Buzzard

Afterwards we began our time consuming search for Sichuan Treecreeper and walked down to some fantastic forest. Along the way we absolutely nailed Spotted Bush Warbler with very close looks at a singing bird, followed by a pair of Buff-throated Warblers, a posing White-bellied Redstart and a singing Chestnut Thrush. 

Buff-throated Warbler

Spotted Bush-Warbler

When a Chinese Wren-Babbler began calling I didn’t feel too optimistic about our chances of actually seeing it but how wrong can you be? I mean we watched it for about 5 minutes walking along a log on the forest floor repeatedly and then scurrying around a clearing before leaving it in peace. What a result. 

Chinese Wren-Babbler

Well, we couldn’t locate any treecreepers but did get a pair of confiding Great Parrotbills, Bianchi’s Warbler, and eventually fine views of a Chestnut-headed Tesia. We ended the morning’s session with scope views of a calling Lesser Cuckoo.

Great Parrotbill

After our picnic lunch we continued walking and saw Eurasian Wren, Darjeeling Woodpecker, lots of Sichuan Leaf Warblers, Large Hawk-Cuckoo,  and amazingly a Pere David’s Tit - very happy with that. But with mist and low cloud descending, bird activity died off completely as it did yesterday so we drove lower down and found a Sichuan Bush Warbler singing from the top of a grassy bank. And a nearby trail proved to be very quiet with only Claudia’s Warbler and Red-tailed Minla to enliven proceedings so we called it a day. Well that was until we returned to the lodge a little earlier than normal and decided to walk along the road in the forlorn hope of seeing a Chinese Bamboo-Partridge. But we did get our first Eurasian Cuckoo, Grey-backed Shrike, Black-naped Oriole and a few other commoner species.

Longcanggou

Our first full day in Longcanggou turned out to be a really good day where we scored with a number of key target species, several of which often take a few days to find here. So we left the lodge at 5.15am and dove up in our coaster to our usual breakfast spot, and after an eighty minute bumpy drive we were just about ready for it. It was an overcast day and a little cool but this meant that bird activity continued right through to lunchtime, when the mist came in and we had drizzle that lingered for the rest of the afternoon. Anyway, we kicked off proceedings with a Brown Bush Warbler skulking at the edge of a small stand of bamboo. Then we hit the first of many flocks today that gave us our first Mrs Gould’s Sunbird, Yellow-browed, Green-backed and Coal Tits, Short-billed Minivet, Red-tailed and Blue-winged Minlas, the first of many Large-billed Leaf-Warblers, Sichuan Leaf-Warbler, and best of all a pair of Fire-capped Tits. This latter species would be seen very well several times during the day. Whilst we were stood here watching the flock I heard a few more good birds just a little further down the track and sure enough we pulled out a confiding pair of Golden Parrotbills that gave repeatedly close views, plus Yellowish-bellied and Aberrant Bush-Warblers, and there was a flock of Brown Bullfinches flying overhead as well.

Brown Bush Warbler

After our picnic breakfast we spent the rest of the morning walking along a wide track that took us through great habitat with plenty of bamboo. We had a few attempts at seeing Red-winged Laughingthrush and little by little a few of the group managed tickable views, but boy they are true skulkers. Our walk was very productive and we saw several fine Grey-hooded Fulvettas, flyover Speckled Woodpigeon and Chestnut-bellied Rock-Thrush, Vinaceous Rosefinch, Darjeeling Woodpecker, Blyth’s Shrike-Babbler, Buff-barred, Ashy-throated and Claudia’s Leaf-Warbler, White-browed Bush-Robin, Rufous-gorgeted Flycatcher, White-collared and Stripe-throated Yuhinas, a very showy White-bellied Redstart perched right out on an open branch of a small conifer, Elliot’s Laughingthrush, Collared Grosbeak, Olive-backed Pipit, and best of all a pair of Three-toed Parrotbills spotted by Julian and an Emei Shan Liocichla posing nicely in a small conifer.  

A poor photo of Emei Shan Liocichla

A distant Vinaceous Rosefinch

By the time we had returned to the coach it was midday and lunch already felt overdue, so after some hot noodles we all felt fortified enough to make another short walk. I really wanted to keep our hot streak going by nailing Great Parrotbill. As we walked along the track that passes through the bamboo zone we came across a big flock with Red-tailed and Blue-winged Minlas, several Golden-breasted Fulvettas, and another Golden Parrotbill. As we watched all of the action a Great Parrotbill was found feeding low down inside a stand of bamboo. It was really tucked in and obscured but for those in the right position it gave some decent views. So with the drizzle getting heavier we returned to the coach and drove lower.

We walked along a side trail through some great forest and found a few more flocks with Black-winged Cuckooshrike, Yellow-bellied Tit, Ferruginous Flycatcher, Chestnut-crowned Warbler and both Ultramarine and the rare Sapphire Flycatchers all in the first flock. We followed the trail but activity was quite slow but we still picked up Himalayan Swiftlet, Emei Leaf-Warbler, a Fujian Niltava, Eurasian Nuthatch and a confiding Pygmy Wren-Babbler. 

Pygmy Wren-Babbler

Once we were back on the main track we tried to get a view of a singing Marten’s Warbler, when all of a sudden a flock of Buffy Laughingthrushes passed by and we chased them along the track and were rewarded with good views eventually. As we continued down the track it was apparent that the drizzle had literally dampened bird activity so we hopped onto the coach and returned to the lodge, extremely satisfied with our day.