18 days Sichuan: Land of Chinese Birds

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1 18 days Sichuan: Land of Chinese Birds Tour Code Starts Ends Length Leader PTN May at Chengdu city 21 May at Chengdu city 18 days Robbi Zhu PTN May at Chengdu city 29 May at Chengdu city 18 days Jay Wu Year: 2016 Tour Summary: Covering all the important birding sites in Sichuan, which holds more than half of the Chinese endemic birds, exceeding any other Chinese provinces. Besides the birds, the unbeatable scenery, tasty food, and unique culture, all made travels in Sichuan would be a memorable experience of life. Highlight birds: Temminck's Tragopan,Blue Eared & White Eared & Golden & Lady AM Pheasant,Severtzov's Grouse,Verreaux's Monal Partridge,Chinese Monal,Tibetan Snowcock,Snow Partridge,Black-necked Crane,Wood Snipe,Hume's Ground-tit,Firethroat,Crested Tit-warbler,Grandala,Emei Shan Liocichla,Sukatschev's & Barred & Red-winged Laughingthrush,Grey-hooded & Three-toed & Brown & Spectacled & Great & Golden Parrotbill,Sichuan Jay,Tibetan Grey Shrike,Three-banded & Blandford's & Red-fronted & Spot-winged Rosefinch,Slaty Bunting and big possibility of Pink-tailed Finch Detailed Itinerary: Day 1 arrival at Chengdu city o/n Wen Jun Hotel 500m Met by Parrotbill team at airport then drive 40mins to the hotel nearby a city park..welcome group dinner nearby the hotel and the introduction of the tour by the Parrotbill leader. Day 2 Chengdu to Ya an to Longcanggou Forest Park or Labahe NR o/n Hulin Hotel 1200m With packed breakfast check out the hotel and drive to Panda Breeding Center park for birding, after that carry on to Ya an city for lunch then do some birding around,later afternoon drive into forest park where stay 3 nights Birds around Chengdu & Yan an area:

2 Spotted Dove, Red-rumped Swallow, Himalayan Wagtail, Chinese Bulbul, Oriental Magpie-Robin, Chinese Blackbird, Rufous-faced Warbler, Rufous-capped Babbler, Vinous-throated Parrotbill, White-browed Laughingthrush, Hwamei, Black-throated Tit, Eurasian Tree Sparrow,Yellow-billed Grosbeak. Near Ya an: Swinhoe s Minivet, Huamei, Ash throated Parrotbill, Chinese Bamboo Partridge,Tiger Shrike,Forest Wagtail,Yellow-rumped Flycatcher Day 3 Birding at Longcanggou Forest Park or Labahe NR 1200m-2400m Day 4 Birding at Longcanggou Forest Park or Labahe NR 1200m-2400m Two days birding inside the park arrangement will be similar, generally is start from hotel early in the morning with packed breakfast & lunch, then drive uphill and birding inside the forest park at the different spots along the road till later afternoon back to hotel for big dinner. (We will make the choice birding at Longcanggou or Labahe according to the latest situation) Day 5 Longcanggou to Luding o/n Hong Cheng Hotel 1500m Last morning birding inside the park back to our hotel and have a site down lunch then drive 5 hours to Luding where stay 2 nights. Birds around Longcanggou or Labahe: Lady Amherst s Pheasant,Temminck s Tragopans, Great, Brown, Fulvous Parrotbills, Sichuan & Emeishan Leaf Warbler, Aberrant & Yellowish bellied & Brown Bush Warblers, Grey-crowned Warbler, Blue Flycatcher, Yellow-bellied Tit, Grey-headed Bullfinch, Himalayan Swiftlet, Forktailed Swift, Grey Wagtail, Long-tailed Minivet, Brown Dipper, Rufous-breasted Accentor, White-browed Shortwing, White-bellied Redstart, Grey Bushchat, Blue Whistling Thrush, Ferruginous and Rufous gorgeted Flycatchers, Golden-fronted Fulvatta,Red Winged,Spotted & Blackfaced Laughingthrush, Emei Shan Liocichla,Black chinned Yuhina, Rufous vented Coal Tit, Russet Sparrow,Dark-breasted Rosefinch. Day 6 One full day at Er Lang Shan birding 1500m-2950m With packed breakfast & lunch we start early drive 30 minutes up to Er Lang Shan for birding.after a full day at the mountain birding from 1500m to 3000m,back to Luding for overnight. Day 7 Luding to Rilong o/n Er Ma Hotel 3300m Today is a long day drive (420km about 10 hours) but still have some chance stop for birding.we will arrive at Rilong Town for 3 nights stay where only 30km before the Balangshan mountain. Birds at Er Lang Shan area: Lady AM Pheasant,Blood Pheasant,Temminck s Tragopan,Fulvous Parrotbill,Chinese Fulvatta,Spotted & Giant Laughingthrush,Streaked Barwing,Spot-winged Rosefinch,Firethroat,Rufous-tailed Babbler

3 Day 8 Balangshan birding o/n Er Ma Hotel 3200m-4350m Day 9 Balangshan birding o/n Er Ma Hotel 3200m-4350m Each day early departure from hotel with packed breakfast & lunch, we drive up to the mountain and birding at the different spot along the road for the birds. Balangshan is the highest site of the trip for birding and the pass is about 4500m so early in the morning,even in summer,a heavy coat is necessary. Day 10 Rilong to Maerkhang 0/n Jiarong International Hotel 2900m After the last morning birding at the lower area then drive 170km about 4.5 hours north to Maerkang for 2 nights stay at comfort hotel Balangshan birds info: White-eared Pheasant,Chestnut-throated Partridge,Tibetan Snowcock, Snow Partridge,Chinese Monal.,Koklass Pheasant,Blood Pheasant,Temminck s Tragopan,Grandala,Alpine Accentor, Red-breasted Rosefinch,Plain & Brandt s Mountain Finch,Wood Snipe,Firethroat,Lammergeier, Himalayan Griffon Vulture, Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Himalayan Buzzard, Golden Eagle, Common Kestrel, Snow Pigeon, Rosy Pipit,White-tailed Rubythroat, Indian Blue Robin, Blue-fronted, Daurian and Plumbeous Redstarts, White-capped Redstart, Kessler s & Chestnut Thrushes, Alpine Leaf Warbler,White-browed Fulvetta, Spotted Nutcracker, Red-billed and Alpine Chough, Barred Laughingthrush,Chinese Beautiful & Streaked Rosefinch,Barred Laughingthrush,Sichuan Tit,White Cheeked Nuthatch,Crested Tit Warbler Day 11 One day birding at Mengbishan Forest 2900m-4100m 0/n Jiarong Hotel With packed breakfast,we transfer early 40km to Mengbishan Forest where for a full day birding. Birds possible at Mengbishan forest: Chestunt-throated Partridge,Crested Tit-Warbler, Sichuan Jay,(Chinese)Severtzov s Grouse,Blood Pheasant, Koklass Pheasant,Black Woodpecker,Himalayan Red-flanked Bluetail,White-throated Redstart, Greenish, Hume s Leaf and Yellow-streaked Warblers, Goldcrest,Chinese Babax, Giant Laughingthrush,Chinese Fulvetta, Hodgson s Treecreeper, Pink-rumped Rosefinch, Chinese White-browed Rosefinch,White-winged & Collared Grosbeak,Eurasian Three-toed Woodpecker Day 12 Maerkang to Ruoergai o/n Sunshine Hotel 3750m 330km Today we start climbing slowly from valley up to Tibet Plateau and birding on the way. Day 13 Birding around Ruoergai In the early morning we drive 30km to Baxi Forest for the forest birds and afternoon back to the grassland and wetland for other high land birds. Day 14 Ruoergai to Chuanzhusi o/n Minjiang Yuan Hotel 3100m We will especially spend the morning at the land to look for the Pink-tailed Finch and other bird at the high plateau area then drive 3 hours down to Chuanzhusi

4 Birds at Maerkang to Ruoergai and around: Ruddy Shelduck, Black-eared Kite, Upland Buzzard, Common Redshank, Common Tern, Eurasian Hoopoe, Tibetan Lark, Horned Lark, Oriental Skylark, Blyth s Pipit, Citrine Wagtail, Black Redstart, Siberian Stonechat, Dusky Warbler, Père David s (Plain) Laughingthrush, Sichuan Tit, Japanese Tit, Grey-backed Shrike, Chinese Grey Shrike, Eurasian and Azure-winged Magpies, Twite, Common Rosefinch and Godlewski s Bunting,Black-necked Crane, Black Stork, Greylag Goose, Gadwall, Eurasian Teal, Ferruginous Duck, Common Merganser, Severtzov s Tit-Warbler,White-browed Tit, Blue-eared Pheasant and Chinese Grouse, Hume s Ground Jay Day 15 Chuanzhusi to Tangjiahe NR o/n Tangjiahe Hotel 1900m The whole morning we will stay at a nearby forest area for Blue Eared Pheasant,Snowy-cheeked Laughingthrush,Sichuan Jay,Sooty Tit and possible for the Sichuan Wood Owl, then transfer to Tangjiahe NR and stay inside park at the comfort NR hotel Day 16 Tangjiahe NR With packed breakfast & lunch,we drive into another valley and do some climbing along a well paved path for a whole day birding. Birds at Tangjiahe NR: Golden Pheasant,Blood Pheasant,Temminck s Tragopan, Rusty-throated & Spectacled Parrotbill, White-throated & Greater Necklaced & Spotted Laughingthrush,Golden Bush Robin,Baikal Bush Warbler,Emei Shan & Kloss s & Claudia s & Sichuan & Chinese Leaf Warbler,Sichuan Treecreeper,Slaty Bunting,Collard Crow Day 17 Tangjiahe to Chengdu o/n Wenjun Hotel 500m Last birding at the park if necessary then drive 6 hours back to Chengdu.If time allows, stop at a riverside 30km before Chengdu for some short birding. Check in hotel and after the hot beautiful shower, we will have a celebration dinner for a fruitful tour. Day 18 departure from Chengdu Parrotbill team will arrange airport drop off and help you check in the flights back home and for the later departures, can do some walking around the hotel or birding at the nearby city park then transfer to airport by taxi.

5 Price: Tour A 4 May-21 May 2016 Tour B 12 May-29 May 2016 Tour length: 18 days Tour starts/ends: Chengdu/Chengdu Price: 2980, 3980, $4480 Include: All twin share accommodation,all meals,daily bottled water,van/coach,chinese bird guide/leader,necessary permits and entrance fee for the parks,tips for the local staff. Exclude: personal spends,hard drinks,visa fee,travel insurance and any flights Single room: 345, 470, $520 Deposit: 300, 400, $500 Max group size: 9 Tour guaranteed departure upon 4 pax. Tour Leader: Tour A: Robbi Zhu Tour B: Jay Wu