SICHUAN & NORTHERN YUNNAN

Transcription

1 Snow-capped mountains of Balangshan in Sichuan (Ueli Weber). SICHUAN & NORTHERN YUNNAN 12 MAY 8 JUNE 2013 LEADER: HANNU JÄNNES This year's Birdquest tour to Sichuan province in Central China, with an extended itinerary that included two completely new sites in Sichuan and a new site in northern Yunnan, proved a great success. We recorded 349 species, including a large number of Sino-Himalayan specialities and no less than 142 of Birdquest s special diamond birds. Families that were especially well represented included no fewer than 16 species of pheasants and partridges, 34 species of warbler (including 20 Phylloscopus), and 11 species of parrotbill. The winner of the bird-of-the-trip vote was, by a large margin, the incredible Chinese Monal, which we saw extremely well in Wolong, followed by the splendid Golden Pheasant, the amazingly confiding Verreaux's Monal Partridge and Temminck's Tragopan. Other highlights included such stunning and difficult to get species as Tibetan Snowcock, Snow Partridge, White Eared, Lady Amherst's and Silver Pheasants, many Black-necked Cranes, a very showy pair of Wood Snipes, Tawny Fish Owl, many Grandalas, stunning Firethroats, Bar-winged Wren-babbler, Severtzov s and Crested Tit-Warblers, Great, Brown, Spot-breasted, the very cute Golden and the very range restricted Grey-hooded and Przevalski s (or Rusty-throated) Parrotbills, showy Barred and Giant Laughingthrushes, Emei Shan Liocichla, Sooty, White-browed and Père David s Tits, Przevalski s Nuthatch, Sichuan Jay, Hume s Groundpecker, Slaty Bunting, and Sharpe's, Three-banded, Blanford's and Red-breasted Rosefinches. Highlights of our brief visit to Lijiang in northern Yunnan included the recently rediscovered Biet's Laughingthrush, Rufous-tailed Babbler (or Moupinia), Brown-winged Parrotbill, Black-breasted Thrush, Black-headed Greenfinch and Yunnan Nuthatch. Mammal highlights included many Chinese Ghorals, Takins, Tufted Deer and Hog and Eurasian Badger. Add to this the incredibly beautiful mountain scenery and the tasty food on offer, and it is easy to see why this tour is such an enjoyable experience. 1 BirdQuest Tour Report: Sichuan including Northern Yunnan

2 The old town of Lijiang (Ueli Weber). Our trip started in earnest in Yunnan at Lijiang, a world heritage site famous for its old town, Naxi culture with its ancient music and pictographs, and the relaxed life style with attracts annually 12 million, mostly Chinese, tourists. However, we had different things in mind when we started our first morning's birding on a forested hill side about 20 kilometres from the city centre of Lijiang. One of the very first birds we saw was Biet's Laughingthrush, which allowed at least tickable views to us all. Our main target in the bag we continued birding in rather relaxed mood admiring a roadside male Lady Amherst's Pheasant that was unusually cooperative and gave good views for everyone. Other birds seen during the morning's birding session included Indian Blue Robin, Grey-crowned, Marten's and Chestnut-crowned Warblers, Black-headed Sibia, Davison's and Blyth's Leaf Warblers, White-browed Fulvetta, Blyth's Shrike-babbler (a recent split), Black-headed Greenfinch, and, as an unexpected bonus, a cute Black-faced Warbler. Later we returned to the Biet's Laughingthrush site and succeeded in getting better views of this mega. Then the wind really started to pick up and the birding became pretty slow, so we headed to the city for lunch and a short visit to the back alleys of the charismatic old town of Lijiang. The afternoon was spent on the hills right on the outskirts of Lijiang where some hard work, which included some pretty steep climbs, was rewarded with showy Yunnan Nuthatch, a male Ultramarine Flycatcher, two very tame Rufous-tailed Babblers (or Moupinias), two Giant Laughingthrushes and a very confiding Upland Pipit. Upland Pipit and Rufous-tailed Babbler (a.k.a Moupinia) both images by Ueli Weber. 2 BirdQuest Tour Report: Sichuan including Northern Yunnan

3 Next morning we headed for a famous tourist spot known as the First Bend of the Yangtze River, about 50 kilometres west of Lijiang. Here our target was to find the Brown-winged Parrotbill, a bird I had found with ease on my recce only a few days earlier. However, this time things proved to be different and after a couple of hours of fruitless searching, during which we saw a rather unexpected pair of Rosy Minivets and an excellent Black-breasted Thrush, we decided to move on to another patch of promising looking habitat. This time luck was with us and we located a group of three parrotbills which, after waiting patiently for a while showed extremely well for everyone. Later we headed back to Lijiang stopping en route at Lashi Lake and adding several species of wildfowl, Asian Openbill, Black-faced Bunting and few other species to our bird list. Back in Lijiang we made a visit to the charming 800 year old town and enjoyed a late lunch there before heading for the airport for our flights to Chengdu. Unfortunately our early evening flight had been cancelled, and we only managed to fly out later that evening and thus not reaching our hotel in Chengdu until well after midnight. Our first morning in Sichuan started with an early morning birding session at Du Fu's park in Chengdu, where we found some commoner lowland birds like Chinese Blackbird, Light-vented Bulbul, the attractive Blackthroated Tit and Vinous and Ashy-throated Parrotbills. We also managed to find, and obtain good views of, Rufous-faced Warbler, David's Fulvetta, Yellow-bellied Tit, the only Tiger Shrike of the trip, Red-billed and White-cheeked Starlings, and finally two Yellow-billed Grosbeaks. There were also some grounded migrants around which included Dark-sided Flycatcher and Dusky Warbler. Later we headed for Leshan, where we stayed the night. Next morning we continued our long journey to Longhua town and Laojunshan Nature Reserve stopping en route for birding in the hills near Leshan. Best birds of our rain affected birding session here were the only Arctic Warbler of the trip and a shy Plain-tailed Warbler. We arrived in Longhua town, which would be our base for the next three nights, at noon and had lunch in one of the small restaurants along the main street, before we took a stroll through the charming old part of the town, which also rewarded us with Asian Barred Owlet, Collared Finchbill and Plumbeous Redstart, all new birds for us. The rain that had continued for most of the day didn't stop us from a late afternoon visit to Laojunshan Nature Reserve, where a short birding session added Chinese Bamboo Partridge, Silver Pheasant, White-spectacled Warbler, Buffy Laughingthrush and Blue-winged Minla to the list. White-browed Laughingthrush (Alain Perthuis). The next day was spent in Laojunshan Nature Reserve searching the areas around the Eryanpin observation station and along the approach road. The weather, rain, fog and high winds, was pretty miserable for the whole day, but we still managed to see some quality birds including many Chinese Bamboo Partridges, a total of seven Temminck's Tragopans including two gorgeous males and a female with four very small 3 BirdQuest Tour Report: Sichuan including Northern Yunnan

4 chicks, Wedge-tailed Green Pigeon, White-crowned Forktail, Chinese Blue Flycatcher, cute Golden and two Grey-headed Parrotbills, and Red-tailed and Blue-winged Minlas. The weather improved during the night and we enjoyed great weather with plenty of sunshine during our second day in Laojunshan. The main target of the day was to see Sichuan Partridge, a restricted range endemic, which has its stronghold on these steep mountain slopes, but has become increasingly difficult to see in recent years. Our efforts were supported by a local Sichuan Partridge researcher, who was visiting the area with two of his students, showing us the best areas for the partridge, and even loaning us some of his sound recordings of the species. Despite this generous help, only Alain managed to see the species whilst the rest of us had to make do with calling only birds. Other birds seen during the day included Peregrine Falcon, a total 13 Chinese Bamboo Partridges, Lady Amherst's Pheasant, a first sighting (after numerous heard-only birds) of Lesser Cuckoo, Klossi's, Pallas's (a transient migrant here) and Sichuan Leaf Warblers, our first White-throated Laughingthrushes, some nice Buffy Laughingthrushes, couple of Hwameis, Goldenbreasted Fulvetta, Silver-eared Mesia and Mountain Bulbul. The last morning at Laojunshan was spent on the lower slopes below 1200 meters, where we were entertained by Chinese Goshawk and Brown-capped Fulvetta. Later we headed for Emei Shan arriving on the top of the mountain (3000 m asl) in time for some birding and sightseeing. Best birds here included a confiding Chestnut-crowned Bush Warbler, Blyth's Pipit, Chestnut Thrush, a showy adult male White-bellied Redstart, our first Buff-barred and Alpine Leaf Warblers and Vinaceous Rosefinch, The next morning we birded the Golden Summit area in gorgeous sunny weather with great vistas over the distant mountain tops that included some snow-capped peaks. Best birds of the morning included Great, Brown and the very range restricted Grey-hooded Parrotbills, gorgeous Golden, and a first-summer male White-browed Bush Robin, several Rufous-breasted Accentors, many Aberrant and one Spotted Bush Warbler, Rufous-gorgeted Flycatcher, Rufous-vented and Coal Tits, and White-winged Grosbeak. After lunch we walked down to Leidonping for the night seeing on route interesting birds that included Speckled Wood Pigeon, White-throated Needletail, Darjeeling Woodpecker, several Ashy-throated Warblers, Yellow-browed, Père David's and Grey-crested Tit and, best of all, a flock of five Blanford's Rosefinches with both males and females. This species is apparently nomadic, and generally a very difficult bird to see in Sichuan. Grey-hooded Parrotbills on the top of Emei Shan (Ueli Weber). We woke up early the next morning ready for our 20 km, mostly downhill, walk to Xiang Feng monastery. The weather was again lovely and we thoroughly enjoyed the first part of our walk through beautiful mixed forest packed with birds that included a male Slaty-blue Flycatcher, a skulking White-browed Shortwing, Chestnut-headed Tesia, singing Scaly-bellied Wren-Babbler, two Great and several Golden Parrotbills, a pair of Emei Shan Liocichlas, Chestnut-vented Nuthatch, Hodgson's Treecreeper, Speckled Wood Pigeons, 4 BirdQuest Tour Report: Sichuan including Northern Yunnan

5 Himalayan and Lesser Cuckoos, Himalayan Swiftlets and many leaf warblers including several singing Emei Leaf Warblers of which only one was seen. In addition Alain sighted Black Baza and Chinese Goshawk during the lunch break at a local restaurant. After the lunch we set off for the second part of the seemingly endless march, and reached our destination, the charming Xiang Feng monastery, in the afternoon, where late afternoon birding produced Chestnut-vented Nuthatch and a small flock of Fire-capped Tits. Some postdinner owling near the monastery yielded a heard only Grey Nightjar and Oriental Scops Owl, but the hoped for Himalayan Wood Owl did not put in an appearance this time. The next morning we again did some owling before dawn, but with no success other than hearing the wailing cries of male 'crying baby pheasants, as the locals call Temminck s Tragopan, from the mountain slopes above the monastery. Before moving on we had just enough time to walk to the nearby bat caves getting really nice views of a co-operative Emei Shan Liocichla and a showy Bar-winged Wren-Babbler, a difficult bird to see on usual Sichuan birding routes. A longish, mostly uphill walk to the halfway restaurant was pretty quiet, but once at the restaurant we tried again for the Emei Leaf Warbler and managed much better views of this rather shy species. Also a displaying pair of Black Baza was a nice surprise. The afternoon was mostly devoted to walking down the hill to Wannian monastery, but we still managed to see Chinese Blue Flycatcher, a very brief White-tailed Robin, stunning views of a Pygmy Wren-babbler and a troop of very bold Tibetan Macaques. From the Wannian monastery we took cable cars to Wannian town, where we stayed overnight. Next day was for travelling, but we did have time for short birding session on the lower slopes of Emei mountain along the main road. Best birds here included a pair of Plain-tailed Warbler, Russet Bush Warbler, Brown Dipper and Bay Woodpecker, all new birds for us. In addition we had good views of two Hwameis and Slaty-backed Forktails. After a lunch and shopping for supplies in Chengdu we headed for Wolong, stopping on route at a road side site recommended by our driver, where we found two new birds for the trip with Chestnut-eared Bunting (a write-in) and two Richard's Pipits. We arrived in rainy Wolong, after some hassle with local police, just in time for dinner. We had a very early start the next day heading from our hotel up towards the Balang mountains. Instead of trying the traditional predawn visit to find the whereabouts of displaying Wood Snipes, we concentrated our efforts on finding the excellent gamebirds of the area. Our morning's work paid off nicely producing a total of three Chinese Monals including a closer than normal pair which offered great scope views, and some photo opportunities, in the morning sun. In addition we saw several White-eared Pheasants, a single Verreaux's Monal Partridge, and heard two Koklass and a single Blood Pheasant. Then it was time to head further up the mountain, where our breakfast was interrupted by a vocal Tibetan Snowcock that showed well. After breakfast we tried for the often elusive Wood Snipe, and had great views of the birds both in aerial display flight, against the back drop of the impressive snow-capped peaks of the Balang Shan, and also on the ground. After our success here we headed down adding Eurasian Black Vulture (Cinereous Vulture), couple of Lammergeiers and an extremely handsome Himalayan Red-flanked Bluetail to our rapidly growing bird list. Our lunch stop was accompanied by a White-browed Fulvetta and two male Firethroats giving excellent views. Later we found a group of 22 Takins (our first record of the species here) grazing on a grassy slope, and further down the valley a Brown Dipper, and Black-capped Kingfisher. A dead Lesser Coucal on the roadside (road kill) was only my second observation of the species in this area. Late afternoon was spent checking the condition of the trail to Wuyipeng, which didn't look good due to some serious construction work, and we decided to skip tomorrow's scheduled walk to Wuyipeng to spend the time elsewhere. A wise decision in view of the 12 hours rain that fell during the night! A new morning saw us on another steep slope near Wolong village where we tracked down a splendid male Golden Pheasant, and also managed to find Ferruginous Flycatcher, many Chinese Leaf Warblers, a bird we had only heard earlier, and couple of Slaty Buntings. In the afternoon we tried a newly constructed paved trail along a river valley, which included some really interesting looking habitat, but the time of the day was completely wrong and the only interesting observation was a dead Chinese Goral on the trail! It is still a mystery to us how this animal had ended up there. More birding in the late afternoon along the main road 5 BirdQuest Tour Report: Sichuan including Northern Yunnan

6 produced us a pair of Firethroats, Dark-sided Flycatcher, a Golden Eagle nest, Hog Badger and Chinese Goral. Verreaux's Monal Partridge at Beimuping (Ueli Weber). Next morning we were back in the Beimuping area starting our day with Plain-backed Thrush feeding on the roadside, and some really excellent Chinese Monals (seven to eight in total including adult males, subadult males and females) in perfect morning light, followed by a really bold Verreaux's Monal Partridge, three White-eared Pheasants, Alpine (Yellow-billed) Choughs, Dark-rumped and Sharpe's Rosefinch, Whitewinged Grosbeak, and a flock of Crimson-browed Finches, a rare bird here. After lunch we drove further up the Balang mountains and spent the afternoon working on high altitude birds including Plain Mountain Finch, a tame pair of Red-breasted Rosefinch, large flocks of amazing Grandalas, many Alpine Accentors and really excellent White-tailed Rubythroats. One of the additional highlights of the afternoon was an encounter with a very photogenic Mountain Weasel carrying a vole in its mouth. A final birding stop near Rilong, where we stayed for the night, brought us a very attractive White-throated Redstart. Our morning visit to a sunny Balang Shan pass started with an excellent pair of Tibetan Snowcocks followed by a pair of the badly needed Snow Partridge, couple of Grandalas and Brandt's Mountain Finches. Later we found a few more Tibetan Snowcocks, very tame Brandt's Mountain Finch at the pass and another pair of Snow Partridges. The 4478 meters high pass at Balang Shan acts as a migrant trap producing on almost every visit a stranded, 'out of place,' species, and this time was no exception. First we admired a breeding plumaged Chinese Pond Heron in the same scope view with a pair of Tibetan Snowcocks, and later we found a Hair-crested Drongo, a really odd sight on the desolate open mountain top, sitting on one of the electric pylons. The remainder of the day was mainly spent transporting ourselves to Aba county and Maerkang with few stops en route. Our full day at Mengbi Shan began early in the pass, where the gale force wind made life pretty difficult, but we still managed to find a female Streaked Rosefinch and a very photogenic Giant Laughingthrush. Later in the day roadside birding produced a group of four Sichuan Jays, two Chinese Fulvettas, three White-eared Pheasants, Himalayan Buzzard, some close-up White-throated Needletails, Black Woodpecker, Collared Grosbeak, Tibetan Siskins (in flight only), a Bar-tailed Treecreeper, and finally, after several attempts, a very confiding Chinese Babax. We also made the traditional visit to see the traditional Tibetan architecture in the old town near Maerkang, which was appreciated by all. The next morning it was time to head for Hongyuan and the Tibetan plateau. First stop on the way was at our traditional forest patch, where we spent quite some time searching for key birds. Przevalski's Nuthatch was 6 BirdQuest Tour Report: Sichuan including Northern Yunnan

7 easy to find but the Severtzovs's Grouse proved tricky and was seen by the leader only. Also a Maroonbacked Accentor was sighted and good numbers of leaf warblers plus Himalayan Red-flanked Bluetails. We also noticed a rather strong visible migration of passerines heading west along the main valley that went on for the whole morning, probably triggered by a serious snowstorm higher up on the plateau, which even reached the Jiuzhaigou area. After a roadside Red Collared Dove and lunch it was time to head for the plateau proper. First stop was a bush covered valley, where excellent views of tame Père David's Laughingthrushes, confiding White-browed Tits, and our first Daurian Jackdaws, were obtained. Further on to the plateau we had couple of stops that produced Great Spotted Woodpecker, several splendid Citrine Wagtails of the black-backed subspecies calcarata, several Daurian Jackdaws, Twites, our first Black Redstarts, many Ruddy Shelducks, Upland Buzzards and six Black-necked Cranes. First-summer Black-necked Crane (Ueli Weber). The sky was clear when we set off from Hongyuan at daybreak the next morning stopping on the way at an Eagle Owl nest site, where a single bird, apparently the male of the breeding pair, was showing well. Later, after breakfast, we began our traditional search for Tibetan Partridge, which we managed to locate easily, but had to negotiate with the locals about our right to visit their pastures. Other birds in this beautiful area included singing Dusky Warblers, an excellent flock of Severtzov's Tit-Warblers, which included fledged juveniles, curious Père David's Laughingthrushes and a few White-browed Tits that provided great views. Further along the road towards Ruoergai we encountered a host of interesting species including two Saker Falcons of the subspecies milvipes, another Eagle Owl, Black-eared Kites, several Upland Buzzards, many Black-necked Cranes, Black Stork, Little Owl, Eurasian Hoopoe, many Eurasian Cuckoos, large numbers of Kessler s Thrushes, Horned Larks and Oriental Skylarks, several Citrine Wagtails, Siberian Stonechats, Common Ravens, Rock Sparrows, Twites, Godlewski's Buntings and several bizarre Groundpeckers including some recently fledged juveniles. One of our main target birds of the day, the gigantic Tibetan Lark, played hard to see at its usual stake-out, showing briefly in flight only, until we realised that they had all gathered near a farm house where a small, newly ploughed field had attracted ten or so of these massive larks, which then gave us some great views. After a lunch, which included an extremely spicy (read: inedible) noodle dish at Waqie, it was time to head for Jiuzhaigou. On the way we had couple of short stops, which produced good views of Ferruginous Duck and Goosander, both new birds for us, Hog Badger and a pair of White-cheeked Starlings. Our only full day at Jiuzhaigou didn't start well, as it was raining heavily when we entered this very scenic World Heritage site, one of the most popular tourist attractions in the whole of China. We first headed for a peaceful side valley, where an unusually co-operative Rufous-headed Robin, our main reason to come to this massive tourist trap, had been sighted and photographed extremely well only few days earlier. Unfortunately the Robin was not there anymore! Whether this was due to too much disturbance by previous visitors, the snow storm couple of days earlier, or some other reason wasn't clear, but the robin had gone! After this major disappointment we enjoyed a decent lunch buffet in the park's megalomaniac tourist centre, 7 BirdQuest Tour Report: Sichuan including Northern Yunnan

8 before heading to the traditional robin site, where we located three to four different singing birds but failed to see any of these heavily play backed and extremely shy individuals. In the afternoon the rain finally stopped and the weather was actually very good for our afternoon visit to see Spectacled Parrotbills. Other new birds seen during the day included Sooty Tit and Chinese Nuthatch. Spectacled Parrotbill (Ueli Weber). We left the hotel early in the morning to check some forest areas outside the Jiuzhaigou National Park. An hours owling in the key area didn't produce the hoped for Père David's (or Sichuan) Owl, but once it got light enough we saw Three-banded Rosefinches and Maroon-backed Accentor. Later we moved on to another forest site where, whilst enjoying our picnic breakfast, we scanned hard for a Blue-eared Pheasant, which never appeared. Later we checked other birding spots where we had good views of White-bellied Redstart, and a pair of Crested Tit-warblers. Tracking down Sukatschev s Laughingthrush proved to be a rather more complicated affair. We managed to connect with three calling birds during the day but failed to see them. Later we visited more bush country where we soon found a splendid singing Siberian Rubythroat. A late afternoon walk around a wetland and through an attractive mixed forest didn't produce anything new. The following morning we left Jiuzhaigou behind us and headed for the lowlands and Qingchengshan. On the way we stopped at the high altitude pass of Gongangling and spent some time scanning the Blue-eared Pheasant slope but drew a blank again. The only prize of a mornings hard work was a pair of confiding Barred Laughingthrushes, which Alain found whilst others were still working on the pheasant. Unfortunately we had to leave the area early and move on as a long drive lay ahead of us. We made good progress and reached our hotel at Qingchenshan, a Taoist holy mountain an hour s drive from Chengdu, early enough for some late afternoon birding, and were rewarded with several good birds including two Brown-breasted Flycatchers, Indian and Fork-tailed Drongo Cuckoos, White-crowned Forktail, Buff-bellied (or Fire-breasted) Flowerpecker, Brown-capped Fulvetta and Black-naped Oriole. The next morning we tried another part of the mountain finding all the important target birds including Forest Wagtail, Swinhoe's Minivet and Sulphur-breasted Warbler. Later we drove to Chengdu where we said goodbye to Antti and Steve, who were heading back home, and started our journey to Tangjiahe Nature Reserve. The original plan was to stay overnight en route, but we changed our game plan in flight and headed straight for the village of Qingxi, just outside the nature reserve, arriving there around nine pm, after six hours travelling. After settling in to the surprisingly good hotel it was time for a late dinner and well-earned rest. Next morning we headed for Tangjiahe Nature Reserve, a new site even for the guide, with high expectations. En route a short stop in suitable habitat and a burst of playback, brought in an excellent pair of Spot-breasted Parrotbills, a species rarely reported in Sichuan. Once in the park we met our excellent local guide, who would take us birding during the following two days. During the morning we birded a quiet road that followed one of the many rivers leading to our hotel, scoring on the way White-crowned Forktail, 8 BirdQuest Tour Report: Sichuan including Northern Yunnan

9 Alström's, Grey-crowned and Claudia's Warblers and Klossi's Leaf Warblers, displaying Crested Goshawk, a singing Zappey's Flycatcher (a future split from Blue-and-white Flycatcher), Slaty Bunting, which seems to be a common bird here, and best of all a Tawny Fish Owl roosting in one of the road side trees and showing extremely well. Although the species is rather regularly encountered here, the number of observations this year had been very low, and apparently most of the earlier visitors, including Birdquest's Deputy Manager, had missed the species. After settling in to our rather grand hotel, and lunch, we spent the afternoon birding along the main road above the hotel and a forest trail, seeing White-throated Needletail, two Crested Kingfishers, Marten's Warblers and Brown-breasted Flycatcher. Blue-and-white (or Zappey's) Flycatcher and Tawny Fish Owl at Tangjiahe (Ueli Weber). Early the next morning we started our birding walk following the Daotizi valley up to 2700 m asl, which involved a 800 meter vertical climb along a narrow and difficult mountain trail, to the bamboo habitat for the enigmatic Rusty-throated (or Przevalski's) Parrotbill. This tough, but birdy, climb through interesting habitat yielded Temminck's Tragopan, Verreaux's Monal Partridge, a heard only Koklass Pheasant, Golden Bush Robins, many warblers including Klossi's, Emei and Large-billed Leaf Warblers and Great and Spectacled Parrotbills. Just before we reached our destination, a very basic research hut, we made contact with a pair of the Rusty-throated Parrotbills, which we all managed to see well, albeit rather briefly. Our main target bird in the bag, we had a brief rest at the hut before our guide took us to other stake-outs for the parrotbill, but all proved no-shows. Instead we listened to the deep calls of some Takins, and managed to prove to Ueli that Blood Pheasant is not always a "species invisible". The increasing rain and fog soon forced us to leave the area and head down, but we still managed to squeeze in one new species, Sichuan Treecreeper. The walk down, which includes crossing several steep ravines along slippery logs, was now, in wet conditions, a pretty dangerous job, but luckily we all managed to get down, thoroughly wet and exhausted, but alive. Next morning, still exhausted from yesterday's tough climb, we did another, much easier walk along the ancient Motianli Mountain Road. This walk along a paved trail through good habitat produced Speckled Wood Pigeon, brief views of White-browed Shortwing, a very confiding and photogenic White-bellied Redstart and Russet Bush Warbler, numerous warblers, a group of White-throated Laughingthrushes, showy Golden-breasted Fulvettas, a big group of Sooty Tits and several Slaty Buntings. The afternoon was spent searching for Golden Pheasant, a species high on photographers want lists. 9 BirdQuest Tour Report: Sichuan including Northern Yunnan

10 Highlights of our last day at Tangjiahe included a total of eight Golden Pheasants on the road early in the morning, and a photogenic Zappey's Flycatcher during the afternoon birding session. Our last morning at Tangjiahe started with heavy rain, and we skipped our plans to do some birding in the park, and headed straight back towards Chengdu, where we arrived at noon. After our last lunch together it was time to say goodbye to our local guide and driver and head back home with many excellent memories of our trip. Photo by Ueli Weber. 10 BirdQuest Tour Report: Sichuan including Northern Yunnan

11 Giant Laughingthrush (Ueli Weber). SYSTEMATIC LIST OF SPECIES RECORDED DURING THE TOUR Species which were heard but not seen are indicated by the symbol (H). Species which were not personally recorded by the leader are indicated by the symbol (NL). Species which were recorded by the leader only are indicated by the symbol (LO). Species marked with the diamond symbol ( ) are either endemic to the country or local region or considered special birds for some other reason (e.g. it is only seen on one or two Birdquest tours; it is difficult to see across all or most of its range; the local form is endemic or restricted-range and may in future be treated as a full species). Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus One at Lashi Lake in Lijiang. Black-crowned Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax Eastern Cattle Egret Bubulcus coromandus Chinese Pond Heron Ardeola bacchus Little Egret Egretta garzetta Great Egret Egretta alba (NL) One on the Tibetan plateau near Hongyuan. Grey Heron Ardea cinerea Asian Openbill Anastomus oscitans One at Lashi Lake in Lijiang. Black Stork Ciconia nigra One on the Tibetan plateau near Waqie. Ruddy Shelduck Tadorna ferruginea Eurasian Wigeon Anas penelope One at Lashi Lake in Lijiang. Gadwall Anas strepera Three at Lashi Lake in Lijiang. Mallard Anas platyrhynchos Red-crested Pochard Netta rufina Two at Lashi Lake in Lijiang. Ferruginous Duck (F Pochard) Aythya nyroca Four on the Tibetan plateau. Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula One at Lashi Lake in Lijiang. Goosander (Common Merganser) Mergus merganser Black Baza Aviceda leuphotes Three, including a displaying pair, on Emei Shan. Crested Honey Buzzard (Oriental H B) Pernis ptilorhyncus Black-winged Kite (B-shouldered K) Elanus caeruleus Two at Lashi Lake in Lijiang. Black-eared Kite Milvus lineatus Common on the Tibetan plateau. 11 BirdQuest Tour Report: Sichuan including Northern Yunnan

12 Lady Amherst's Pheasant (Ueli Weber) and Golden Pheasant (Alain Perthuis). Lammergeier Gypaetus barbatus Himalayan Griffon Vulture (H Griffon) Gyps himalayensis Eurasian Black Vulture (Cinereous V) Aegypius monachus One at Beimuping was a nice surprise. Chinese Goshawk (C Sparrowhawk) Accipiter soloensis Eurasian Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus Crested Goshawk Accipiter trivirgatus One at Tangjiahe N.R. Himalayan Buzzard Buteo burmanicus Noted at Mengbi Shan and near Jiuzhaigou. Upland Buzzard Buteo hemilasius A total of eight on the plateau. Golden Eagle Aquila chrysaetos Common Kestrel Falco tinnunculus Eurasian Hobby Falco subbuteo Saker Falcon Falco cherrug Two on the plateau. Ssp. milvipes. Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus One at Laojunshan. Severtzov s Grouse (Chinese G) Bonasa sewerzowi (LO) Snow Partridge Lerwa lerwa Two pairs at Balang Shan pass. Verreaux s Monal Partridge (Chestnut-throated P) Tetraophasis obscurus Amazing views at Beimuping. Tibetan Snowcock Tetraogallus tibetanus Great views at Balang Shan. Tibetan Partridge Perdix hodgsoniae A pair near Hongyuan on the Tibetan plateau. Sichuan Partridge Arborophila rufipectus One seen (by Alain), and two more heard by all at Laojunshan. Chinese Bamboo Partridge Bambusicola thoracica Many encounters with excellent views. Blood Pheasant Ithaginis cruentus Temminck s Tragopan Tragopan temminckii Great views at Laojunshan. Also noted on Emei and Tangjiahe. Koklass Pheasant Pucrasia macrolopha (H) Chinese Monal Lophophorus lhuysii Several brilliant views at Beimuping. Bird of the trip! Silver Pheasant Lophura nycthemera Great views of a total of seven birds at Laojunshan. White Eared Pheasant Crossoptilon crossoptilon Great views at Beimuping and Mengbi Shan. Common Pheasant (Ring-necked P) Phasianus colchicus Golden Pheasant Chrysolophus pictus Great views of a male in Wolong, and multiple encounters at Tangjiahe. Lady Amherst s Pheasant Chrysolophus amherstiae Great views near Lijiang, and again at Laojunshan. White-breasted Waterhen Amaurornis phoenicurus Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus Eurasian Coot Fulica Atra Black-necked Crane Grus nigricollis A total of 47 on the Tibetan plateau. Wood Snipe Gallinago nemoricola Great views of a photogenic pair near Beimuping. Spotted Redshank Tringa erythropus Common Redshank Tringa totanus Brown-headed Gull Larus brunnicephalus Five at Lashi Lake near Lijiang. Common Tern Sterna hirundo Rock Dove (feral) (R Pigeon) Columba livia 12 BirdQuest Tour Report: Sichuan including Northern Yunnan

13 Black Woodpecker (Ueli Weber). Hill Pigeon Columba rupestris Snow Pigeon Columba leuconota Speckled Wood Pigeon Columba hodgsonii Locally common on Emei Shan. Red Turtle Dove (R Collared D) Streptopelia tranquebarica Oriental Turtle Dove (Rufous T D) Streptopelia orientalis Spotted Dove Streptopelia chinensis Eurasian Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto Wedge-tailed Green Pigeon (W-t Pigeon) Treron sphenura Whistling Hawk Cuckoo Hierococcyx nisicolor (H) Large Hawk Cuckoo Hierococcyx sparverioides Indian Cuckoo Cuculus micropterus (H) Common Cuckoo (Eurasian C) Cuculus canorus Himalayan Cuckoo Cuculus saturatus Lesser Cuckoo Cuculus poliocephalus Fork-tailed Drongo Cuckoo Surniculus dicruroides See note. Common Koel (Asian K) Eudynamys scolopacea Oriental Scops Owl Otus sunia (H) Eurasian Eagle Owl Bubo bubo Two birds on the Tibetan plateau. Tawny Fish Owl Ketupa flavipes Great views of a roosting bird at Tangjiahe. Collared Owlet Glaucidium brodiei (H) Asian Barred Owlet Glaucidium cuculoides One at Longhua town. Northern Boobook Ninox japonica (H) Little Owl Athene noctua One on the Tibetan plateau. Grey Nightjar Caprimulgus jotaka (H) Himalayan Swiftlet Collocalia brevirostris White-throated Needletail Hirundapus caudacutus Salim Ali's Swift Apus salimalii See note. House Swift Apus nipalensis Black-capped Kingfisher Halcyon pileata Common Kingfisher* Alcedo atthis Crested Kingfisher Ceryle lugubris Only noted in Tangjiahe. Eurasian Hoopoe (Common H) Upupa epops Great Barbet Megalaima virens (H) Heard on Laojunshan and Emei Shan. Speckled Piculet Picumnus innominatus One at Qingchenshan. Grey-headed Woodpecker Picus canus Black Woodpecker Dryocopus martius 13 BirdQuest Tour Report: Sichuan including Northern Yunnan

14 Wood Snipe and Crimson-browed Finch (Ueli Weber) Great Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos major Darjeeling Woodpecker Dendrocopos darjellensis Grey-capped Woodpecker (G-c Pygmy W) Dendrocopos canicapillus One at Lijiang. Bay Woodpecker Blythipicus pyrrhotis One on Emei Shan. Tibetan Lark (Long-billed Calandra L) Melanocorypha maxima Great views on the plateau. Oriental Skylark Alauda gulgula Horned Lark (Shore L) Eremophila alpestris Pale Martin Riparia diluta Eurasian Crag Martin Hirundo rupestris Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica Red-rumped Swallow Hirundo daurica Asian House Martin Delichon dasypus Richard s Pipit Anthus richardi Two on the road side on the way to Wolong. Blyth s Pipit Anthus godlewskii One in flight on the top of Emei Shan. Olive-backed Pipit (O Tree P) Anthus hodgsoni Rosy Pipit Anthus roseatus Upland Pipit Anthus sylvanus Great views of a singleton on Elephant Hills in the outskirts of Lijiang. Forest Wagtail Dendronanthus indicus Two at Qingchenshan. Citrine Wagtail (Yellow-hooded W) Motacilla citreola ssp. calcarata Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea Himalayan Wagtail Motacilla [alba] alboides Long-tailed Minivet Pericrocotus ethologus Rosy Minivet Pericrocotus roseus A pair at the First Bend of the Yangtse river in Yunnan was a surprise. Swinhoe s Minivet (Brown-rumped M) Pericrocotus cantonensis Four at Qingchenshan, and two at Tangjiahe. Collared Finchbill Spizixos semitorques Chinese Bulbul (Light-vented B) Pycnonotus sinensis Brown-breasted Bulbul Pycnonotus xanthorrhous Mountain Bulbul Hypsipetes mcclellandii Himalayan Black Bulbul Hypsipetes leucocephalus Both the grey-headed and white-headed forms were noted. Brown Dipper Cinclus pallasii Winter Wren (Northern W) Troglodytes troglodytes Maroon-backed Accentor Prunella immaculate Rufous-breasted Accentor Prunella strophiata Alpine Accentor Prunella collaris White-browed Shortwing Brachypteryx montana One on Emei Shan, and a total of four at Tangjiahe. Siberian Rubythroat Luscinia calliope Three near Gongangling. White-tailed Rubythroat Luscinia pectoralis Great views in the Balangshan area. 14 BirdQuest Tour Report: Sichuan including Northern Yunnan

15 Kessler's Thrush and Spotted Bush Warbler (Ueli Weber). Rufous-headed Robin Luscinia ruficeps (H) Firethroat Luscinia pectardens Several encounters with great views in the Wolong area. Indian Blue Robin Luscinia brunnea Himalayan Red-flanked Bluetail (H Orange-flanked Bush Robin) Tarsiger rufilatus Golden Bush Robin Tarsiger chrysaeus White-browed Bush Robin Tarsiger indicus Black Redstart Phoenicurus ochruros Hodgson s Redstart Phoenicurus hodgsoni Blue-fronted Redstart Phoenicurus frontalis White-throated Redstart Phoenicurus schisticeps Daurian Redstart Phoenicurus auroreus Plumbeous Redstart (P Water R) Rhyacornis fuliginosus White-bellied Redstart Hodgsonius phaenicuroides White-tailed Robin Cinclidium leucurum White-capped Redstart (W-c Water R, River Chat) Chaimarrornis leucocephalus Grandala Grandala coelicolor Good numbers at Balangshan. Siberian Stonechat Saxicola maura Grey Bushchat Saxicola ferrea Oriental Magpie Robin Copsychus saularis Blue Rock Thrush Monticola solitarius Blue Whistling Thrush Myophonus caeruleus Plain-backed Thrush Zoothera mollissima One on the roadside near Wolong. Long-tailed Thrush Zoothera dixoni (H) Black-breasted Thrush Turdus dissimilis Great views of a male in Yunnan. Grey-winged Blackbird Turdus boulboul One at Qingchenshan. Chinese Blackbird (Mandarin B) Turdus mandarinus Chestnut Thrush Turdus rubrocanus Kessler s Thrush (White-backed T) Turdus kessleri Slaty-backed Forktail Enicurus schistaceus White-crowned Forktail Enicurus leschenaulti Chestnut-headed Tesia Tesia castaneocoronata One on Emei Shan and a total of six at Tangjiahe. Brownish-flanked Bush Warbler Cettia fortipes Chestnut-crowned Bush Warbler Cettia major Aberrant Bush Warbler Cettia flavolivacea Yellowish-bellied Bush Warbler Cettia acanthizoides Spotted Bush Warbler Bradypterus thoracicus Russet Bush Warbler Bradypterus mandelli 15 BirdQuest Tour Report: Sichuan including Northern Yunnan

16 Brown-breasted Flycatcher (Alain Perthuis) and Chinese Blue Flycatcher (Ueli Weber). Oriental Reed Warbler Acrocephalus orientalis Rather common at Lashi Lake near Lijiang. Plain Prinia Prinia inornata White-spectacled Warbler Seicercus affinis Common on Laojunshan, and a few on Emei Shan. Plain-tailed Warbler Seicercus soror Grey-crowned Warbler Seicercus tephrocephalus Marten s Warbler Seicercus omeiensis Bianchi s Warbler Seicercus valentini Chestnut-crowned Warbler Seicercus castaniceps Rufous-faced Warbler Abroscopus albogularis Black-faced Warbler Abroscopus schisticeps One in the hills near Lijiang. Sulphur-breasted Warbler Phylloscopus ricketti Noted on Emei Shan, Qingchenshan and Tangjiahe. Eastern Crowned Warbler Phylloscopus coronatus (H) Heard at Tangjiahe. Klossi s Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus ogilviegranti Locally common in Sichuan. Davison's Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus davisoni See note. Blyth's Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus reguloides See note. Claudia s Warbler Phylloscopus claudia Widespread in Sichuan. Emei Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus emeiensis Noted on Emei Shan and again at Tangjiahe. Greenish Warbler Phylloscopus trochiloides Large-billed Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus magnirostris Arctic Warbler Phylloscopus borealis One near Leshan. A transient migrant here. Ashy-throated Warbler Phylloscopus maculipennis A total of six on Emei Shan. Buff-barred Warbler Phylloscopus pulcher Pallas s Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus proregulus Sichuan Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus forresti Chinese Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus yunnanensis Hume s Leaf Warbler (Buff-browed W) Phylloscopus humei Yellow-streaked Warbler Phylloscopus armandii Dusky Warbler Phylloscopus fuscatus Alpine Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus occisinensis Buff-throated Warbler Phylloscopus subaffinis Goldcrest Regulus regulus Severtzov s Tit-Warbler (White-browed T-W) Leptopoecile sophiae A flock of ten near Jiuzhaigou. Crested Tit-Warbler Leptopoecile elegans A pair at Gonganling near Jiuzhaigou. Chinese Blue Flycatcher Cyornis glaucicomans Two birds at Laojunshan, and one on Emei Shan. Verditer Flycatcher Eumyias thalassina Ferruginous Flycatcher Muscicapa ferruginea Total of three at Wolong. 16 BirdQuest Tour Report: Sichuan including Northern Yunnan

17 Bar-winged Wren-Babbler and Pygmy Wren-babbler on Emei Shan (Ueli Weber). Dark-sided Flycatcher Muscicapa sibirica Brown-breasted Flycatcher Muscicapa muttui Two at Qingchenshan, and one at Tangjiahe. Asian Brown Flycatcher Muscicapa dauurica One near Lijiang. Ultramarine Flycatcher Ficedula superciliaris One male near Lijiang. Slaty-blue Flycatcher Ficedula tricolor Slaty-backed Flycatcher Ficedula hodgsonii Rufous-gorgeted Flycatcher Ficedula strophiata Blue-and-white Flycatcher Cyanoptila cyanomelana See note. Grey-headed Flycatcher (G-h Canary F) Culicicapa ceylonensis Asian Paradise Flycatcher Terpsiphone paradisi (NL) One male at Laojunshan. Black-streaked Scimitar Babbler Pomatorhinus gravivox Common in Lijiang, and also noted at Tangjiahe. Streak-breasted Scimitar Babbler Pomatorhinus ruficollis Scaly-breasted Wren-Babbler Pnoepyga albiventer (H) Pygmy Wren-Babbler Pnoepyga pusilla Great views on Emei Shan. Bar-winged Wren-Babbler Spelaeornis troglodytoides Great views on Emei Shan. Rufous-capped Babbler Stachyris ruficeps Rufous-tailed Babbler (R-t Moupinia) Moupinia poecilotis Great views of a pair in the outskirts of Lijiang. Great Parrotbill Conostoma oemodium Brown Parrotbill Paradoxornis unicolor One at Golden Summit on Emei Shan. Spot-breasted Parrotbill Paradoxornis guttaticollis A pair near Tangjiahe was a bonus. Spectacled Parrotbill Paradoxornis conspicillatus Small groups at Jiuzhaigou and Tangjiahe. Ashy-throated Parrotbill Paradoxornis alphonsianus Vinous-throated Parrotbill Paradoxornis webbianus Brown-winged Parrotbill Paradoxornis brunneus A flock of three at the First Bend of Yangtse in Yunnan. Grey-hooded Parrotbill (Crested P) Paradoxornis zappeyi A confiding pair on Golden Summit on Emei Shan. Przevalski s Parrotbill (Rusty-throated P) Paradoxornis przewalskii A pair at Tangjiahe. Golden Parrotbill Paradoxornis verreauxi Small groups were noted at Laojunshan and Emei Shan. Grey-headed Parrotbill Paradoxornis gularis A total of five at Laojunshan. Chinese Babax Babax lanceolatus White-throated Laughingthrush Garrulax albogularis Père David s Laughingthrush (Plain L) Garrulax davidi Sukatschev s Laughingthrush (Snowy-cheeked L) Garrulax sukatschewi (H) Barred Laughingthrush Garrulax lunulatus A confiding pair near Jiuzhaigou. Also heard at Tangjiahe by Alain. Biet's Laughingthrush (White-speckled L) Garrulax bieti A lone bird in the hills near Lijiang. Giant Laughingthrush Garrulax maximus Spotted Laughingthrush Garrulax ocellatus (H) 17 BirdQuest Tour Report: Sichuan including Northern Yunnan

18 Giant Laughingthrush (Antti Karppi). Buffy Laughingthrush Garrulax berthemyi Great views at Laojunshan. Hwamei Garrulax canorus White-browed Laughingthrush Garrulax sannio Elliot s Laughingthrush Garrulax elliotii Red-winged Laughingthrush Garrulax formosus Only glimpsed at Laojunshan. Also heard on Emei. Emei Shan Liocichla Liocichla omeiensis Great views at Emei Shan. Also heard at Laojunshan. Silver-eared Mesia Leiothrix argentauris (NL) Alain had a flock of four at Laojunshan. Red-billed Leiothrix Leiothrix lutea White-browed Shrike Babbler Pteruthius flaviscapis See note. Blue-winged Minla Minla cyanouroptera Chestnut-tailed Minla (Bar-throated M) Minla strigula Four in the hills near Lijiang. Red-tailed Minla Minla ignotincta Rather common on Laojunshan. Golden-breasted Fulvetta Alcippe chrysotis White-browed Fulvetta Alcippe vinipectus Two near Lijiang, and one near Beimuping in Wolong. Chinese Fulvetta Alcippe striaticollis Spectacled Fulvetta Alcippe ruficapilla Small numbers were noted in the Lijiang area. Grey-hooded Fulvetta Alcippe cinereiceps Brown-capped Fulvetta (Dusky F) Alcippe brunnea David s Fulvetta Alcippe davidi Black-headed Sibia Heterophasia melanoleuca Common in the Lijiang area, and also noted on Emei Shan. Stripe-throated Yuhina Yuhina gularis Two at Laojunshan. White-collared Yuhina Yuhina diademata Black-chinned Yuhina Yuhina nigrimenta Sooty Tit (White-necklaced T) Aegithalos fuliginosus Eight in Jiuzhaigou, and a flock of 30 at Tangjiahe. Black-browed Tit Aegithalos bonvaloti Black-throated Tit (Red-headed T) Aegithalos concinnus Yellow-browed Tit Sylviparus modestus White-browed Tit Poecile superciliosus A total of seven, with some stunning views, on the Tibetan plateau. Sichuan Tit (Tibetan T) Poecile weigoldicus Père David s Tit (Rusty-breasted T) Poecile davidi A flock of four on Emei Shan. Yellow-bellied Tit Periparus venustulus Rufous-vented Tit Periparus rubidiventris Coal Tit Periparus ater Grey-crested Tit Lophophanes dichrous Japanese Tit Parus [major] minor Green-backed Tit Parus monticolus 18 BirdQuest Tour Report: Sichuan including Northern Yunnan

19 Groundpecker and Père David s Tit (Ueli Weber). Groundpecker (Hume s G, H s Ground-Jay) Pseudopodoces humilis Fairly common on the plateau. Yunnan Nuthatch Sitta yunnanensis Great encounter with a pair in the outskirts of Lijiang. Chinese Nuthatch (Snowy-browed N) Sitta villosa A total of three in Jiuzhaigou. Przevalski s Nuthatch Sitta przewalskii One near Maerkang, and another near Jiuzhaigou. Eurasian Nuthatch Sitta europaea Chestnut-vented Nuthatch Sitta nagaensis Bar-tailed Treecreeper Certhia himalayana Hodgson s Treecreeper Certhia hodgsoni Sichuan Treecreeper Certhia tianquanensis One at Tangjiahe. Fire-capped Tit Cephalopyrus flammiceps A small flock near the Xiang Fen monastery on Emei Shan. Gould s Sunbird (Mrs Gould s S) Aethopyga gouldiae Buff-bellied Flowerpecker (Fire-breasted F) Dicaeum ignipectus Chestnut-flanked White-eye Zosterops erythropleurus Japanese White-eye Zosterops japonicus Black-naped Oriole Oriolus chinensis Tiger Shrike Lanius tigrinus One at Du Fu's park in Chengdu. Long-tailed Shrike Lanius schach Grey-backed Shrike Lanius tephronotus Black Drongo Dicrurus macrocercus Ashy Drongo Dicrurus leucophaeus Hair-crested Drongo (Spangled D) Dicrurus hottentottus Eurasian Jay Garrulus glandarius Sichuan Jay Perisoreus internigrans A family party of four at Mengbi Shan. Blue Magpie (Red-billed B M) Urocissa erythrorhyncha Azure-winged Magpie (Asian A-w M) Cyanopica cyanus Eurasian Magpie Pica pica Spotted Nutcracker (Eurasian N) Nucifraga caryocatactes Alpine Chough (Yellow-billed C) Pyrrhocorax graculus Red-billed Chough Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax Daurian Jackdaw Corvus dauuricus Oriental Crow Corvus orientalis Large-billed Crow Corvus japonensis Common Raven Corvus corax Red-billed Starling (Silky S) Sturnus sericeus One at Du Fu's park in Chengdu. White-cheeked Starling (Grey S) Sturnus cineraceus Eight in Chengdu and a scattered few on the plateau. Crested Myna Acridotheres cristatellus House Sparrow Passer domesticus 19 BirdQuest Tour Report: Sichuan including Northern Yunnan

20 Chinese Fulvetta (Antti Karppi) and Grey-hooded Fulvetta (Ueli Weber). Russet Sparrow Passer rutilans Eurasian Tree Sparrow Passer montanus Rock Sparrow Petronia petronia Noted on the Tibetan plateau. White-rumped Munia Lonchura striata Grey-capped Greenfinch Carduelis sinica Black-headed Greenfinch Carduelis ambigua Fairly common in Yunnan. Tibetan Siskin (T Serin) Carduelis thibetana Twite Carduelis flavirostris Crimson-browed Finch Propyrrhula subhimachala A flock of five at Beimuping in Wolong was a great surprise. Common Crossbill (Red C) Loxia curvirostra A total of 21 on Emei Shan, and two in the Maerkang region. Plain Mountain Finch Leucosticte nemoricola Brandt s Mountain Finch Leucosticte brandti Blanford s Rosefinch (Crimson R) Carpodacus rubescens A flock of five on Emei Shan was a surprise. Common Rosefinch (Scarlet R) Carpodacus erythrinus Chinese Beautiful Rosefinch Carpodacus davidianus Pink-rumped Rosefinch (Stresemann s R) Carpodacus eos Vinaceous Rosefinch Carpodacus vinaceus Dark-rumped Rosefinch Carpodacus edwardsii Two in the Wolong area. Three-banded Rosefinch Carpodacus trifasciatus Three near Jiuzhaigou. Sharpe s Rosefinch Carpodacus verreauxii Two in the Wolong area. Chinese White-browed Rosefinch Carpodacus dubius Streaked Rosefinch (Eastern Great R) Carpodacus rubicilloides One female at Mengbi Shan. Red-breasted Rosefinch (Red-fronted R) Carpodacus puniceus Great views at Balang Shan. Grey-headed Bullfinch Pyrrhula erythaca Collared Grosbeak Mycerobas affinis White-winged Grosbeak Mycerobas carnipes Yellow-billed Grosbeak Eophona migratoria Slaty Bunting Latoucheornis siemsseni Common at Tangjiahe. Also a pair at Wolong. Black-faced Bunting Emberiza spodocephala Godlewski s Bunting Emberiza godlewskii Yellow-throated Bunting Emberiza elegans Chestnut-eared Bunting Emberiza fucata One on the way to Wolong was a great surprise and a write-in! Little Bunting Emberiza pusilla One at Laojunshan. A transient migrant here. 20 BirdQuest Tour Report: Sichuan including Northern Yunnan

21 White-browed Tit and Chinese White-browed Rosefinch (Ueli Weber). MAMMALS Black-lipped Pika Ochotona curzoniae Moupin Pika Ochotona thibetana Woolly Hare Lepus oiostolus Père David s Rock Squirrel Sciurotamias davidianus Himalayan Marmot Marmota himalayana Pallas s Squirrel Callosciurus erythraeus Swinhoe s Striped Squirrel Tamiops swinhoei Mountain Weasel Mustela altaica Hog Badger Arctonyx collaris Encountered at Wolong and on the plateau. Eurasian Badger Meles meles One near Jiuzhaigou. Père David s Macaque Macaca thibetana Eurasian Wild Boar (Wild B) Sus scrofa Tufted Deer Elaphodus cephalophus Thorold s Deer (White-lipped D) Cervus albirostris Reeve's Muntjac Muntiacus reevesi Four at Tangjiahe. Takin (Golden T) Budorcas taxicolor Fairly common at Tangjiahe. Also a group of 22 at Wolong! Chinese Goral Nemorhaedus caudatus Mountain Weasel (Ueli Weber). 21 BirdQuest Tour Report: Sichuan including Northern Yunnan

22 Red-breasted Rosefinch and Grey-headed Bullfinch (Ueli Weber). Spot-breasted Parrotbill and Black-headed Greenfinch (Ueli Weber). Slaty Bunting and Elliot's Laughingthrush (Ueli Weber). 22 BirdQuest Tour Report: Sichuan including Northern Yunnan

23 NOTES TO THE SYSTEMATIC LIST Fork-tailed Drongo-Cuckoo Surniculus dicruroides A few were noted at Qingchenshan. The Drongo-Cuckoo has recently been split into three species, Fork-tailed Drongo- Cuckoo S. dicruroides (Himalayas to South India, N Indochina and SE China), Philippine Drongo-Cuckoo S. velutinus (Philippines), and Square-tailed Drongo-Cuckoo S. lugubris (Sri Lanka, S Thailand, Malaysia, Greater Sundas and Palawan). Salim Ali's Swift Apus salimalii Fairly widely distributed in Sichuan. The Fork-tailed Swift complex has recently been split into four species: Pacific Swift A. pacificus (Eurasia), Salim Ali's Swift A. salimalii (E Tibetan Plateau and adjacent W Sichuan), Blyth's Swift A. leuconyx (Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan and north-east India), Cook's Swift A. cooki (Myanmar, N Thailand, Vietnam and Guangxi, China). Blyth's Shrike-babbler Pteruthius aeralatus Three in Yunnan, and one heard only bird at Laojunshan. The old White-browed Shrike Babbler is now split into four species. The species found in Sichuan and Yunnan is Blyth's Shrike-babbler Pteruthius aeralatus (E Himalayas, SE Asia). The other three are Pied Shrike-babbler P. flaviscapis from Java, Himalayan Shrike-babbler P. ripleyi from the W- C Himalayas, and Dalat Shrike-babbler P. annamensis from South Vietnam. Blyth's Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus reguloides A few singing birds were encountered in the hills near Lijiang in Yunnan. The old Blyth's Leaf Warbler is now split into three species; Claudia's Warbler Ph. claudiae (C and E China), Blyth's Leaf Warbler Ph. reguloides (widely distributed in Asia including Yunnan), and Hartert's Leaf Warbler Ph. goodsoni (East China). Davison's Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus davisoni A few singing birds were noted in Yunnan. The old White-tailed Leaf Warbler has been split into two species Davison's Leaf Warbler Ph. davisoni (Yunnan, N, C, E Burma, NW Thailand, N, C Laos and N, C Vietnam) and Klossi's Leaf Warbler Ph. ogilviegranti (from SE and C Sichuan and SE Yunnan to SC and S Vietnam). Blue-and-white Flycatcher Cyanoptila cyanomelana A total of four birds, including great views of two singing males, at Tangjiahe. Subspecies concerned is the distinct central Chinese subspecies cumatilis, which has recently been proposed to be split from Blue-and-white Flycatcher Cyanoptila cyanomelana (N Asia) as Zappey's Flycatcher Cyanoptila cumatilis. This split has not yet been adopted by IOC. Black Bulbul and Chinese Bulbul (Ueli Weber). 23 BirdQuest Tour Report: Sichuan including Northern Yunnan