Vietnam January 2011, Da Lat

After visiting Di Linh we spent three days in Da Lat, birding several areas in this very rich area. Many endemic and near-endemic species can be seen here and therefore it might be one of the best birding areas in entire Vietnam. During the three days we spent here we saw a total of over 100 species! Da Lat can be easily reached by public transport from Ho Chi Minh City and there are even direct flights going there, making it not only a good, but also an easily accesssible birding spot.

The first site we visited is Ta Nung valley, which is famous for being probably the best spot to see the endemic Grey-crowned Crocias. We birded the area for an afternoobn and a morning. On the first afternoon we only heard the Crocias, but the next morning we managed to see three of these splendid birds. Other good birds recorded in this area included two Orange-breasted Laughingthrushes (seen!), Vietnamese Greenfinch, White-cheeked Laughingthrush, Indochinese Green Magpie, Grey-crowned Tit, Annam Barbet, Rufous-backed Sibia and Red-headed Trogon. Ta Nung valley can be reached from Da Lat by a short (15 km) motorbike or car ride.

Vietnamese Greenfinch (Chloris monguilloti)

White-cheeked Laughingthrush (Garrulax vassali)

The second site we visited is Mount Lang Bian, which is famous for being the best spot to see another stunning endemic: Collared Laughingthrush. We saw this species surprisingly quickly, for we stumbled upon a small group after just an hour of birding! Other good birds seen here included: White-throated Rock Thrush, Vietnamese Greenfinch, Red Crossbill (of the endemic meridionalis subspecies, which should probably be elevated to species level), Black-crowned Fulvetta and Lesser Shortwing. This site is also easily reached by a short (12 km) motorbike or car ride from Da Lat.

Black-crowned Fulvetta (Alcippe klossi), picture made by Nguyen Hoai Bao

White-throated Rock Thrush (Monticola gularis), picture made by Nguyen Hoai Bao

The last site we visited was Ho Tuyen Lam, which is a man-made lake, just outside of the city. Our main target here was another endemic: Vietnamese Cutia, but try as we may for two days at several sites, this bird did not want to play. We still recorded other good birds like Black-hooded Laughingthrush, White-cheeked Laughingthrush, Vietnamese Greenfinch, Dalat Shrike-babbler, Black-headed Parrotbill, Blue Pitta, Rufous-browed Flycatcher and Burmese Shrike.

Rufous-browed Flycatcher (Ficedula solitaris)

I can highly recommend this birding site for the endemism is high and many species are challenging to find, which makes the birding very rewarding. The area is apperantly getting more and more open and I hope that one day a good site for Indochinese Fulvetta will be found, so I can return and still get to see that damn Cutia!

Vietnam January 2011, Di Linh

On my first visit to Vietnam I did a short tour with Bao from http://www.birdwatchingvietnam.net/ to Dalat. On the way there we stopped in Di Linh to do some afternoon birding. The area is apparently good for Green Cochoa and Hodgson´s Frogmouth amongst other critters, but we saw none of these. I however saw my first endemic of the country here: Annam Barbet. I also heard Black-hooded Laughingthrush here, but I had to wait until 2013 to get to see this stunning bird. Other birds of interest recorded in Di Linh included Red-vented Barbet, Black Baza, Vernal Hanging Parrot, Long-tailed Broadbill, Asian Fairy Bluebird, Collared Owlet and Black-throated Sunbird (ssp. ochra).

I would have no idea how to reach this site by public transpor (I don´t even know where the exact site is we visited)t, nor would I know how good the site still is. I guess the forest is still here and probably deserves more time than one short afternoon. Like I said, Green Cochoas can be found...

Annam Barbat (Megalaima annamensis), picture taken by Nguyen Hoai Bao

China July - August 2010, Emei Shan

This is probably the best birding site visited during our China trip. I did not prepare this trip at all, so I had no idea what birds I had to focus on and just birded the mountain for three whole days. We missed the main targets like Grey-hooded Parrotbill, of course, but still managed to see some interesting species.

We hiked up to the peak in two days and down in one day and spent our nights at local monasteries.  During these hikes the following interesting species where recorded: Temminck´s Tragopan (what a big surprise to find three juveniles foraging in almost darkness next to the path!), Chinese Bamboo Partridge, Darjeeling Woodpecker, Elliot´s Laughingthrush, Dark-breasted and Vinaceous Rosefinches (at the summit), White-collared and Black-chinned Yuhina, Grey-headed Bullfinch and Spotted Nutcracker. Mixed species where also entertaining (as it was the first time I was confronted with this phenomenon) and included Verditer Flycatcher, Eastern Crowned, Blyth´s and Emei Leaf Warbler, Grey-crowned and Chestnut-crowned Warbler, Red-billed Leiothrix and Grey-hooded Fulvetta.

The worst record shot possible of two young Temminck´s Tragopans (Tragopan temminckii)

Elliot´s Laughingthrush (Garrulax elliotii)

Male Dark-breasted Rosefinch (Carpodacus nipalensis)

The only mammals recorded where the over abundant Pere David´s Macaques, which can be a terrible nuisance along the tracks. Make sure you always carry a long stick with you! The start of the tracks can be found rather easy and can be reached without a hassle by public transport. With better preparation and prior knowledge this site will without a doubt yield a bird list of considerable length and rare and endangered species, like Grey-hooded Parrotbill or Emei Shan Liocichla might be seen. Furthermore, sleeping at the local monasteries is a great experience so I can recommend this site to everyone, birder and non-birder! This post and other posts concerning my 2010 China trip can be downloaded as PDF here.

China July - August 2010, Shangri La

Shangri La, or Deqen, which is the city's old name, at 3.500 MASL is as close as many visitors to Yunnan get to Tibet. Many tour companies within this city organize visits to this part of China but as this is rather costly we stayed within Shangri La and its surroundings. We could still enjoy the Tibetan atmosphere for there are many Tibetans living in the city and they have their influence on it. The city is easily reached by bus from Lijiang (five hours).

We spent a couple of days in this lovely city and did several bike tours around the city, including the vast marches and plateaus that lie to the west of the city and the famous Sumtseling Monastery. The surroundings of the monastery proved to yield several Grey-backed Shrikes, Chestnut Thrush, Lesser Whistling Duck and abundant Red-billed Choughs. The marshes on the other hand held Ferruginous Ducks, Common and Green Sandpipers, Siberian Stonechats, Himalayan Wagtails and Oriental Skylarks.

Red-billed Chough (Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax)

Chestnut Thrush (Turdus rubrocanus)

Juvenile Oriental Skylark (Alauda gulgula)

Grey-backed Shrike (Lanius tephronotus)

This lovely city is again another very interesting and beautiful spot for those who do not bird, but it did not prove to be very fruitful for birds. However perhaps with more preparation and more focused searches some very interesting species might be found here. This post and other posts concerning my 2010 China trip can be downloaded as PDF here.

China July - August 2010, Tiger Leaping Gorge

The Tiger Leaping Gorge, which is comparable with the American Grand Canyon, is another often visited site in Yunnan. The start of this spectacular gorge is easily reached from Yunnan within 2,5 hours drive and several treks can be done through the gorge, following the Yangtse river. We chose to do a two day trek to fully enjoy the beauty of the gorge, but there are also one-day treks or hikes that take up to a week.

During this trek (which wasn't that hard to do) we mostly enjoyed the views, which were absolutely stunning, but I also got time to look at some birds. Some of the species I observed during these two days included Plumbeous Water-redstart,  Pacific Swift, Short-billed Minivet, Grey-headed Canary-flycatcher, Chestnut-vented Nuthatch, Asian House Martin, Brown Prinia, Crested Finchbill, Black-headed Greenfinch and Godlewski's Bunting.

Brown Prinia (Prinia polychroa)

A singing Crested Finchbill (Spizixos canifrons)

Godlewski's Bunting (Emberiza godlewskii)

I would not recommend this trek to birders, as there is barely any forest left and although we saw some birds here, I was a bit disappointing. On the other hand the views and the landscape are some of the very best China has to offer, so I would recommend it to any non-birder or a birder with some spare time. Especially since this area is planned to be dammed, so the whole gorge might soon vanish under water...  This post and other posts concerning my 2010 China trip can be downloaded as PDF here.

The Tiger Leaping Gorge and the Yangtse River

China July - August 2010, Lijiang

Lijiang is a rather big town in the province of Yunnan and probably the most touristic place in the entire province as its old and authentic center is world famous. It is very easily reached and finding accomodation should pose no problem, although during high season most hostels tend to be full. We spent a couple of days in this city and I got some chances to look at birds, mostly in the outskirts of the town.

We spent quite some time at the Black Dragon Pool Park (entree fee costs RMB 60), which is a very touristic place but also a reliable spot for Giant Nuthatch, but I never got any good looks at this species. The park is easily reached from Lijiang city center on foot. Besides the world famous Black Dragon Pool, for which most people come to this place, the park has quite a few nice big trees, so we observed some interesting species here including Ruddy Kingfisher, Green-backed Tit, Black-throated Tit, Plumbeous Water Redstart, Striated Grassbird, Black-headed Sibia, Himalayan Wagtail, Blyth's and Claudia's Leaf Warbler.

Oriental White-eyes (Zosterops palpebrosus)

Presumed Claudia's Leaf Warbler (Phylloscopus claudiae) based on range and tail pattern. Compare with this individual.

We also spent a day cycling around the suburbs of Lijiang visiting the ancient village of Baisha and the Puji monastery. This cycling trip also yielded some interesting species like Barred Cuckoo-dove, Eurasian Hoopoe, Grey-backed Shrike, Black Bulbul, Himalayan Wagtail, Siberian Stonechat, Grey-crowned Warbler and Chestnut-eared Bunting. We also saw two laughingthrushes with red tails flying away from us at the monastery, so they must have been Red-winged or Red-tailed Laughingthrush, but we did not manage to coax them back into view...

Chestnut-eared Bunting (Emberiza fucata)

The Lijiang area is definitely of interest for birders for several good species can be observed here, provided you have prepared your trip well and therefore know where to look as this trip report by Bjorn Anderson proves. I obviously did not do this and therefore did not see the local specialties.  This post and other posts concerning my 2010 China trip can be downloaded as PDF here.

China July - August 2010, Longsheng Rice Terraces

The Longsheng rice terraces are also known as the "Dragon's Backbone" and another stunningly beautiful spot in the Guanxi province. After our visit to Yangshuo we paid this attraction a visit. It was much less touristic than expected and bit harder to get to. We took a bus from Guilin and got dropped off at a parking lot where some cars where waiting. After a 1,5 hour drive we got to the area that is called the Dragon's Backbone. From here we hiked up the rice terraces and stayed at a home-stay in a tiny village on top of the terraces. The views from there were amazing. We stayed two days in the area and spent our times mostly by strolling through the rice fields. This produced several interesting species next to one stunning view after another. Species observed here included Crested Goshawk, Red-billed Leiothrix, Plumbeous Water Redstart, Brown Bush-warbler, Grey Bush-chat, Russet-capped Fulvetta, Vinous-throated Parrotbill, Light-vented and Brown-breasted Bulbul, Collared Finchbill and Brown Dipper.

Male Grey Bush-chat (Saxicola ferreus)

Female Plumbeous Water Redstart (Phoenicurus fuliginosa)

A skulky Red-billed Leiothrix (Leiothrix lutea)

Vinous-throated Parrotbill (Paradoxornis webbianus)

We enjoyed our time a lot here, mostly because the views and the home-stay were amazing. However even though I observed some cool birds, I think this place has not so much to offer to birders as there is barely any forest left within the area. Most birds mentioned above where clinging to the tiny patches of degraded forest that were still left. This post and other posts concerning my 2010 China trip can be downloaded as PDF here.

China July - August 2010, Yangshuo

The town of Yangshuo is located in between thousands of limestone pinnacles forming one of the most famous touristic attractions of Southern China. The limestone karst is truly a sight to behold and so we enjoyed ourselves for a couple of days here. We had based ourselves just outside Yangshuo and visited several touristic attractions within the area simply by bicycle, which can be rented at several places. Yangshuo itself is easily accessible from Guilin and finding accommodation in Yangshuo should pose no problem at all.

While visiting the touristic attractions like the Moon Hill and the Dragon Bridge I kept looking at some birds. Birds observed in the Yangshuo area included Oriental Hobby, Black-winged Kite, Blue Rock Thrush, Plain Prinia, Golden-headed Cisticola, Mountain Bulbul, Light-vented Bulbul, Japanese White-eye and Russet Sparrow.

Juvenile Black-winged Kite (Elanus caeruleus)

Blue Rock Thrush (Monticola solitarius)

Mountain Bulbul (Ixos mcclellandii)

Male Russet Sparrow (Passer rutilans)

One day was spent hiking through the karst formations from Yangdi to Xingping. Both of these villages are located at the Li river and are easily accessible by bus from Yangshuo. The entire hike is rouhgly 24 km, but we lost our way and after 12 km we took a boat back to Xingping. Up to the point where we got lost, the way was actually pretty straight forward, so I guess we got mixed up somewhere and took a wrong turn. We enjoyed this hike a lot and the boat ride was equally entertaining and scenic. Birds observed in this area included Chinese Goshawk, Collared Crow, Long-tailed Shrike, Japanese White-eye, Amur Wagtail and White-rumped Munia.

Male Amur Wagtail (Motacilla (alba) leucopsis)

The karst formation around Yangshuo are amazing and will be enjoyed by anyone, birder and non-birder. I guess with better preparations and more time spent looking, more and better species would have been found, but in the end it was more of a cultural trip and not a birding trip. This post and other posts concerning my 2010 China trip can be downloaded as PDF here.

China July - August 2010, Beijing

My summer holiday in 2010 was spent travelling through China. This trip was not focused on birds, like most of the travels I did recently. It was more of a cultural trip, however I still did some birding and that yielded not much, but at least some species worth noting. We started (and ended) our trip in Beijing. This gigantic city has many cultural highlights, but also holds a surprising amount of interesting birding sites and birds (I learned this only when I was back in the Netherlands...) For more up to date and better information about birding in Beijing, visit this excellent blog.

Almost all the birding I did within Beijing was within the massive parks that are spread throughout this city. I spent most of my time in the massive Beihai Park. This gave me a small introduction to the local avifauna. I noted among others Mandarin Duck, Common Swift (ssp. pekinensis), Great Spotted Woodpecker, Spotted Dove, Asian Azure-winged Magpie, Large-billed Crow and Crested Myna within this park. Beihai park is located in the center of the capital and is rather easy to reach and find from any direction.

Juvenile Asian Azure-winged Magpie (Cyanopica cyanus)

The world famous Temple of Heaven, which truly is a sight to behold, is surrounded by another large park. I also spent a day walking through this park, noting similar species as observed in Beihai park. Furthermore I also observed Eurasian Hoopoe, Red-billed Blue Magpie and Grey-capped Greenfinch here. The Temple of Heaven is located in the South of city center and since it is one of the most famous tourist sites of the city, it should be no problem to find it.

Red-billed Blue Magpie (Urocissa erythrorhyncha)

Apart from the above mentioned sites within the city, we also spent a day at the Chinese Wall. We arranged this day-trip through our hostel (Drum Tower Hostel) and they brought us to a wonderful and authentic part of the Chinese Wall. It had not yet been repaired and therefore was still in its original state. This also resulted in no other tourists being present. We enjoyed a tough 10 km walk over this part of the wall and I managed to see some birds here as well. Species observed here included Ring-necked Pheasant, Red-billed Chough, Coal Tit (of the weird crested subspecies), Japanese Tit and Meadow Bunting.

Record shot a singing male Meadow Bunting (Emberiza cioides)

We enjoyed our time a lot in Beijing and I must say it is a pleasant city. However we barely did any birding, so I am looking forward to an opportunity to go back there and have a proper look at Beijing's birds. I mean even Ibisbill can be seen within the city! For more posts on my trip to China see the posts in the section "China (Southern)" in the "Oriental " section, as China is part of two biogeographical regions. This post and other posts concerning my 2010 China trip can be downloaded as PDF here.

United Kingdom June 2009, Farne Islands

A long lasting wish of mine was to visit a major seabird colony in Britain. We don't have those in the Netherlands and the only way to see seabirds in Holland is to spent long hours looking over sea, hoping some to fly by, often in a rather quick and unsatisfactory fashion. Therefore visiting a big seabird colony would be a way to obtain those satisfactory sightings that are so rare in the Netherlands. One of those big seabird colonies are the Farne Islands. It has a rough 20.000 pairs of Atlantic Puffins, 16.000 pairs of Common Guillemots, 5.000 pairs of Black-legged Kittiwakes, 2.000 pairs of Arctic Terns, 1.000 pairs of European Shags, 500 pairs of Razorbills and 250 pairs of Northern Fulmars. This makes it the perfect destination to fulfill this wish of mine.

In June 2009 we spent a weekend in Northumberland. We flew to Newcastle and drove to Seahouses. Here we based ourselves for the weekend. In the evening we went to the shore and already enjoyed a small colony of Black-legged Kittiwakes and Northern Fulmars, next to some Pied Wagtails and Common Ringed Plovers.

Black-legged Kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla). Picture taken by Hartmut Fischer.

Northern Fulmars (Fulmarus glacialis). Picture taken by Hartmut Fischer.

Northern Fulmar (Fulmarus glacialis). Picture taken by Hartmut Fischer.

The next day however we got to enjoy much larger numbers of seabirds after a very tasty English Breakfast. We had booked a full day bird watch trough this site. This full day bird watch includes a visit to Staple Island and Inner Farne and sails around the Grey Seal colonies as well. This trip costs £35.00 per adult. We first landed on Staple Island. This islands hosts the majority of Atlantic Puffins, Guillemots and Razorbills. Even before we landed on the island we already saw many of these auks swimming on the seas and the closer we got the island the more we saw (and smellled). Staple Island was absolutely amazing. The sheer numbers were dazzling. Puffins were flying absolutely everywhere and certain rocks were completely covered in Guillemots. It was bettered than I had ever imagined.

Atlantic Puffins (Fratercula arctica) on Staple Island. Picture taken by Hartmut Fischer. 

Cliffs at Staple Island

Bridled and Non-bridled forms of Common Guillemot (Uria Aalge)

Atlantic Puffin (Fratercula Arctica)

Razorbill (Alca Torda)

A couple of thousand Guillemots (Uria Aalge) on Staple Island. Picture taken by Hartmut Fischer.

After that we landed on Inner Farne. This islands also hosts large numbers of auks, but next to those it also has several colonies of terns, mostly Arctic Terns, but also some Sandwich and Common Terns. The Arctic Terns vigorously attack the birders that come close to their nests. This isle has a complete different vibe from the previous one, but it is still an incredible place to walk around.

Atlantic Puffin (Fratercula Arctica) carrying fish. Picture taken by Hartmut Fischer.

Me getting attacked by an Arctic Tern (Sterna paradisaea). Picture taken by Hartmut Fischer

Angry Arctic Terns (Sterna paradisaea). Picture taken by Hartmut Fischer.

Angry European Shag (Phalacrocorax aristotelis)

Gannets (Morus bassanus)

After six hours of enjoying ridiculously close-up views of all species breeding at both islands, we headed back to Seahouses. On the way back we also enjoyed some Gannets flying past the boat! We had an absolutely perfect day. I highly recommend visiting the Farne Islands to everyone, birder or non-birder, as everybody will be amazed by this nature spectacle! This blog post can be downloaded as PDF file here.

Grey Seals (Halichoerus grypus) in front of Staple Island. Picture taken by Hartmut Fischer.