Field Guides Tour Report China's Province 2015: Beijing & Culture Extension

Nov 2, 2015 to Nov 7, 2015 Dave Stejskal & Jesper Hornskov For our tour description, itinerary, past triplists, dates, fees, and more, please VISIT OUR TOUR PAGE.

The Great Wall of China stretches for an astounding 5,500 miles. We visited one small section of it on the final morning of our pre-tour extension. Photo by participant Patricia Bacchetti.

Several of us opted to participate in this short pre-tour extension to the greater Beijing area, mostly to experience the rich cultural and historical highlights of this fascinating region. We did manage to get some birding in as well and what follows is a list of our sightings together.

The evolving weather pattern dictated our activities this year, and we started out on the first morning in a field at nearby Wild Lake (a.k.a. Beijing International Wetlands Park). Our walk through the vast marshland and edge -- with a bit of open water to scan -- produced a number of nice birds, with stellar views of Vinous-throated , Pallas's Bunting, and fantastic Bearded Reedling. Our best find, from the perspective of overall rarity, was undoubtedly the small group of Baer's Pochards that we spotted from the huge wooden tower there.

After our birding on that first day, the weather turned cold, wet, and snowy, as we immersed ourselves in the many historic sights of this city. We made visits to the Temple of Heaven, the fantastic Lama Temple (not to be missed by anyone visiting Beijing for the first time!), the expansive Summer Palace, and the famed Forbidden City. We saw a few birds at each of these venues, but it was the pervasive grandeur and the history that commanded our attention. A final outing to see the famous acrobat show in downtown Beijing, after a morning at the Great Wall north of town, proved to be a favorite of all who went!

Thanks to all who joined us for this pre-tour offering and thanks to Jesper for his expert guidance, which showed quite definitively that he knows about much more than just the birds of this wonderful country!

-- Dave

KEYS FOR THIS LIST One of the following keys may be shown in brackets for individual as appropriate: * = heard only, I = introduced, E = endemic, N = nesting, a = austral migrant, b = boreal migrant

Field Guides Birding Tours • www.fieldguides.com • 800-728-4953 1 BIRDS (Ducks, Geese, and Waterfowl) GREATER WHITE­FRONTED GOOSE (Anser albifrons) – A single flew over the road as we looked for a parking spot at Yanqi Lake north of Beijing. TUNDRA SWAN (BEWICK'S) (Cygnus columbianus bewickii) – We had a couple of birds in with the more numerous Whooper Swans that were this distinctive Old World race at Yanqi Lake. WHOOPER SWAN (Cygnus cygnus) – Good looks at these migrants at Yanqi Lake. On a par in size with our Trumpeter Swan. ( strepera) FALCATED DUCK (Anas falcata) – A couple of birds only at Wild Duck Lake on our first day of the extension. EURASIAN (Anas penelope) MALLARD (Anas platyrhynchos) EASTERN SPOT­BILLED DUCK (Anas zonorhyncha) – A few flyby birds at Yanqi Lake on our way to the Great Wall north of Beijing. BAIKAL TEAL (Anas formosa) – A couple of flyby flocks only at Wild Duck Lake. GREEN­WINGED TEAL (Anas crecca) FERRUGINOUS DUCK (Aythya nyroca) – Several of these were hanging out with the much scarcer Baer's Pochards at Wild Duck Lake. Sometimes called Ferruginous Pochard. BAER'S POCHARD (Aythya baeri) – This was the major prize for the group on our visit to Wild Duck Lake on the first day of the extension. With perhaps as few as only a couple of hundred birds remaining in the wild on the entire planet, this was a FANTASTIC duck to see so well in the scopes! No one has figured out yet why the numbers of this duck have plummeted in the past few decades. TUFTED DUCK (Aythya fuligula) – A big flock of wintering birds was spotted on Yanqi Lake on our way to the Great Wall. COMMON GOLDENEYE (Bucephala clangula) – A few female­plumaged birds at Yanqi Lake. SMEW (Mergellus albellus) – This one was a bit of a surprise in the shallow margins of Yanqi Lake, but it didn't stick around in view for very long. COMMON MERGANSER (Mergus merganser) RED­BREASTED MERGANSER (Mergus serrator) – A female with the above Common Merganser at Yanqi Lake disappeared soon after it was spotted. Podicipedidae (Grebes) LITTLE GREBE (Tachybaptus ruficollis) GREAT CRESTED GREBE (Podiceps cristatus) – Several close birds at Wild Duck Lake. Ardeidae (Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns) GREAT BITTERN (Botaurus stellaris) – Nice views in flight of a bird at Yanqi Lake. GRAY HERON (Ardea cinerea) Accipitridae (Hawks, Eagles, and Kites) EURASIAN SPARROWHAWK (Accipiter nisus) – A brief look at the Temple of Heaven. EASTERN BUZZARD (Buteo japonicus) – Common Buzzard was recently split into three, with this one being widespread in east Asia. Rallidae (Rails, Gallinules, and Coots) EURASIAN COOT (Fulica atra) Gruidae (Cranes) COMMON CRANE (Grus grus) – A few birds fly by the group near the parking lot at Wild Duck Lake on the first day. Laridae (Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers) MEW GULL (KAMCHATKA) (Larus canus kamtschatschensis) – Distantly over Yanqi Lake. This n.e Siberian race, which sometimes shows up in w. Alaska, might get split from our own West Coast Mew Gulls in N. America. Columbidae (Pigeons and Doves) ORIENTAL TURTLE­DOVE (Streptopelia orientalis) – Not nearly as common as the next two species of doves in the Beijing area. EURASIAN COLLARED­DOVE (Streptopelia decaocto) SPOTTED DOVE (Streptopelia chinensis) Upupidae (Hoopoes) EURASIAN HOOPOE (Upupa epops) – A quick flyby over the highway as we approached Beijing on our final day of the extension. Alcedinidae (Kingfishers) COMMON KINGFISHER (Alcedo atthis) [*] Picidae (Woodpeckers) GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER (Dendrocopos major) – A brief encounter for some at the Temple of Heaven. GRAY­HEADED WOODPECKER (Picus canus) – One at Wild Duck Lake for some, and another at the Great Wall. Laniidae (Shrikes) CHINESE GRAY SHRIKE (Lanius sphenocercus) – One of these endemic shrikes performed nicely for us in the marsh at Wild Duck Lake. Corvidae (Crows, Jays, and Magpies) AZURE­WINGED MAGPIE (Cyanopica cyanus) – A common sight in the Beijing area, including the grounds of our hotel. RED­BILLED BLUE­MAGPIE (Urocissa erythrorhyncha) – Several folks got onto this big, gaudy species at the Great Wall north of Beijing. EURASIAN MAGPIE (Pica pica) – Now split from our own Black­billed Magpie in N. America.

Field Guides Birding Tours • www.fieldguides.com • 800-728-4953 2 CARRION CROW (Corvus corone) – The much smaller bill of this species, when compared with the more common Large­billed Crow, was very evident in flight at the Temple of Heaven. LARGE­BILLED CROW (Corvus macrorhynchos) Panuridae (Bearded Reedling) BEARDED REEDLING (Panurus biarmicus) – The abundance of this intriguing species at Wild Duck Lake was a very pleasant surprise! Also called the Bearded in many field guides. Paridae (Tits, Chickadees, and Titmice) MARSH TIT (Poecile palustris) – Our best looks at this one were at the fabulous Lama Temple in Beijing. JAPANESE TIT (Parus minor) – Now split from the familiar Great Tit of the western Palearctic. Remizidae (Penduline­Tits) CHINESE PENDULINE­TIT (Remiz consobrinus) – A few flybys at Wild Duck Lake on the first morning. [E] Aegithalidae (Long­tailed Tits) SILVER­THROATED TIT (Aegithalos glaucogularis) – A couple of fine looks at both Wild Duck Lake and at the Great Wall. Now split from Long­ tailed Tit. [E] Sittidae (Nuthatches) SNOWY­BROWED NUTHATCH (Sitta villosa) – For most folks at the Summer Palace in Beijing. Also called Chinese Nuthatch. [E] Troglodytidae () EURASIAN (Troglodytes troglodytes) – We had a close, responsive bird at Wild Duck Lake. Now split from our own Pacific and Winter wrens. Pycnonotidae (Bulbuls) LIGHT­VENTED BULBUL (Pycnonotus sinensis) – Quite hardy for a bulbul! Regulidae (Kinglets) GOLDCREST (Regulus regulus) [*] Paradoxornithidae (, Wrentit, and Allies) (Rhopophilus pekinensis) [*] VINOUS­THROATED PARROTBILL (Sinosuthora webbiana) – I thought that 400 birds at Wild Duck Lake was a pretty conservative estimate for this one. Great views! Leiothrichidae (Laughingthrushes and Allies) PERE DAVID'S LAUGHINGTHRUSH (Ianthocincla davidi) [E*] Turdidae (Thrushes and Allies) RED­THROATED THRUSH (Turdus ruficollis) – The sparse woodland below the Great Wall was just loaded with thrushes during our visit and we were able to scope at least three species. Other than the Pale Thrush that no one other than Jesper saw, this one was the scarcest of the three that we scoped. DUSKY THRUSH (Turdus eunomus) – We saw some classic examples of this north Asian thrush, including adults and immatures, in the scopes. We also saw a number of intergrades, that showed characteristics that were intermediate between this one and the closely related Naumann's Thrush. NAUMANN'S THRUSH (Turdus naumanni) – We found a few pure­looking individuals in the swarms of thrushes that passed through during our visit to the Great Wall. Sometimes lumped with the Dusky Thrush. Sturnidae (Starlings) WHITE­CHEEKED STARLING (Spodiopsar cineraceus) – Only a few in and around Beijing. CRESTED MYNA (Acridotheres cristatellus) [I] Motacillidae (Wagtails and Pipits) WATER PIPIT (Anthus spinoletta blakistoni) – For some at Wild Duck Lake. Now split from our American Pipit. Calcariidae (Longspurs and Snow Buntings) LAPLAND LONGSPUR (Calcarius lapponicus) [*] Emberizidae (Buntings and New World Sparrows) BLACK­FACED BUNTING (Emberiza spodocephala) – One bird that most of us saw at Wild Duck Lake still looked to be in mostly breeding . PALLAS'S BUNTING (Emberiza pallasi) – Easily the most common bunting in the marshes at Wild Duck Lake. Fringillidae (Finches, Euphonias, and Allies) BRAMBLING (Fringilla montifringilla) – One particularly large wintering flock at the Summer Palace in Beijing. ORIENTAL GREENFINCH (Chloris sinica) – Despite the name, this one is mostly brown. EURASIAN SISKIN (Spinus spinus) [*] Passeridae (Old World Sparrows) EURASIAN TREE SPARROW (Passer montanus)

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

Field Guides Birding Tours • www.fieldguides.com • 800-728-4953 3 Totals for the tour: 64 bird taxa and 0 mammal taxa

Field Guides Birding Tours • www.fieldguides.com • 800-728-4953 4