Adios Yancheng (Day 3 & 4)

I have combined the day 3 & 4 together as first half of day 3 was lost to heavy fog and the second half of day 4 is for my return journey to Shanghai.

The fog cleared about noon on 3^rd Jan and I jumped into my car and drove all the way to the south of Xinyang to see what the waterfowl are upto. I stopped occasionally to check the ditches n pools for the pinhoe’s(Pin-tailed/Swinhoe’s) snipe with no luck but a Common Snipe walked right into my frame. The woods on S331 had little bit passerines. White-Cheeked Starlings have gathered in huge flock. Naumann’s Thrush is the common wintering thrush here and they are remarkably bright than the dull(loose DNA) Naumann’s in Shanghai.

Right next to the reserve, few female “Smews” were dabbling far away. These little ones were very antsy and flew even when I stopped the car. Pond check in progress, luckily I found a drake “Smew” reigning  his 6 female smews. This fella was not antsy like the rest of the drakes came bit closer still maintaining his eye sight on me and his comfort zone.

Kai, returned from his scouting on the south and updated me there are few Northern Shovelers were there in the pools further. I drove further south scouting every pool. Common Mergansers were in good no’s than Yesterday. Just the regular waterfowls and no “Baikal”specials.

One pool which interested me and several other mixed flock of birds. 5 Red-crowned Cranes are the highlights. The setting sun added a bit photographic touch. The air was relatively clean @ Yancheng and the sky was all blue which I had hardly seen in Shanghai. An adult and Juvenile Mongolian gull added more drama to finish the day.

Day 4 started with bright eyed and bush tailed with no signs of yesterday’s frog and the light was brilliant. I went to the Red-crowned Crane pool again. To my surprise a huge flock of Dunlins were feeding in an exposed mudflat. Other noticeable waders were Black-tailed Godwit, Pied Avocet, Green and Common Sandpiper. Wait, that’s not the end of the wader list. My first shorebird for 2014, the “Northern Lapwing”.  A loud honk from a fishing container caught me as well as the lapwing in surprise, it took of immediately but I was able to secure one decent photo. Gooses were in exceptionally good no’s, I failed miserably to find any greater/lesser white-fronted goose in the feeding flock. It was near impossible without a scope. Luck played its part again, a “Greater White-fronted Goose” flew into my frame among the several 100 bean goose.

Is my hairstyle cool?

Where is the male?

I had beans for breakfast

Very “Common” Hoopoe

Find the odd one out