We have entered the peak migration window in Shanghai. On 16th April, me and Russell set out for XiaoYangshan to witness one of the massive migrations in one of the biggest flyways on planet Earth. The Accuweather forecast was very optimistic and favorable for us. Heavy winds from southwest and bit of a passing shower in the afternoon. I have lived long enough in China not to trust the weather forecast as the predicted clear day was covered with showers and no rains on a rainy day. But Saturday, the weather prediction was right up to every hour. As expected, the heavy winds have brought this season’s big passerine push. We started our day casually with Russell annoucing, two “Yellow-breasted Buntings” just took off. Damn, i missed another rare bird for my Shanghai arsenal. Given that, we had Black-headed Bunting during last autumn migration. We then proceeded to pick one of our several male Narcissus Flycatchers, Yellow-rumped Flycatchers. I picked up a single adult male Brown-headed Thrush, jumping around the thickets of a tree. Before, Russell could join me, the bird disappeared into the world of undergrowth. Sorry Russell, another time. Not an easy bird in Shanghai as my first and only sighting was in April 2012, around the same time of the year.
First sighting in 21-April-2012, an adult female in Nanhui
This year’s Adult male
Not much of a clear picture but the overall brown back and orange flanks are clear indicators of a Brown-headed Thrush compared to the grey primaries and grey/brownish flanks of the Pale Thrush. While returning from a very productive first hour at XiaoYangshan, an adult male “Yellow-breasted Bunting” in full breeding plumage took off from the grass and posed for a while for me to grab some record shots. That was indeed a very productive morning, not to miss the “red-listed” bird.
Another scarce bunting in Shanghai
Further down to the south-eastern corner of the island, lies an undisturbed marsh. On the marsh and the adjacent mudflats we added few more waterfowl and assortment of waders to our list. As of now, XiaoYansghan, seems to be a very favorable spot for the Chinese Egrets. We picked up 3 individuals in full breeding plumage. Below is an individual from last year on the same spot.
Chinese Egret in XiaoYangshan on May 2015
Back at Nanhui, we stopped at the first dirt road on the southern end of the sea wall to see if the Bluethroat is still around. No signs of Bluethroat but the Marsh Grassbirds din’t disappoint. A dozen individuals put up a nice display. Near, the recently converted aquafarm, while scoping in for the waders, Russell picked out a single Citrine Wagtail, another scarce bird in the region and probably overlooked as well. Following is my personal record of Citrine Wagtails in Shanghai. Given that, two records align during the mid-week of April(20-April 2012, 16-April 2016), spring is the best time to see them and not to fuss that it’s an unexpected turnout.
First sighting – 21 April 2012
Second sighting – 10 May 2014
The afternoon showers in Shanghai has remarkably reduced the “Walker Herd” at Nanhui but still plenty of cars in the car park and around the “Sea view” road. We then proceeded to our next mission of finding the “Chestnut-eared Bunting” for Russell, which we achieved after a bit of difficulty. The newly planted trees along the seawall seems to be attracting lot of buntings. Over the two weekends, we saw plenty of Little and Chestnut-Buntings prefer those trees compared to the reeds. The pools behind these new “landscape” held a good no of shorebirds inlcluding a dozen Sharp-tailed Sandpipers, couple Broad-billed Sandpipers and a single Bar-tailed Godwit. By the time, we came back to the car park, it was totally empty and no cars in the vicinity. This has brought all the players of undergrowth to the open. Several Japanese, Pale and Grey-backed Thrushes played their hopping game closer to the hedges. When the light was going down quickly, a Northern Boobook swooped into the car park, sending all the undergrowth players to where they belong. “Happy Ending” for sitting ducks inside the car.
Pallas’s Reed Bunting in breeding plumage
Species List :
| Common name | Scientific name | Location |
| Ducks, Geese and Swans (Anatidae) – 2 / 173 | ||
| Garganey | Anas querquedula | XiaoYangshan, Shanghai, China |
| Eurasian Teal | Anas crecca | XiaoYangshan, Shanghai, China |
| Pheasants and allies (Phasianidae) – 1 / 182 | ||
| Common Pheasant | Phasianus colchicus | Nanhui, Shanghai, China |
| Grebes (Podicipedidae) – 1 / 23 | ||
| Little Grebe | Tachybaptus ruficollis | XiaoYangshan, Shanghai, China |
| Ibises, Spoonbills (Threskiornithidae) – 1 / 36 | ||
| Eurasian Spoonbill | Platalea leucorodia | Nanhui, Shanghai, China |
| Herons, Bitterns (Ardeidae) – 7 / 72 | ||
| Black-crowned Night Heron | Nycticorax nycticorax | Nanhui, Shanghai, China |
| Chinese Pond Heron | Ardeola bacchus | Nanhui, Shanghai, China |
| Grey Heron | Ardea cinerea | XiaoYangshan, Shanghai, China |
| Great Egret | Ardea alba | Nanhui, Shanghai, China |
| Intermediate Egret | Egretta intermedia | Nanhui, Shanghai, China |
| Little Egret | Egretta garzetta | XiaoYangshan, Shanghai, China |
| Chinese Egret – VU | Egretta eulophotes | XiaoYangshan, Shanghai, China |
| Ospreys (Pandionidae) – 1 / 2 | ||
| Eastern Osprey | Pandion cristatus | Nanhui, Shanghai, China |
| Kites, Hawks and Eagles (Accipitridae) – 1 / 256 | ||
| Eastern Buzzard | Buteo japonicus | XiaoYangshan, Shanghai, China |
| Rails, Crakes and Coots (Rallidae) – 2 / 151 | ||
| Common Moorhen | Gallinula chloropus | Nanhui, Shanghai, China |
| Eurasian Coot | Fulica atra | XiaoYangshan, Shanghai, China |
| Plovers (Charadriidae) – 4 / 67 | ||
| Little Ringed Plover | Charadrius dubius | XiaoYangshan, Shanghai, China |
| Kentish Plover | Charadrius alexandrinus | XiaoYangshan, Shanghai, China |
| Lesser Sand Plover | Charadrius mongolus | XiaoYangshan, Shanghai, China |
| Greater Sand Plover | Charadrius leschenaultii | XiaoYangshan, Shanghai, China |
| Sandpipers, Snipes (Scolopacidae) – 15 / 96 | ||
| Common Snipe | Gallinago gallinago | Nanhui, Shanghai, China |
| Black-tailed Godwit | Limosa limosa | Nanhui, Shanghai, China |
| Bar-tailed Godwit | Limosa lapponica | Nanhui, Shanghai, China |
| Spotted Redshank | Tringa erythropus | Nanhui, Shanghai, China |
| Common Redshank | Tringa totanus | Nanhui, Shanghai, China |
| Marsh Sandpiper | Tringa stagnatilis | Nanhui, Shanghai, China |
| Common Greenshank | Tringa nebularia | XiaoYangshan, Shanghai, China |
| Wood Sandpiper | Tringa glareola | XiaoYangshan, Shanghai, China |
| Terek Sandpiper | Xenus cinereus | Nanhui, Shanghai, China |
| Common Sandpiper | Actitis hypoleucos | Nanhui, Shanghai, China |
| Red-necked Stint | Calidris ruficollis | XiaoYangshan, Shanghai, China |
| Long-toed Stint | Calidris subminuta | XiaoYangshan, Shanghai, China |
| Sharp-tailed Sandpiper | Calidris acuminata | Nanhui, Shanghai, China |
| Dunlin | Calidris alpina | XiaoYangshan, Shanghai, China |
| Broad-billed Sandpiper | Limicola falcinellus | Nanhui, Shanghai, China |
| Pigeons, Doves (Columbidae) – 2 / 335 | ||
| Oriental Turtle Dove | Streptopelia orientalis | Nanhui, Shanghai, China |
| Spotted Dove | Spilopelia chinensis | Nanhui, Shanghai, China |
| Owls (Strigidae) – 1 / 222 | ||
| Northern Boobook | Ninox japonica | Nanhui, Shanghai, China |
| Kingfishers (Alcedinidae) – 1 / 93 | ||
| Common Kingfisher | Alcedo atthis | XiaoYangshan, Shanghai, China |
| Caracaras, Falcons (Falconidae) – 1 / 67 | ||
| Common Kestrel | Falco tinnunculus | XiaoYangshan, Shanghai, China |
| Shrikes (Laniidae) – 1 / 33 | ||
| Long-tailed Shrike | Lanius schach | XiaoYangshan, Shanghai, China |
| Crows, Jays (Corvidae) – 1 / 131 | ||
| Eurasian Magpie | Pica pica | Nanhui, Shanghai, China |
| Tits, Chickadees (Paridae) – 1 / 61 | ||
| Japanese Tit | Parus minor | Nanhui, Shanghai, China |
| Larks (Alaudidae) – 1 / 97 | ||
| Oriental Skylark | Alauda gulgula | Nanhui, Shanghai, China |
| Bulbuls (Pycnonotidae) – 1 / 151 | ||
| Light-vented Bulbul | Pycnonotus sinensis | Nanhui, Shanghai, China |
| Swallows, Martins (Hirundinidae) – 3 / 88 | ||
| Pale Martin | Riparia diluta | Nanhui, Shanghai, China |
| Barn Swallow | Hirundo rustica | XiaoYangshan, Shanghai, China |
| Red-rumped Swallow | Cecropis daurica | XiaoYangshan, Shanghai, China |
| Cettia Bush Warblers and allies (Cettiidae) – 1 / 32 | ||
| Manchurian Bush Warbler | Horornis borealis | XiaoYangshan, Shanghai, China |
| Leaf Warblers and allies (Phylloscopidae) – 4 / 77 | ||
| Pallas’s Leaf Warbler | Phylloscopus proregulus | XiaoYangshan, Shanghai, China |
| Yellow-browed Warbler | Phylloscopus inornatus | XiaoYangshan, Shanghai, China |
| Arctic Warbler | Phylloscopus borealis | XiaoYangshan, Shanghai, China |
| Eastern Crowned Warbler | Phylloscopus coronatus | XiaoYangshan, Shanghai, China |
| Reed Warblers and allies (Acrocephalidae) – 1 / 61 | ||
| Oriental Reed Warbler | Acrocephalus orientalis | Nanhui, Shanghai, China |
| Grassbirds and allies (Locustellidae) – 1 / 60 | ||
| Marsh Grassbird | Locustella pryeri | Nanhui, Shanghai, China |
| Cisticolas and allies (Cisticolidae) – 2 / 158 | ||
| Zitting Cisticola | Cisticola juncidis | XiaoYangshan, Shanghai, China |
| Plain Prinia | Prinia inornata | XiaoYangshan, Shanghai, China |
| Sylviid Babblers (Sylviidae) – 1 / 70 | ||
| Vinous-throated Parrotbill | Sinosuthora webbiana | Nanhui, Shanghai, China |
| Northern/Reed Parrotbill | Paradoxornis polivanovi/heudei | Nanhui, Shanghai, China |
| White-eyes (Zosteropidae) – 1 / 128 | ||
| Japanese White-eye | Zosterops japonicus | Nanhui, Shanghai, China |
| Goldcrests, Kinglets (Regulidae) – 1 / 6 | ||
| Goldcrest | Regulus regulus | XiaoYangshan, Shanghai, China |
| Starlings, Rhabdornis (Sturnidae) – 3 / 123 | ||
| Crested Myna | Acridotheres cristatellus | Nanhui, Shanghai, China |
| Red-billed Starling | Spodiopsar sericeus | XiaoYangshan, Shanghai, China |
| White-cheeked Starling | Spodiopsar cineraceus | XiaoYangshan, Shanghai, China |
| Thrushes (Turdidae) – 5 / 166 | ||
| Grey-backed Thrush | Turdus hortulorum | Nanhui, Shanghai, China |
| Japanese Thrush | Turdus cardis | Nanhui, Shanghai, China |
| Common Blackbird | Turdus merula | Nanhui, Shanghai, China |
| Pale Thrush | Turdus pallidus | XiaoYangshan, Shanghai, China |
| Brown-headed Thrush | Turdus chrysolaus | XiaoYangshan, Shanghai, China |
| Chats, Old World Flycatchers (320) (Muscicapidae) – 7 / 320 | ||
| Asian Brown Flycatcher | Muscicapa latirostris | XiaoYangshan, Shanghai, China |
| Blue-and-white Flycatcher | Cyanoptila cyanomelana | XiaoYangshan, Shanghai, China |
| Yellow-rumped Flycatcher | Ficedula zanthopygia | XiaoYangshan, Shanghai, China |
| Narcissus Flycatcher | Ficedula narcissina | XiaoYangshan, Shanghai, China |
| Daurian Redstart | Phoenicurus auroreus | Nanhui, Shanghai, China |
| Blue Rock Thrush | Monticola solitarius | XiaoYangshan, Shanghai, China |
| Stejneger’s Stonechat | Saxicola stejnegeri | XiaoYangshan, Shanghai, China |
| Old World Sparrows, Snowfinches (Passeridae) – 1 / 51 | ||
| Eurasian Tree Sparrow | Passer montanus | XiaoYangshan, Shanghai, China |
| Waxbills, Munias and allies (Estrildidae) – 1 / 141 | ||
| Scaly-breasted Munia | Lonchura punctulata | XiaoYangshan, Shanghai, China |
| Wagtails, Pipits (Motacillidae) – 4 / 65 | ||
| Eastern Yellow Wagtail | Motacilla tschutschensis | Nanhui, Shanghai, China |
| Citrine Wagtail | Motacilla citreola | Nanhui, Shanghai, China |
| Grey Wagtail | Motacilla cinerea | Nanhui, Shanghai, China |
| Olive-backed Pipit | Anthus hodgsoni | XiaoYangshan, Shanghai, China |
| Finches (Fringillidae) – 1 / 219 | ||
| Brambling | Fringilla montifringilla | XiaoYangshan, Shanghai, China |
| Buntings, New World Sparrows and allies (Emberizidae) – 7 / 176 | ||
| Tristram’s Bunting | Emberiza tristrami | XiaoYangshan, Shanghai, China |
| Chestnut-eared Bunting | Emberiza fucata | Nanhui, Shanghai, China |
| Little Bunting | Emberiza pusilla | XiaoYangshan, Shanghai, China |
| Yellow-throated Bunting | Emberiza elegans | XiaoYangshan, Shanghai, China |
| Yellow-breasted Bunting – VU | Emberiza aureola | XiaoYangshan, Shanghai, China |
| Black-faced Bunting | Emberiza spodocephala | XiaoYangshan, Shanghai, China |
| Pallas’s Reed Bunting | Emberiza pallasi | Nanhui, Shanghai, China |
| Species: 89 | ||
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