The winter in Yancheng and Chongming has proven their best, i bid goodbye to the palearctic winter and ready to embrace the spring. On 6th April I was out with my guests Anders Skoglof, Michael Stover and birding buddies Roger n Kevin. Anders n Michael were visiting Shanghai and wanted to have a taste of the palearctic birding. We first hit XiaoYangshan where Kevin already arrived bit early and scouted the place for us. After sharing hi’s and intro’s we birded the small isle for the passerines. Spring was definitely there with colorful array of flowers and few passerines.
Can’t miss a Redstart
Black-faced Buntings were singing vigorously, Chestnut-eared Buntings were proudly showing their Chestnut-ears in breeding colors. After scoring the regular wintering birds of XiaoYangshan, we drove back on the long stretch of donghai bridge for 32.5kms and hit the sea wall of Nanhui. As it was good weather and public holiday for Tomb-sweeping day, the Car park next to Holiday Inn was filled with people. This is the first time in three years i have seen more than 10 people in that area. We skipped the car park and headed north. The dried up lake on the west of the sea wall had about 6 Black-faced Spoonbill in a mixed flock of Eurasian Spoonbill.
White face, Black face, can’t lose face
Black-backed or jus White Wagtail?
There were also few waders in the pool. By the time, the no. of cars increased enormously near the car park which lead to a 5 minute traffic jam. We then hit the “Wader pool” west of the Nanhui (Luchaogang Avenue). To satisfy our expectations the wader pool does not only have the waders but a huge flock of Black-headed Gulls and Caspian Tern(My first in Shanghai). There were also few Herring gulls in the flock. After scoping through the wader flock, we found about 40+ Great Knots, Dunlins, Pied Avocet. Also some odd ducks were in the sea, we scoped to find Eurasian Teal, Eurasian Wigeon, Northern Shoveler.
Gulling
On 13th April, me and Kevin decided to scout Hengsha to look for some wader activity. After missing the car ferry by just 3 cars, we entered Hengsha with one hour delay. As usual, Hengsha never failed to produce it’s specialities. With brief views of Far eastern Curlews, Caspian n Whiskered Tern, we saw a good no of waders between the east n west sea wall. A pair of Narcissus flycatcher were taking refuge under couple of parked motorbikes. With no passerine habitat for few kms, the flycatchers were taking the advantage of what ever shelter they can find to save themselves from the wind and the predators.
No Habitat? “Survive”
When i was unpacking my gear, Kevin already scoped in to the wader flock and asked me, “Dev what are those birds with bright orange breast?” I already scanned the flock with my naked eyes and dint see a big bird of Godwit size. I already had my pressure running up, was it the “Red?” When i looked in to the scope, the excitement took over me, they are indeed the “Red Knots“. The waders Spring break party started with a big bang. Let the photos do the talking for a while.
The wader party has began
flashy bars on tails
The Knot Party
The Knot party up close
“K(naughty)”
I’m not spotted but I’m Common
Terek rules
Yellow legs
Speaking of the spoonbills, we had both Black-faced and Eurasian but the Black-faced were in majority this time. I was stunned by the 21 individuals in a flock, the big flock i have seen in 3 years. Then the story goes like, we kept seeing the Black-face till we left Hengsha.
The future
The black-face
Then moving on to the “Pheasant-tailed Jacana” reed beds, we added Black-winged Stilt, Garganey Teal to our list. The reeds n scrubs in the dirt road had good no of Yellow Wagtail (M.t. macronyx), Pallas’s Reed Bunting and my first Little Bunting for Shanghai list.
The Little guy
The day got better with 3 raptors (Osprey, Eastern Marsh Harrier n a Peregrine Falcon）from no where. The flying machine put up a great show by going after a Common Greenshank, however the Common Greenshank took the advantage of the wind and escaped from its predator.
Prey n Predator
Species List:
| Ducks, Geese and Swans (Anatidae) – 3 / 173 | |||
| Eurasian Wigeon | Anas penelope | Hengsha, Shanghai, China | 4/13/14 |
| Garganey | Anas querquedula | Hengsha, Shanghai, China | 4/13/14 |
| Eurasian Teal | Anas crecca | Hengsha, Shanghai, China | 4/13/14 |
| Grebes (Podicipedidae) – 1 / 23 | |||
| Little Grebe | Tachybaptus ruficollis | Hengsha, Shanghai, China | 4/13/14 |
| Ibises, Spoonbills (Threskiornithidae) – 2 / 36 | |||
| Eurasian Spoonbill | Platalea leucorodia | Hengsha, Shanghai, China | 4/13/14 |
| Black-faced Spoonbill – EN | Platalea minor | Hengsha, Shanghai, China | 4/13/14 |
| Herons, Bitterns (Ardeidae) – 5 / 72 | |||
| Eastern Cattle Egret | Bubulcus coromandus | Hengsha, Shanghai, China | 4/13/14 |
| Grey Heron | Ardea cinerea | Hengsha, Shanghai, China | 4/13/14 |
| Great Egret | Ardea alba | Hengsha, Shanghai, China | 4/13/14 |
| Intermediate Egret | Egretta intermedia | Hengsha, Shanghai, China | 4/13/14 |
| Little Egret | Egretta garzetta | Hengsha, Shanghai, China | 4/13/14 |
| Ospreys (Pandionidae) – 1 / 2 | |||
| Western Osprey | Pandion haliaetus | Hengsha, Shanghai, China | 4/13/14 |
| Kites, Hawks and Eagles (Accipitridae) – 1 / 256 | |||
| Eastern Marsh Harrier | Circus spilonotus | Hengsha, Shanghai, China | 4/13/14 |
| Rails, Crakes and Coots (Rallidae) – 2 / 151 | |||
| Common Moorhen | Gallinula chloropus | Hengsha, Shanghai, China | 4/13/14 |
| Eurasian Coot | Fulica atra | Hengsha, Shanghai, China | 4/13/14 |
| Stilts, Avocets (Recurvirostridae) – 1 / 10 | |||
| Black-winged Stilt | Himantopus himantopus | Hengsha, Shanghai, China | 4/13/14 |
| Plovers (Charadriidae) – 3 / 67 | |||
| Grey Plover | Pluvialis squatarola | Hengsha, Shanghai, China | 4/13/14 |
| Little Ringed Plover | Charadrius dubius | Hengsha, Shanghai, China | 4/13/14 |
| Kentish Plover | Charadrius alexandrinus | Hengsha, Shanghai, China | 4/13/14 |
| Sandpipers, Snipes (Scolopacidae) – 13 / 96 | |||
| Common Snipe | Gallinago gallinago | Hengsha, Shanghai, China | 4/13/14 |
| Bar-tailed Godwit | Limosa lapponica | Hengsha, Shanghai, China | 4/13/14 |
| Far Eastern Curlew – VU | Numenius madagascariensis | Hengsha, Shanghai, China | 4/13/14 |
| Spotted Redshank | Tringa erythropus | Hengsha, Shanghai, China | 4/13/14 |
| Common Redshank | Tringa totanus | Hengsha, Shanghai, China | 4/13/14 |
| Marsh Sandpiper | Tringa stagnatilis | Hengsha, Shanghai, China | 4/13/14 |
| Common Greenshank | Tringa nebularia | Hengsha, Shanghai, China | 4/13/14 |
| Grey-tailed Tattler | Tringa brevipes | Hengsha, Shanghai, China | 4/13/14 |
| Terek Sandpiper | Xenus cinereus | Hengsha, Shanghai, China | 4/13/14 |
| Great Knot – VU | Calidris tenuirostris | Hengsha, Shanghai, China | 4/13/14 |
| Red Knot | Calidris canutus | Hengsha, Shanghai, China | 4/13/14 |
| Dunlin | Calidris alpina | Hengsha, Shanghai, China | 4/13/14 |
| Broad-billed Sandpiper | Limicola falcinellus | Hengsha, Shanghai, China | 4/13/14 |
| Gulls, Terns and Skimmers (Laridae) – 4 / 102 | |||
| Black-headed Gull | Chroicocephalus ridibundus | Hengsha, Shanghai, China | 4/13/14 |
| Black-tailed Gull | Larus crassirostris | Hengsha, Shanghai, China | 4/13/14 |
| Vega Gull | Larus vegae | Hengsha, Shanghai, China | 4/13/14 |
| Caspian Tern Heughlin’s Gull |
Hydroprogne caspia | Hengsha, Shanghai, China | 4/13/14 |
| Kingfishers (Alcedinidae) – 1 / 93 | |||
| Common Kingfisher | Alcedo atthis | Hengsha, Shanghai, China | 4/13/14 |
| Caracaras, Falcons (Falconidae) – 1 / 67 | |||
| Peregrine Falcon | Falco peregrinus | Hengsha, Shanghai, China | 4/13/14 |
| Crows, Jays (Corvidae) – 1 / 131 | |||
| Eurasian Magpie | Pica pica | Hengsha, Shanghai, China | 4/13/14 |
| Larks (Alaudidae) – 1 / 98 | |||
| Asian Short-toed Lark | Calandrella cheleensis | Hengsha, Shanghai, China | 4/13/14 |
| Bulbuls (Pycnonotidae) – 1 / 151 | |||
| Light-vented Bulbul | Pycnonotus sinensis | Hengsha, Shanghai, China | 4/13/14 |
| Swallows, Martins (Hirundinidae) – 1 / 88 | |||
| Barn Swallow | Hirundo rustica | Hengsha, Shanghai, China | 4/13/14 |
| Cisticolas and allies (Cisticolidae) – 2 / 159 | |||
| Zitting Cisticola | Cisticola juncidis | Hengsha, Shanghai, China | 4/13/14 |
| Plain Prinia | Prinia inornata | Hengsha, Shanghai, China | 4/13/14 |
| Starlings, Rhabdornis (Sturnidae) – 1 / 123 | |||
| Crested Myna | Acridotheres cristatellus | Hengsha, Shanghai, China | 4/13/14 |
| Thrushes (Turdidae) – 3 / 166 | |||
| Grey-backed Thrush | Turdus hortulorum | Hengsha, Shanghai, China | 4/13/14 |
| Japanese Thrush | Turdus cardis | Hengsha, Shanghai, China | 4/13/14 |
| Common Blackbird | Turdus merula | Hengsha, Shanghai, China | 4/13/14 |
| Chats, Old World Flycatchers (Muscicapidae) – 2 / 320 | |||
| Asian Brown Flycatcher | Muscicapa latirostris | Hengsha, Shanghai, China | 4/13/14 |
| Narcissus Flycatcher | Ficedula narcissina | Hengsha, Shanghai, China | 4/13/14 |
| Old World Sparrows, Snowfinches (Passeridae) – 1 / 51 | |||
| Eurasian Tree Sparrow | Passer montanus | Hengsha, Shanghai, China | 4/13/14 |
| Wagtails, Pipits (Motacillidae) – 2 / 67 | |||
| Eastern Yellow Wagtail | Motacilla tschutschensis | Hengsha, Shanghai, China | 4/13/14 |
| White Wagtail | Motacilla alba | Hengsha, Shanghai, China | 4/13/14 |
| Finches (Fringillidae) – 1 / 219 | |||
| Brambling | Fringilla montifringilla | Hengsha, Shanghai, China | 4/13/14 |
| Buntings, New World Sparrows and allies (Emberizidae) – 3 / 176 | |||
| Little Bunting | Emberiza pusilla | Hengsha, Shanghai, China | 4/13/14 |
| Black-faced Bunting | Emberiza spodocephala | Hengsha, Shanghai, China | 4/13/14 |
| Pallas’s Reed Bunting | Emberiza pallasi | Hengsha, Shanghai, China | 4/13/14 |
| Species: 58 | |||
With spring has just started, stay tuned for further updates.
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