On 24th August I made my first solo trip to Hengsha island since September 2012. By that time, i was new to China, even to birding. Since then Hengsha has changed only a little with reclaimed land here and there and still holding potential habitat for waders and passerines. Getting to the island is not tricky, Passenger ferries leave from Wusong Pier. I usually take the car ferry from Changxing island, 5 minute ferry travel and bingo, i’m in Hengsha, a very good birding destination and a weekend getaway.

The morning started with a bang, a huge flock of Reed Parrotbills were feeding right by the sea wall when i was scoping the waders in the mudflat. I counted 18 birds with only Reed Parrotbills and no Vinous-throated Parrotbill or Plain Prinia’s in the flock, a record count for a single flock. Barn Swallows were in huge no’s which is very usual during the migration, the presence of Pale Martins were not surprising but there were about 12 individuals in  different location was another high species count. August is a great time  to see the wader migration in Shanghai and with lot of habitat in Hengsha, it proved again that it’s definitely a hot spot for passing birds.

Egret,Intermediate_002

intermedia

The mudflats were completely occupied by busy Calidris. The regular loners in any inland pool, Long-toed Stints were flocking and definitely the majority of the Calidris. Red-necked Stint, Little Stint, Temminck’s Stint, Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, Curlew Sandpiper were the other Calidris present.

In the reeds close to the ocean mudflat, plenty of Whimbrels and Black-tailed Godwits were busy feeding then they were flushed out by a hungry Eastern Marsh Harrier.

Whimbrel_005

Godwit,Black_tailed_002

stint,red_necked_010

Ouch, not comfortable

stint,red_necked_011

still not comfortable

I’m not a dedicated bird photographer who thinks about the aesthetics of bird photography but this Red-necked stint was not too happy about its leg flags and mostly limping.

Other Calidris,

Stint,Temmincks_003

Stint,Long_toed_003

sandpiper,-sharp_tailed_008

Sandpiper,Curlew_007

Though Hengsha is slightly disturbed by the cosmo gig of the downtown, the entire village is peaceful and out on the sea wall, i hardly came across single soul in the past. Yes, in the past. To my shock n surprise, the new sea wall is now filled with the fancy fishermen in Cadillacs.

Redshank,Common_001

Turnstone,Ruddy_002

Plover,Kentish_033

This poor Kentish Plover had lost its toes but was very actively feeding. Hope it survives.

Considerable no of Yellow Wagtails, Brown Shrikes, a lonely Blue Rock Thrush were the passerine migrants for the day.

Shrike,Brown_006 Kestrel,Common_006

Special Thanks to Roger for lending me his Leica Televid APO 65mm scope with 25-50x eyepiece, without that i wouldn’t have spotted half of the species.

Species List :

Common name Scientific name Location
Herons, Bitterns (Ardeidae) – 6 / 72
Yellow Bittern Ixobrychus sinensis Hengsha, Chongming, Shanghai, China
Black-crowned Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax Hengsha, Chongming, Shanghai, China
Chinese Pond Heron Ardeola bacchus Hengsha, Chongming, Shanghai, China
Great Egret Ardea alba Hengsha, Chongming, Shanghai, China
Intermediate Egret Egretta intermedia Hengsha, Chongming, Shanghai, China
Little Egret Egretta garzetta Hengsha, Chongming, Shanghai, China
Kites, Hawks and Eagles (Accipitridae) – 1 / 256
Eastern Marsh Harrier Circus spilonotus Hengsha, Chongming, Shanghai, China
Stilts, Avocets (Recurvirostridae) – 1 / 10
Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus Hengsha, Chongming, Shanghai, China
Plovers (Charadriidae) – 3 / 67
Little Ringed Plover Charadrius dubius Hengsha, Chongming, Shanghai, China
Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrinus Hengsha, Chongming, Shanghai, China
Lesser Sand Plover Charadrius mongolus Hengsha, Chongming, Shanghai, China
Sandpipers, Snipes (Scolopacidae) – 20 / 96
Common Snipe Gallinago gallinago Hengsha, Chongming, Shanghai, China
Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa Hengsha, Chongming, Shanghai, China
Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus Hengsha, Chongming, Shanghai, China
Spotted Redshank Tringa erythropus Hengsha, Chongming, Shanghai, China
Common Redshank Tringa totanus Hengsha, Chongming, Shanghai, China
Marsh Sandpiper Tringa stagnatilis Hengsha, Chongming, Shanghai, China
Common Greenshank Tringa nebularia Hengsha, Chongming, Shanghai, China
Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola Hengsha, Chongming, Shanghai, China
Grey-tailed Tattler Tringa brevipes Hengsha, Chongming, Shanghai, China
Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos Hengsha, Chongming, Shanghai, China
Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres Hengsha, Chongming, Shanghai, China
Sanderling Calidris alba Hengsha, Chongming, Shanghai, China
Red-necked Stint Calidris ruficollis Hengsha, Chongming, Shanghai, China
Little Stint Calidris minuta Hengsha, Chongming, Shanghai, China
Temminck’s Stint Calidris temminckii Hengsha, Chongming, Shanghai, China
Long-toed Stint Calidris subminuta Hengsha, Chongming, Shanghai, China
Sharp-tailed Sandpiper Calidris acuminata Hengsha, Chongming, Shanghai, China
Curlew Sandpiper Calidris ferruginea Hengsha, Chongming, Shanghai, China
Dunlin Calidris alpina Hengsha, Chongming, Shanghai, China
Broad-billed Sandpiper Limicola falcinellus Hengsha, Chongming, Shanghai, China
Gulls, Terns and Skimmers (Laridae) – 4 / 102
Gull-billed Tern Gelochelidon nilotica Hengsha, Chongming, Shanghai, China
Little Tern Sternula albifrons Hengsha, Chongming, Shanghai, China
Common Tern Sterna hirundo Hengsha, Chongming, Shanghai, China
White-winged Tern Chlidonias leucopterus Hengsha, Chongming, Shanghai, China
Pigeons, Doves (Columbidae) – 1 / 335
Spotted Dove Spilopelia chinensis Hengsha, Chongming, Shanghai, China
Cuckoos (Cuculidae) – 2 / 149
Indian Cuckoo Cuculus micropterus Hengsha, Chongming, Shanghai, China
Common Cuckoo Cuculus canorus Hengsha, Chongming, Shanghai, China
Kingfishers (Alcedinidae) – 1 / 93
Common Kingfisher Alcedo atthis Hengsha, Chongming, Shanghai, China
Caracaras, Falcons (Falconidae) – 1 / 67
Common Kestrel Falco tinnunculus Hengsha, Chongming, Shanghai, China
Shrikes (Laniidae) – 2 / 33
Brown Shrike Lanius cristatus Hengsha, Chongming, Shanghai, China
Long-tailed Shrike Lanius schach Hengsha, Chongming, Shanghai, China
Swallows, Martins (Hirundinidae) – 2 / 88
Pale Martin Riparia diluta Hengsha, Chongming, Shanghai, China
Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica Hengsha, Chongming, Shanghai, China
Grassbirds and allies (Locustellidae) – 1 / 60
Marsh Grassbird Locustella pryeri Hengsha, Chongming, Shanghai, China
Cisticolas and allies (Cisticolidae) – 2 / 159
Zitting Cisticola Cisticola juncidis Hengsha, Chongming, Shanghai, China
Plain Prinia Prinia inornata Hengsha, Chongming, Shanghai, China
Sylviid Babblers (Sylviidae) – 2 / 70
Vinous-throated Parrotbill Sinosuthora webbiana Hengsha, Chongming, Shanghai, China
Reed Parrotbill Paradoxornis heudei Hengsha, Chongming, Shanghai, China
Thrushes (Turdidae) – 1 / 166
Common Blackbird Turdus merula Hengsha, Chongming, Shanghai, China
Chats, Old World Flycatchers (320) (Muscicapidae) – 1 / 320
Blue Rock Thrush Monticola solitarius Hengsha, Chongming, Shanghai, China
Old World Sparrows, Snowfinches (Passeridae) – 1 / 51
Eurasian Tree Sparrow Passer montanus Hengsha, Chongming, Shanghai, China
Wagtails, Pipits (Motacillidae) – 2 / 67
Eastern Yellow Wagtail Motacilla tschutschensis Hengsha, Chongming, Shanghai, China
White Wagtail Motacilla alba Hengsha, Chongming, Shanghai, China
Species: 54