Editor’s note: My photos of the year, 2016. Clockwise from top left: Cinereous Vulture on Chongming Island in January kicked off a year that saw a parade of interesting sightings in Shanghai; ultra-rare Band-bellied Crake was the highlight of my three-week trip to a never-birded area of Heilongjiang; on 10 Dec. members of Shanghai’s ever-growing birding community had a big day out at Pudong’s Cape Nanhui; in a two-month expedition to Qinghai, meeting this Tibetan Lynx was my biggest thrill.
Happy New Year! This post is a photographic summary of my birding year 2016.
From 16 Feb. to 5 March, Elaine and I were in Yunnan, where we explored the Dulong Gorge, a remote valley in the northwestern corner of the province. Birding there is excellent, and the views are sublime.
Dulong Gorge between Maku and Qinlangdang, 27 Feb. 2016.
After days of rain, we were rewarded with this moon-set at dawn on 26 Feb.
Gongshan-Dulong Road, 26 Feb. 2016.
We noted 170 species of bird at Dulong. One of the best was Grandala.
Grandala, Gongshan-Dulong Road, 22 Feb. 2016.
For its combination of stunning beauty and strong Himalayan character, Rufous-breasted Bush Robin was Craig’s Bird of the Trip.
Rufous-breasted Bush Robin Tarsiger hyperythrus, 24 Feb. 2016.
Birds have plenty of places to hide in the thickly vegetated Dulong Gorge. Sometimes we got lucky, as with this Chestnut-headed Tesia.
Elaine and I spent most of the summer in Qinghai. We noted 195 species of bird, but our most unforgettable moment was supplied by a mammal. This is Tibetan Lynx.
Tibetan Lynx Lynx lynx isabellinus, Kanda Mountain, Yushu Prefecture, Qinghai. 14 July 2016. Elev. 4550 m (14,920 ft.).
Tibetan Partridge was commonly noted in eastern Yushu Prefecture.
Tibetan Partridge, Kanda Gorge, 5 July 2016.
Another great chicken: White Eared Pheasant.
White Eared Pheasant Crossoptilon crossoptilon dolani, Kanda Gorge, 5 July 2016.
At desolate Hala Lake, elev. 4077 m, we found Tibetan Sandgrouse.
Tibetan Sandgrouse, Hala Lake, 10 Aug. 2016.
Brandt’s Mountain Finch is hardy. It thrives at high elevations.
Brandt’s Mountain Finch, near Hala Lake, 9 Aug. 2016. Elev. 4400 m.
Henderson’s Ground Jay is master of arid scrubland …
Henderson’s Ground Jay near Chaka, 30 June 2016.
… while Isabelline Wheatear is master of the semi-deserts of Wulan County.
Isabelline Wheatear, Wulan County, 18 Aug. 2016.
We had great partners in Qinghai. One of them was Michael Grunwell.
Michael Grunwell (at scope) and Mark Waters view Przevalski’s Redstart in Dulan Mountains, 1 July 2016.
Landscapes in Qinghai are beyond beautiful. Here are my favorites.
Dunes and mountains, Wulan County, 17 Aug. 2016.
A closer look at the dunes.
Wulan County, Qinghai, 17 Aug. 2016.
I used my iPhone 6 for this image of a Chinese Juniper gazing out at the Dulan Mountains. The tree clings to the slope at elev. 3960 m.
Chinese Juniper Juniperus chinensis, Dulan Mountains, 1 July 2016.
Heilongjiang
From 26 May to 12 June 2016, Elaine Du and I visited her home village of Dawucun in Boli County, Heilongjiang, China. The area was never properly birded before we arrived there, and our discoveries have been many. The biggest highlight was Band-bellied Crake.
Band-bellied Crake, Boli County, Heilongjiang, 8 June 2016.
Mandarin Duck breed in Boli County. We found this drake in a small pool deep in Xidaquan Forest.
Mandarin Duck, 3 June 2016.
In the Manchurian forest, woodpeckers abound. The most common species is White-backed Woodpecker.
White-backed Woodpecker Dendrocopos leucotos leucotos, 1 June 2016.
Elaine
Elaine Du is my wife and partner. The year 2016 was our third in a row of non-stop birding. Although she is happy birding and has put together an impressive life list, the Heilongjiang native is never happier than when she is in her hometown.
Elaine and Craig at home in Boli, Heilongjiang, 1 June 2016.
Through thick and thin we tough it out. Here we are smiling despite being confined to our tent during a rain shower at Hala Lake.
11 Aug. 2016, Hala Lake.
At Eling Lake in Qinghai, where the Yellow River and China are born, Elaine and I posed for this self-portrait.
Self-portrait taken 3 July 2016 with my Nikon D3S and 600 mm F/4 lens.
Elaine is a little short, but she never gives up. In Dulong Gorge, she improvised a way to see Grandala, a life bird.
Brian Ivon Jones and Elaine viewing Grandala, 19 Feb. 2016.
Elaine is proud of the remnant Manchurian forest near her home in Boli. Here we are in front of a stand of Silver Birch.
Xidaquan, 10 June 2016.
People like Elaine’s family put food on the table for the city folks.
Elaine (L) with parents and elder sisters. Boli, 12 June 2016.
The Shanghai Birding Community
In 2015 I started shanghaibirding.com and the Shanghai Birding WeChat group. In 2016, the number of readers of the Web site and members of the chat group steadily grew. On 10 Dec., the day of the Shanghai Birding Christmas party, I led a group of birders to Cape Nanhui. There we found a pair of Red-crowned Crane, a first for mainland Shanghai. Here is the group after the historic event.
Shanghai birders at Nanhui, 10 Dec. 2016. Photo by Hǎo Zhàokuān (郝兆宽).
In photo above, Michael Grunwell (L) carries spotting scope to view waterfowl on Eling Lake, near source of Yellow River in Guoluo Prefecture, Qinghai, 3 July 2016. To the right is Mark Waters, Michael’s old friend from England. This post covers the first two weeks of our Qinghai 2016 expedition.
Elaine Du and I were in Qinghai from 26 June to 21 Aug. 2016. We collected a huge amount of material and have been publishing it in bits and pieces here on shanghaibirding.com. In this post, we offer you the highlights of the first two weeks of the trip, 26 June to 10 July, which we spent with Shanghai-based British birder Michael Grunwell and his old friend Mark Waters.
Among the 136 species of bird we found were 40 of Michael’s 45 hoped-for lifers. Highlights:
2 Red-crested Pochard at Eling Lake (34.902685, 97.709949), near source of Yellow River
White Eared Pheasant Crossoptilon crossoptilon dolani pause from their evening forage to gaze warily at the camera. Kanda Gorge, Nangqian County, 5 July. White Eared Pheasant is listed as Near Threatened because of habitat loss and poaching.
1 Przevalski’s Partridge at “Przevalski’s Site” (36.457249, 98.502578), a birding area in the Dulan Mountains
26 Lesser Sand Plover ssp. atrifrons breeding on edges of high-altitude lakes as well as in drier steppe country
5 Ibisbill on tributaries of Mekong River in Nangqian County
One of the stars of the Tibetan Plateau, Ibisbill is the sole species in the family Ibidorhynchidae. This highly specialized shorebird is adapted to life along shingle-bed rivers at elevations between 2000 m and 4400 m. We found this pair in Yushu Prefecture in a stream next to the G214 at 4020 masl.
21 Common Cuckoo and 7 Cuculus sp. We noted calling Common Cuckoo at elevations as high as 4300 m
1 Black Woodpecker at Baizha Nature Reserve. Black Woodpecker is one of several species whose ranges cover northern-temperate Eurasia in a band from Europe to northeast China then spur southwestward to the Tibetan Plateau
1 Tiger Shrike at entrance to Kanda Gorge (32.277059, 96.485171). A highly unusual Qinghai record for this species
This male Tiger Shrike stunned us. What was a mainly lowland species, usually found at altitudes no higher than 1000 m and no further west than the Sichuan Basin, doing at 3670 masl in Qinghai?
1 Black Drongo, another interesting record for Qinghai
29 Greenish Warbler at various sites, including high-altitude scrub
7 Tibetan Babax at nunnery in Kanda Gorge as well as at mouth of gorge
1 Dark-sided Flycatcher at Baizha Nature Reserve
2 Siberian Rubythroat in Huzhu County. This mainly Siberian breeder has a disjunct breeding range extending across northern Qinghai, southern Gansu, and northern Sichuan
5 White-tailed Rubythroat, the Himalayan counterpart to Siberian Rubythroat, in scrub (36.758683, 99.663055) near Heimahe as well as at Yankou Shan (33.199406, 97.466606)
47 Slaty-backed Flycatcher, all at Baizha Nature Reserve
2 Przevalski’s Redstart, colorful China endemic noted at Przevalski’s Site (36.457249, 98.502578) in Dulan Mountains west of Chaka
Przevalski’s Redstart, Przevalski’s Site (36.457249, 98.502578), 1 July. We found a pair. Note all-black tail of female.
76 Hodgson’s Redstart, always in greener, forested areas such as Huzhu County and Baizha Nature Reserve
11 Plumbeous Water Redstart, all at lower elevations at Baizha
109 Black Redstart, a species well-adapted to high-altitude desert, semi-desert, steppe, and scrub
6 Güldenstädt’s Redstart breeding as low as 3800 masl around Heimahe. Also known as White-winged Redstart
7 Chestnut Thrush in forests in Huzhu County
107 Kessler’s Thrush at various sites, usually in high-altitude forest and scrub, sometimes around farms and villages
1 Maroon-backed Accentor at Baizha Nature Reserve
3 Przevalski’s Finch at two sites near Heimahe
3 White-winged Grosbeak near Chaka and in Kanda Gorge
2 Blanford’s Rosefinch at Baizha Nature Reserve
2 Tibetan Rosefinch on barren saddle, elev. 4700 m, above Ela Pass (35.497608, 99.511449)
9 Blanford’s Snowfinch in semi-desert and high steppe, sometimes occurring alongside its congener Rufous-necked Snowfinch, which we usually were finding in slightly wetter habitats
This Rufous-necked Snowfinch shows the distinctive head pattern of the species, with black eye-line and submoustachial stripe, white throat, and reddish band on neck-sides. Pyrgilauda ruficollis is common on the Tibetan Plateau, its range nearly perfectly coterminous with the Rooftop of the World. I took this photo 29 June at the base of Tit-Warbler Mountain (36.766994, 99.667711).
13 Henri’s Snowfinch, mainly around Ela Pass
10 Tibetan Snowfinch, including nesting pair at G109 KM 2189.5 (36.778749, 99.653861) near Heimahe
Male Pine Bunting at Przevalski’s Site (36.457249, 98.502578), 1 July. Emberiza leucocephalos fronto is endemic to N Qinghai and adjacent Gansu.
Mammals: Tibetan Wild Ass (steppe, Maduo County), Pallas’s Cat (night view near Maduo [Machali]), Mongolian Five-toed Jerboa (Maduo [Machali]), Plateau Pika, Glover’s Pika (Yushu [Jiegu], Kanda Gorge, Baizha), Himalayan Marmot, Tibetan Antelope (steppe), Tibetan Fox (steppe, Maduo County), Red Fox (steppe near Qinghai Lake), White-lipped Deer (scrub near Heimahe), Tibetan Macaque (fully wild individuals in Baizha Nature Reserve), Blue Sheep (half-tame herds around Ga’er Monastery [31.829966, 96.487758])
Astronomy: Amazing views of Milky Way, rings of Saturn, and bands of Jupiter as well as Jupiter’s Galilean moons on clear night in steppe near Maduo (Machali), elev. 4200 m. Used my Swarovski ATX-95.
Mark Waters (L), Michael Grunwell (C), and Elaine Du watch Himalayan Vulture at sunset on 3 July 2016 in Maduo County. The Yellow River is visible at their feet.
Day Lists Lists are generated on eBird then adjusted to comport with my first reference, the IOC World Bird List.
List 1 of 1 for Mon. 27 June 2016 (33 species). Birds noted in Huzhu County, Haidong Prefecture, Qinghai. Most activity around Jiading (36.951698, 102.494353). 08:45-15:45. Craig Brelsford, Elaine Du, Michael Grunwell, & Mark Waters.
Common Pheasant Phasianus colchicus 3
Hill Pigeon Columba rupestris 3
Eurasian Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto 3
Spotted Dove S. chinensis 4
Common Cuckoo Cuculus canorus 6
Salim Ali’s Swift Apus salimalii 50
Crimson-breasted Woodpecker Dryobates cathpharius pernyii 1
Grey-backed Shrike Lanius tephronotus 5
Azure-winged Magpie Cyanopica cyanus 4
Eurasian Magpie Pica pica 6
Red-billed Chough Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax 6
Carrion Crow Corvus corone 14
Willow Tit Poecile montanus affinis 1
Japanese Tit Parus minor 6
Chinese Nuthatch Sitta villosa 1
Gansu Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus kansuensis 8 (7 at 36.973133, 102.441300)
Greenish Warbler P. trochiloides 4
Large-billed Leaf Warbler P. magnirostris 30
Plain Laughingthrush Garrulax davidi 2
Elliot’s Laughingthrush Trochalopteron elliotii 1
Siberian Rubythroat Calliope calliope beicki 2
Blue-fronted Redstart Phoenicurus frontalis 2
Plumbeous Water Redstart P. fuliginosus 6
White-capped Redstart P. leucocephalus 10
Hodgson’s Redstart P. hodgsoni 20
Chestnut Thrush Turdus rubrocanus 6
Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea 2
White Wagtail M. alba leucopsis 12
Water/Rosy Pipit Anthus spinoletta/roseatus 2
Common Rosefinch Carpodacus erythrinus 2
Chinese White-browed Rosefinch C. dubius 1
Grey-capped Greenfinch Chloris sinica 2
Eurasian Tree Sparrow Passer montanus 1
Mammals
Himalayan Marmot Marmota himalayana 3
Red Fox Vulpes vulpes 1
Bar-headed Goose Anser indicus 35 at Dashui Reservoir (3390 m)
Ruddy Shelduck Tadorna ferruginea 20 at Dashui Reservoir (3390 m)
Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus 1 at Dashui Reservoir (3390 m)
Lesser Sand Plover Charadrius mongolus atrifrons 1 at Dashui Reservoir (3390 m)
Common Redshank Tringa totanus 2 at Dashui Reservoir (3390 m)
Brown-headed Gull Chroicocephalus brunnicephalus 1 at Dashui Reservoir (3390 m)
Hill Pigeon Columba rupestris 42 (3420-3780 m)
Common Swift Apus apus 20 (3440-3570 m)
Common Kestrel Falco tinnunculus 2 (3410 m)
Red-billed Chough Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax 6 (3810 m)
Horned Lark Eremophila alpestris ca. 50 (3390-3630 m)
Oriental Skylark Alauda gulgula 20 (3390-3660 m)
Ground Tit Pseudopodoces humilis 5 (3390 m)
Black Redstart Phoenicurus ochruros 18 (3370-3760 m)
Common Rock Thrush Monticola saxatilis 1 (3370 m)
Desert Wheatear Oenanthe deserti 2 (pair) nesting near Dashui Reservoir (3390 m)
Twite Carduelis flavirostris 20 (3370-3390 m)
Eurasian Tree Sparrow Passer montanus 20 at Dashui Qiao (3370 m)
Rock Sparrow Petronia petronia 3 at Dashui Reservoir (3390 m)
Blanford’s Snowfinch Pyrgilauda blanfordi 6 (3410 m)
List 1 of 2 for Sat. 2 July 2016 (7 species). Birds noted on drive between Chaka (36.791576, 99.078878) & Tiegai Xiang (35.989249, 100.194396), Gonghe County, Hainan Prefecture, Qinghai. 08:20-10:00. Craig Brelsford, Elaine Du, Michael Grunwell, & Mark Waters.
Upland Buzzard Buteo hemilasius 1
Little Owl Athene noctua 1 (3110 m)
Eurasian Magpie Pica pica 5
Mongolian Lark Melanocorypha mongolica 1 at 35.989249, 100.194396 (3110 m)
Crested Lark Galerida cristata 3 N of Gonghe-Qiabuqia at 36.206372, 100.534206 (2920 m)
Ground Tit Pseudopodoces humilis 4
Black Redstart Phoenicurus ochruros 1
List 2 of 2 for Sat. 2 July 2016 (13 species). Birds noted around Ela Pass (35.497608, 99.511449), Hainan Prefecture, Qinghai. 14:20-19:00. Craig Brelsford, Elaine Du, Michael Grunwell, & Mark Waters.
Plateau Pika Ochotona curzoniae ca. 100
Tibetan Gazelle Procapra picticaudata 45
Tibetan Wild Ass Equus kiang 3
Tibetan Fox Vulpes ferrilata 1 (4180 m)
List 1 of 1 for Sun. 3 July 2016 (27 species). Birds noted in Maduo County, Guoluo Prefecture, Qinghai. 10:20-20:40. Craig Brelsford, Elaine Du, Michael Grunwell, & Mark Waters.
List 1 of 4 for Mon. 4 July 2016 (6 species). Birds noted along G214 from wetlands of Maduo County to Bayankala Pass (34.114476, 97.661992), Guoluo Prefecture, Qinghai. 10:10-11:40. Craig Brelsford, Elaine Du, Michael Grunwell, & Mark Waters.
List 2 of 4 for Mon. 4 July 2016 (7 species). Birds noted around Bayankala Pass (34.114476, 97.661992), Guoluo Prefecture, Qinghai. 11:40-13:50. Craig Brelsford, Elaine Du, Michael Grunwell, & Mark Waters.
Plateau Pika Ochotona curzoniae 10
Himalayan Marmot Marmota himalayana 1
List 3 of 4 for Mon. 4 July 2016 (14 species). Birds noted around Yankou Shan (33.199406, 97.466606), area of primary scrub elev. 4460 m in Chenduo County, Yushu Prefecture, Qinghai. 14:15-16:35. Craig Brelsford, Elaine Du, Michael Grunwell, & Mark Waters.
Ruddy Shelduck Tadorna ferruginea 2
Himalayan Vulture Gyps himalayensis 2
Hill Pigeon Columba rupestris 2
Saker Falcon Falco cherrug 1
Black Drongo Dicrurus macrocercus 1 along G214 N of Yankou Shan (4230 m)
Ground Tit Pseudopodoces humilis 1
Alpine Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus occisinensis 4
Greenish Warbler P. trochiloides 2
Kessler’s Thrush Turdus kessleri 2
White-tailed Rubythroat Calliope pectoralis 4
Robin Accentor Prunella rubeculoides 1
Common Rosefinch Carpodacus erythrinus 3
Streaked Rosefinch C. rubicilloides 3 (2 male, 1 female)
Twite Carduelis flavirostris 6
List 1 of 2 for Tues. 5 July 2016 (8 species). Birds noted between Yushu-Jiegu (33.002242, 96.978488), elev. 3700 m, & Galaga Pass (elev. 4493 m), Yushu County, Yushu Prefecture, Qinghai. 09:45-11:00. Craig Brelsford, Elaine Du, Michael Grunwell, & Mark Waters.
Bearded Vulture Gypaetus barbatus 1
Hill Pigeon Columba rupestris 2
Eurasian Hoopoe Upupa epops 1
Northern Raven Corvus corax 1
Black Redstart Phoenicurus ochruros 2
Brown Accentor Prunella fulvescens 1
Henri’s Snowfinch Montifringilla henrici 4
Tibetan Snowfinch M. adamsi 1 singing
List 2 of 2 for Tues. 5 July 2016 (32 species). Birds noted between Galaga Pass (elev. 4493 m) & Kanda Mtns. (32.314561, 96.624807), Nangqian County, Yushu Prefecture, Qinghai. 11:20-20:20. Craig Brelsford, Elaine Du, Michael Grunwell, & Mark Waters.
White Eared Pheasant Crossoptilon crossoptilon 3
Tibetan Partridge Perdix hodgsoniae 3
Eastern Cattle Egret Bubulcus coromandus 30
Bearded Vulture Gypaetus barbatus 2
Himalayan Vulture Gyps himalayensis 9
Upland Buzzard Buteo hemilasius 1
Ibisbill Ibidorhyncha struthersii 1
Common Tern Sterna hirundo 1
Hill Pigeon Columba rupestris 23
Common Cuckoo Cuculus canorus 4 Cuculus sp. 3
Little Owl Athene noctua 1
Eurasian Hoopoe Upupa epops 4
Tiger Shrike Lanius tigrinus 1 at mouth of Kanda Gorge (3690 m)
Grey-backed Shrike L. tephronotus 6
Eurasian Magpie Pica pica 9
Red-billed Chough Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax 17
Alpine Chough P. graculus 12 (flock) at Kanda Pass (4650 m)
Ground Tit Pseudopodoces humilis 8
Alpine Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus occisinensis 3
Tibetan Babax Babax koslowi 3 at Kanda Nunnery (3910 m)
Elliot’s Laughingthrush Trochalopteron elliotii 21
Kessler’s Thrush Turdus kessleri 11
Blue-fronted Redstart Phoenicurus frontalis 1
White-capped Redstart P. leucocephalus 4
Hodgson’s Redstart P. hodgsoni 4
White Wagtail Motacilla alba alboides 4
Eurasian Tree Sparrow Passer montanus 12
Common Rosefinch Carpodacus erythrinus 72
Himalayan Beautiful Rosefinch C. pulcherrimus 3
Twite Carduelis flavirostris 2
Tibetan Bunting Emberiza koslowi 2 (pair) at Kanda Pass (4650 m)
Godlewski’s Bunting E. godlewskii 6
Mammals
Plateau Pika Ochotona curzoniae 5
Woolly Hare Lepus oiostolus 5
Himalayan Marmot Marmota himalayana 10
White Eared Pheasant Crossoptilon crossoptilon 5 (flock; 3870 m)
Bearded Vulture Gypaetus barbatus 1
Himalayan Vulture Gyps himalayensis 7
Golden Eagle Aquila chrysaetos 2
Upland Buzzard Buteo hemilasius 3
Hill Pigeon Columba rupestris 30
Common Cuckoo Cuculus canorus 2
Eurasian Hoopoe Upupa epops 2
Black Woodpecker Dryocopus martius 1
Grey-backed Shrike Lanius tephronotus 2
Eurasian Magpie Pica pica 10
Red-billed Chough Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax 14
Daurian Jackdaw Corvus dauuricus 31
Carrion Crow C. corone 5
Large-billed Crow C. macrorhynchos 4
Northern Raven C. corax 2
Oriental Skylark Alauda gulgula 1
Eurasian Crag Martin Ptyonoprogne rupestris 1
Red-rumped Swallow Cecropis daurica 2
Grey Crested Tit Lophophanes dichrous 2
Sichuan Tit Poecile weigoldicus 6
Ground Tit Pseudopodoces humilis 4
Eurasian Wren Troglodytes troglodytes 2
Alpine Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus occisinensis 2
Yellow-streaked Warbler P. armandii 3
Sichuan Leaf Warbler P. forresti 5
Greenish Warbler P. trochiloides 5
Elliot’s Laughingthrush Trochalopteron elliotii 32
Kessler’s Thrush Turdus kessleri 6
Dark-sided Flycatcher Muscicapa sibirica 1 (3730 m)
Slaty-backed Flycatcher Ficedula sordida 35
Blue-fronted Redstart Phoenicurus frontalis 2
White-capped Redstart P. leucocephalus 18
Hodgson’s Redstart P. hodgsoni 13
White-throated Redstart P. schisticeps 5
White-throated Dipper Cinclus cinclus 2
Eurasian Tree Sparrow Passer montanus 10
Rufous-necked Snowfinch Montifringilla ruficollis 2
White-rumped Snowfich Onychostruthus taczanowskii 3
Rufous-breasted Accentor Prunella strophiata 2
Brown Accentor P. fulvescens 4
Citrine Wagtail Motacilla citreola 1
White Wagtail Motacilla alba alboides 26
Water/Rosy Pipit Anthus spinoletta/roseatus 1
Blanford’s Rosefinch Carpodacus rubescens 2 (pair)
Common Rosefinch C. erythrinus 4
Pink-rumped Rosefinch C. waltoni 26
Chinese White-browed Rosefinch C. dubius 13
Godlewski’s Bunting Emberiza godlewskii 1
Mammals
Tibetan Macaque Macaca thibetana 1
Plateau Pika Ochotona curzoniae 10
Glover’s Pika O. gloveri 3
Woolly Hare Lepus oiostolus 7
Himalayan Marmot Marmota himalayana 8
Blue Sheep Pseudois nayaur 40
List 1 of 2 for Sat. 9 July 2016 (41 species). Birds noted between Kanda Mtns. (32.314561, 96.624807) & Galaga Pass (elev. 4493 m), Nangqian County, Yushu Prefecture, Qinghai. 09:10-18:30. Craig Brelsford, Elaine Du, Michael Grunwell, & Mark Waters.
Tibetan Partridge Perdix hodgsoniae 3
Eastern Cattle Egret Bubulcus coromandus 55
Himalayan Vulture Gyps himalayensis 3
Golden Eagle Aquila chrysaetos 1
Eurasian Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus 3
Ibisbill Ibidorhyncha struthersii 2 in stream along G214 (4020 m)
Common Tern Sterna hirundo 1
Hill Pigeon Columba rupestris 26
Common Cuckoo Cuculus canorus 4
Little Owl Athene noctua 1
Salim Ali’s Swift Apus salimalii 10
Eurasian Hoopoe Upupa epops 4
Grey-backed Shrike Lanius tephronotus 12
Eurasian Magpie Pica pica 18
Red-billed Chough Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax 14
Daurian Jackdaw Corvus dauuricus 9
Northern Raven C. corax 2
Oriental Skylark Alauda gulgula 6
Eurasian Crag Martin Ptyonoprogne rupestris 3
Asian House Martin Delichon dasypus 1
Sichuan Tit Poecile weigoldicus 4
Ground Tit Pseudopodoces humilis 1
Yellow-streaked Warbler Phylloscopus armandii 13
Sichuan Leaf Warbler P. forresti 7
Greenish Warbler P. trochiloides 12
Tibetan Babax Babax koslowi 4
Elliot’s Laughingthrush Trochalopteron elliotii 30
Chestnut Thrush Turdus rubrocanus 1
Kessler’s Thrush T. kessleri 17
Blue-fronted Redstart Phoenicurus frontalis 2
Plumbeous Water Redstart P. fuliginosus 2
White-capped Redstart P. leucocephalus 3
Hodgson’s Redstart P. hodgsoni 11
White-throated Redstart P. schisticeps 6
White-throated Dipper Cinclus cinclus 2
White Wagtail Motacilla alba alboides 7
Common Rosefinch Carpodacus erythrinus 13
Pink-rumped Rosefinch C. waltoni 11
Chinese White-browed Rosefinch C. dubius 3
White-winged Grosbeak Mycerobas carnipes 3
Godlewski’s Bunting Emberiza godlewskii 14
Mammals
Glover’s Pika Ochotona gloveri 4
Woolly Hare Lepus oiostolus 2
Himalayan Marmot Marmota himalayana 20
Blue Sheep Pseudois nayaur 5
List 2 of 2 for Sat. 9 July 2016 (4 species). Birds noted between Galaga Pass (elev. 4493 m) & Yushu-Jiegu (33.002242, 96.978488), elev. 3700 m, Yushu County, Yushu Prefecture, Qinghai. 18:35-20:10. Craig Brelsford, Elaine Du, Michael Grunwell, & Mark Waters.
List of Place Names Note: Many places in Qinghai have Tibetan or Mongolian names. For simplicity I have written place names only in English, simplified Chinese, and Pinyin.
Baizha Nature Reserve (Báizhā Sēnlín Zìrán Bǎohùqū [白扎森林自然保护区]): protected area Nangqian County, Yushu Prefecture. Junction of G214 & X832 at 31.966314, 96.535097. On some maps, X832 is called “Ranniang Section” (Ránniáng Duàn [然娘段]). This is the road that leads toward the nature reserve. At another turnoff (31.964250, 96.573340), bear right, leaving Ranniang Section, & continue on to the reserve.
Chaka (Chákǎ Zhèn [茶卡镇]): town & tourist center Wulan County, Haixi Prefecture. 36.791576, 99.078878.
Guoluo Prefecture (Guǒluò Zàngzú Zìzhìzhōu [果洛藏族自治州]): sub-provincial administrative area SE Qinghai.
Haidong Prefecture (Hǎidōng Shì [海东市]): sub-provincial administrative area E Qinghai.
Hainan Prefecture (Hǎinán Zàngzú Zìzhìzhōu [海南藏族自治州]): sub-provincial administrative area E Qinghai.
Haixi Prefecture (Hǎixī Měnggǔzú Zàngzú Zìzhì Zhōu [海西蒙古族藏族自治州]): sub-provincial administrative area occupying all of NW & NC Qinghai & a portion of SW Qinghai.
Heimahe (Hēimǎhé Xiāng [黑马河乡]): village on SW shore of Qinghai Lake in Gonghe County, Hainan Prefecture. Major tourist center. 36.729239, 99.779524.
Huzhu County (Hùzhù Tǔzú Zìzhìxiàn [互助土族自治县]): sub-prefectural administrative area Haidong Prefecture.
Jiegu (Jiégǔ Zhèn [结古镇]): urbanized area E Yushu County. Commonly referred to as Yushu. 33.002242, 96.978488.
Michael Grunwell scans scrub for birds in Kanda Mountains, 5 July 2016. High-quality scrub is just one of the many attractions of this pristine location in Nangqian County. The slopes hold White Eared Pheasant and Tibetan Partridge, and among the animals found here is Tibetan Lynx.
Kanda Mountains (Kǎndá Shān [坎达山]): high country Nangqian County. Elev. at mouth of Kanda Gorge, near Zaqu River: 3670 m (12,040 ft.). Elev. Kanda Pass: 4680 m (15,350 ft.). Junction of G214 & road leading to Kanda Mountains: 32.315911, 96.454165. Mouth of Kanda Gorge: 32.277059, 96.485171. Kanda Pass: 32.314561, 96.624807.
Kanda Nunnery: religious institution Kanda Gorge. Reliable site for Tibetan Partridge & Tibetan Babax. Elev.: 3910 m (12,830 ft.). 32.291641, 96.512173.
Machali (Mǎchálǐ Zhèn [玛查理镇]): town W Maduo County. Commonly referred to as Maduo. 34.911354, 98.211208.
Maduo County (Mǎduō Xiàn [玛多县]): sub-prefectural administrative area Guoluo Prefecture.
Nangqian County (Nángqiān Xiàn [囊谦县]): sub-prefectural administrative area Yushu Prefecture.
Map of Qinghai with the eight prefectural-level divisions in white. From 26 June to 10 July 2016, the birding team of Michael Grunwell, Mark Waters, Elaine Du, and Craig Brelsford covered the 800 km from Yushu/Jiegu to Xining, marked in black. Map courtesy Wikipedia.
Qinghai (Qīnghǎi Shěng [青海省]): province NW China. Area: 720,000 sq. km (278,000 sq. mi.). Area (comparative): three times larger than United Kingdom; slightly larger than Texas. Pop.: 5.6 million.
Last Sunday 21 Aug. Elaine Du and I returned to Shanghai from Qinghai. We had arrived in Xining on 26 June, and we spent exactly eight weeks in the sparsely populated province. We drove 8054 km (4,994 miles). I lost 5 kg (11 lbs.). On Sunday Dusky Warbler near Gonghe became our 195th and final species of the trip.
While in Qinghai, Elaine and I made new friends and deepened our friendship with our first-rate partners Michael Grunwell and Jan-Erik Nilsén. And the memories … let me tell you ’bout the memories.
Better yet, let me show you them. Ready?
I found this downy Bar-headed Goose at sunset on 28 June on the shore of Qinghai Lake, whose blue sheen you can see in the background. This youngster has much growing to do before he’ll be ready to make the flight across the Himalaya to India for the winter. Will he get strong enough in time to make the frightening trip? Strength, my lad, strength!
Bar-headed Goose, Qinghai Lake, 28 June 2016. F/7.1, 1/800, ISO 1600.
Last week I created a photo essay, “Little Birds in a Big Land,” in which I photographed Isabelline Wheatear from a distance, with mountains, sand dunes, and scrub visible in the background. It was an intense, 90-minute photo workout with that arid-country specialist, well-adapted to the semi-deserts of Wulan County.
Isabelline Wheatear 1/3. F/14, 1/400, ISO 1600. Wulan County, Haixi Prefecture. 18 Aug. 2016.F/16, 1/320, ISO 800.F/16, 1/250, ISO 1600.
Henderson’s Ground Jay is also known as Mongolian Ground Jay. Despite the ground in the name, these birds fly just fine.
Henderson’s Ground Jay, scrub W of Chaka, Wulan County, Haixi Prefecture. 30 June 2016. F/6.3, 1/6400, ISO 2500.Henderson’s Ground Jay in flight. Chaka, 30 June 2016.
When agitated, breeding White-rumped Snowfinch does a wing-flicking display reminiscent of Claudia’s Leaf Warbler. Qinghai Lake, 28 June.
White-rumped Snowfinch contorting its head in territorial display. Along G109 near Qinghai Lake, 28 June 2016.Left wing-flick.Right wing-flick.
The top two photos displayed below are of Gansu Leaf Warbler (the lower of the two from our newly discovered breeding site along the Heihe River in northern Qinghai); the bottom one is of Sichuan Leaf Warbler. Note the cleaner lower mandible of Gansu Leaf Warbler and compare it to the typically darker lower mandible of Sichuan. In summer, when we met these species, they were singing, and the songs of the two species differ much. In winter, when the birds are quiet, bill color is a good way to begin to identify these two similar-looking species.
Gansu Leaf Warbler at Huzhu Beishan, 27 June 2016.Gansu Leaf Warbler, riparian forest along Heihe River, Qilian County, Haibei Prefecture, 4 Aug. 2016.Sichuan Leaf Warbler, Jiangxi Forest Station, Nangqian County, Yushu Prefecture, 17 July 2016.
I sound-recorded Gansu Leaf Warbler:
Gansu Leaf Warbler, Qilian County, Qinghai, 3 Aug. 2016 (01:35; 4 MB)
We found a new location for Przevalski’s Partridge along some back roads in Wulan County. Rusty-necklaced Partridge (alternative name) looks much like Chukar, but note the rusty line.
Rusty-necklaced Partridge, Wulan County, Haixi Prefecture, 17 Aug. 2016.
While we’re on partridges, what about this charismatic Tibetan Partridge, a semi-tame specimen at the nunnery, Kanda Gorge, Yushu Prefecture.
Tibetan Partridge, Kanda Gorge, 5 July 2016.
Birds of KM 2189.5 along the G109 near Qinghai Lake: Robin Accentor, a Siberian Stonechat that wasn’t happy when we stumbled upon its nest, Tibetan Snowfinch using the embankment for a nest, and that one-of-a-kind species that is neither finch nor bunting but derives from a line independent of the two: Przevalski’s “Finch.”
Robin Accentor in scrub above KM 2189.5 on G109 near Qinghai Lake. 28 June 2016.Siberian Stonechat in hovering flight near nest, 28 June 2016.Tibetan Snowfinch looking warily at cameraman before entering its cavity nest. KM 2189.5, G109, near Qinghai Lake. 28 June 2016.Przevalski’s ‘Finch’ in song, 28 June 2016, KM 2189.5.
Blue-fronted Redstart is also sui generis, the only blue-headed Phoenicurus. Females are tougher to distinguish from other female redstarts, but note the inverted T, shown here on this male. Females have it too, and it is distinctive.
Blue-fronted Redstart showing inverted T on tail. Huzhu Beishan, 27 June 2016.
We had a memorable moment with Black-necked Crane near Lake Xiligou, Wulan County, Haixi Prefecture.
Black-necked Crane in flight, Lake Xiligou.
More bird + land: Bar-headed Goose at point where Eling Lake empties into the young Yellow River, Guoluo Prefecture.
Bar-headed Goose stands at the point where high-altitude Eling Lake empties into the young Yellow River. 3 July 2016.
On a moonless, pitch-black night we heard a family of Eurasian Eagle-Owl making strange sounds. I shot the owls by the light of our headlights. We were in Haibei Prefecture.
Eurasian Eagle-Owl at cliff-side roost in Haibei Prefecture, Qinghai, 30 July 2016.
I had long wanted to put Chinese Thrush in my camera. Here’s the moment when I achieved that goal. I was at the riparian forest along the Heihe River in Qilian County, Haibei Prefecture.
Chinese Thrush in riparian forest along Heihe River, Haibei Prefecture. 4 Aug. 2016.
Amazing Tibetan Sandgrouse near Hala Lake.
Tibetan Sandgrouse, Hala Lake, Haixi Prefecture, 10 Aug. 2016.Tibetan Sandgrouse, Hala, 10 Aug.
Brandt’s Mountain Finch may look unexciting, but just watch it fly.
Brandt’s Mountain Finch is a small but powerful bird, taking long, straight flights at altitudes topping 5000 m. I found this individual 9 Aug. near Hala Lake at an elev. of 4400 m.
Do these Himalayan Vulture disgust you? Why? They’re only doing their job–a very important one. And they have manners. Note that the juvenile doesn’t interfere with the adult as it feeds.
Himalayan Vulture, Guoluo Prefecture, 20 July 2016.
King of the high-altitude falcons: Saker.
Saker Falcon, Haibei Prefecture, 6 Aug. 2016.
Who cares about Spotted Dove? When you’re in a city park in Shanghai, then you don’t care about Spotted Dove. When you’re in Qilian County, Qinghai, the extreme west of its range, then you care about Spotted Dove.
Unusual record of Spotted Dove in Qilian County, Haibei Prefecture, 1 Aug. 2016.
Goitered Gazelle, a Vulnerable species. Ranges from Arabian Peninsula to China. We recorded it in Wulan County.
Goitered Gazelle near Lake Xiligou, Wulan County, 16 Aug. 2016.
Tibetan Gazelle was waiting for us at sunset in the mountains north of Hala Lake.
Tibetan Gazelle near Suli, Haixi Prefecture, 6 Aug. 2016.
We noted Glover’s Pika at various places in Yushu Prefecture. This little guy is marketable!
Glover’s Pika, Yushu Prefecture, 4 July 2016.
This Mountain Weasel is one of the cutest little killers you’ll ever meet. Like all weasels, it’s almost completely carnivorous. In Haibei Prefecture one afternoon, Elaine and I watched this little dude dart into and out of the pika burrows, terrorizing the local birds and pikas. The fruitless attempts were comical, but we noted with respect the speed and agility of this star performer.
Mountain Weasel, Haibei Prefecture, 31 July 2016.
There’s something sensuous about those smoothly curved sand dunes–and in that soft sunset light. Right time, definitely right place.
In a few weeks I’m going to be missing Qinghai big-time, and scenes like these are going to be why. There’s no place on Earth like Qinghai, no place under the sun like the Tibetan Plateau.
The sand in these dunes was deposited grain by grain by the wind. Wulan County, 17 Aug. 2016. F/7.1, 1/200, ISO 1250.
Featured image: “We Are Family!” sang Sister Sledge back in ’79. Here’s the Chinese-American adventure team, Elaine Du (L) and yours truly–partners, spouses, family. We were at Eling Lake, Qinghai, where the Yellow River and Chinese culture are born. The date was 3 July 2016. This is a self-portrait, engineered (as indeed every picture in this post was engineered) by Craig Brelsford using the Nikon D3S and 600 mm F/4 lens.
Greetings from Xining! Elaine Du and I have been relaxing here after birding Qinghai for four weeks straight, from 26 June to 24 July 2016. Recently, I described for you the events of our fourth week. The third week, 11-17 July, took place entirely within Yushu Prefecture and featured the arrival of Beijing-based Swedish birder Jan-Erik Nilsén. The highlight of Week 3, and indeed of the entire trip so far, was finding Tibetan Lynx. We also noted 93 bird species, discovered new birding sites, immersed ourselves in Tibetan Buddhist culture, and saw evidence of attacks by Brown Bear.
X308, A LITTLE-KNOWN, BIRDY ROAD
On 11 July I picked up Jan-Erik at Yushu Batang Airport, at elev. 3890 m (12,762 ft.) the eighth-highest civilian airport in the world. I videoed Jan-Erik’s plane as it flew in.
Jan-Erik, Elaine Du, and I spent 12-13 July exploring a scenic and birdy 85-km stretch of County Road 308 (X308). The route starts at the junction on the G214 15 km south of Yushu (Jiegu); the junction is at 32.869631, 97.070772. The route ends at Xiao Sumang Xiang near the Qinghai-Tibet border. The midpoint is Dagela Pass (4752 m), which divides the Yangtze and Mekong watersheds. On either side of the pass is scrub more pristine than any I have seen in Qinghai. In many places, the scrub covers entire slopes, from the tree line hundreds of meters above to the X308 on the valley floor.
Tibetan Partridge and Woolly Hare, 12 July.
Our X308 route is a good place to find Tibetan Partridge. We noted 28 without really searching. In one dreamlike scene, a pair of Tibetan Partridge were feeding at dusk with a Woolly Hare.
Among our other X308 highlights Alpine Accentor at Dagela Pass and, on the slopes below, Grandala and Güldenstädt’s Redstart. We noted Red-fronted Rosefinch, the highest-breeding (to 5700 masl) bird in the Palearctic, and Streaked Rosefinch, another high-altitude breeder.
Red-fronted Rosefinch along X308 in Yushu County.
The scrub delivered close views of White-browed Tit and White-browed Tit-Warbler as well as Common Cuckoo and Greenish Warbler. In the streams were Ibisbill, White-throated Dipper, and Brown Dipper. Bearded Vulture, Himalayan Vulture, and Golden Eagle soared above. Among the most conspicuous birds were Kessler’s Thrush (39), found mainly around the scrub, and on the grassy slopes Brandt’s Mountain Finch (50) and Tibetan Snowfinch (25). We noted a single Snow Pigeon.
White-browed Tit in scrub along X308 in Yushu County.
A group of eagle-eyed Tibetans gave us close views of White-lipped Deer. Two truckfuls of these hard-working men skidded to a stop near us, curious about the foreigners with the telescope on the side of the X308. None spoke Chinese. As one of the men was trying out my binoculars, another man was pointing to the scrub-covered slope and giving me the three symbol with his fingers. Finally I understood: 3 White-lipped Deer just visible in the scrub above. The buck looked formidable and the two does appeared healthy.
We returned to Yushu (Jiegu) and there spent the night of 13-14 July.
DOGS, LYNX, AND BEARS, OH MY!
On 14 July we set off again, this time heading south on the G214 to Nangqian County and Kanda Mountain. We found Wallcreeper along the G214 as well as on a sheer limestone wall in the narrows at Kanda Gorge.
Kanda Nunnery is nestled in a valley above the Gorge and is an easy place to pick up Tibetan Partridge and Tibetan Babax. We saw a partridge but were stymied in our quest to view Tibetan Babax by a pack of watchdogs. As I was walking toward the car, Elaine, who had been resting in the car, suddenly emerged, startling the dogs, which had been lying near the car. Elaine climbed back into the car, and the dogs surrounded me, growling and baring their teeth. Nine days earlier, I had fed and seemingly befriended the very dogs that were now snarling at me. I first tried standing firm, but still they closed in. Then I kicked them, but when I went for one, the other four would nip at my heels. I finally had no choice but to jump onto the hood of our Mitsubishi Pajero. One of the nuns came out and chased the dogs away.
White-browed Tit-Warbler, Kanda Mountain.
All the unpleasantness with the dogs melted away the moment we saw the lynx. If you have read my recent post, then you know the story. Everyone was deeply moved and happy. Lynx roam throughout the Northern Hemisphere and are mainly associated with boreal forests. Alpine meadows at 4550 masl may not be classic lynx habitat, but our specimen was very much well-suited–a sleek, supple, healthy cat, probably feasting regularly on the Blue Sheep, Himalayan Marmot, Plateau Pika, Woolly Hare, and gamebirds that are abundant at Kanda.
Just before finding the lynx, we observed a group of White-browed Tit-Warbler at 4400 masl. At Kanda Pass, 4680 masl, we found the local Tibetan Bunting within minutes of our arrival. Here is the male singing:
Tibetan Bunting, Kanda Pass, 14 July 2016 (00:33; 2.9 MB)
Elaine Du viewing Saturn through our Swarovski ATX-95 spotting scope at Kanda Pass (32.314561, 96.624807), elev. 4680 m, 14 July. The scope is mounted atop our Manfrotto MT055CXPRO3 carbon fiber tripod and MVH502AH video head. Photo by Craig Brelsford using iPhone 6.
Star-gazing at Kanda Pass was slightly better than it was 3 July near Maduo, probably because we were 400 m higher. I could not keep my eyes off Saturn, its ring clearly visible. The Galilean moons of Jupiter were easy to pick out, and we saw the bands ringing the gas giant.
The next morning, 15 July, just below Kanda Pass, Jan-Erik’s sensitive ear once again proved its worth. He correctly assumed that the rosefinch in front of us was not the more commonly noted Pink-rumped Rosefinch but Himalayan Beautiful Rosefinch. I recorded the call of the individual shown below:
Himalayan Beautiful Rosefinch, Kanda Mountain, 15 July 2016 (00:49; 2.7 MB)
Himalayan Beautiful Rosefinch, Kanda Mountain, elev. 4350 m, 15 July.
We drove over Kanda Pass to the eastern side of the mountain, passing through good scrub habitat and getting a view of singing White-tailed Rubythroat. We followed the X830 to Maozhuang (32.266550, 96.824579) and continued south through the scenic gorge of the Ziqu River, a tributary of the Zaqu River (upper Mekong River). Finally we arrived at the forest station, Jiangxi Forest Management Area (32.076777, 97.009417), just a valley away from Tibet.
At the gate, the friendly Tibetan guard asked us what we wanted to seek there. “Birds,” Elaine said. “Birds? You won’t find many,” he said, and let us in.
In Jiangxi Village we camped on the grounds of an institution called the “City of Yushu Jiangxi Huimu Vocational Training School” (32.076395, 97.063995). There, students, under the tutelage of two monks, study Buddhist-style painting. Their works are beautiful, the students are polite, and the kangbo (monks) are wise and kind. The school is an outpost of civilization in the wilderness.
We were befriended by Genqiu (根秋), a student from Kangding, Sichuan. We taught him English; he revealed to us his dream of going to the United States to see his cousin.
This is an example of the beautiful artwork being produced by the students at the Jiangxi Huimu Vocational Training School in Jiangxi Village, Nangqian County. The detail here is amazing. Genqiu told us that if even the slightest mistake is detected, then no matter how far along the painting is, the canvas will be discarded and the painter made to start again.
Genqiu took us to the studio, where 20 students were painting a wall-sized canvas that will take months to complete while one of the kangbo chanted Buddhist prayers. Later, Genqiu and his master showed us sacred paintings worth thousands of yuan. I felt I had been plugged into a Matrix, a beautiful, higher world of art, order, and peace.
On 16 July the school was visited by a huofo (活佛, “living Buddha”). The huofo smiled at me and said, “America.” Genqiu said, “I have been at this school for three years and had never seen a huofo. You have been here one day and already seen a huofo.”
We drove through the gorge. The school is at elev. 3680 m; we rose to 4000 m. As we ascended, farms and settlements grew farther apart, and the locals started telling us of attacks by Brown Bear. At first we thought the folks were telling tall tales, but we kept hearing the same story–that a local man had been mauled and had to be taken to Xining for treatment. On 17 July, as we were driving back to Yushu, we met a man who showed us the damage two Brown Bear caused when they broke into his farm.
Craig gets advice on bears from local Tibetan men, Jiangxi Village, 16 July 2016. Photo by Jan-Erik Nilsén.
Needless to say, the bear reports aroused our curiosity, and we scanned slopes and ridges looking for the powerful mammal. We found none, but our search bore fruit with good views of Sichuan Deer (Cervus canadensis macneilli) and at dusk a distant view of White Eared Pheasant.
The steep valleys around Jiangxi Forest Management Area and the Ziqu River gave us a rare Qinghai record of Japanese Tit as well as Black Kite, Black Woodpecker, Grey-headed Woodpecker, Sichuan Tit, Long-tailed Minivet, Giant Laughingthrush, Tibetan Babax, and Dark-sided Flycatcher.
Common Rosefinch near Jiangxi Huimu Vocational Training School. Elev. 3680 m. 16 July 2016.
On the grounds of the school, birds roamed freely and fearlessly. Large-billed Crow cawed throughout the day, Elliot’s Laughingthrush were ubiquitous, Kessler’s Thrush used the lawns, and Slaty-backed Flycatcher called from the copses. There were three species of pigeon: Snow Pigeon, Hill Pigeon, and Oriental Turtle Dove. The trill of Pink-rumped Rosefinch was commonly heard, and Hodgson’s Redstart and White-throated Redstart were the two main representatives of Phoenicurus. Salim Ali’s Swift and Crag Martin were in the area, and we noted Red-rumped Swallow.
Jan-Erik and I paid special attention to leaf warblers. We found Yellow-streaked Warbler, Buff-barred Warbler, Sichuan Leaf Warbler, and Greenish Warbler and have an unconfirmed record of Claudia’s Leaf Warbler. I sound-recorded Sichuan Leaf Warbler:
After staying two nights at the school, on 17 July we returned to Yushu (Jiegu) via Xiao Sumang Xiang and the X308. En route we found a pair of White-winged Grosbeak. The scrub on either side of Dagela Pass held White-tailed Rubythroat, Blue-fronted Redstart, Robin Accentor, Brown Accentor, and Streaked Rosefinch. Tiny pools held Ruddy Shelduck, all the White Wagtail we saw were of the ninja-masked ssp. alboides, and breeding-yellow Citrine Wagtail looked like drops of sunshine on the green pastures.
We spent the night of 17-18 July at Yùshù Kōnggǎng Jiǔdiàn (玉树空港酒店; +86 [0] 976-7800777). This hotel is a good choice for birders needing a rest after days birding at high altitude. The restaurant is good and the shower in your room is separated from the rest of the bathroom. We paid 320 yuan per night.
List of Place Names
Dagela Pass (Dàgélā Shān [大格拉山]): ridge dividing Yangtze & Mekong river systems in Yushu Prefecture. Reachable via X308. Elev.: 4752 m (15,587 ft.). 32.514573, 97.209993.
Gyêgu: see Jiegu.
Jiangxi Huimu Vocational Training School (Yùshù Shì Jiāngxī Huìmù Zhíyè Péixùn Xuéxiào [玉树市江西惠牧职业培训学校]): institution specializing in teaching the art of Buddhist-style painting. Near Jiangxi Forest Management Area in Nangqian County. Elev. 3680 m (12,070 ft.). Ca. 32.075943, 97.074013.
Jiangxi Forest Management Area (Jiāngxī Línchǎng [江西林场]): forestry center & series of villages (“Jiangxi Village”), Nangqian County. Ca. 32.066633, 97.010842.
Jiegu (Jiégǔ Zhèn [结古镇]): urbanized area E Yushu County, seat of Yushu County & Yushu Prefecture. Pop.: 56,800. Elev.: 3700 m (12,140 ft.). Commonly referred to as Yushu. 33.002242, 96.978488.
Kanda Gorge: see Kanda Mountains.
Kanda Mountains (Kǎndá Shān [坎达山]): high country Nangqian County. Elev. at mouth of Kanda Gorge, near Zaqu River: 3670 m (12,040 ft.) Elev. Kanda Pass: 4680 m (15,350 ft.). Junction of G214 & road leading to Kanda Mountains: 32.315911, 96.454165. Mouth of Kanda Gorge: 32.277059, 96.485171. Kanda Pass: 32.314561, 96.624807.
Kanda Nunnery: religious institution Kanda Gorge. Reliable site for Tibetan Partridge & Tibetan Babax. Elev. 3910 m (12.830 ft.). 32.291641, 96.512173.
Kanda Pass: see Kanda Mountains.
Maozhuang (Máozhuāng Xiāng [毛庄乡]): village Nangqian County. 32.266550, 96.824579.
Nangqên County: see Nangqian County.
Nangqian (Nángqiān [囊谦]): word that can be used for Nangqian County & especially for Xiangda.
Nangqian County (Nángqiān Xiàn [囊谦县]): sub-prefectural administrative area Yushu Prefecture. Area: 11,539 sq. km (4,455 sq. mi.). Pop: 57,000. Contains southernmost point in Qinghai & borders Tibet. Once semi-independent kingdom. Also known as Nangqên County.
Map of Qinghai showing the eight prefecture-level divisions. With just 5.6 million inhabitants in an area larger than Texas, Qinghai is a vast, sparsely populated province. Map courtesy Wikipedia.
Qinghai (Qīnghǎi Shěng [青海省]): province NW China. Area: 720,000 sq. km (278,000 sq. mi.). Area (comparative): three times larger than United Kingdom; slightly larger than Texas. Pop.: 5.6 million.
Xiao Sumang Xiang (Xiǎo Sūmǎng Xiāng [小苏莽乡]): village Yushu County near Qinghai-Tibet border. 32.347744, 97.252561.
Xiangda (Xiāngdá Zhèn [香达镇]): town EC Nangqian County. Commonly referred to as Nangqian.
Yushu Batang Airport (Yùshù Bātáng Jīchǎng [玉树巴塘机场]): airport Yushu Prefecture 18 km S of Yushu (Jiegu). Elev. 3890 m (12,760 ft.). One of the highest civilian airports in the world. 32.824982, 97.124989.
Yushu (Yùshù [玉树]): word that can be used to refer to Yushu Prefecture, to Yushu County, or most commonly to Jiegu.
Yushu County (Yùshù Shì [玉树市]): sub-prefectural administrative area Yushu Prefecture. County seat: Yushu (Jiegu). Area: 13,462 sq. km (5,198 sq. mi.). Pop.: 120,447.
Map of Qinghai showing Yushu Prefecture in yellow and Yushu County in pink. Courtesy Wikipedia.
Yushu Prefecture (Yùshù Zàngzú Zìzhìzhōu [玉树藏族自治州]): sub-provincial administrative area Qinghai. Area: 188,794 sq. km (72,894 sq. mi.). Area (comparative): half the size of Germany; slightly larger than North Dakota. Second-largest prefecture in Qinghai. Covers most of S Qinghai. Pop.: 296,000. Prefectural seat: Yushu (Jiegu). Full name: Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture.
Zaqu River (Zāqū [扎曲]): name for upper reaches of Mekong River in Qinghai.
Ziqu River near Jiangxi Forest Management Area, 15 July 2016. Note the rich conifer forests in this wetter, greener area of Qinghai.
Ziqu River (Ziqū [子曲]): tributary of Zaqu River. Flows through Nangqian County.
Featured image: Blue Sheep Pseudois nayaur feels its way down a rock face along the G214 near Shanglaxiu, Yushu Prefecture, Qinghai, China, 14 July 2016. Elev. 4300 m. Photo by Craig Brelsford using Nikon D3S + Nikon VR 600mm F/4G. F/5, 1/1000, ISO 1250, hand-held.
