I was still “high” after seeing the “Knot” cloud at Hengsha Island last week. So time to check out the passerines. As usual, i met Kevin at Zhongchun Road and we set our destination to XiaoYangshan Island, the mysterious deep water port island. The garbage dump yard gate is closed again and we set on foot with few other Chinese photographers who arrived at the same time. Manchurian Bush Warblers were heard as they always call from the undergrowth or from the tree top. We scored our first lifer of the day, a “Chinese Thrush,” perched briefly right above us. We spent next one hour trying to locate a call (tsit-tsit) which first reminded me of a robin call but the bird never showed but responded to phishing. When we are about to give up the small rusty brown warbler hopped from one bush to another, still no clue of what it is. Another 30mins of phishing and tracking, finally the dwarf revealed himself as my long nemesis, the “Asian Stubtail“. Yellow-browed Warblers were singing in high pitch.
Do i have a stubby tail?
From the temple valley, the grounds of the Ferry terminal were not empty as before. Atleast thousands of newly arrived “White Cadillacs” were lined up for customs inspection. White cars are the recent trend in China. We flushed an almost white/fawn coloured “Eurasian Woodcock” who kept playing his hide, seek & flyaway game. A sub-adult male Narcissus Flycatcher was busy with his morning breakfast. A good flock of Bramblings had few adult males in Superb breeding plumage. Other highlights in XiaoYangshan were Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Little Bunting, Grey Nightjar.
We set our next destination to the (Black) Magic car park of Nanhui. The presence of dozen photographers was a forecast of something there. 2 male Blue and White, Narcissus Flycatcher were perched in the setup. However, the star of the day is the Manchurian Bush Warbler which made quiet an appearance. A superb adult male Siberian Blue Robin showed up briefly. We then left the car park to find the “Marsh Grassbird” which we eventually did along with the same flock of Black-faced Spoonbills in the same pond two weeks before, few Japanese Thrushes, Common Snipe, Black-collared Starling. We also had good fun with a Siberian Weasel which roamed around for a while and gave some superb pose. The fish ponds near the flood gates had good no of waders. A Peregrine Falcon came in and created a havoc among the waders was a nice sight as we maintained our Peregrine streak for the second week.
Yo, Yo! Try to ID me
Don’t ignore me
Pink legs
I have a sharp tail
“The Magic”
Blue and (where is) white?
Well, i’m special too
Care to shoot?
Curiosity killed the Weasel
Overall, the first week of migration was noted for the Shorebirds, the second week is dominated by the Passerines. Can’t wait to get out next week to see what’s out there.
Species list:
Grebes (Podicipedidae) – 2 / 23
Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis
Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus cristatus
Ibises, Spoonbills (Threskiornithidae) – 1 / 36
Black-faced Spoonbill – EN Platalea minor
Herons, Bitterns (Ardeidae) – 7 / 72
Black-crowned Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax
Striated Heron Butorides striata
Chinese Pond Heron Ardeola bacchus
Eastern Cattle Egret Bubulcus coromandus
Grey Heron Ardea cinerea
Great Egret Ardea alba
Little Egret Egretta garzetta
Kites, Hawks and Eagles (Accipitridae) – 1 / 256
Eurasian Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus
Rails, Crakes and Coots (Rallidae) – 2 / 151
Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus
Eurasian Coot Fulica atra
Stilts, Avocets (Recurvirostridae) – 1 / 10
Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus
Plovers (Charadriidae) – 1 / 67
Little Ringed Plover Charadrius dubius
Sandpipers, Snipes (Scolopacidae) – 9 / 96
Eurasian Woodcock Scolopax rusticola
Common Snipe Gallinago gallinago
Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus
Spotted Redshank Tringa erythropus
Marsh Sandpiper Tringa stagnatilis
Common Greenshank Tringa nebularia
Red-necked Stint Calidris ruficollis
Sharp-tailed Sandpiper Calidris acuminata
Dunlin Calidris alpina
Pigeons, Doves (Columbidae) – 2 / 335
Oriental Turtle Dove Streptopelia orientalis
Spotted Dove Spilopelia chinensis
Nightjars (Caprimulgidae) – 1 / 98
Grey Nightjar Caprimulgus jotaka
Kingfishers (Alcedinidae) – 1 / 93
Common Kingfisher Alcedo atthis
Caracaras, Falcons (Falconidae) – 1 / 67
Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus
Shrikes (Laniidae) – 1 / 33
Long-tailed Shrike Lanius schach
Crows, Jays (Corvidae) – 2 / 131
Eurasian Magpie Pica pica
Large-billed Crow Corvus macrorhynchos
Tits, Chickadees (Paridae) – 1 / 61
Great Tit Parus major
Bulbuls (Pycnonotidae) – 1 / 151
Light-vented Bulbul Pycnonotus sinensis
Swallows, Martins (Hirundinidae) – 1 / 88
Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica
Cettia Bush Warblers and allies (Cettiidae) – 2 / 32
Manchurian Bush Warbler Horornis borealis
Asian Stubtail Urosphena squameiceps
Leaf Warblers and allies (Phylloscopidae) – 2 / 77
Yellow-browed Warbler Phylloscopus inornatus
Pale-legged Leaf Warbler (or Sakhalin’s) Phylloscopus tenellipes
Grassbirds and allies (Locustellidae) – 1 / 60
Marsh Grassbird Locustella pryeri
Cisticolas and allies (Cisticolidae) – 1 / 159
Plain Prinia Prinia inornata
Sylviid Babblers (Sylviidae) – 2 / 70
Vinous-throated Parrotbill Sinosuthora webbiana
Reed Parrotbill Paradoxornis heudei
Starlings, Rhabdornis (Sturnidae) – 3 / 123
Crested Myna Acridotheres cristatellus
White-cheeked Starling Spodiopsar cineraceus
Black-collared Starling Gracupica nigricollis
Thrushes (Turdidae) – 6 / 166
Grey-backed Thrush Turdus hortulorum
Japanese Thrush Turdus cardis
Pale Thrush Turdus pallidus
Brown-headed Thrush Turdus chrysolaus
Dusky Thrush Turdus eunomus
Chinese Thrush Turdus mupinensis
Chats, Old World Flycatchers (Muscicapidae) – 8 / 320
Asian Brown Flycatcher Muscicapa latirostris
Blue-and-white Flycatcher Cyanoptila cyanomelana
Siberian Blue Robin Larvivora cyane
Red-flanked Bluetail Tarsiger cyanurus
Narcissus Flycatcher Ficedula narcissina
Daurian Redstart Phoenicurus auroreus
Blue Rock Thrush Monticola solitarius
Siberian Stonechat Saxicola maurus
Old World Sparrows, Snowfinches (Passeridae) – 1 / 51
Eurasian Tree Sparrow Passer montanus
Wagtails, Pipits (Motacillidae) – 4 / 67
Eastern Yellow Wagtail Motacilla tschutschensis
White Wagtail Motacilla alba
Richard’s Pipit Anthus richardi
Olive-backed Pipit Anthus hodgsoni
Finches (Fringillidae) – 1 / 219
Brambling Fringilla montifringilla
Buntings, New World Sparrows and allies (Emberizidae) – 3 / 176
Little Bunting Emberiza pusilla
Rustic Bunting Emberiza rustica
Black-faced Bunting Emberiza spodocephala
Total Species : 69
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