Today was our first full day at Laotieshan and we saw some high quality species. Probably top of the list has to be the White-throated Rock Thrush, a new bird for both of us. The supporting cast included such goodies as Eye-browed Thrush, Yellow-rumped Flycatcher, Siberian Blue Robin, Rufous-tailed Robin, Blue Rock Thrush, Ashy Minivet, Russet Sparrow, Black-naped Oriole, Oriental Honey Buzzard, Pale-legged Leaf Warbler, Eastern Crowned Warbler, Chinese Leaf Warbler, Chestnut Bunting and Japanese White-eye.
We did quite a bit of walking today. As well as the immediate surroundings of the lighthouse garden, we also walked part of the ridge above the lighthouse and a few of the agricultural fields below. Stunning scenery, great birding and not another birder in sight.
One of our first birds was a Pale-legged Leaf Warbler that not only called frequently but also showed well, immediately telling us that the birds we had seen yesterday were Eastern Crowned (we obviously heard Pale-legged while watching Eastern Crowned yesterday). These birds, despite the field guides (which, incidentally, are very poor on Chinese leaf warblers), looked nothing like each other. The Pale-legged is a much browner bird than Eastern Crowned. It is also smaller and lacks any sort of crown stripe. Once seen, it will never be confused again!
In the afternoon we conducted a short count of the Streaked Shearwaters that were, again, streaming past the point (none were seen in the morning). In just 10 minutes we counted 61 passing south – a rate of over 350 per hour.
Tomorrow we plan to cover the point again until lunchtime, after which we are going to join up with Tom in Jinshitan to visit the local fish ponds (Chinese Egret there today) and then drive up the coast on Saturday to some of the prime wader spots. Sunday should see us back at Laotieshan, ready to join up with Jesper Hornskov and his Manchuria team.
A few images from today and full species list below…
Species list (in chronological order):
Eye-browed Thrush (11) – including one group of 8 in off sea
Yellow-browed Warbler (18) –
Chinese Grosbeak (2) – singing
Olive-backed Pipit (80 counted but likely many more passing overhead)
Eurasian Sparrowhawk (2)
Siberian Stonechat (12)
Barn Swallow (47)
Yellow Wagtail (6) – early morning over the point
Dusky Warbler (7)
Radde’s Warbler (12) – including one very confiding individual
Grey Wagtail (3)
Brown Shrike (13)
Oriental Turtle Dove (2)
Oriental Greenfinch (8)
Richard’s Pipit (5)
Trsitram’s Bunting (8)
Little Bunting (47) – likely many of the hundreds of the ‘tick-buntings’ overhead early morning were also this species
Black-faced Bunting (10)
Yellow-rumped Flycatcher (16) – mostly males
Siberian Rubythroat (2)
Great Tit (6)
Magpie (23)
Red-rumped Swallow (34)
Goshawk (2)
Taiga Flycatcher (11)
Japanese Quail (1) – flushed from path below lighthouse
Common Sandpiper (1) – on rocks offshore
Blue Rock Thrush (4) – including 2 singing males
Little Grebe (1) – on the sea just offshore
Black-tailed Gull (200+) – good numbers around the point
Eastern Crowned Warbler (3)
Siberian Blue Robin (9) – 7 males and 2 females
Brambling (1)
Ashy Minivet (3) – including a pair feeding along the path below the lighthouse
Asian Brown Flycatcher (4)
Red-flanked Bluetail (1)
Coal Tit (1)
Russet Sparrow (2) – in off sea and showed well for around 10 minutes before continuing north
Black-naped Oriole (1)
Amur Falcon (2)
Chinese Bulbul (4)
White Wagtail (ssp leucopsis) (1)
Hoopoe (1)
Oriental Honey Buzzard (6) – in off sea at c1200
Hume’s Warbler (1) – seen and heard
White-throated Rock Thrush (3) – all males
Pale-legged Leaf Warbler (3) – 1 seen very well, the others heard
Yellow-throated Bunting (2)
Vinous-throated Parrotbill (10)
Meadow Bunting (2)
Common Pheasant (2)
Chestnut Bunting (1)
Japanese White-eye (1)
Chinese Leaf Warbler (1) – along the ridge
Chinese Hill Warbler (1) – heard only
Hobby (1)
Streaked Shearwater (61 in 10 minutes) – clearly present in some numbers but so far only seen late afternoon/evening.