Classic China: Hong Kong & Sichuan May 09—31, 2007
Posted by Dion Hobcroft
Dion Hobcroft
Dion Hobcroft has been working for VENT since 2001. He has led many tours to Australia, New Guinea, New Zealand, Bhutan, India, Southwest Pacific, Cambodia, Thailand, China...Related Trips
Our 2007 Classic China tour was outstandingly successful, as we birded some of the most spectacular and species-rich forests in central China in unparalleled comfort. New hotels and highways, and the ever helpful and friendly local people ensured a smooth tour. We also experienced some rustic hotels, hiked up into the mountains into bamboo and rhododendron forests, and explored the Tibetan Plateau with its thousands of yaks and Tibetan cowboys. The modernization taking place in China is proceeding at an unbelievable pace. I was constantly remarking to the group about a new tunnel, highway, hotel, statue, or cable car?and all of these differences in just 12 months! Many participants ranked our trip amongst their best ever birding tours.
The birds were simply phenomenal; we connected with so many of the rarest, most spectacular, and most elusive species China has to offer. We set a new benchmark in Classic China tours with a new trip record and a very high strike rate for all clients seeing those most special birds. Better environmental protection, including a ban on rifle hunting, is having an enormously beneficial impact on mammals and large birds. We observed 15 species of mammals and 9 pheasants and partridges on this tour.
Our day in Hong Kong produced 78 species. At Tai Po Kau in the morning it was hard to beat the Streak-throated Scimitar-Babbler, Scarlet Minivet, and superb studies of Hainan Blue-Flycatcher and Velvet-fronted Nuthatch that kicked off our tour so well. Although we had a poor tide at Mai Po, we enjoyed a great Chinese Egret and flocks of striking White-winged Black Terns. It is a shame it has become so difficult to get flexible group access to this location. Our afternoon at the new Hong Kong Wetland Centre produced more good birds including White-winged Starling and a superb White-bellied Sea-Eagle, and we finished at Tsim Bei Tsui with a Large Hawk-Cuckoo in the telescope.
The bustling city of Cheng Du turned up some good sightings on our first afternoon in a bamboo city park. Although busy with people enjoying mah-jong and sunflower seeds, the park came through with Vinous-throated Parrotbill, super Black-throated Tits, and some very tame Chinese Grosbeaks, with a migrant Radde’s Warbler and Purple-backed Starling both good sightings. A visit to the Leshan Buddha, a memorable experience in itself, also provided sightings of many species with a migrant Brown Hawk-Owl (now split as Northern Boobook) roosting over the Buddha’s head a major bonus, and an exceptional view of a Chinese Bamboo-Partridge?two good ones.
Our Sichuan forest birding commenced at Emei Shan, the sacred Buddhist peak at the crossroads of Chinese bird distribution. The Golden Summit was shrouded in fog and persistent rain; it was quite a difficult day, but we came through with some good sightings. The Wannian Monastery was highlighted by a Chinese Blue Flycatcher singing its heart out right next to us, plus a skulking Hwamei. An afternoon at Wuxiangang turned up Little Forktail, Drongo Cuckoo, and Brown Dipper.
Our next move was to Wawu Shan?a must-visit superb forest birding location. On the summit we found Gray-hooded and Fulvous (amongst my top 10 birds in the world) parrotbills and the recently described Sichuan Treecreeper. Lower down, the mountain was alive with the endemic Emei Liocichla, Golden Parrotbills, the scarce Emei Leaf-Warbler, and unforgettable Lady Amherst’s Pheasants. What a bird! As if this weren’t enough, we had excellent views of the rare Rusty Laughingthrush, a stunning male Silver Pheasant, and a great view of a tufted deer?tons of great sightings.
We returned to Cheng Du where an afternoon spent with the giant pandas at a breeding center enabled us to get up close with this most charismatic vegetarian carnivore. There was also a superb Asian Paradise-Flycatcher, always a glamour bird. And our night at the Sichuan Opera was a highlight of the tour, especially the shadow puppet master, who gave me goose bumps.
Our next destination was the famous Wolong Biosphere Reserve. Unfortunately, a massive road-mending operation had perhaps 10,000 people working along the road, dynamiting and generally destroying any chance for quality roadside birding. We all made the trek up to the Wuyipeng Research Camp, and although the set-up was pretty basic, we were warm and well-fed, and woke up in superb bamboo forests. Plenty of good birds here included scarce endemics like the elusive Barred Laughingthrush and Firethroat, but it was the male and female Temminck’s Tragopan we found roosting that stole the show. The next morning we had another view of the male tragopan, plus a bunch of great birds ranging from Chestnut-headed Tesia to Fire-capped Tit. We heard golden snubnose monkey in the distance and a Siberian weasel ran up to the group.
Due to the road-mending I changed our itinerary, cutting a night from Wolong crossing the Balan Shan Pass, and spending a night at Rilong. This worked out brilliantly; the following day, on the drive to Hong Yuan, was one of the great birding days of a great tour. We kicked off with Long-tailed Rosefinch, a pair of wild boar, Hill Pigeons, and a bunch of redstarts. Next we found nesting Wallcreepers and enjoyed point-blank repeated views as both parents came in to feed the chicks. At Mengbi Shan one of the first birds we focused on was a pair of Sichuan Jays, followed by a Blood Pheasant preceded by a Lammergeier. We were definitely on a roll. As we ascended the Tibetan Plateau, I stopped the bus for a Black Stork beside the road. When we filed out of the bus, the stork took off, only to be replaced by a Black-necked Crane. Wow!
After peering into dense bamboo in Wolong and battling with skulkers, everyone loved birding on the plateau. We stopped constantly for new birds, from the huge Upland Buzzard to the huge Tibetan Lark, Eurasian Wryneck, Ferruginous Duck, glowing Citrine Wagtails, Little Owl, Tibetan Snowfinch, and the odd Hume’s Groundpecker. The next morning we made an additional excursion to Daba Lake. What a treat! In perfect weather a major pika population boom attracted dozens of raptors including Steppe Eagles and Saker Falcons. The pika burrows provided refuge for nesting White-rumped Snowfinch, while the wetlands held numerous interesting birds from Red-crested Pochard, breeding-plumaged Mongolian Plover, Spotted Redshank, and White-winged Black Terns.
Jiuzhaighou is a simply stunning World Heritage Reserve with mirror lakes, Himalayan peaks, and vast boreal forests. Although the birding here was slower (and the park full of tourists), it still provided many special sightings including scarce endemics like Blue Eared-Pheasant, Sukatschev’s Laughingthrush, Chinese Nuthatch, Slaty Bunting, Pere David’s Tit, and the remarkable Three-banded Rosefinch. We found some other good birds including both Black and Chinese Three-toed woodpeckers.
Wending our way back to Chengdu, we made one last stop at Mount Qing Cheng. Our morning produced some good birds with Red-billed Starling the major highlight.
It was fantastic to experience some of the cultural highlights including the Leshan Buddha, incredible temples and monasteries, and a good bowl of tasty noodles in a roadside stall where westerners are rarely sighted. On our gastronomic journey we ate different dishes on a daily basis?all hot, fresh, and tasty.
I really appreciated the wonderful help from Mr. Liu, our truly superb driver, and our interpreter-guide, Helen, who did an excellent job and enjoyed a good laugh. Helen is a Chinese national treasure.
I wish to thank most sincerely all the participants who came along for this adventure. While at times physically demanding, I am sure you will all remember this tour as being one of the all-time greats.