September 29th 2008
Binhai and San Gia Gang
Weather again very windy and now overcast with a hint of rain.
Zhang Lin had arranged for a driver to ferry us around today to various birding locations at Binhai, so at 7am we left the hotel, and collected some snacks and water from a local store. Binhai is being developed on a massive scale into a Container Port with the result that the local fishing port has been enveloped and totally overwhelmed by huge construction projects and brand new highways to take the container lorries. I am sure the local fishermen are far from happy but in China there is no appeal against the Government's wishes.
However we drove through what was left of the older part of town, still with fishermen mending their nets in the narrow road and parked at the mouth of a river estuary and scoped the exposed mudbanks. There were only a few waders here but they were pretty good being, a Greater Sand Plover, a Terek Sandpiper, some Red necked Stints and Kentish Plovers.
Back in the car we followed the road which commenced to run along on top of a huge wide seawall that runs for miles and has been constructed to reclaim a vast area of saltmarsh, reedbeds and small lagoons from the sea. Periodically we would stop the car listening for Reed Parrotbills and on a couple of occasions even walked down some muddy tracks into the sheltered reedbeds by the water but failed to hear or see any. The wind was very strong and hearing birds calling was almost impossible. We did manage to find a single Vinous throated Parrotbill and various stretches of water held many Little Grebes. We flushed a Yellow Bittern and a Common Snipe as we wandered about but the wind in this exposed area was just too strong for serious birding. An Asian Brown Flycatcher was sheltering in the reeds, as was a Zitting Cisticola and a flyover Blue and White Flycatcher was surprising. There was a constant passage of Barn Swallows over the reeds too.This area is so vast that the only way to get around is by car and so our driver duly drove us slowly along the wall while we looked out and when we saw something of interest got him to stop.
Our next stop provided us with some ducks out on a lake. Hardly exciting though, as they were only Gadwall and Eurasian Teal plus a single Coot, a species which according to Zhang Lin has just recently colonised this area. There were also some Sand Martins and Barn Swallows flying around and whilst checking these for something rarer I picked up a small wader flying below them which then landed on the water and proved to be a juvenile Red necked Phalarope. We also flushed a group of five Black crowned Night Herons from the reeds and an Intermediate Egret was hiding amongst a group of sheltering Little Egrets. We took a look over the seaward side of thc wall and just about managing to stand upright in the ferocious wind were rewarded with two Black tailed Gulls flying past. Driving further on, I found a bird perched on some telephone wires so we stopped and discovered it was a Wryneck which remained perched there for a long time before dropping down into the reeds.
Some miles further on we came to a large open area of shallow water and mud just behind the seawall and being more sheltered from the wind was covered in a multitude of waders.We spent some time here identifying the following fantastic array of species; Terek Sandpiper, Broad billed Sandpiper, Marsh Sandpiper, Sharp tailed Sandpiper, Wood Sandpiper, Common Greenshank, Spotted Redshank, Black tailed Godwit, Little Ringed Plover, Kentish Plover, Greater Sand Plover, Red necked Stint, Temminck's Stint, Dunlin, Black winged Stilt, Common Snipe, Oriental Pratincole, Little Tern, Whiskered Tern, Garganey and Spot billed Duck.
There was also one wader that baffled us and kept us occupied for almost ninety minutes. It was very small, smaller than a Dunlin and only slightly larger than a Red necked Stint.We wondered about Long toed Stint but it appeared to have black legs although the bad light, distance and the almost impossible windy conditions made it difficult to be absolutely certain. In the end we settled for Long toed Stint, making the assumption its legs were covered in mud and therefore appeared black.
We moved on and came to an area of deeper water and found the best birds of the day, a flock of seven, rare, Black faced Spoonbills and like all spoonbills the world over, they were fast asleep. Eventually they woke up and commenced feeding. At least two appeared to be juveniles.
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| Black faced Spoonbills |
We watched these very rare and now endangered birds for quite some time, also noting an immature Black crowned Night Heron standing, unusually, in the open near some reeds while a few Whiskered Terns, some still in summer plumage flew by.
Day total at Binhai 0900-1500hrs
60 species/4 lifers
Mallard 3, Spot billed Duck 10+, Northern Shoveler 3, Gadwall 5, Garganey 20+, Eurasian Teal 20+, Wryneck 1, Common Kingfisher 3, Moorhen 10+, Eurasian Coot 30+, Red necked Phalarope 1, Oriental Pratincole 4, Common Snipe 2, Black tailed Godwit 50+, Eurasian Curlew 7, Little Curlew 1, Spotted Redshank 3, Marsh Sandpiper 25+, Common Greenshank 15+, Green Sandpiper 1, Wood Sandpiper 20+, Terek Sandpiper 3, Common Sandpiper 2, Sharp tailed Sandpiper 4, Dunlin 50+, Broad billed Sandpiper 4, Red necked Stint 80+, Temminck's Stint 2, Black winged Stilt 4, Little Ringed Plover 30+, Kentish Plover 30+, Greater Sand Plover 2, Lesser Sand Plover 2, Black tailed Gull 2, Vega Gull 1, Black headed Gull 2, Little Tern 4, Whiskered Tern 10, Common Kestrel 3, Great crested Grebe 5, Little Grebe 60+, Great Cormorant 1, Little Egret 80+, Intermediate Egret 1, Grey Heron 20+, Chinese Pond Heron 1, Black crowned Night Heron 8, Yellow Bittern 2, Black faced Spoonbill 7, Bull headed Shrike 1; Long tailed Shrike 8, Asian Brown Flycatcher 1, Blue and White Flycatcher 1, White cheeked Starling 15, Sand Martin 4, Barn Swallow 50+, Zitting Cisticola 2, Vinous throated Parrotbill 1, Yellow Wagtail 50+, White Wagatil 50+, Eurasian Tree Sparrow 100+
We now reluctantly left this area and whilst driving into Binhai for lunch I saw a single medium sized wader flying over the car and which Zhang Lin identified as a Little Curlew. Sadly it did not stop but carried on to settle invisibly into the vast marshes. A lifer but giving only a very brief view and not altogether satisfactory. Still, we accept what is granted and move on!
After our lunch we went to another area of large wet and grassy fields called San Jia Gang near to Pudong Airport which Zhang Lin said was good for Little Curlew and Pacific Golden Plover. Initially it looked fairly devoid of birds apart from a few Richard's Pipits and thirty plus Oriental Pratincoles but as we scoped the area we found some other waders feeding in the wetter areas.Two Sharp tailed Sandpipers, a summer plumaged adult and a fresh juvenile came very close accompanied by some Red necked Stints. Further away were some Wood and Marsh Sandpipers and a single Spotted Redshank. A number of Common Snipe were also feeding and one we flushed certainly behaved like a Pintail Snipe. flying silently and for only a short distance, Jack Snipe fashion. Sadly it landed in a very wet area that prevented us from following.
There was also a large flock of Yellow Wagtails, mainly juveniles or females, but of the variable plumaged adult males present, we found at least one each of the races M. f. macronyx. taivana and simillima. There was no sign of our two target species but just as we were about to leave a Little Curlew flew in, only to land but briefly and then take off again but giving us very close fly by views before it disappeared into the distance. I was much more content with this view than the one I had earlier in the day and with this we turned to leave but as if on cue a calling Pacific Golden Plover, alerted us and we watched it circle around and then land in the wet grass.You could not make it up but that is birding. Sometimes up and sometimes down!
It was time to head for our overnight hotel in Rudong which was three hours drive away, north of Shanghai. Driving in China is not to be recommended and I thanked my stars that we had a local driver experienced in the grand prix style driving always accompanied by generous use of the horn that is standard practice for all Chinese drivers. The hotel was basic but clean as was the optimistically described 'restaurant' that we ate at but I was so tired I was past caring and slept soundly enough once back in my room.
Day total at San Gia Gang 1600-1730hrs
17 species/1 lifer
Oriental Pratincole 31, probable Pintail Snipe 1, Common Snipe 10, Little Curlew 1, Pacific Golden Plover 1, Spotted Redshank 1, Marsh Sandiper 2, Wood Sandpiper 20+, Sharp tailed Sandpiper 2, Red necked Stint 10+, Little Egret 2, Cattle Egret 1, Barn Swallow 3, Plain Prinia 1, Eurasian Tree Sparrow 200+, Yellow Wagtail 80+ (three races identified M.f.taivana, macronyx and simillima), White Wagtail 2, Richard's Pipit 3.
Day total at Binhai 0900-1500hrs
60 species/4 lifers
Mallard 3, Spot billed Duck 10+, Northern Shoveler 3, Gadwall 5, Garganey 20+, Eurasian Teal 20+, Wryneck 1, Common Kingfisher 3, Moorhen 10+, Eurasian Coot 30+, Red necked Phalarope 1, Oriental Pratincole 4, Common Snipe 2, Black tailed Godwit 50+, Eurasian Curlew 7, Little Curlew 1, Spotted Redshank 3, Marsh Sandpiper 25+, Common Greenshank 15+, Green Sandpiper 1, Wood Sandpiper 20+, Terek Sandpiper 3, Common Sandpiper 2, Sharp tailed Sandpiper 4, Dunlin 50+, Broad billed Sandpiper 4, Red necked Stint 80+, Temminck's Stint 2, Black winged Stilt 4, Little Ringed Plover 30+, Kentish Plover 30+, Greater Sand Plover 2, Lesser Sand Plover 2, Black tailed Gull 2, Vega Gull 1, Black headed Gull 2, Little Tern 4, Whiskered Tern 10, Common Kestrel 3, Great crested Grebe 5, Little Grebe 60+, Great Cormorant 1, Little Egret 80+, Intermediate Egret 1, Grey Heron 20+, Chinese Pond Heron 1, Black crowned Night Heron 8, Yellow Bittern 2, Black faced Spoonbill 7, Bull headed Shrike 1; Long tailed Shrike 8, Asian Brown Flycatcher 1, Blue and White Flycatcher 1, White cheeked Starling 15, Sand Martin 4, Barn Swallow 50+, Zitting Cisticola 2, Vinous throated Parrotbill 1, Yellow Wagtail 50+, White Wagatil 50+, Eurasian Tree Sparrow 100+
We now reluctantly left this area and whilst driving into Binhai for lunch I saw a single medium sized wader flying over the car and which Zhang Lin identified as a Little Curlew. Sadly it did not stop but carried on to settle invisibly into the vast marshes. A lifer but giving only a very brief view and not altogether satisfactory. Still, we accept what is granted and move on!
After our lunch we went to another area of large wet and grassy fields called San Jia Gang near to Pudong Airport which Zhang Lin said was good for Little Curlew and Pacific Golden Plover. Initially it looked fairly devoid of birds apart from a few Richard's Pipits and thirty plus Oriental Pratincoles but as we scoped the area we found some other waders feeding in the wetter areas.Two Sharp tailed Sandpipers, a summer plumaged adult and a fresh juvenile came very close accompanied by some Red necked Stints. Further away were some Wood and Marsh Sandpipers and a single Spotted Redshank. A number of Common Snipe were also feeding and one we flushed certainly behaved like a Pintail Snipe. flying silently and for only a short distance, Jack Snipe fashion. Sadly it landed in a very wet area that prevented us from following.
There was also a large flock of Yellow Wagtails, mainly juveniles or females, but of the variable plumaged adult males present, we found at least one each of the races M. f. macronyx. taivana and simillima. There was no sign of our two target species but just as we were about to leave a Little Curlew flew in, only to land but briefly and then take off again but giving us very close fly by views before it disappeared into the distance. I was much more content with this view than the one I had earlier in the day and with this we turned to leave but as if on cue a calling Pacific Golden Plover, alerted us and we watched it circle around and then land in the wet grass.You could not make it up but that is birding. Sometimes up and sometimes down!
It was time to head for our overnight hotel in Rudong which was three hours drive away, north of Shanghai. Driving in China is not to be recommended and I thanked my stars that we had a local driver experienced in the grand prix style driving always accompanied by generous use of the horn that is standard practice for all Chinese drivers. The hotel was basic but clean as was the optimistically described 'restaurant' that we ate at but I was so tired I was past caring and slept soundly enough once back in my room.
Day total at San Gia Gang 1600-1730hrs
17 species/1 lifer
Oriental Pratincole 31, probable Pintail Snipe 1, Common Snipe 10, Little Curlew 1, Pacific Golden Plover 1, Spotted Redshank 1, Marsh Sandiper 2, Wood Sandpiper 20+, Sharp tailed Sandpiper 2, Red necked Stint 10+, Little Egret 2, Cattle Egret 1, Barn Swallow 3, Plain Prinia 1, Eurasian Tree Sparrow 200+, Yellow Wagtail 80+ (three races identified M.f.taivana, macronyx and simillima), White Wagtail 2, Richard's Pipit 3.
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