Wild Beijing 北京自然

Tag: Lingshan

  • Nocturnal bioacoustic survey in the mountains of Beijing, spring 2026

    Nocturnal bioacoustic survey in the mountains of Beijing, spring 2026

    Every spring in Beijing, the hills are alive with the sound of music!

    This year I set up a sound recorder on a forested hillside in Mentougou District at an elevation of c1,700m asl.  The idea was to capture the sounds of spring, including nocturnal spring migrants and summer breeders.  It was also a chance to gain insights into the arrival dates of some of the breeding species and to explore how the species richness evolves through the spring.

    The Wildlife Acoustics Song Meter Mini digital recorder was active from 28 March to 13 June and recorded from sunset to one hour after sunrise (automatically adjusted).   

    Key Information:

    • From 903 recordings over 78 nights, 84 bird species and 4 mammal species were recorded, with a few additional vocalisations not assigned to species level. 
    • The night of 6 May was the peak in terms of species richness, with 28 taxa recorded that night/early morning.
    • Perhaps unexpectedly, several shorebird species were recorded, including Black-winged Stilt (Himantopus himantopus 黑翅长脚鹬 Hēi chì cháng jiǎo yù), Pied Avocet (Recurvirostra avosetta 反嘴鹬 Fǎn zuǐ yù), Greater Sand Plover (Anarhynchus leschenaultii 铁嘴沙鸻 Tiě zuǐ shā héng) – see below – and Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus 中杓鹬 Zhōng biāo yù)
    • Lesser Cuckoo (Cuculus poliocephalus 小杜鹃 Xiǎo dù juān) recorded on 8 and 12 June
    • Japanese Scops Owl (Otus semitorques 北领角鸮 Běi lǐng jiǎo xiāo) recorded on five nights between 7 April and 18 May – see below
    • Grey-backed Thrush (Turdus hortulorum 灰背鸫 Huī bèi dōng) recorded singing between 7 and 12 May – listen out for it in the dawn chorus recording below
    • Brown Eared-Pheasant (Crossoptilon mantchuricum, 褐马鸡 Hè mǎ jī) 
      recorded on 31 March and 22 April

    Below you can explore the results via an interactive graphic.  For example, if you would like to know when Asian Stubtail (Urosphena squameiceps 鳞头树莺 Lín tóu shù yīng) was first detected, simply click on the species and you will be able to see the first and last dates detected, the number of detections and also the peak hour for that species.

    Some selected highlights

    The recording of several waterbird species at a mountain location may reflect the relatively close proximity of Guanting Reservoir – it is possible that nocturnal migrants begin to vocalise when they see the reflection of this large water body?

    The recording of Greater Sand Plover (Anarhynchus leschenaultii 铁嘴沙鸻 Tiě zuǐ shā héng) was a bit of a surprise.  It is even possible to hear a song element in the recording below.


     Another surprise was Gull-billed Tern (Gelochelidon nilotica 鸥嘴噪鸥 Ōu zuǐ zào ōu).  Recorded on 3 May 2026.

     Japanese Scops Owl (Otus semitorques 北领角鸮 Běi lǐng jiǎo xiāo) is a species that remains a bit of an enigma in Beijing and is only rarely recorded.  In the clip below are three examples of one of the more common vocalisations – a downward-inflected series of hoots – recorded on two separate dates (30 April and 16 May) but merged into one clip.  No song was recorded this spring at the survey site.

     

    Oriental Scops Owl (Otus sunia 红角鸮 Hóng jiǎo xiāo) was recorded an impressive 222 times over 45 nights, with the peak coming just after dusk.  On several occasions, I heard an unfamiliar shrill call immediately after a burst of familiar song.  Initially baffled, I realised after reading this article from The Sound Approach about European Scops Owl that it was a copulation call.  Listen to the example below with two birds singing (a pair?), gradually becoming more strident before the copulation call at the end.

     

    Additionally, there was one intriguing pulsed vocalisation that is reminiscent of Asian Barred Owlet (Glaucidium cuculoides 斑头鸺鹠 Bān tóu xiū liú).  Have a listen below.  Although superficially similar to this species, there are some anomalies, including the pulse rate and frequency structure, that make it atypical and lead me to leave it unidentified.  Comments and suggestions about the identity of the vocaliser are welcome!

    Edit: Thanks to Liu Shuangqi, it seems possible that this pulsed vocalisation originates from an amphibian and, specifically, Bombina orientalis (Oriental Fire-bellied Toad).  Although audio recordings of this species are few, there is a YouTube video including the so-called ‘release call’ of a similar species – Bombina variegata – that is a close match.    
     

     

    The Dawn Chorus

    Below is a 5-minute compilation of the dawn chorus, including roughly thirty seconds from each of several dates through the spring.  It begins with an atmospheric calling Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes  赤狐 Chi Hu) in the dark of night, followed by snippets from 30 March, 15 April, 30 April, some selected highlights from three thrush species in early May, followed by more clips from 21 May, 1 June and ending with one of the latest species to arrive – the Lesser Cuckoo (Cuculus poliocephalus 小杜鹃 Xiǎo dù juān) – on 12 June.  The recording illustrates how the dawn chorus evolves as spring progresses.

     

    I hope you enjoy the recording and also delving into the data below.  By clicking on a species, more data will be revealed, including first and last dates recorded and peak hour.

     

    Summary of spring 2026 

     

  • Lingshan dawn chorus

    Lingshan dawn chorus

    In mid-June, during a period of easing of Covid-related travel restrictions, I was able to visit Lingshan, Beijing’s highest mountain.  June is always a brilliant month to visit with breeding birds in full song and a vast array of insects, including some special butterflies.

    The recording below is of the dawn chorus on the morning of 17 June 2022.  It begins with the song of the White-bellied Redstart and includes Chinese Leaf, Claudia’s Leaf and Hume’s Warblers, Siberian Blue Robin, Chinese Thrush and many more.  At a little over 17 minutes in total, it’s perfect for a tranquility break – put on your headphones, sit back and relax!

     
    For more of Beijing’s wild sounds, check out the “Wild Sounds of Beijing” page.
  • The Dawn Chorus at Lingshan

    The Dawn Chorus at Lingshan

    For some time I have been wanting to record the dawn chorus at Lingshan, a fantastic wooded mountain on the western boundary of Beijing.  In late Spring, when the breeding birds have arrived, the woodland comes alive and it’s a cacophony of birdsong.  

    On the morning of 31 May I set out to record at a series of elevations and stitch them together to provide a 30-minute compilation.  The recording begins with the haunting whistle of a White’s Thrush at 0200am before moving to the dawn chorus proper at 0415am at an elevation of 1100m.   From there, the recordings move up the mountain, some of which were recorded during light rain, until the final cut at 1550m.  Each location provides a different mix of species and includes some of the signature birds of Beijing’s mountains such as Green-backed Flycatcher, Grey-sided Thrush, Himalayan Cuckoo, Large Hawk Cuckoo and many many more.  At some point I will make a list of all the species involved but, in the meantime, I hope you enjoy listening!

     

  • Global Birding Weekend in Beijing

    Global Birding Weekend in Beijing

    Earlier this month, on 17 & 18 October 2020, I was delighted to participate in the Global Birding Weekend, an initiative by Tim Appleton MBE in collaboration with eBird and Swarovski Optik.  The aim was a worldwide celebration of birds by encouraging people everywhere to go out locally and record the birds they see, with the hope that the combined total might constitute a world record for the highest number of species recorded in a single weekend.  It was the perfect excuse to set up a birding trip with the Chevening Scholars – young Chinese who have been sponsored to study in the UK by the British Embassy, many of whom now hold influential positions in the Chinese government.  

    In conjunction with the British Embassy, we arranged an itinerary that took us to the mountains of Mentougou District in the west of the municipality, spending Saturday afternoon at the Youzhou Valley, followed by the Sunday morning at Lingshan, Beijing’s highest mountain.  I had also been invited to participate in the “Birding Live on Location” event, organised by Swarovski Optik, on the Sunday afternoon. To add to the excitement, Swarovski had kindly sent me the new 115mm telescope objective lens for us to try out for the weekend!  What a treat…

    The new 115mm objective lens for the modular ATX/STX set-up was a revelation.  With its impressive light-gathering capability, it was a big hit with the Chevening Scholars both for observing birds and for planet-watching, including looking at Saturn’s rings.   

    With the oppressive heat of the summer a distant memory, a nip in the air early mornings and in the evenings, combined with the tress displaying a kaleidoscope of colour, October is a wonderful time to be outside in Beijing.  And we were blessed with beautiful weather as we made our way to the first site, the Youzhou Valley.

    Almost the first bird we saw was Wallcreeper – a rare bird to see away from the regular winter haunt of Shidu in Fangshan District.  This was soon followed by a Golden Eagle and a Siberian Accentor before we added Red-billed Chough, Eurasian Crag Martin, Hill Pigeon, Larg-billed Crow and Grey-headed Woodpecker.  

    Record image of the Wallcreeper at the Youzhou Valley.
    “Wow.. They seem so close!” One of our younger participants watching more than 30 Eurasian Crag Martins congregating on a sunny cliffside – one of the highlights of our Saturday afternoon..
    Beibei checking out the Swarovski ATX 115mm

    After a long walk through the gorge, taking in the magnificent views and adding a few more species such as Japanese Tit, Little Bunting, Red-billed Blue Magpie and Mandarin, we headed back to the minibus for the drive to Lingshan, our overnight accommodation and focus for the following morning.

    The drive up to Lingshan was stunning, with the autumn colours in their full glory.

    The wooded hillsides on the drive up to Lingshan were spectacular in their autumn dress.

    We arrived at our accommodation just as it was getting dark and, after a wholesome home-cooked meal from our hosts, including locally-harvested herbs, we took advantage of the clear skies and tested the 115mm telescope to look for the planets on show – Mars, Jupiter and Saturn.  With the extra light gathering capability of the 115mm versus the 95mm, Saturn’s rings were obvious and clear, even at 30x (using the 30-70x zoom eyepiece) to the astonishment and joy of the group!

    The following day we were up for sunrise and were rewarded with a spectacular early morning, including brief sightings of three Siberian Roe Deer and a hunting Short-eared Owl, as well as a few migrating passerines – Buff-bellied Pipits, Pine Buntings, and a handful of Eurasian Skylarks.

    Watching the sunrise at Lingshan..

    After a quick breakfast back at the guesthouse, we walked a few of the valleys looking for birds and quickly encountered Beijing Babbler, Pere David’s Laughingthrush, Red-throated Thrush, White-winged Redstarts, Silver-throated and Willow Tits, a single Pallas’s Rosefinch, a superb Eastern Buzzard and a Northern Goshawk.  

    A pair of Hill Pigeons posed nicely for the group.

    At around 1030am the group split into two, with one following Chris and Rhys from the embassy hiking up to the peak (2,303m asl) and the other joining me to set up an infrared camera in the woods targeting mammals. 

    After exploring for a while, we found a good narrow animal trail with fresh deer tracks so we set up the camera with the help of the younger members of the group pretending to be deer to make sure we had placed the camera at the right angle…

    Setting up the infrared camera at Lingshan with the children.

    We’ll leave the camera there for a couple of months and, on collection, will send any images to the group.  After setting up the camera, we headed back to the guesthouse for lunch, meeting up with the others who had big appetites after their exertion!

    Looking very proud of themselves…. !

    After lunch the Chevening team left for the three-hour journey back to the city whilst I stayed on to participate in the “Birding Live on Location” event..  You can watch a recording of that event here.

    The relative quiet of the afternoon also allowed me to put the 115mm through its paces..  As one would expect of Swarovski the image quality was outstanding but I wanted to see how it performed in low light conditions..  I stayed on site until dusk and, although it’s hard to believe, I recorded this video of a Red-throated Thrush after the sun had disappeared behind the mountain.  The video has not been altered in any way, except for a little cropping, and I was shocked at the brightness of the image.  

    Red-throated Thrush recorded with Swarovski ATX 115 plus iPhone 6S and adaptor.

     

    Although I was able to test the 115mm objective lens for only a limited time, I can say with confidence that it sets the standard for birding telescopes.  The brightness of the image, especially in low light conditions, is simply incredible and I hope I am allowed a longer experience with it very soon to experiment with some more digiscoping..! 

    In the days following the trip, we were delighted to see the number of species recorded over the weekend creep up as lists were submitted from around the world.  At the time of writing, the total number of species recorded over the weekend was an astonishing 7,243 with 7,098 recorded on the Saturday alone, a new world record for the number of species recorded in a single day.  You can see the latest news from the Global Birding Weekend here.

    Big congratulations to Tim Appleton on the huge success of the event which, as well as beating world records, also raised tens of thousands of pounds for BirdLife International’s appeal to tackle the illegal bird trade.  And big thanks to Swarovski Optik for allowing us the use of the brilliant new 115mm objective lens…  the only problem now is going back to the 95mm!  

    For us in Beijing, inspired by the weekend, we now have a group of new birders, enchanted by the birds and other wildlife that can be found in the capital.  Some of the participants have already bought their first binoculars (Swarovski of course!) and field guides, and we are now working on plans for the next trip…

    Huge thanks to Chris, Rhys and Beibei from the British Embassy for the flawless arrangements and for their great company.  Can’t wait until the next one!

     

     

  • How a strange Brown Shrike turned into a Grey-backed Shrike – a new Beijing record

    How a strange Brown Shrike turned into a Grey-backed Shrike – a new Beijing record

    On 11 July, local birders Wei Chunzhi, Ren Lipeng and He Yongzhou visited Lingshan, Beijing’s highest mountain, to try to see some of the special breeding birds that are rarely seen in the city.  They were rewarded with sightings not only of their main target species – Slaty-backed Flycatcher – but also a big surprise.

    Ren Lipeng, He Yongzhou and Wei Chunzhi, the finders of Beijing’s first Grey-backed Shrike.

    Wei Chunzhi tells the story of their adventure, complete with some beautiful photos of the bird and the scenery, and how the sighting of an odd shrike turned into a first for Beijing.

    How a Brown Shrike turned into a Grey-backed Shrike!

    “My name is Wei Chunzhi (Tracey), a relatively new birder who loves to go birding in Beijing.  On 11 July 2020 I visited Lingshan with two friends, Ren Lipeng and He Yongzhou. We were shocked to find a Grey-backed Shrike, the first record of this species in Beijing! Magical days like this are a lot of fun…

    Lingshan, as Beijing’s highest mountain, is cool in summer and, with birding slow in the heat of the city during that season, it’s a good place to visit to see some target birds such as Slaty-backed Flycatcher, Rosy Pipit and many other birds that are rarely seen in the city. 

    It’s hard work to hike at 2,000m while carrying cameras and binoculars.  As we were walking up, I suddenly saw a dark bird sitting on top of a cedar tree about 10-20 metres away. I quickly alerted Ren Lipeng and pointed him at the bird. He couldn’t see it at first and then the bird flew.  Fortunately, it didn’t fly far and landed on top of another tree close by.  This time, both of my friends saw it and managed to take some photographs. Using my ‘toy camera’ and focusing manually, I could only manage a photo of the branches shaking immediately after the bird flew! 

    The Grey-backed Shrike at Lingshan, 11 July 2020 (Photo by Ren Lipeng)
    Now you see it… Grey-backed Shrike at Lingshan, 11 July 2020 (Photo by Ren Lipeng)

    After looking at the photos, He Yongzhou confidently announced “Brown Shrike!” (a fairly common breeder in lowland Beijing and a very common passage migrant). Ren Lipeng said it looked a bit like a Grey-backed Shrike and asked me to look at the photo. I also thought the bird looked grey-backed but then thought it must be the greyish subspecies of Brown Shrike (ssp lucionensis) . There are no other shrikes except Chinese Grey, Bull-headed, Brown and Long-tailed. We didn’t spend any more time on the bird and carried on to look for the Slaty-backed Flycatcher and other birds. The joy of seeing many good species – such as Rosy Pipit and the Slaty-backed Flycatcher – made us forget our doubts about the shrike and we marked it as a Brown Shrike on our eBird checklist.

    A male Slaty-backed Flycatcher at Lingshan, 11 July 2020. One of the special species at Beijing’s highest mountain and rarely seen in the capital away from this site.

    When reviewing the Field Guide to the Birds of China by John MacKinnon we looked at the lucionensis subspecies of Brown Shrike and I felt it was not this bird. After getting copies of the photos from Ren Lipeng and He Yongzhou, I sent the photos to Huang Hanchen who also sent them to Guan Xiangyu, both experienced birders. They responded that it was a Grey-backed Shrike, not only a new species for me but also a new record for Beijing. After learning this news, the three of us were very happy!

    On cloud nine. Wei Chunzhi and Ren Lipeng enjoying Lingshan (Photo by He Yongzhou)

    This is a story of a Brown Shrike ‘turning into’ a Grey-backed Shrike. Birding not only brings us these exciting moments but also takes us into nature where we can relax, feel calm and enjoy the simple pleasures of life. It reminds us of the main theme of the Chinese Lao Zhuang philosophy – the law of nature.”

     

    Big congratulations to Wei Chunzhi, Ren Lipeng and He Yongzhou for their brilliant find and huge thanks for telling their story and for allowing the use of their photographs.  Grey-backed Shrike is typically a bird of the Himalayas, including the Tibetan Plateau, breeding at elevations from 2,700-4,500+ metres above sea level (Birds of the World).  It has been recorded as far east as Shanxi Province in summer and at Beidaihe/Happy Island on at least two occasions in spring, so it’s not a complete surprise that it has turned up in the mountains of the capital but, nevertheless, it’s a wonderful addition to the list of species recorded in Beijing. What next?!

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    Story in Chinese/中文

    红尾伯劳“变身”灰背伯劳记

    我是Tracey，是个热爱观鸟但刚刚入门的菜鸟。7月11日，有幸和两位观鸟朋友：任立鹏老师和大河老师去灵山观鸟时，不期而遇看到灰背伯劳。整个过程如同变魔术般很有趣。 尽管灵山上很凉快，可是夏季鸟荒让我们寻找目标鸟的步伐越来越沉重。走在最后的我，突然发现一二十米外的雪松尖上立着一只深色的鸟，赶紧拉住前面的任老师，指给他看鸟的位置，糟糕的是他看不到鸟，更糟糕的是鸟飞了。幸运的是鸟飞到不远的树尖，更幸运的是前面两位老师都看到了这鸟，先后举起了相机按动了快门。随即鸟就飞走了。使用“玩具相机”手动对焦的我只拍到了鸟飞后摇晃的树枝。两位老师看过照片后，大河老师自信地宣布“红尾伯劳！”。任老师边说有点灰像灰背伯劳边让我看照片，我也认为这只伯劳很灰，可是想到红尾伯劳的灰色亚种，就说红尾伯劳有个灰色亚种，大河更加肯定地说“灰色亚种的红尾伯劳，这里除了常见的牛头，红尾，棕背，不会有别的伯劳。”我们没再为这只红尾伯劳花费时间，继续寻找目标鸟。看到几种目标鸟后的喜悦让我们淡忘了对那只红尾伯劳的疑虑，并以红尾伯劳填写EBIRD记录。 

    灰背伯劳 摄影：任立鹏  锈胸蓝姬鹟雄 摄影：任立鹏 在对照马敬能大师的《中国鸟类野外手册》复习时，想起了那只很灰的红尾伯劳，我感觉不是红尾伯劳的灰色亚种。向两位老师要照片，任老师积极回应，大河老师觉得我太啰嗦。照片和图鉴对比，我觉得不是红尾伯劳，是什么无法确定。赶紧把照片转发给观鸟大师黄博士，他和另一位大师关先生（特别感谢两位大师认鸟）讨论后，认定是灰背伯劳，这不仅是我的新纪录，而且是北京新纪录。得知此消息后，我们三个人非常高兴。 如今，想想那天的纪录，仍然让人兴奋不已。一路为我们奏乐的云南柳莺、棕眉柳莺，站在枝头开会的红眉朱雀，不知雌雄的红胁蓝尾鸲在我们身边蹦来蹦去，树林鸣唱的白腹短翅鸲， 更有辛勤育雏的锈胸蓝姬鹟夫妻……这一切的美好，似乎都在预示着我们发现了北京新记录——灰背伯劳。 这就是红尾伯劳“变”灰背伯劳的故事。观鸟不仅带给我们这些趣事，更把我们带进大自然怀抱，让我们放松，平和，简单，让我们重新思考一下中国老庄哲学的主旨：法自然。

    

    听鸟阅云海 摄影：大河

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    Title image: Grey-backed Shrike, Lingshan, 11 July 2020 (Photo by Ren Lipeng)

     

  • Amur Leopard Cat in Beijing

    Amur Leopard Cat in Beijing

    When birding at Lingshan, Beijing’s highest mountain in far western Mentougou District, it’s not uncommon to see mammal scat.  Tolai Hare is common and I’ve also seen Siberian Rose Deer, Hog Badger and evidence of Wild Boar.  A few weeks ago I spotted some scat that looked suspiciously like cat scat.  Amur Leopard Cats (Prionailurus bengalensis euptilura) are seen occasionally in Beijing (I’ve enjoyed three sightings myself, including one in broad daylight).  However, although probably not uncommon in the mountains around Beijing, Amur Leopard Cats are difficult to see due to their primarily nocturnal habits.  And, in the context of Lingshan, there are a couple of small villages close by, so there is always the chance of a domestic cat roaming around.

    I decided to set up a camera trap on the trail where I had found the scat and leave it there for a month.  Yesterday I retrieved it and was delighted, first to find the camera trap was still there, and second to find a total of 11 images of Amur Leopard Cat, the best four of which are below.  The lightly spotted coat, thick tail and pale vertical stripes on the face are all good features of this wild cat, currently treated as a subspecies of Leopard Cat (Prionailurus bengalensis).

    It just goes to show that one doesn’t need to travel to the Tibetan Plateau to see wild cats..  they’re thriving in the capital city of the world’s most populous country!

     

     

     

  • White-throated Redstart at Lingshan

    White-throated Redstart at Lingshan

    Wednesday was a shocker of a day in Beijing.  In the last two years, the air quality has improved significantly through a combination of government efforts to shut down coal-fired power stations and old heavy industry, in particular steel production, and favourable winds.  However, after a few days of gentle southerly winds, bringing pollution from industrial Hebei Province, the air quality was the worst for many months.  If there’s one place to be in those circumstances, it’s the mountains; even the relatively modest 2,303m elevation of Beijing’s highest peak at Lingshan is usually above the smog and enjoys blue skies while the majority of the capital suffocates in a blanket of toxic pollution.

    It wasn’t the pollution forecast but instead a happy coincidence that I had arranged to visit Lingshan with good friend and fellow Beijinger, Steve Bale.  It would be my first visit to this special site since summer and the first visit of the winter invariably evokes memories of the special birds I’ve been lucky to encounter there, not least the male PRZEVALSKI’S (ALASHAN) REDSTART from February 2014.

    PRZEVALSKI’S REDSTART (Phoenicurus alaschanicus) at Lingshan, Sunday 23 February 2014.

    The morning started brightly with the expected blue skies and clean air, enabling us to look towards downtown Beijing cloaked in a horrible grey-brown murk.

    As usual, our first stop was ‘Przewalski’s Gully”, the site of that memorable 2014 find.  A group of six PLAIN LAUGHINGTHRUSHES, a single RED-THROATED THRUSH and a pair of BEIJING BABBLERS greeted us we made our way up the gully, shortly followed by three male and two female WHITE-WINGED (GULDENSTADT’S) REDSTARTS and a pair of SIBERIAN ACCENTORS.

    After birding the gully we headed up to the ‘old road’ and, with the sun behind us, started to walk up the valley.  It was fairly quiet with a few RED-THROATED THRUSHES, a handful of GODLEWSKI’S and MEADOW BUNTINGS and a trickle of WHITE-WINGED REDSTARTS.

    After reaching the top, I headed back down the valley to collect the car while Steve made his way on foot along the road, passing the formerly derelict, now shiny and renovated, buildings.  Collecting Steve as I drove up, we stopped briefly at the ‘saddle’ to check the rocky slopes for ASIAN ROSY FINCHES or ALPINE ACCENTORS (sadly absent) before continuing along the road as it began to descend.  With windows open and almost no wind we were listening for birds and almost immediately we heard the familiar call of CHINESE BEAUTIFUL ROSEFINCH.  Two males were sitting up in some dwarf birches, showing off their stunning pink plumage.  A resident breeder, these birds are always a delight to see.

    Male CHINESE BEAUTIFUL ROSEFINCHES, Lingshan (Steve Bale)

    Continuing on we stopped after only a few metres when I thought I heard a PINE BUNTING.  We stopped the car at a shallow gully, dotted with silver birch trees.

    The lightly wooded gully (c1550m asl) where we stopped to look for a Pine Bunting.

    Steve began to walk up the gully as I checked the top close to the road.  As Steve made his way up we saw a few MEADOW BUNTINGS, a GODLEWSKI’S BUNTING and a couple of SIBERIAN ACCENTORS.  It was at this point that I heard a harsh ‘tick’ call that I thought could be a redstart.  Suddenly, a bird flew past me at head height at such speed that I was unable to lift my binoculars in time..  My first reaction, on seeing the striking orange underparts, was “that was a really bright stonechat”!  However, a split second later as it headed down the gully, I could see the dark wings with a white wing-bar and immediately knew it was a male WHITE-THROATED REDSTART, a species with which I am familiar from the Valley of the Cats on the Tibetan Plateau.  Wow!

    I could see that the bird dropped and appeared to land in bushes at the bottom the gully, from where Steve had walked in.  I shouted to Steve and he quickly joined me at the top of the gully.  Steve agreed to head back down the road to the bottom of the gully while I stayed at the top to ensure I could see it if it relocated.  I spotted it deep in a bush and, as Steve made his way down, it made two brief forays onto the grassy slope to catch insects, before heading back to the bushes.  After a couple of minutes, Steve was at the base of the gully and secured a few record images as it foraged for insects.  Relieved that we had some documentation of the record, I headed down with the car and we both viewed from the road as the redstart caught insects and, occasionally, delivered a relatively quiet subsong.  After enjoying the bird for around half an hour and securing some photos and video from a safe distance, we decided to move on, feeling elated at such an unexpected find.

    Male WHITE-THROATED REDSTART, Lingshan, 14 November 2018. Photo by Terry Townshend.

    Lingshan lies on the boundary of Beijing Municipality and Hebei Province and, whilst the peak is in Beijing, the border snakes erratically and some of the areas to the north and west are in Hebei.  On checking the specific location on Google Maps, we found that the White-winged Redstart was in Hebei Province, around 250m outside Beijing, so technically it can’t be counted as a Beijing record, although I suspect it would be possible to view from inside the capital!

    White-throated Redstart is, I believe, the 5th species of Phoenicurus redstart to be encountered at Lingshan after Black, Daurian, Przevalski’s and White-winged, and adds to the growing number of Himalayan and Tibetan Plateau species found in the mountains around Beijing.  With the mountains of the Tibetan Plateau linked, albeit loosely, to the capital via the severely under-birded Qinling, Luliang and Taihang ranges, it’s entirely possible that more Plateau species occasionally make their way to the mountains around Beijing.  What price a Blue-fronted or Hodgson’s Redstart?

    Big thanks to Steve Bale for his great company and use of his photos from the trip.

    According to HBW, White-throated Redstart (Phoenicurus schisticeps) is a high-altitude breeder (2400-4500m) in Central and Eastern Himalayas East from West Central Nepal, and Central China (East and Southeast Qinghai, South Gansu and Southwest Shaanxi, South to South and Southeast Tibet and North Yunnan).  It is mostly sedentary with some elevational movements in winter, down to 1,400m.  The Lingshan bird is >1,000km to the east of its normal range and, with only one historical record from a park in coastal Hebei (PH via WeChat), this is possibly only the second record for Eastern China.  We’d both be very interested to hear about other extralimital records of this species in eastern China.

     

    Title photo: White-throated Redstart, Lingshan by Steve Bale.

  • Winter is coming…

    Winter is coming…

    It’s that time of year again.  As temperatures plummet and the days shorten, many people might think it’s time to stay indoors with a real fire, put on that favourite woolly jumper and sip a warm cup of (green) tea.  However, for birders, it’s worth putting on the thermal underwear and braving those icy temperatures – winter can be a brilliant time.

    Here are five reasons why winter is a good time for birding in Beijing:

    • First, with the leaves down, birds are easier to observe
    • Second, winter is the only time we can see certain species (for example, those that breed to the north of Beijing, including as far north as Mongolia and Russian Siberia, and spend the winter here). These species include: Ruddy Shelduck, Common Crane, White-tailed Eagle, Rough-legged Buzzard, Merlin, Mongolian Lark, the winter thrushes (Naumann’s. Dusky, Red-throated and Black-throated), Goldcrest, Guldenstadt’s Redstart, Siberian Accentor, Brambling, Pallas’s Rosefinch, Japanese Reed Bunting, Lapland Bunting and Pine Bunting.
    • Third, many mountain dwelling species will move lower into the valleys and even into cities in the winter, making them easier to see. For example: Winter Wren, Beijing Babbler, Plain Laughingthrush and Yellow-throated Bunting.
    • Fourth, depending on the seed crops and weather, especially the extent of snowfall, some species ‘irrupt’ in large numbers to areas where they would normally not occur in significant numbers. Pallas’s Sandgrouse, Japanese and Bohemian Waxwings and Redpolls are examples of species that sometimes ‘irrupt’ into Beijing.
    • Finally, there is always a chance of finding something special. The discovery of wintering Jankowski’s Buntings in winter 2015/2016 by Xing Chao and Huang Mujiao was exceptional.  Who knows what else might occur – maybe a Snowy Owl at Lingshan?  Or a Gyrfalcon at Ma Chang?
    2016-03-07 Jankowski's Bunting, Miyun5
    One of the wintering JANKOWSKI’S BUNTINGS at Miyun Reservoir in winter 2015/2016.

    The best winter sites?

    Most good birding sites in the capital (e.g. Yeyahu, Lingshan, Huairou, Miyun and Shahe Reservoirs (if accessible)) are worth visiting all year round.  And, within the city itself, the Botanical Gardens, with its berry-laden shrubs, is often one of the first sites to host groups of Japanese or Bohemian Waxwings during a ‘waxwing year’.  The Olympic Forest Park can host Beijing Babbler in winter and is often a good place to see Brown-cheeked Rails and Great Bittern.  It has also played host to some very scarce winter visitors such as ‘caudatus’ Northern Long-tailed Tit and Chiffchaff.  For me, personally, two of the best winter birding sites are Donglingshan and Shidu.

    Donglingshan (东灵山）

    2015-11-01 Red-throated Thrush male in flight, Lingshan2
    Red-throated Thrush usually winters in good numbers at Lingshan.

    The site of Beijing’s highest peak (2,303m), around 110km west of the city along the G109, Donglingshan is a superb winter birding site.  It is the only reliable site in Beijing to see the high-altitude specialist, Guldenstadt’s Redstart, and the scarce Pallas’s Rosefinch.  In most winters, tens of the former spend the winter feeding on the sea buckthorn berries in the many gullies and valleys below the peak and small flocks of the latter can be found foraging under stands of silver birch.  Other reliable species here include Chinese Beautiful and Long-tailed Rosefinches (interestingly, the latter are of the subspecies lepidus from central China and not the more northerly ussuriensis that has occurred in other parts of Beijing), not to mention Siberian and Alpine Accentors, good numbers of thrushes, Cinereous Vulture, Golden Eagle and, in some years, Asian Rosy Finch.  Rarities at this time of year have included Lesser Spotted Woodpecker and Black and Przewalski’s (Alashan) Redstarts.

    At around 2,000m, a visit to Donglingshan in winter can be bitterly cold, especially if the wind is blowing.  However, if you time your visit on a day with light winds and sunshine, it can be surprisingly pleasant and hugely rewarding.

    A downloadable PDF guide for Donglingshan (Lingshan) can be found here.

     

    Shidu （十渡）

    A spectacular gorge worthy of a visit in its own right, even without any birds, Shidu is an excellent winter birding destination, offering species that can be hard to see in other parts of the capital.  A road runs through the gorge, crossing several bridges and it’s a good tactic to stop close to the bridges to scan the area.  Shidu is perhaps most famous in birding circles for its Black Storks, a handful of which can be seen feeding alongside the river.  However, many more interesting species are possible.  For the last few years, at least one, sometimes two, Wallcreepers have been reliable near bridge 6.  And Long-billed Plover, Brown Dipper, Crested Kingfisher, Plumbeous Water Redstart, White-capped Water Redstart and Cinereous Vulture are all regular in winter.  Even the spectacular Ibisbill, a species that is increasingly difficult to see in the capital, is possible.  And Solitary Snipe, another difficult-to-see species has also been recorded.

    2013-11-23 Wallcreeper, Shidu
    Shidu is the best place in Beijing to see Wallcreeper.

     

    Ten Species To Look Out For This Winter

    Beijing has many special birds in the colder months and here are a few to look out for.

    1.     Merlin This small, compact, falcon can often be seen hunting flocks of small passerines, including buntings and larks.  Open spaces such as Ma Chang (Yanqing) and the edges of reservoirs are good places to look.

     
    2.     Cinereous Vulture  With a wingspan of c3m, this huge bird of prey can be seen in the mountains around Beijing from November to March.  Feeding on carrion, they can often be seen patrolling the ridges of mountainous areas on sunny days, especially when there is a breeze, providing them with lift.

     
    3.     Goldcrest This tiny bird is insectivorous and, somehow, it can find enough food in Beijing in winter.  The larger parks, such as the Botanical Gardens and the Olympic Forest Park, are good places to look.  Focus your search on areas with conifers and listen for their high-pitched calls.
    4.     Siberian Accentor This beautiful sparrow-sized bird likes scrubby areas with lots of good undergrowth.  They can be shy but with patience and knowledge of their high-pitched call, searching in the right areas should be successful.  The Botanical Gardens and Donglingshan are two good places to look.

     
    5.     Naumann’s Thrush  Naumann’s is the most common of the four classic ‘winter thrushes’ in Beijing (the others are Dusky, Red-throated and Black-throated).  With its orange-coloured tones, Naumann’s Thrush is a very pretty bird and can often be seen feeding on berries or on the ground in Beijing’s parks.
    6.     Japanese Waxwing The beautiful Japanese Waxwing is an annual winter visitor to Beijing in varying numbers.  Sometimes in large flocks, they can strip berries from a bush in minutes.  Listen for their ‘ringing’ calls and look for flocks of birds that have similar silhouettes to starlings.  Can most easily be told from the very similar Bohemian Waxwing by the pinkish, not yellow, tip to the tail.
    7.     Winter Wren The charismatic Winter Wren breeds in the mountains around Beijing and, in winter, it moves to lower elevations to escape the harshest winter temperatures.  In winter it can be found in the Botanical Gardens and other large parks, often near water.  The distinctive cocked tail means that it’s unmistakeable.
    8.     Brambling The Brambling is a common winter visitor to Beijing.  A sociable bird, it can often be found in flocks feeding on seeds (often beech mast) at the base of trees.  Listen for its upslurred call as flocks wheel around over wooded areas.
    9.     Pallas’s Rosefinch A real gem of the Beijing winter, the Pallas’s Rosefinch is one of the most sought after species by foreign birders visiting the capital.  A winter visitor in varying numbers, usually to relatively high elevations, it is most reliably found at Donglingshan in winter.  The ridge above the Botanical Gardens and sites around the Great Wall can also produce this species.  A favourite food is birch mast, so look for stands of silver birch and check the ground around the bases of the trees.
    10.  Pallas’s Bunting  A winter visitor in good numbers, the Pallas’s Bunting is one of Beijing’s signature winter birds.  Found in reedbeds and any areas of rank grass and/or scrub, it can be skittish but will sometimes sit on the top of vegetation and utter its sparrow-like call, quite different to that of the similar, but scarcer, Common Reed Bunting and Japanese Reed Bunting.

    Of course, the most important thing about going birding is not where you go or what you see but that you enjoy it.  Wishing everyone a wonderful winter’s birding.

     

    Title image: Przewalski’s (Alashan) Redstart, Lingshan, February 2014.

    This article has been translated into Chinese and appeared in the Winter edition of the China Birdwatching Society magazine.

  • LAMMERGEIER in Beijing

    LAMMERGEIER in Beijing

    Lingshan, Beijing’s highest mountain, is probably my favourite birding site in the capital.  It’s one of those sites where, walking around, it feels as if almost anything could turn up.  That feeling is not irrational.  With wintering PRZEWALSKI’S (ALASHAN) REDSTART, Beijing’s first LESSER SPOTTED WOODPECKER, breeding GREENISH WARBLERS, ALSTROM’S WARBLERS, SLATY-BACKED FLYCATCHERS, ‘Gansu’ RED-FLANKED BLUETAILS and GREY-WINGED BLACKBIRDS all discovered in the last few years, expectation is high whatever the season.

    PRZEVALSKI'S REDSTART at Lingshan, Sunday 23 February 2014.
    PRZEVALSKI’S (ALASHAN) REDSTART, Sunday 23 February 2014.  My favourite discovery at Lingshan.

    My most recent visit was with Paul Holt on Monday.  On arrival it was cold, breezy and seemingly almost birdless.  Around the derelict buildings, at the highest point of the road, our hopes of Asian Rosy Finch drew a blank.  And there were no birds at all on the scree slopes..  However, almost the first bird we saw was a good one – a sibiricus GREAT GREY SHRIKE.  Scarce in Beijing, Lingshan in winter is certainly the best site for this monochrome predator.  A check of the sheltered side valley a little lower down was more productive, with three species of rosefinch – PALLAS’S, CHINESE BEAUTIFUL and LONG-TAILED.  The highlight here was a count of 7 LONG-TAILED ROSEFINCHES of the central China lepidus subspecies, a form only discovered in Beijing two winters ago. One male, in particular, showed spectacularly well.

    2016-12-12-long-tailed-rosefinch-ssp-lepidus-male-lingshan3
    Long-tailed Rosefinch ssp lepidus, Lingshan, 12 December 2016
    2016-12-12-long-tailed-rosefinch-ssp-lepidus-male-lingshan2
    One of the male Long-tailed Rosefinches ssp lepidus, Lingshan, 12 December 2016
    2016-12-12-long-tailed-rosefinch-ssp-lepidus-female-lingshan
    Female Long-tailed Rosefinch ssp lepidus, Lingshan, 12 December 2016

    We walked the old road which was also relatively quiet with only one WHITE-WINGED REDSTART (a male) and an owl sp (SHORT-EARED or LONG-EARED), flushed by Paul and seen only briefly.

    We decided to try an area of scrub further up the mountain and, after a 20-minute walk, we discovered four more lepidus LONG-TAILED ROSEFINCHES and flushed a EURASIAN WOODCOCK, scarce in Beijing especially in winter.  We headed back to the car, talking about how great it was to see so many rosefinches and feeling happy with the day..

    As we started to drive back to the road, a large raptor drifted past the communications tower… right at that moment, the jizz reminded me a little of Black Kite – long tail and lazy flight – but this bird was certainly not that species, it was huge!  Paul immediately shouted an expletive followed by “juvenile Lammergeier”.  Wow.  We jumped out of the car and I grabbed my camera to take a few record shots..  As it drifted behind a hill we bundled back into the car and made our way back to the road to try to see it again.. We rounded the bend just before the road descends on the Hebei side and saw it again, this time at eye-level as it drifted north in the company of several LARGE-BILLED CROWS.  The fact that we initially though the crows were RED-BILLED CHOUGHS gives an indication of its size.  We watched as this magnificent bird of prey banked around and then flew directly over our heads before slowly heading northwest.  What an encounter!

    2016-12-12-lammergeier-juv-lingshan
    Juvenile Lammergeier, Lingshan, 12 December 2016. With the dark hood and relatively dark underparts, the colouration of juveniles is different to adults. But that tail is unmistakeable!
    2016-12-12-lammergeier-juv-lingshan5
    The Lingshan Lammergeier showed very well as it drifted from Beijing into neighbouring Hebei Province.
    2016-12-12-lammergeier-juv-lingshan3
    Juvenile Lammergeier, Lingshan, 12 December 2016

    With the nearest known breeding grounds on the Tibetan Plateau, more than 1,200km to the west, LAMMERGEIER is a bird I wasn’t expecting to see in Beijing.  As far as I know there is only one previous record from the capital, from Shidu, Fangshan District, in February 2008 (Wang Qin) so this is Beijing’s second.

    Lingshan delivers again!

    A PDF site guide to Lingshan, including travel directions and a map of the best sites, can be downloaded here.

  • New for Beijing: GREY-WINGED BLACKBIRD

    New for Beijing: GREY-WINGED BLACKBIRD

    The potential for discovery is one of the most exciting elements of birding in Beijing.  Despite being probably the most-birded part of China, new species are recorded regularly.  As one would expect, vagrants make up most of the additions to Beijing’s avifauna.  However it’s an indication of just how little we know about Beijing’s birds that new breeding birds are also being discovered.  Last summer at Lingshan, Beijing’s highest mountain, Paul Holt and I discovered GREENISH WARBLERS (Phylloscopus trochiloides) – the first record of this species in Beijing – and a male SLATY-BACKED FLYCATCHER (Ficedula hodgsonii) – the second record for Beijing – both in suitable breeding habitat.  At the time, we speculated about what else could be hiding on the forested slopes of this under-birded site.  Our minds wandered to many outlandish possibilities, including WHITE-BROWED ROSEFINCH, CHESTNUT THRUSH and GREY-HEADED BULLFINCH.  However, as if to tell us we were lacking in ambition, the next secret to be revealed by Lingshan was to be even more outlandish – the discovery of GREY-WINGED BLACKBIRDS (Turdus boulboul, 灰翅鸫), a primarily Himalayan species!

    This is the story..

    Last weekend, after a particularly busy May and early June involving very little birding, I decided to escape the Beijing heat for a few days to stay at Lingshan, Beijing’s highest mountain, around 100km west of the city centre.  It’s usually at least 10 degrees Celsius cooler here and, of course, the birding is fantastic with a host of breeding phylloscopus warblers, range-restricted species such as GREEN-BACKED FLYCATCHER (Ficedula elisae), GREY-SIDED THRUSH (Turdus feae) and some spectacular Sibes such as SIBERIAN BLUE ROBIN (Luscinia cyane), ASIAN STUBTAIL (Urosphena squameiceps) and LONG-TAILED MINIVET (Pericrocotus ethologus).

    I enjoyed a wonderful time on the slopes of the mountain, enjoying prolonged views of breeding ‘GANSU’ RED-FLANKED BLUETAILS (Tarsiger cyanurus albocoeruleus) and the recently discovered breeding population of GREENISH WARBLERS (Phylloscopus trochiloides).

    GREENISH WARBLER (Phylloscopus trochiloides), Lingshan, 17 June 2016
    GREENISH WARBLER (Phylloscopus trochiloides), Lingshan, 17 June 2016

    On my final morning I decided to spend the early part of the day birding the slopes below the village by walking down the access road before heading back to Beijing around 0900.  At the furthest point, just as I was about to turn around and walk back up to the car, I heard a thrush singing close by.  The two most likely thrushes at Lingshan at this elevation are GREY-SIDED THRUSH and CHINESE THRUSH.  It definitely wasn’t a Grey-sided and, knowing the variation in Chinese Thrush, I thought it was most likely this species.  Usually, singing birds are very difficult to see but on this occasion, as I looked up the slope, I could see a thrush-sized bird perched on a bare branch on top of the ridge.  Even though it was silhouetted by the rising sun, I set up the telescope to check it out.  What I saw flummoxed me..  it appeared to be a blackish thrush with a clear yellow eye-ring, a yellow bill and a white wing-panel.  The east Asian thrushes flashed through my head but none matched what I was seeing.  Definitely not a Siberian Thrush or a Japanese Thrush…  maybe it was a CHINESE BLACKBIRD with leucism (a condition of partial loss of pigmentation resulting in white patches on the plumage)?  However, I had never before seen a Chinese Blackbird at Lingshan, it was atypical habitat and it didn’t sound like one…  I recorded a short video and committed to following up the sighting when I was home.. By now I was a little late and needed to head back to the car for the journey back to Beijing in time to meet friends for lunch.

    The original video clip, horribly backlit.

    It wasn’t until the next day that I had the chance to speak to Paul Holt about what I had seen.  He immediately suggested it could be a GREY-WINGED BLACKBIRD, a species with which he was very familiar but that I had yet to see.  After checking images of this species online, I was in no doubt that was the bird.

    After alerting the Birding Beijing WeChat group, the general reaction from birders was that it was such a bizarre record that it was almost certainly an escape.  One look at the known range of this species suggested why – it is largely a Himalayan bird and the nearest breeding grounds are in far southwest China – in Yunnan, Guangxi and southern Sichuan.

    2016-06-23 Grey-winged Blackbird range
    The known range of Grey-winged Blackbird.  Copyright BirdLife International.

    However, it just didn’t feel right that this bird – singing on a remote mountain 100km to the west of Beijing – was an escape.  A quick check of a list of species recorded in Beijing’s bird markets showed that Grey-winged Blackbird had never been recorded for sale in the capital.  In itself that didn’t prove anything, however it was certainly encouraging…

    The most obvious next step was to return to Lingshan to try to establish whether the original bird was alone or part of a small, previously undiscovered, breeding population.

    And so, on Wednesday, I teamed up with Paul Holt and headed west.  We arrived at the location of my original sighting, between km 11 and km 12 on the access road, at around 0750.  Immediately we could hear, and see, a Grey-winged Blackbird, presumably the same individual as my original sighting, singing from the same perch, high up to the east of the access road.  After spending a lot of time with this bird, including making sound-recordings and video, the bird stopped singing and so we headed up the mountain to check on the Greenish Warblers that were discovered in a high tract of forest last year.

    The following morning, we were out at 0400 to check on the blackbird.  And, as we suspected, there wasn’t just one singing male but two, and then three!  The presence of multiple birds surely reduced, if not eliminated, the chance that these birds were escapes.  Instead, it was most likely we had discovered a small breeding population, more than 1,500 kilometres from the nearest known breeding sites.  Wow!

    Grey-winged Blackbird is primarily a Himalayan bird, with the closest known populations in China being in Yunnan, Guangxi and southern Sichuan. The discovery of, most likely breeding, birds at Lingshan represents a significant range expansion.

    Thanks to the excellent contributions from Chinese birders on the Birding Beijing WeChat group, especially Lei Jinyu, we now know of several records away from the known range, including 3 records each from Shaanxi and Hubei Provinces, “a few” from Hunan and a single record from Chongqing.  So it is clear the species does occur, at least occasionally, away from southwest China.  It seems likely that the Lingshan birds represent a relict population, survivors of what once might have been a breeding range that extended across China’s mountains from the southwest to the northeast.

    Immediately after this discovery, we began to think about what else could be on this magical mountain.  Speculation on the Birding Beijing WeChat group included a suggestion from Dutch birder, Ben Wielstra – “breeding SLATY-BLUE FLYCATCHER“.  Ben found Beijing’s first record of this species last autumn in the grounds of Tsinghua University.  Incredibly, within 8 hours of his message, Paul found a singing SLATY-BLUE FLYCATCHER in the same area as the GREY-WINGED BLACKBIRDS!  The second record for Beijing and, given the date, indicative of possible breeding.  What. A. Day.

    Now, the big question is, again: what next for Lingshan?

    Big thanks to Paul Holt for his, as always, valuable counsel and for his company on the second visit to Lingshan this week.

    Featured Image: Lingshan in June: a magical place.

     

  • Long-tailed Rosefinches in Beijing

    Long-tailed Rosefinches in Beijing

    As readers might have noticed, I take every opportunity to rave about the birding in Beijing. One of the reasons is because there is so much opportunity for discovery.  The last few weeks have proved this again.

    Until now, Beijing birders had presumed all the LONG-TAILED ROSEFINCHES (Uragus sibiricus, 长尾雀), occasionally seen in the capital in winter, are from the population breeding in NE China, Russia and Mongolia (the ussuriensis subspecies).  We don’t see many, and it was only after Paul Holt and I recently visited Wuerqihan, northern Inner Mongolia, where Long-tailed Rosefinches are common, that sharp-eyed (and sharp-eared!) Paul Holt suspected that the birds I had photographed and sound-recorded at Lingshan in October 2014 and November 2015 were of a different subspecies.

    2014-10-31 Long-tailed Rosefinch fem, Lingshan
    Female Long-tailed Rosefinch, Lingshan, Beijing, 31 October 2014.  Note the heavy and contrasting streaking and relatively thin wingbars.
    2014-11-25 Long-tailed Rosefinch male, Lingshan
    Male Long-tailed Rosefinch, Lingshan, 25 November 2014.  Note the contrasting head pattern, including the prominent dark stripe running behind the eye, and the brownish wings contrasting with the pink underparts.
    2015-11-09 Long-tailed Rosefinch fem, Lingshan
    Female Long-tailed Rosefinch, Lingshan, Beijing, 9 November 2015. Again, note the relatively thick and contrasting streaking on the underparts.

    To compare, here are a couple of photos of the northeastern ussuriensis subspecies, the only race previously presumed to occurr in Beijing, taken in the Dalian area of NE China, courtesy of Tom Beeke.

    Long-tailed Rosefinch 35vfvhj3
    (young?) Male Long-tailed Rosefinch ssp ussuriensis.  Note the lack of an obvious dark stripe behind the eye, less contrasting head pattern and less contrast on the wings.
    Long-tailed Rosefinch 333242
    Female Long-tailed Rosefinch ssp ussuriensis. Note the relative lack of contrasting streaking on the underparts, the overall ‘warmer’ look and the thicker, more prominent, wingbars.

    And here is a male from Wuerqihan, Inner Mongolia.

    2014-12-22 Long-tailed Rosefinch male2, Wuerqihan, Inner Mongolia
    Note the thick wingbar, lack of a dark stripe behind the eye and overall ‘frosty’ appearance.

    Compare the calls of one of the Lingshan birds with a bird of the ussuriensis race from Russia :

    Lingshan bird (lepidus): 

    Ussuriensis from Russia (Albert Lastukhin):

    After comparing photos and sound-recordings of ussuriensis with those from Beijing, it became clear that the Lingshan birds were NOT of the ssp ussuriensis.  Instead, the Lingshan birds show the characteristics (dark eye-stripe and brown wings on the male, heavy and contrasting streaking on the female) of the ssp lepidus, the race from central China (according to HBW, this subspecies ranges from Eastern Tibet, east to south Shaanxi and southwest Shanxi).

    Photos prove that Long-tailed Rosefinches of the lepidus subspecies have now occured at Lingshan in October/November 2014 and again in November 2015, including adult males.  This suggests that Lingshan may be a regular wintering ground for the lepidus subspecies.

    This was quite a shock.

    We don’t *think* lepidus breeds in Beijing – they are active and noisy during the breeding season and there have been a few spring/summer visits by birders to Lingshan in the last 2 years, during which one would expect these birds to have been detected had they been present.  So, for the moment at least, it looks as if these birds have moved northeast from their breeding grounds, an unexpected winter movement.

    We know that at least some of the few winter records of Long-tailed Rosefinch from lowland Beijing are of the northern subspecies ussuriensis. So Beijing has now recorded two ssp of Long-tailed Rosefinch.

    It’s another fascinating, and unexpected, discovery from Lingshan!  What next?

    Big thanks to Paul Holt for the initial discovery, to Paul Leader for comments and to Tom Beeke for permission to use his photos of Long-tailed Rosefinch from Liaoning Province.

  • Red-throated x Black-throated Thrush

    Red-throated x Black-throated Thrush

    In Beijing in winter we are blessed with good numbers of East Asian thrushes…  In my experience NAUMANN’S (Turdus naumanni) is the most common, followed by RED-THROATED (Turdus ruficollis) and DUSKY (Turdus eunomus) with BLACK-THROATED (Turdus atrogularis) being the most scarce.  It is not uncommon to encounter intergrades, and birds exhibiting features of both NAUMANN’S and DUSKY are frequently encountered (see images at the end of this post).  It is much less common to find birds showing features of both Red-throated and Black-throated.  However, that is exactly what I found on Sunday at Lingshan.

    An apparent adult RED-THROATED x BLACK-THROATED THRUSH, Lingshan, 1 March 2015
    An apparent adult RED-THROATED x BLACK-THROATED THRUSH, Lingshan, 1 March 2015.  Note the presence of both black and reddish feathers on the throat/upper breast.

    Unfortunately I wasn’t able to capture many (any!) good quality photographs but the two I did manage (above) show the unusually-marked throat and upper breast.  A ‘pure’ Red-throated should show reddish orange marks only on the throat and breast with no black.  And Black-throated should show only black or grey markings here, lacking any reddish tones.  This bird clearly shows a mixture, with black dominating the lower part of the throat-patch and red dominating the upper part and the neck surrounds.  I have never seen a bird like this before but it seems reasonable to assume that this is an intergrade between RED-THROATED and BLACK-THROATED.  Although Red x Black-throated Thrushes are rare in Beijing, they are fairly frequent in Central Asia – see here for some information from Kazakhstan.

    Vagrant East Asian thrushes, especially first year birds, still cause some identification problems in Europe (e.g. the 2013 Dusky Thrush at Margate in the UK and the recent putative Red-throated Thrush in Finland).  This is because we don’t know for sure the variability of ‘pure’ birds, complicated by the fact that we know they interbreed.  If we are to improve our knowledge, studies must be made on the breeding grounds, away from areas of potential interbreeding, so that we can better understand natural variation of pure species and pin down the tell-tale signs of intergradation. Although birders in Beijing and East Asia have a lot of experience of these thrushes, because we see these birds on the wintering grounds, in some cases we cannot be certain whether or not we are looking at pure birds or intergrades.. This means we are not best-placed to provide anything other than opinions about what we *think* are signs of intergradation based on seeing hundreds, and in some cases, thousands of these beautiful thrushes.

    That said, I think we can all agree that the Lingshan bird is an intergrade.  And what a cracker it was!

    Just for interest, here are a couple of apparent DUSKY x NAUMANN’S THRUSHES from Beijing.

    2013-12-11 Dusky x Naumann's Thrush intergrade, Peking University
    Superficially this bird resembles DUSKY THRUSH but look at those red markings on the breast and flanks… a good indicator of NAUMANN’S influence. Peking University, December 2013

     

    2010-11-30 Dusky-Naumann's intergrade
    Another bird showing characters of both DUSKY and NAUMANN’S with many reddish marks on the breast and flanks. Botanical Gardens, November 2011.

     

  • It’s back!

    When the male PRZEWALSKI’S REDSTART turned up at Lingshan last winter, it was only the third occurrence in Beijing and the first for 20 years… Given the lack of observer coverage in winter, we speculated whether it might be a more regular visitor than the records suggested… and this speculation gained credibility when a female was found nearby soon after.  The only way we would know the true status of this star bird was to monitor the site over the following winters to see whether they returned…

    So far this November I have already made three visits to the site and, despite seeing plenty of the other high-altitude loving redstart – Guldenstadt’s – I have not seen any Przewalski’s.  Was it a late migrant?  Or was the occurrence of the pair last winter really a one-off?  I was beginning to wonder….

    Fast forward to late on Thursday evening when I received a message from Breght Vandenberghe, a Belgian birder, to say that he had just visited Lingshan and seen a male PRZEWALSKI’S!  My heart leapt.. and a voice inside my head whispered:

    “It’s Back!!!”

    Here is a photo from last year as a reminder of just how stunning is this spectacular species.  Big congratulations to Breght for finding the Przewalski’s and huge thanks for passing on the news.

    PRZEVALSKI'S REDSTART at Lingshan, Sunday 23 February 2014.
    Male PRZEVALSKI’S REDSTART at Lingshan, Sunday 23 February 2014.

     

     

  • Return to Lingshan

    Lingshan is Beijing’s highest mountain and lies on the border of the Municipality of Beijing and neighbouring Hebei Province.  At a little over 2,300 metres, it is high enough to attract a noticeably different avifauna to that of most sites in the capital and is a great place to connect with some difficult to see species including GULDENSTADT’S REDSTART (Phoenicurus erythrogaster, 红腹红尾鸲) and PALLAS’S (北朱雀), LONG-TAILED (长尾雀) and CHINESE BEAUTIFUL (红眉朱雀) ROSEFINCHES.  ALPINE ACCENTORS (Prunella collaris, 领岩鹨) are regular and, of course, last winter, Lingshan also hosted a pair of the stunningly pretty PRZEWALSKI’S REDSTARTS (Phoenicurus alaschanicus, 贺兰山红尾鸲). So it is with great anticipation that I make my first visits of the winter, never knowing what might be present.  On Thursday I visited with Dutch birder, Ben Wielstra, and his wife Sisi.  Thanks to the anti-pollution measures taken by the Chinese government in advance of hosting the APEC leaders’ summit (essentially shutting down polluting industry, severely restricting private cars and providing cash incentives for residents to take holidays), the weather and air quality were both stunning.  And with hardly a breath of wind, conditions were perfect. Our first stop was at “Przewalski’s Gully”, the buckthorn-filled valley 100m or so below the road’s plateau.  There was no sign of last winter’s star bird but GULDENSTADT’S REDSTARTS (红腹红尾鸲) were present in good numbers with at least 8 males at this site plus a similar number of females.  We also connected with LONG-TAILED (长尾雀), PALLAS’S (北朱雀) and CHINESE BEAUTIFUL (红眉朱雀) ROSEFINCHES, a few RED-THROATED THRUSHES (赤颈鸫), some mobile flocks of COMMON REDPOLL (白腰朱顶雀), SIBERIAN ACCENTOR (棕眉山岩鹨) and a supporting cast including WILLOW (ssp songarus, 褐头山雀) and SILVER-THROATED (北长尾山雀银喉长尾山雀) TITS, CHINESE HILL BABBLER (山鹛) and PLAIN LAUGHINGTHRUSH (山噪鹛).

    Long-tailed Rosefinch (female), Lingshan
    Long-tailed Rosefinch (female), Lingshan

    After maybe half an hour we made our way up to the scree slopes to check for ASIAN ROSY FINCH (粉红腹岭雀).  This species is almost certainly annual here but they are nomadic and very unpredictable, probably rotating their time among the several high peaks in the area.  This time we were lucky.  First, we encountered two HORNED LARKS (角百灵) by the side of the road.  Then, a little further along, a small flock of ALPINE ACCENTORS (领岩鹨) flew in close to us.  As we were enjoying these birds I caught sight of a small woodpecker below us in some stunted birches.  Small woodpeckers are not common on Lingshan, especially up high, so my immediate thought was to check that it was indeed the default GREY-CAPPED PYGMY WOODPECKER (星头啄木鸟) and not the very rare JAPANESE PYGMY WOODPECKER (小星头啄木鸟).  I trained my telescope on this bird and immediately noticed a bright red cap – it was a male LESSER SPOTTED WOODPECKER (小斑啄木鸟), a very rare bird in the capital with just a handful of records (some of which are by visiting birders in the capital’s parks and almost certainly relate to mis-identified GREY-CAPPED PYGMY WOODPECKERS).  Just as I called out the bird to Ben and Sisi, a flock of finches flew in to join the accentors – ASIAN ROSY FINCHES!  At least 4 were present at first and we were immediately distracted from the woodpecker, allowing it to slip away undetected into the birch forest. I could hardly complain – with birding this good, it would be churlish to be disappointed that I did not capture any image at all of the Lesser Spot. We continued to watch the ROSY FINCHES and, soon after, some CHINESE BEAUTIFUL and PALLAS’S ROSEFINCHES joined the group and 3 more ‘brandti‘ HORNED LARKS appeared by the roadside.  Then, some chattering overhead signalled the arrival of a large flock of more ASIAN ROSY FINCHES… we estimated at least 100 birds.  Wow! This flock was extremely mobile and no sooner had they settled they would lift up again and wheel around before alighting a few hundred metres away for a few seconds and then up again they went.. it was as if the ground was too cold for their feet!  They finally settled on a scree slope close by and we enjoyed prolonged views of these beautiful birds… After some time with these special birds we parked up by the derelict buildings and began to check the area along the old road.  This is an area with many buckthorn bushes and, in the previous two winters, has been a good place to see GULDENSTADT’S REDSTARTS, RED-THROATED THRUSHES and PALLAS’S ROSEFINCHES.  It didn’t disappoint.  Here there were at least 10 more male GULDENSTADT’S REDSTARTS with at least 4 females.  A mobile flock of REDPOLLS wheeled around noisily overhead and, about half way along the old road, regularly stopped to drink from a small pool.  As they sat in the birch trees awaiting their turn to drink, we were able to ‘scope some of the birds and, in a sample of around 15 birds, we were able to identify 2 definite ARCTIC REDPOLLS (极北朱顶雀) sporting clean undertail coverts and beautifully unmarked white rumps.  Wow – another Beijing mega-rarity. Again, these birds were highly mobile, and despite spending some time close to the drinking pool, I was not able to capture any images of the ARCTIC REDPOLLS.

    Common Redpoll, Lingshan, 6 November 2014
    Common Redpoll, Lingshan, 6 November 2014

    Further down the old road we encountered more PALLAS’S ROSEFINCHES, a calling LONG-TAILED ROSEFINCH and a juvenile GOLDEN EAGLE (金雕) soared overhead.  This was Lingshan at its best.

    Pallas's Rosefinch (ad male), Lingshan, 6 November 2014
    Pallas’s Rosefinch (ad male), Lingshan, 6 November 2014

    After enjoying a cockle-warming coffee we made another circuit of the same sites, checking thoroughly for the only bird missing – PRZEWALSKI’S REDSTART.  Alas, despite our search, we drew a blank.  Maybe we were too early?  Or maybe it’s not an annual visitor here and last winter was exceptional?  Only time will tell…  One thing is for sure – I can’t wait for my next visit to this special site. Big thanks to Ben and Sisi for their company on what turned out to be a memorable day.

  • Manchurian Bush Warbler at Lingshan

    Lingshan is a spectacular place.  I first visited Beijing’s highest mountain in March 2013 and since then, over multiple visits, I have enjoyed some brilliant birding at this bitterly cold, barren and inhospitable site.  It seems to be a reliable winter location for difficult-to-see birds such as PALLAS’S ROSEFINCH, GULDENSTADT’S REDSTART and of course, most recently, it hosted both male and females of the stunning PRZEWALSKI’S REDSTART.

    Last weekend, I made only my second summer visit.  And how different it looks.  Since my most recent visit in March, the mountain has been transformed with birdsong seemingly bursting from every tree and shrub on the now vivid green slopes and hillsides.

     

    Lingshan in summer is lush, green and full of birds.
    Lingshan in summer is lush, green and full of birds.
    A view to the north-east from Lingshan. Hard to believe it's Beijing.
    A view to the north-east from Lingshan. Hard to believe it’s Beijing.

    The woods are alive with CLAUDIA’S LEAF, CHINESE LEAF, EASTERN CROWNED and YELLOW-STREAKED WARBLERS.  And the more open areas are frequented by CHINESE BEAUTIFUL ROSEFINCHES and DAURIAN REDSTARTS with RED-BILLED CHOUGHS wheeling overhead.

    A walk along the buckthorn-filled valley that, in winter, hosts GULDENSTADT’S REDSTARTS and good numbers of dark-throated thrushes, revealed that these bushes are now the home of singing YELLOW-STREAKED and CHINESE LEAF WARBLERS.  A short way down, we suddenly heard a different song – short, powerful and rich – that reminded me  a little of the COMMON NIGHTINGALES we had recently seen in Xinjiang.  Of course it wasn’t a nightingale… it was a MANCHURIAN BUSH WARBLER (Cettia canturians) – a scarce bird in Beijing and the first I had seen in the capital.  It sang constantly, often from an exposed perch, allowing me to record some video…

    After finding some basic, but very cheap (GBP 8 per room), accommodation, we walked along the access road after dark to listen for owls.  We heard only a possible distant ORIENTAL SCOPS OWL but, at two different sites, also heard GREY NIGHTJARS pounding out their mechanical ‘knocking’ sound.  A highlight was also a rare (for Beijing) view of the spectacular night sky and, by checking out the planets with a birding telescope, we were able to identify Saturn, complete with rings.  Wow!

    In the morning we awoke early to experience the dawn chorus and, again, walking along the main access road, we encountered CHINESE THRUSH, YELLOW-RUMPED FLYCATCHER, SONGAR (WILLOW) and YELLOW-BELLIED TITS, EURASIAN NUTHATCH, CHINESE BEAUTIFUL ROSEFINCH, RUSSET SPARROW and both MEADOW and GODLEWSKI’S BUNTINGS, in addition to the usual chorus of phylloscopus warblers.

    I am sure that, with a little more time and by covering more of the area, some more surprises would be found…  after all, this is the site where Jan-Erik Nilsen recorded (two years running!) an initially unfamiliar song that, after investigation, turned out to be a PLAIN-TAILED (ALSTROM’S) WARBLER, a bird that, on current knowledge of it’s range, should not be in Beijing.  And with so few birders visiting, the opportunity for discovery is vast.  I’ll be back!

    ======

    The status of Manchurian Bush Warbler in Beijing (with hat-tip to Paul Holt):

    This species is scarce, with just 16 records in total, averaging just 1-2 records annually in recent years.  Six of these are from May, including one from Lingshan in May 2004.  It has also been recorded in summer (July 2005 and June 2008) at nearby Baicaopan, possibly suggesting that it is a scarce breeder in the mountains around Beijing.  There is an autumn record from Kangxi Grassland (near Yanqing) on 16 October 2010 and one was photographed in the campus of Peking University in late October 2012.

     

  • Male Przevalski’s Redstart at Lingshan joined by a female!

    On Saturday I visited Lingshan again (it’s become my favourite winter birding site!) with Wu Lan.  On arrival, we were of course keen to see whether the male PRZEVALSKI’S REDSTART (贺兰山红尾鸲) was still on site.  We were greeted by a family who told us that it had moved on.. it had apparently been seen on Tuesday but a photographer had visited the site every day from Wednesday to Friday without success….

    We decided (of course) to have a look anyway.  But after half an hour of staring at the sea buckthorn bushes in its favoured gully, we decided to move up to the peak and check for ASIAN ROSY FINCHES… (粉红腹岭雀). We drove up, enjoying a large group of PALLAS’S ROSEFINCHES (北朱雀) on the way (at least 50 were present) but, again, the top was birdless… no sign of any Rosy Finches…

    We decided to walk down the old road, an open south-facing valley, scattered with sea buckthorn bushes.  We soon spotted our first GULDENSTADT’S REDSTARTS (红腹红尾鸲) and encountered the usual RED-THROATED THRUSHES (赤颈鸫) competing for the still significant stock of sea buckthorn berries.  We thought to ourselves that, if the GULDENSTADT’S REDSTARTS were still here, there must be a good chance that the PRZEVALSKI’S was still around, too..

    As we made it to the bottom of the valley we stumbled across a stunning male CHINESE BEAUTIFUL ROSEFINCH (红眉朱雀) and it showed spectacularly well for several minutes, allowing prolonged views through the telescope to examine its wonderful pink plumage.

    We hit the new road at the bottom of the valley and instead of walking back up along the new road (the usual routine), for some reason we decided to walk back up the valley to the car.   Now with the sun behind us, we followed the shrub-lined dyke as we headed north.  We soon encountered a female redstart and, with white-edged tertials and secondaries, this bird was not the expected female GULDENSTADT’S….  We stood still and it gradually showed itself.  I knew we had something good…  I suspected it was a female PRZEVALSKI’S REDSTART and I took some photos as it fed amongst some birch scrub.

    Female PRZEVALSKI'S REDSTART (贺兰山红尾鸲), Lingshan, 8 March 2014
    First winter female PRZEVALSKI’S REDSTART (贺兰山红尾鸲), Lingshan, 8 March 2014

     

    Female PRZEVALSKI'S REDSTART, Lingshan, 8 March 2014
    Female PRZEVALSKI’S REDSTART (贺兰山红尾鸲), Lingshan, 8 March 2014
    Female PRZEVALSKI'S REDSTART, Lingshan, 8 March 2014. The 2nd record of PRZEVALSKI'S REDSTART in Beijing this winter, the fourth ever and the first female.
    Female PRZEVALSKI’S REDSTART (贺兰山红尾鸲), Lingshan, 8 March 2014. The 2nd record of PRZEVALSKI’S REDSTART in Beijing this winter, the fourth ever and, we think, the first ever female.

    It was cool to watch this bird catching insects and it was interesting to see that it was smaller and daintier than the more powerful female GULDENSTADT’S.  I knew I had photos that would make this bird identifiable and so, after a few minutes, we moved on, now more confident that the male (which Wu Lan had yet to see) was probably still around.

    We drove back to the site of the male bird but, again, its favoured sea buckthorn bush was empty…  I decided to take a walk up the gully and around some scrub to check out the wider area..  and no sooner had I walked 5 metres, there it was – the male PRZEVALSKI’S REDSTART.. !  I gestured to Wu Lan and she hurried over.  We enjoyed splendid views and we immediately called the Wang family (who had driven up to the top to look for the ASIAN ROSY FINCHES)…

    A few minutes later the Wangs arrived and we enjoyed superb views as the redstart posed on prominent perches as it caught the first insects of the spring…  high-fives all round!

    Male PRZEVALSKI'S REDSTART, Lingshan, 8 March 2014.
    Male PRZEVALSKI’S REDSTART (贺兰山红尾鸲), Lingshan, 8 March 2014.
    The Wang family, shortly after connecting with the male PRZEVALSKI'S REDSTART.. smiles all round!
    The Wang family, shortly after connecting with the male PRZEVALSKI’S REDSTART.. smiles all round!

    On my return to Beijing I immediately sent the photos of the female redstart to Paul Holt (currently in Yunnan), who has experience of female PRZEVALSKI’S and he quickly confirmed what we suspected – it was indeed a female PRZEVALSKI’S (thanks Paul!).  Amazingly, the second record of this species in Beijing this winter, the fourth ever and, we think, the first ever female.  Lingshan continues to surprise….  and if that wasn’t enough, we also heard (distantly) BROWN EARED PHEASANT (褐马鸡)…  another very tough bird to see (or hear) in the capital.

  • New photos of the PRZEVALSKI’S REDSTART at Lingshan

    The PRZEVALSKI’S REDSTART (贺兰山红尾鸲) is still at Lingshan and has been successfully ‘twitched’ by a few Chinese birders this week.  I have just received the photos below from ZHANG Yong, reproduced here with his kind permission.  Wow!

    PRZEVALSKI'S REDSTART, Lingshan, 19 February 2014. What a stunner!
    PRZEVALSKI’S REDSTART, Lingshan, 19 February 2014. What a stunner!
    PRZEVALSKI'S REDSTART, Lingshan, 19 February 2014. Must be a candidate for the most beautiful Phoenicurus species?
    PRZEVALSKI’S REDSTART, Lingshan, 19 February 2014. Must be a candidate for the most beautiful Phoenicurus species?
    Y贺兰山红尾鸲吃沙棘_filtered
    PRZEVALSKI’S REDSTART, Lingshan. The sea buckthorn berries are a big attraction for this bird.

    ZHANG Yong also saw more than 300 ASIAN ROSY FINCHES (粉红腹岭雀) at close quarters…

    Some of the 300+ ASIAN ROSY FINCHES currently at Lingshan.
    Some of the 300+ ASIAN ROSY FINCHES currently at Lingshan.

    UPDATE: here is a short video of the redstart taken on Sunday 23 February.

    And a couple more pictures taken at the weekend.  On several occasions it sang!

    PRZEVALSKI'S REDSTART at Lingshan, Sunday 23 February 2014.
    PRZEVALSKI’S REDSTART at Lingshan, Sunday 23 February 2014.
    Early on Sunday Lingshan was enveloped in freezing fog, resulting in some beautifully frosted backdrops to this special bird.
    Early on Sunday Lingshan was enveloped in freezing fog, resulting in some beautifully frosted backdrops to this special bird.

     

  • PRZEVALSKI’S REDSTART in Beijing!

    Saturday started out badly.  I had arranged to take visiting British birder, Alastair Henderson, and Li Xiaomai to Lingshan to look for GULDENSTADT’S REDSTARTS (红腹红尾鸲) and ASIAN ROSY FINCHES (粉红腹岭雀).  As I left my apartment at 0550, the smog was awful (registering over 400 on the Air Quality Index; to put this into perspective, a reading below 25 is considered healthy by the World Health Organisation – see footnote below for a rough guide).  I knew that the air would be better in the mountains but, nevertheless, I wondered whether it would be a good day to be outside at all….

    I shouldn’t have worried.  As we reached the base of Lingshan, the air was certainly clearer than in the city and, as we ascended the access road, it cleared further until we could see blue sky, the sun (hallelujah!) and the peak of Lingshan to the west.  It was a glorious day and, even in -9 temperatures, with very little wind it didn’t feel too cold.

    As usual on trips to Lingshan, my first stop was a small gully a few hundred metres from the plateau of the road.  This small ‘valley’ holds a few sea buckthorn bushes and was the place I first found GULDENSTADT’S REDSTARTS (红腹红尾鸲) last winter.  It usually also plays host to many other species including thrushes, tits, accentors, buntings and rosefinches.

    Almost immediately a bird flashed across the road and into a sea buckthorn bush in the gully.  I called out “redstart” and, with my binoculars trained on it as it began to devour some of the yellowy-orange berries, I could see it was not the expected GULDENSTADT’S  (红腹红尾鸲) but instead it was a stonking male PRZEVALSKI’S REDSTART (贺兰山红尾鸲, also known as “Alashan Redstart)!!  I quickly extended the legs on my tripod and trained my telescope onto the bird, and it showed magnificently, allowing us to see its beautiful mix of orange, grey, black and white plumage.  Wow!

    PRZEVALSKI'S REDSTART, Lingshan, Beijing, 15 February 2014.
    PRZEVALSKI’S REDSTART (贺兰山红尾鸲), Lingshan, Beijing, 15 February 2014.  Likely to be a first-winter male due to browner and more worn remiges when compared with the tertials.
    PRZEVALSKI'S REDSTART, Lingshan, 15 February 2014. As one Twitter follower described its plumage as a "like a redstart pretending to be a Chaffinch".. I can see what he means...
    PRZEVALSKI’S REDSTART (贺兰山红尾鸲), Lingshan, 15 February 2014. As one Twitter follower described its plumage is “like a redstart pretending to be a Chaffinch”.. I can see what he means…
    PRZEVALSKI'S REDSTART, Lingshan, 15 February 2014.
    PRZEVALSKI’S REDSTART (贺兰山红尾鸲), Lingshan, 15 February 2014.
    Alastair and Li Xiaomai just after watching the Przevalski's Redstart at Lingshan.
    Alastair and Li Xiaomai just after watching the Przevalski’s Redstart at Lingshan.

    After grabbing a few record photos with my camera, I sent a message via the Birding Beijing WeChat group to put out the news.  Within 10 minutes, a minibus full of Beijing Birdwatching Society members arrived…!  I knew the WeChat group was an efficient way of spreading news but that was ridiculous…. Beijing city is over 2 hours away!

    The BBWS gang had, of course, coincidentally pre-arranged a trip there.  On the way up they saw us at the gully and stopped to say “hi”.  When I told them what we were watching, their jaws dropped!

    Unfortunately, the redstart had disappeared as we chatted and, after explaining where the bird had been, Alastair, Xiaomai and I decided to go further up the mountain to look for the ASIAN ROSY FINCHES (粉红腹岭雀) while the group waited for the PRZEVALSKI’S (贺兰山红尾鸲) to reappear.

    We drove up the few hundred metres to the top and scanned the slopes where the finches had been last week.  But to no avail.  Not even an ALPINE ACCENTOR (领岩鹨).   

    We decided to spend some more quality time with the PRZEVALSKI’S REDSTART (贺兰山红尾鸲) and, as we descended, we passed the BBWS gang coming up..  they had connected splendidly with the redstart and several of the group delighted in showing me their fantastic photos which eclipsed mine by some margin!  They carried on to look for the rosy finches as we descended.

    We were preparing our lunch (of pot noodles!) at the PRZEVALSKI’S site when my phone rang.  It was Zhang Shen, one of the BBWS guys.  I could hear camera shutters in the background as he told me that they had found a flock of “several hundred” ASIAN ROSY FINCHES (粉红腹岭雀)…  wow!!  Balancing our pot noodles – now full of boiling hot water – we drove the few hundred metres to the top of the mountain to join the others.  And sure enough, there was a huge flock of ASIAN ROSY FINCHES (粉红腹岭雀) wheeling around the peaks.  Unfortunately they were mobile and hardly settled for more than a few seconds at a time.  But they were definitely ASIAN ROSY FINCHES (粉红腹岭雀)!  Thanks guys!!

    After seeing the flock several times in flight but without seeing these special mountain finches on the ground, we reluctantly left to spend a little more time with the PRZEVALSKI’S REDSTART (贺兰山红尾鸲) before heading back to Beijing.  As we watched the redstart at close quarters, it even began to sing – a sort of quiet subsong that reminded me a little of a EURASIAN SKYLARK (云雀)…  what an awesome bird.  And occasionally it interacted with one or two of the GULDENSTADT’S REDSTARTS (红腹红尾鸲), with the GULDENSTADT’s clearly dominant and chasing the PRZEVALSKI’S off the berries a few times while we were there.

    A male GULDENSTADT'S REDSTART chasing away the PRZEVALSKI'S REDSTART, Lingshan, 15 February 2014.
    A male GULDENSTADT’S REDSTART (红腹红尾鸲) chasing away the PRZEVALSKI’S REDSTART (贺兰山红尾鸲), Lingshan, 15 February 2014.

    I knew the PRZEVALSKI’S (贺兰山红尾鸲) was an excellent record.  It’s a China endemic that breeds in Qinghai, Gansu and Ningxia Provinces and is very rare in the east.  I had a vague feeling that there had been just one previous record from the capital – a specimen collected more than 80 years ago.  Some initial research has revealed the following:

    One was recorded at nearby Xiaolongmen in a winter survey 1992-1994, date unspecified (per Li Ming – reference: Sun X, Wang l, “Ecological analysis and classification of forest bird communities at XiaoLongMen, Beijing”, Chinese journal of ecology, 2001, 20(5):25-31 ).  However, the specimen from 20 December 1919, referred to in “The Birds of Hopei” (Shaw, 1936) was taken by Rev Wilder from the border between neighbouring Hebei Province and Shanxi Province, meaning that it is not a Beijing record. Shaw also states that Rev.Wilder observed one “in the mission of his compound of Tsung-hsien”.  “A Synopsis of the Avifauna of China” (Cheng Tso-hsin, 1987) describes Przevalski’s Redstart as “Accidentally in Tongxian of Beijing Municipality”.  Tongxian (which may be an alternative spelling of “Tsung-hsien”) is an area in the south-east part of Beijing Municipality.  It is not mountainous and seems a strange place for one to turn up!  More research needed..!  The Lingshan bird is therefore possibly the third record for Beijing and the first for at least 20 years.

    Many thanks to Alastair, Xiaomai and to the BBWS gang for their company on the day – and in particular, to Zhang Shen for alerting us to the ASIAN ROSY FINCHES (粉红腹岭雀)… It was great to see so many birders out and about in Beijing!

    Footonote: The Air Quality Index (AQI) in Beijing and what the AQI “score” means.  Yesterday the AQI was over 400…! It should be noted, though, that the AQI will vary greatly according to location and, in the mountains to the west of Beijing, the AQI will very likely be significantly better than the city.

    AQI Air Pollution
    Level    		 Health Implications
    0–50 Excellent No health implications.
    51–100 Good Few hypersensitive individuals should reduce outdoor exercise.
    101–150 Lightly Polluted Slight irritations may occur, individuals with breathing or heart problems should reduce outdoor exercise.
    151–200 Moderately Polluted Slight irritations may occur, individuals with breathing or heart problems should reduce outdoor exercise.
    201–300 Heavily Polluted Healthy people will be noticeably affected. People with breathing or heart problems will experience reduced endurance in activities. These individuals and elders should remain indoors and restrict activities.
    300+ Severely Polluted Healthy people will experience reduced endurance in activities. There may be strong irritations and symptoms and may trigger other illnesses. Elders and the sick should remain indoors and avoid exercise. Healthy individuals should avoid out door activities.

  • Asian Rosy Finches

    After the snow in Beijing on Friday, my mind had been speculating as to whether new birds might turn up or, at the very least, whether the snow cover and cold snap might drive down some of the special mountain birds from the inaccessible peaks to more reachable terrain.  Lingshan was the place that I was itching to try, and so off I went…

    Lingshan is Beijing’s highest mountain with its peak at 2,303 metres and, unlike many of Beijing’s mountains, it is accessible in winter by car (note: many mountain roads are closed in winter, nominally due to “fire risk”, at least so say the chain-smoking guards that throw their cigarette butts onto the grass and stop any cars driving up).   Getting to Lingshan is fairly straightforward by car – simply take the G109 west of Beijing and, after around the km105 post, take the right hand minor road signposted, not surprisingly, “Lingshan”.  It usually takes between 2 and 3 hours from central Beijing if leaving early morning before the traffic becomes too burdensome.

    The access road at Lingshan, after the snow, was a little treacherous in places but passable with care.  The temperature was a nippy -6 when I left central Beijing, falling to -12 at the 6th ring road/G109 junction and falling further to -18 at Lingshan on arrival. However, with almost no wind, and stunning blue skies, it did not feel too cold.

    Lingshan, on a beautiful crisp winter's morning.
    Lingshan, on a beautiful crisp winter’s morning.
    Another view from Lingshan. With a dusting of snow the mountains in Beijing are stunning
    Another view from Lingshan. With a dusting of snow the mountains in Beijing are stunning

    On the way up the access road, I stopped several times to watch small flocks of birds, including many SIBERIAN ACCENTORS (棕眉山岩鹨), GODLEWSKI’S BUNTINGS (戈氏岩鹀) and, as I neared the top, PALLAS’S ROSEFINCHES (北朱雀). A large flock of REDPOLLS (白腰朱顶雀) was flying around but frustratingly only the odd one or two settled in view.  There must be an ARCTIC REDPOLL (极北朱顶雀) or two among them!  A handful (I counted 7) of GULDENSTADT’S REDSTARTS (红腹红尾鸲) were on their usual sea buckthorn bushes.

    The first thing I wanted to do was to check the slopes just beyond the derelict buildings for ASIAN ROSY FINCHES (粉红腹岭雀).  I stopped the car and scanned the slopes. Immediately I saw birds. My heart raced but relaxed again when I realised they were ALPINE ACCENTORS (领岩鹨). Nevertheless, a good start.

    ALPINE ACCENTORS (领岩鹨) are in good supply on Lingshan this winter.
    ALPINE ACCENTORS (领岩鹨) are in good supply on Lingshan this winter.

    As I looked, I could see more and more and suddenly I saw a bird with a pale head. Unfortunately I was looking directly towards the sun, so I slowly got out of the car and walked around to the side of the slope to give me a better angle. And there it was – an ASIAN ROSY FINCH (粉红腹岭雀) ! feeding with the accentors. As I scanned, I found another, then another.. I counted 6. I watched, captivated, as they fed on the slope, gradually making their way up until they were feeding around my car! At this point I wistfully thought about my camera sitting on the passenger seat…  Suddenly, something spooked the whole flock and they rose up, wheeled around and settled a long way down the slope… I counted almost 100 birds in flight, at least 30 of which were ASIAN ROSY FINCHES (粉红腹岭雀). I took the opportunity to quickly make my way back to the car and settled inside with camera in hand as the flock gradually made its way up the slope again and, sure enough, it wasn’t long before several were around the car and I was able to capture some photos… All too quickly they moved across the road and to the upper slope before, again, wheeling down to the lower slopes….

    ASIAN ROSY FINCH (presumed male).
    ASIAN ROSY FINCH (presumed male).  What a bird!
    ASIAN ROSY FINCH (presumed female)
    ASIAN ROSY FINCH (presumed female)
    ASIAN ROSY FINCH (presumed male and female)
    ASIAN ROSY FINCH (presumed male and female)
    ASIAN ROSY FINCHES, Lingshan.
    ASIAN ROSY FINCHES, Lingshan.
    "Just landed"...
    “Just landed”…

    Having only seen ASIAN ROSY FINCH (粉红腹岭雀) in flight once before (last winter at Lingshan), it was brilliant to see these stunning birds so well. Their plumage is beautiful with an array of purples, browns, blacks and greys.. I hope they hang around for anyone else who might be tempted to look for them. Even without the birds, Lingshan is a beautiful place, especially in winter. Definitely one of my favourite Beijing birding sites!

    One of the male PALLAS'S ROSEFINCHES at Lingshan. At least 30 are scattered around the higher slopes, preferring the birch scrub.
    One of the male PALLAS’S ROSEFINCHES at Lingshan. At least 30 are scattered around the higher slopes, preferring the birch scrub.
    A female or young male PALLAS'S ROSEFINCH, Lingshan. I am not sure how to age/sex PALLAS'S ROSEFINCHES - any advice appreciated!
    A female or young male PALLAS’S ROSEFINCH, Lingshan. I am not sure how to age/sex PALLAS’S ROSEFINCHES – any advice appreciated!

     

  • An Unfortunate Vulture

    On Saturday I visited Lingshan, Beijing’s highest mountain, with 吴岚 (Wu Lan).  It’s a long drive – around 100km – but straightforward as it’s all along the G109.  Lingshan was the location of GULDENSTADT’S REDSTARTS (红腹红尾鸲) last winter and looking for this species was one of the aims of the visit.  Leaving well before dawn to miss the traffic, it was stunning to see the colours on the mountains change from a dark pink to a bright orange as the sun rose in the southeast..  Beijing’s mountains really are beautiful.

    On the way we were fortunate to see a flock of 14 JAPANESE WAXWINGS (小太平鸟) by the roadside at Qingshui…

    A lucky encounter: part of the flock of 14 JAPANESE WAXWINGS by the roadside at Qingshui
    A lucky encounter: part of the flock of 14 JAPANESE WAXWINGS by the roadside at Qingshui

    On arrival at Lingshan we quickly spotted a few GULDENSTADT’S REDSTARTS (红腹红尾鸲) on the sea buckthorn bushes near the peak.  Stunning birds, especially in flight, there were at least 10 present in the area.

    The view from the top of Lingshan looking north.
    The view from the top of Lingshan looking north east.
    A male GULDENSTADT'S REDSTART enjoying the Sea Buckthorn berries at the top of Lingshan.
    A male GULDENSTADT’S REDSTART enjoying the Sea Buckthorn berries at the top of Lingshan.
    I love the deep orange colour of the underparts.
    I love the deep orange colour of the underparts.

    As well as the redstarts, there are also good numbers of PALLAS’S ROSEFINCHES (北朱雀) and DARK-THROATED THRUSHES (mostly RED-THROATED 赤颈鸫).  

    2013-12-07 Pallas's Rosefinches
    PALLAS’S ROSEFINCHES are superb little birds. And Lingshan is probably the best place to see them in Beijing.
    There are good numbers of Dark-throated Thrushes at Lingshan. This one is, I *think*, a young RED-THROATED but not 100% sure....
    There are good numbers of Dark-throated Thrushes at Lingshan. This one is, I *think*, a young RED-THROATED (reddish tail) but not 100% sure…. could be some BLACK-THROATED influence.

    We had only been on the mountain a short time when we saw a distressing sight – a CINEREOUS VULTURE (秃鹫) that was clearly injured..  It was hobbling uphill dragging its right wing along the ground.

    Our first view of the injured CINEREOUS VULTURE..
    Our first view of the injured CINEREOUS VULTURE..

    The vulture had almost certainly collided with one of the support wires of this nearby communications tower.

    The communications tower at Lingshan. This unfortunate vulture had almost certainly collided with one of the support wires, badly breaking its wing.
    The communications tower at Lingshan. This unfortunate vulture had almost certainly collided with one of the support wires, badly breaking its wing.

    Having previously visited the Beijing Raptor Rescue Centre, they were the obvious people to call for advice and 张率 (Zhang Shuai), the head of the centre, said “please catch it and bring it in for treatment – if not, it will die tonight with an open wound in these temperatures.”  She ended the call with “Don’t worry – you will be able to out-run it.”

    It sounded easy.  We just catch it, put it in the boot of the car and drive the 100km back to Beijing to the rescue centre.

    At this point I regretted not carrying a large box in the back of the car and, with no prospect of finding one on top of a remote mountain, we decided that covering the bird with my thick down winter coat would be the best way to capture it and cover it for the journey back to Beijing.

    We began the walk up the hill to where the we last saw the bird and, sure enough, we soon found it.  It was laying on its back with its legs kicking in the air.. clearly in some distress.

    The vulture was clearly in distress as we approached it.
    The vulture was clearly in distress as we approached it.

    At this point, 吴岚 (Wu Lan) was brilliant.  She ran towards it and covered it with my coat before it had a chance to right itself and scramble away.

    cinereous vulture with wu lan
    吴岚 (Wu Lan) just after ‘capturing’ the vulture.

    Wrapping it in my fleece and covering its head with Wu Lan’s hat, we were able to calm it and, after a couple of minutes, we lifted it (7kg as it turns out) and began to walk to the car.  It was heavy and we both took shifts in carrying it down the hill to the car.

    Me carrying the vulture off the hill.
    Me carrying the vulture off the hill.  At this point we were hopeful of the bird’s survival.

    We wrapped it gently in my coat and placed it in the boot of the car… It was big enough to sit upright in the backseat with a seatbelt on but, with a broken wing, it was clearly best to be in a dark place to minimise the stress.  And so we began the journey back to Beijing, hoping for the best but fearing the worst.  The injury was clearly very bad, with part of the wing bone protruding and lots of blood.

    It took around 2.5 hours to reach the raptor centre and, on arrival, the impressive 张率 (Zhang Shuai) was ready – she had already prepared the operating theatre – and the bird was immediately put under anaesthetic to allow a thorough inspection of the wound.

    The Cinereous Vulture under anaesthetic.
    The Cinereous Vulture under anaesthetic.
    The wound was bad.
    The wound was bad.  And the bird was injected with fluids to offset the blood loss and dehydration.

    张率 (Zhang Shuai) got to work immediately and cleaned up the wound before taking an x-ray to assess the damage.

    2013-12-07 Cinereous Vulture broken wing xray
    The x-ray revealed the terrible extent of the injury – breaks on both wing-bones with bad splintering.

    张率 (Zhang Shuai) looked at us with tears in her eyes.  We knew immediately what she was going to say.  The injuries were too bad to fix and, with a bird this size, a life in captivity would be miserable for a majestic bird that is used to ruling the skies over the mountains of northern China and Mongolia.  It was emotional for us all.  This poor bird had been doing exactly what it was meant to do – patrolling the skies over the mountains looking for food – when it had collided, badly, with an alien, and almost invisible, structure.   There was no option.  This magnificent bird had to be euthanised.

    I can’t help thinking that if the support wires had been marked with flags or even painted a contrasting colour instead of the almost unnoticeable silver grey, this bird might have seen them and taken evasive action.  It seemed such an unnecessary, and desperately sad, death.

    RIP.