Time and Tide...

A sunny morning (September 24th) and a falling tide at the boardwalk hides at Mai Po.

It seems that the birds are never as close on outgoing tides, and a lot of these photos are big crops.

Photos displayed in the order they were taken....

Common Redshank

Common Redshank

Dunlin

Greater Sand Plover

Black-browed Reed Warbler

Oriental Reed Warbler

Black-winged Stilt

Great Knot (in front)

Garganey

Marsh Sandpiper

Common Redshank

Seasonal variety on the Deep Bay mudflats !

Mid-Autumn around Mai Po

Common Redshank - Tringa totanus

England’s cricket series against Australia (“The Ashes”)  finally came to an end, and messages on Local WhatsApp groups reminded me there were some autumn birds to be found here and there.

A rising tide at Mai Po yesterday morning impelled me to make the effort to get out to the boardwalk hides, even though it turned out to be a hot, steamy morning.

Black-faced Spoonbill - Platalea minor

Black-faced Spoonbill - Platalea minor

I was surprised to see the mudflat covered with so much seagrass and sonneratia mangrove, but then I hadn’t been out there since mid-May.

For the time being, the greenery makes an interesting backdrop to the waders as they fly over the hides on their way to the centre of Mai Po Nature Reserve, but some “gardening” is going to be necessary soon.

The Black-faced Spoonbills have been over-summering - HK’s migrant BFSs and wintering population will not start arriving until mid-October.

A variety of waders then - these are just a few of them.

Bar-tailed Godwit - Limosa lapponica

Marsh Sandpiper - Tringa stagnatilis

Common Redshank - Tringa totanus

Spotted Redshank - Tringa erythropus

Dunlin - Calidris alpina (in front !)

Common Greenshank - Tringa nebularia

Whimbrel - Numenius phaeopus

A Grey-headed Lapwing loitered on Ponds 16/17.

Grey-headed Lapwing - Vanellus cinereus

And nearby, a first-winter shrike that is probably a Brown Shrike, but I’m still not 100% certain. 

Brown Shrike - Lanius cristatus

And, apologies in advance that I don't seem to be able to reply to comments on my own blog...I'll keep fiddling with the settings. 

Greater Painted-Snipe on "The Scrape" at Mai Po

Greater Painted-Snipe - Rostratula benghalensis

Welcome to the blog that addresses such important wildlife issues such as “Greater Painted-Snipe” - where do the capitals and hyphens go ?

Beats me.

Mid-summer - plenty of grass to hide in

Meanwhile here are some photos of GPS, one of our most attractive breeding species.  

More alluring to me because it's the females that are the gaudy ones, and the males are the ones that do most of the active parenting…no prizes for knowing which is which.

Greater Painted-Snipe - Rostratula benghalensis

Greater Painted-Snipe - Rostratula benghalensis

Greater Painted-Snipe - Rostratula benghalensis

Greater Painted-Snipe - Rostratula benghalensis

Greater Painted-Snipe - Rostratula benghalensis

Greater Painted-Snipe - Rostratula benghalensis

Greater Painted-Snipe - Rostratula benghalensis

All photos were taken on July 13th 2019 from Hide No. 3 (Ponds 16/17)  Mai Po Nature Reserve, Hong Hong.

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After this rural idyll (or HK's equivalent), I found the road home unusually quiet.  This was due to an afternoon/evening demonstration in Sheung Shui, and our village Minibuses were not not running.

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Apologies in advance for slow response to comments.... I still can't comment on "Blogger".

Wanglang NNR, Sichuan - 25th - 29th May 2019

Blue-eared Pheasant - Crossoptilon auritum

Wanglang National Nature Reserve is in Pingwu County, north Sichuan, and has a contiguous border with the much more-visited Jiuzhaigou to the west.

Wanglang lacks the picturesque lakes of Jiuzhaigou,  but from a birding point-of-view it has a lot of similar habitat at similar elevations.

Access

We travelled with Carrie Ma and Yann Musika, and Carrie had arranged a car and driver from Chengdu.  Thanks to Carrie too, for her bookings and other pre-planning !

There are buses to Pingwu town (Road no:205) from Chengdu and Mianyang, and a local bus terminates at the reserve entrance but the reserve itself is not served by public transport.

Most visitors arrive in their own cars, or by Tour Coach.

Chestnut Thrush - Turdus rubrocanus

White-throated Dipper - Cinclus cinclus

Scaly-breasted Wren-Babbler - Pnoepyga albiventer

Chestnut-headed Tesia - Tesia castaneocoronata

Blanford’s Rosefinch - Carpodacus rubescens

Accommodation

We last visited in 2009. Some of the old blocks have been renovated, and there is a grand new “Bai Ma Wanglang Eco-Hotel” phone 0816-5113359, which appears to be bookable online. Electricity (local hydropower) appears reliable.

Cost was RMB 588, which included reserve admission for two persons (RMB 120 each), breakfast, dinner and use of the shuttle buses to the scenic areas.

Along the road to Baixionggou

Along the road to Baixionggou

Getting about

From Reserve HQs, a shuttle bus system operates to take visitors to the scenic sites and boardwalks at the end of the paved roads.  These are at around 3,000m elevation - HQs is about 2,500m.

Right at the road fork (7km) was Baixionggou, where we saw Blue Eared Pheasant. There is a boardwalk there.

Blue-eared Pheasant - Crossoptilon auritum

Blue-eared Pheasant - Crossoptilon auritum

Blue-eared Pheasant - Crossoptilon auritum

Baixionggou boardwalk

Grey-crested Tit - Lophophanes dichrous

Bianchi’s Warbler - Seicercus valentini

Greenhouse-like pavilions are being provided for the less-actively inclined.

Elliot’s Laughingthrush - Garrulax elliotii

Goldcrest - Regulus regulus

Vinaceous Rosefinch - Carpodacus vinaceus

Left at the fork, at 6-7 km was Dachoping (Grand Meadow)...

...and 4km beyond that, Zhugengcha, - an area with Golden Eagle, White-winged Grosbeaks and rhododendrons beneath the pines.

Zhugengcha, Wanglang NNR - about 3,100m

Chinese White-browed Rosefinch - Carpodacus dubius (f)

Chinese White-browed Rosefinch - Carpodacus dubius (m)

White-winged Grosbeak - Mycerobas carneipes

Purple daisy

Golden Eagle - Aquila chrysaetos

Slipper Orchid - Cypredium sp.

Rhododendron

The road between the reserve entrance and park HQs was quite birdy, with “phylloscs” and flycatchers - among others- singing and nest building in the misty conditions.

Rufous-gorgetted Flycatcher - Ficedula strophiata

Claudia’s Leaf Warbler - Phylloscopus claudiae

Claudia’s Leaf Warbler - Phylloscopus claudiae

White-collared Yuhina - Yuhina diademata

Rosy Pipit - Anthus roseatus

Rusty-breasted Tit - Poecile davidi

Slaty-backed Flycatcher - Ficedula hodgsonii

Long-tailed Minivet - Pericrocotus ethologus

Sooty Tit - Aegithalos fuliginosus

Sooty Tit - Aegithalos fuliginosus

Sooty Tit - Aegithalos fuliginosus

Yellow-bellied Tit - Parus venustulus

Slaty-backed Flycatcher - Ficedula hodgsonii

Ferruginous Flycatcher - Muscicapa ferruginea

Great Spotted Woodpecker - Dendrocopos major

Bar-tailed Treecreeper - Certhia himalayana

Bar-tailed Treecreeper - Certhia himalayana

Bar-tailed Treecreeper - Certhia himalayana

Temperatures were around 20c, much more comfortable than at sea-level in China in late May…. The woods were very active with breeding birds, and all these shots were taken during four-and-a-half days of birding.

Thanks again to Carrie Ma (whose idea the whole trip was) and to Yann Musika for the pleasure of their company.

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19th July 2019 

An apology - I don't seem to be able to comment or reply to comments on blogger, so thanks for looking, and especially thanks to everyone who leaves a comment !