Beijing-area Birding, October 2015
By Craig Brelsford and Elaine Du
Latest update: 2018-02-16
© 2015-2018 by Craig Brelsford
Who Are We?
Craig Brelsford lived in Shanghai from 2007 to 2018. When he departed China in January 2018, Craig was the top-ranked eBirder in that country, having noted 932 species, as well as the top-ranked eBirder in Shanghai (323 species). A 1993 graduate of the University of Florida, Craig was an award-winning newspaper editor in the United States for 10 years. In 2002, he earned a master’s in business administration from the University of Liege in Belgium.
Elaine Du is from Boli, Heilongjiang and has a master’s degree in food science and engineering from the Harbin Institute of Technology. Elaine is the highest-ranked woman eBirder in China, with more than 730 species on her list, and is second only to Craig on the all-time eBird lists for Shanghai and Heilongjiang. Elaine’s Chinese name is Dù Lián Róng (杜连荣).
Craig and Elaine currently live in Debary, Florida with their son, Tiny.
Key
For taxonomy and English names, my first reference is the IOC World Bird List.
Simple List of Species of Bird Noted Around Beijing, China, October 2015 (133 species)
Taiga/Tundra Bean Goose
Greylag Goose
Black Swan
Common Shelduck
Ruddy Shelduck
Mandarin Duck
Falcated Duck
Gadwall
Eurasian Wigeon
Mallard
Eastern Spot-billed Duck
Northern Shoveler
Northern Pintail
Garganey
Baikal Teal
Eurasian Teal
Ferruginous Duck
Tufted Duck
Common Goldeneye
Japanese Quail
Common Pheasant
Little Grebe
Great Crested Grebe
Black-necked Grebe
Eurasian Spoonbill
Eurasian Bittern
Black-crowned Night Heron
Chinese Pond Heron
Grey Heron
Little Egret
Great Cormorant
Western Osprey
Crested Honey Buzzard
Snort-toed Snake Eagle
Greater Spotted Eagle
Japanese Sparrowhawk
Eurasian Sparrowhawk
Northern Goshawk
Eastern Marsh Harrier
Hen Harrier
Pied Harrier
Black Kite
Eastern Buzzard
Eurasian Coot
Common Crane
Black-winged Stilt
Pied Avocet
Northern Lapwing
Grey-headed Lapwing
Grey Plover
Long-billed Plover
Little Ringed Plover
Kentish Plover
Common Snipe
Black-tailed Godwit
Bar-tailed Godwit
Eurasian Curlew
Far Eastern Curlew
Spotted Redshank
Marsh Sandpiper
Common Greenshank
Wood Sandpiper
Great Knot
Red Knot
Sanderling
Red-necked Stint
Temminck’s Stint
Dunlin
Broad-billed Sandpiper
Ruff
Black-headed Gull
Saunders’s Gull
Relict Gull
Vega Gull
Black-tailed Gull
Caspian Tern
Common Tern
Oriental Turtle Dove
Spotted Dove
Long-eared Owl
Common Kestrel
Amur Falcon
Merlin
Saker Falcon
Ashy Minivet
Brown Shrike
Chinese Grey Shrike
Azure-winged Magpie
Eurasian Magpie
Daurian Jackdaw
Carrion Crow
Large-billed Crow
Yellow-bellied Tit
Marsh Tit
Japanese Tit
Chinese Penduline Tit
Eurasian Skylark
Asian Short-toed Lark
Light-vented Bulbul
Sand Martin
Barn Swallow
Red-rumped Swallow
Dusky Warbler
Pallas’s Leaf Warbler
Yellow-browed Warbler
Beijing Babbler
Vinous-throated Parrotbill
Reed Parrotbill
Chestnut-flanked White-eye
White-cheeked Starling
Common Starling
Red-throated Thrush
Dusky Thrush
Bluethroat
Red-flanked Bluetail
Taiga Flycatcher
Daurian Redstart
Stejneger’s Stonechat
Eurasian Tree Sparrow
Siberian Accentor
Eastern Yellow Wagtail
White Wagtail
Richard’s Pipit
Olive-backed Pipit
Red-throated Pipit
Buff-bellied Pipit
Common Rosefinch
Grey-capped Greenfinch
Meadow Bunting
Little Bunting
Yellow-throated Bunting
Black-faced Bunting
Pallas’s Reed Bunting
Itinerary
All dates 2015. For more information on places visited, see “List of Place Names” at end of this report.
03 Oct.: Nanpu
04 Oct.: Nanpu
05 Oct.: Nanpu
07 Oct.: Yeyahu
08 Oct.: Yeyahu
09 Oct.: Yeyahu
10 Oct.: Miyun
The Trip
Sat. 3 Oct. 2015
Nanpu
Our first day ever at Nanpu. Elaine and I are with Jan-Erik Nilsén, with whom Elaine and I covered Hulunbeier, Inner Mongolia this year and with whom I visited Qinghai last year.
Sun. 4 Oct. 2015
Nanpu
Day 2 with Jan-Erik Nilsén at Nanpu.
Common Shelduck Tadorna tadorna 6650
Falcated Duck Mareca falcata 8
Mallard Anas platyrhynchos 3
Eastern Spot-billed Duck A. zonorhyncha 2
Common Pheasant Phasianus colchicus 3
Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis 2
Grey Heron Ardea cinerea 30
Little Egret Egretta garzetta 4
Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo 3125
Western Osprey Pandion haliaetus 1
Crested Honey Buzzard Pernis ptilorhynchus orientalis 1
Japanese Sparrowhawk Accipiter gularis 5
Eurasian Sparrowhawk A. nisus 6
Accipiter sp. 2
Eastern Marsh Harrier Circus spilonotus 1
Hen Harrier C. cyaneus 2
Pied Harrier C. melanoleucos 3
Eastern Buzzard Buteo japonicus 22
Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus 8
Pied Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta 400
Grey Plover Pluvialis squatarola
Little Ringed Plover Charadrius dubius 8
Kentish Plover C. alexandrinus
Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica 8
Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata 400
Far Eastern Curlew N. madagascariensis 12
Spotted Redshank Tringa erythropus 5
Marsh Sandpiper T. stagnatilis 300
Common Greenshank T. nebularia 32
Wood Sandpiper T. glareola 1
Great Knot Calidris tenuirostris 1
Red Knot C. canutus 70
Sanderling C. alba 2
Dunlin C. alpina
Black-headed Gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus 1000
Saunders’s Gull C. saundersi 2
Relict Gull Ichthyaetus relictus 32
Black-tailed Gull Larus crassirostris 250
Vega Gull Larus vegae vegae or L. v. mongolicus 37
Caspian Tern Hydroprogne caspia 25
Common Tern Sterna hirundo 8
Mon. 5 Oct. 2015
Nanpu
Ruff and dozens of other goodies at Nanpu, with Jan-Erik Nilsén.
Common Shelduck Tadorna tadorna 6650
Northern Shoveler Spatula clypeata 9
Mallard Anas platyrhynchos 2
Japanese Quail Coturnix japonica 1
Common Pheasant Phasianus colchicus 4
Black-necked Grebe Podiceps nigricollis 1350
Eurasian Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia 2
Grey Heron Ardea cinerea 7
Little Egret Egretta garzetta 4
Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo 3
Western Osprey Pandion haliaetus 2
Crested Honey Buzzard Pernis ptilorhynchus orientalis 1
Japanese Sparrowhawk Accipiter gularis 1
Eurasian Sparrowhawk A. nisus 6
Eastern Marsh Harrier Circus spilonotus 2
Pied Harrier C. melanoleucos 2
Eastern Buzzard Buteo japonicus 1
Eurasian Coot Fulica atra 18
Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus 300
Pied Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta 10,400
Grey Plover Pluvialis squatarola 105
Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrinus 600
Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa 3
Bar-tailed Godwit L. lapponica 6
Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata 400
Far Eastern Curlew N. madagascariensis 1
Spotted Redshank Tringa erythropus 705
Marsh Sandpiper T. stagnatilis 935
Common Greenshank T. nebularia 20
Great Knot Calidris tenuirostris 77
Red Knot C. canutus 2
Red-necked Stint C. ruficollis 2
Temminck’s Stint C. temminckii 6
Dunlin C. alpina 1800
Broad-billed Sandpiper Limicola falcinellus 1
Ruff Philomachus pugnax 3
Black-headed Gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus 15,125
Saunders’s Gull C. saundersi 1
Relict Gull Ichthyaetus relictus 548
Vega Gull Larus vegae vegae/L. v. mongolicus 20
Black-tailed Gull L. crassirostris 375
Caspian Tern Hydroprogne caspia 16
Oriental Turtle Dove Streptopelia orientalis 4
Ashy Minivet Pericrocotus divaricatus 10
Brown Shrike Lanius cristatus 1
Chinese Grey Shrike L. sphenocercus sphenocercus 1
Eurasian Magpie Pica pica 15
Yellow-bellied Tit Pardaliparus venustulus 3
Eurasian Skylark Alauda arvensis 30
Asian Short-toed Lark A. cheleensis 2
Light-vented Bulbul Pycnonotus sinensis 4
Sand Martin Riparia riparia 20
Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica 2850 (incl. 2 tytleri)
Red-rumped Swallow Cecropis daurica 150
Dusky Warbler Phylloscopus fuscatus 19
Pallas’s Leaf Warbler P. proregulus 3
Yellow-browed Warbler P. inornatus 2
Vinous-throated Parrotbill Sinosuthora webbiana 10
Reed Parrotbill Paradoxornis heudei 3
Chestnut-flanked White-eye Zosterops erythropleurus 8
Zosterops sp. 555
White-cheeked Starling Spodiopsar cineraceus 4
Common Starling Sturnus vulgaris 1
Red-throated Thrush Turdus ruficollis 3
Dusky Thrush T. eunomus 2
Turdus sp. 1
Bluethroat Luscinia svecica 1
Taiga Flycatcher Ficedula albicilla 4
Stejneger’s Stonechat Saxicola stejnegeri 18
Eurasian Tree Sparrow Passer montanus ca. 80
Eastern Yellow Wagtail Motacilla tschutschensis 2 (1 tschutschensis, 1 taivana)
White Wagtail M. alba 50
Richard’s Pipit Anthus richardi 5
Olive-backed Pipit A. hodgsoni 42
Red-throated Pipit A. cervinus 3
Common Rosefinch Carpodacus erythrinus 2
Little Bunting Emberiza pusilla 25
Black-faced Bunting E. spodocephala 45
Mammals
Siberian Weasel Mustela sibirica 1
Wed. 7 Oct. 2015
Yeyahu
Common Crane have arrived at beautiful Yeyahu. Elaine and I have started a three-day visit.
Black Swan Cygnus atratus 1
Gadwall Mareca strepera 35
Common Pheasant Phasianus colchicus 1
Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis 5
Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus 4
Black-crowned Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax 5
Grey Heron Ardea cinerea 3
Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo 8
Eastern Marsh Harrier Circus spilonotus 1
Hen Harrier C. cyaneus 8
Circus sp. 5
Eastern Buzzard Buteo japonicus 8
Eurasian Coot Fulica atra 20
Common Crane Grus grus 10
Oriental Turtle Dove Streptopelia orientalis 1
woodpecker sp. 1
Amur Falcon Falco amurensis 2
Merlin F. columbarius 1
Eurasian Magpie Pica pica 40
Daurian Jackdaw Coloeus dauuricus 25 (flock)
Carrion Crow Corvus corone 1
Marsh Tit Poecile palustris 2
Japanese Tit Parus minor 1
Pallas’s Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus proregulus 3
Yellow-browed Warbler P. inornatus 3
Beijing Babbler Rhopophilus pekinensis 1
Vinous-throated Parrotbill Sinosuthora webbiana ca. 60
Daurian Redstart Phoenicurus auroreus 3
Eurasian Tree Sparrow Passer montanus 8
Grey-capped Greenfinch Chloris sinica 2
Little Bunting Emberiza pusilla 16
Pallas’s Reed Bunting E. pallasi 1
Thurs. 8 Oct. 2015
Yeyahu
Elaine and I noted Short-toed Snake Eagle and Ferruginous Duck.
Taiga/Tundra Bean Goose Anser fabalis/A. serrirostris 11
Greylag Goose A. anser 7
Ruddy Shelduck Tadorna ferruginea 2
Mandarin Duck Aix galericulata 1
Mallard Anas platyrhynchos 40
Eastern Spot-billed Duck A. zonorhyncha 2
Ferruginous Duck Aythya nyroca 4
Tufted Duck A. fuligula 1
Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis 4
Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus 8
Black-crowned Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax 9
Chinese Pond Heron Ardeola bacchus 1
Grey Heron Ardea cinerea 3
Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo 2
Short-toed Snake Eagle Circaetus gallicus 1
Hen Harrier Circus cyaneus 5
Black Kite Milvus migrans 1
Eastern Buzzard Buteo japonicus 1
Eurasian Coot Fulica atra 20
Common Crane Grus grus 16
Grey-headed Lapwing Vanellus cinereus 1
Common Snipe Gallinago gallinago 3
Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola 3
Spotted Dove Spilopelia chinensis 20
Chinese Grey Shrike Lanius sphenocercus sphenocercus 1
Eurasian Magpie Pica pica 10
Daurian Jackdaw Coloeus dauuricus 40
Carrion Crow Corvus corone 8
Yellow-bellied Tit Pardaliparus venustulus 2
Japanese Tit Parus minor 2
Eurasian Skylark Alauda arvensis 5
Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica 2
Dusky Warbler Phylloscopus fuscatus 1
Pallas’s Leaf Warbler P. proregulus 1
Yellow-browed Warbler P. inornatus 1
Vinous-throated Parrotbill Sinosuthora webbiana 10
Red-flanked Bluetail Tarsiger cyanurus 1
Daurian Redstart Phoenicurus auroreus 3
Eurasian Tree Sparrow Passer montanus 1
White Wagtail Motacilla alba 7
Olive-backed Pipit Anthus hodgsoni 10
Grey-capped Greenfinch Chloris sinica 10
Little Bunting Emberiza pusilla 2
Yellow-throated Bunting E. elegans 1
Pallas’s Reed Bunting E. pallasi 3
Fri. 9 Oct. 2015
Yeyahu
Fierce winds kept bird count low.
Taiga/Tundra Bean Goose Anser fabalis/A. serrirostris 17
Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus 8
Eurasian Bittern Botaurus stellaris 1
Eurasian Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus 1
Eastern Buzzard Buteo japonicus 2
Common Crane Grus grus 2
Common Snipe Gallinago gallinago 1
Eurasian Magpie Pica pica 5
Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica 2
Pallas’s Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus proregulus 1
Yellow-browed Warbler P. inornatus 1
White Wagtail Motacilla alba 1
Richard’s Pipit Anthus richardi 1
Grey-capped Greenfinch Chloris sinica 7
Little Bunting Emberiza pusilla 1
Pallas’s Reed Bunting E. pallasi 1
Sat. 10 Oct. 2015
Miyun
Our first day ever at Miyun, the reservoir. What scenery! 300 Baikal Teal, plus Long-billed Plover. All day with Jan-Erik Nilsén.
Japanese Quail Coturnix japonica 2
Common Pheasant Phasianus colchicus 13
Taiga/Tundra Bean Goose Anser fabalis/A. serrirostris 16
Eurasian Wigeon Anas penelope 2
Mallard A. platyrhynchos 830
Eastern Spot-billed Duck A. zonorhyncha 14
Northern Shoveler A. clypeata 3
Northern Pintail A. acuta 4
Garganey A. querquedula 1
Baikal Teal A. formosa ca. 300
Eurasian Teal A. crecca ca. 100
Common Pochard Aythya ferina 17
Baer’s Pochard A. baeri 1
Ferruginous Duck A. nyroca 1
Common Goldeneye Bucephala clangula 4
Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis 12
Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus 14
Eurasian Bittern Botaurus stellaris 2
Grey Heron Ardea cinerea 4
Great Cormoant Phalacrocorax carbo 1
Greater Spotted Eagle Clanga clanga 4
Japanese Sparrowhawk Accipiter gularis 3
Eurasian Sparrowhawk A. nisus 1
Northern Goshawk A. gentilis 1
Accipiter sp. 3
Eastern Marsh Harrier Circus spilonotus 4
Hen Harrier C. cyaneus 21
Eastern Buzzard Buteo japonicus 14
Eurasian Coot Fulica atra ca. 280
Common Crane Grus grus 25
Northern Lapwing Vanellus vanellus 5
Long-billed Plover Charadrius placidus 1
Black-headed Gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus ca. 1050
Vega Gull Larus vegae vegae/L. v. mongolicus 2
Spotted Dove Spilopelia chinensis 2
Long-eared Owl Asio otus otus 1
Common Kestrel Falco tinnunculus 10
Merlin F. columbarius 1
Amur Falcon F. amurensis 1
Saker Falcon F. cherrug 2
Chinese Grey Shrike Lanius sphenocercus sphenocercus 6
Azure-winged Magpie Cyanopica cyanus 8
Eurasian Magpie Pica pica 17
Daurian Jackdaw Coloeus dauuricus 2
Large-billed Crow Corvus macrorhynchos 3
Chinese Penduline Tit Remiz consobrinus 12
Eurasian Skylark Alauda arvensis ca. 70
Asian Short-toed Lark A. cheleensis 5
Light-vented Bulbul Pycnonotus sinensis 1
Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica 24
Beijing Babbler Rhopophilus pekinensis 9
Vinous-throated Parrotbill Sinosuthora webbiana 20
White-cheeked Starling Spodiopsar cineraceus 16
Common Starling Sturnus vulgaris 1
Eurasian Tree Sparrow Passer montanus 20
Siberian Accentor Prunella montanella 1
Richard’s Pipit Anthus richardi 3
Olive-backed Pipit A. hodgsoni 2
Red-throated Pipit A. cervinus 3
Buff-bellied Pipit A. rubescens japonicus 11
Grey-capped Greenfinch Chloris sinica 1
Meadow Bunting Emberiza cioides 1
Little Bunting E. pusilla 94
Pallas’s Reed Bunting E. pallasi 4
