SICHUAN AND SHAANXI PROVINCES, CHINA ¨C APRIL 6 TO MAY 1, 2007

Participants: Jan Smith from USA and Chris Lester from Australia

Visited Sites: Dufu¡¯s Cottage in Chengdu, Emei-shan, Wawu-shan, Wolong (including Sawan and Wuyipeng), Balang-shan, Mengbi-shan, Honguan, Rouergai, and Juizhaigou, all in Sichuan Province and Yangxian, Foping, and Xian in Shaanxi Province.

Strategy and Planning: While most visitors looking for birds in Sichuan seem to plan trips in May and June, because of work schedules, we needed to go in April. We also wanted to avoid Golden Week from May1-7, which China has adopted from the Japanese as a spring holiday week to promote domestic tourism and when many Chinese are traveling. We studied all the trip reports that we could find (and found www.travellingbirder.com to be a great resource) in order to develop ideas for where to go. The reports from individuals were much more helpful than those from the professional tour operators. A cautionary report from a traveler in mid-April who related a less than ideal birding experience due to cold, wet weather was a little worrisome, but we decided to rely on our own judgment and the advice from Susan Myers (Australia) that April should be OK. We also wanted to add on an excursion to Shaanxi Province to look for Crested Ibis, since it seemed fairly close on the map, as well as an excursion further east to see the Army of Terracotta Soldiers near Xian. While April proved to be colder and somewhat early for many migrants, we still managed to see most of our target species, as well as several early migrants that others missed. We heard that Chengdu had one of its warmest winter¡¯s on record during winter 06-07, so we hoped that it might lead to early migration or early singing for many species to compensate for our April arrival, despite our strong concerns for the impacts of global warming.

Based on suggestions from other reports, we contacted Jia Min (gbtlky@mail.sc.cninfo.net) or her web page ( www.birdschina.com ) at Sichuan China Youth Travel Services, based in Chengdu, since she had experience in developing tour itineraries for other birding groups. We gave her the dates of our proposed trip, and she responded with a proposed itinerary. It seemed clear that she knew about the hot spots for birding in Sichuan. We also added on a visit to Yangxian in Shaanxi Province, since we wanted to look for Crested Ibis, and, at Jia Min¡¯s suggestion, a visit to Xian to the see great archaeological site with the Terracotta Army. The time in Shaanxi was well worthwhile. One note on emailing to China: it seems that there are occasional problems with email connections. Jia Min always responded quickly, so that I learned that if I did not hear from her within two days that I should try emailing again. Chris had chronic problems emailing her from Australia. We don¡¯t know why this occurred. Because we had some challenges in sending payment, I ended up calling Jia Min on her cell phone, which worked well, so it can be used in emergencies.

Chris flew to Chengdu from Melbourne, Australia via Hong Kong, arriving on Dragon Air at the domestic terminal, while I flew on United Airlines from Boston, via Chicago to Shanghai and then Shanghai Airlines to Chengdu, arriving at the international terminal. The travel arrangements from Jia Min included all accommodations, all meals, a car with a driver, an English speaking guide, and all fees, including park entrance fees and local guides. Our only additional costs were laundry and alcoholic drinks.

General Notes: We discovered that there is a tremendous push in China to both develop the country and to get ready for the 2008 Olympic games. The Chinese anticipate many tourists and want the infrastructure to be in the best shape possible for the world to see. As a consequence, there were massive road projects nearly everywhere, as well as numerous urban renewal projects, which occasionally affected our birding efforts. We had to do road detours in many cases, or wait for long periods, up to two hours, to accommodate one way traffic in certain tunnels and roadways, and to curtail birding in some locations, such as on Balangshan, due to the noise and dust of construction. Often, we needed to squeeze into narrow spots to allow larger trucks and construction vehicles to pass by, and Mr. Lee¡¯s great driving skills were very evident. While it was a frequent nuisance, it seldom was an insurmountable problem, although we did have to cut our planned stay at Wawu-shan short by a day, due to a longer drive to Wolong as a result of ongoing road construction. Air pollution is a serious problem in China, but it was confined almost entirely to the large cities, where we spent little time (Chengdu and Xian). I have to say that the food was fabulous where ever we went. We like spicy food, to the disbelief of many Chinese, so we were always ordering it as hot as we could get it. Kevin paid a lot of attention to our food and generally ordered dishes for us and supervised their preparation, which may have had a lot to do with what we ate. Our favorite dish was a traditional spicy dish with eggplant. Because Kevin had traveled the route before with other birding groups, he was familiar with most of the best eating locations.

Visa: With China now implementing reciprocity for US citizens for visa requirements, a visit in person is required for a visa to China, which meant that I had to use a visa service (who presented my paperwork in person) since there was no consulate in Boston. It was a nuisance but fairly straightforward and fast (less than two weeks), using one of a number of services that I found on the web. Chris was able to go directly to the consulate in Melbourne.

Money: ATMs and currency exchange were not widely available, except for Chengdu and Emei. I changed money in the airport in Shanghai, since I had a four hour layover, while Chris struggled, eventually successfully, to exchange Australian $ in Emei.

Resources: In addition to the MacKinnon and Phillips Field Guide, which was a necessity, despite numerous drawbacks and lackings, we carried Baker and Baker¡¯s Warblers of Europe, Asia, and North Africa and Clement, Harris, and Davis¡¯s Finches and Sparrows (mostly for rosefinches). We also brought Frank Rheindt¡¯s article on splits in warblers and Pamela Rasmussen¡¯s article on rosefinch splits and identification from Birding Asia 5 (2006) and 3 (2005) respectively. All were helpful, in addition to the trip bird lists and maps in various trip reports. We have listed the species below that we saw on our trip, with locality information, using the taxonomic order used by the Field Guide. It was not our first choice to use this particular taxonomic order, but I found that it makes it easier to use the book. Apologies to those who disagree, and I understand completely.

Detailed Itinerary, with notes on Specific Sites:

Day One, Chengdu, Friday April 6: We both arrive in Chengdu in the evening, met by Kevin and Mr. Lee. It was humid and around 21 degrees C (70 F). Clearing customs and the airport was a little slow, but we arrived at the hotel (the Lhasa Grand Hotel) in downtown Chengdu by 11:30 and in our room by midnight. Despite the 12 hour time zone change, I had no problem sleeping. The hotel was not really new but comfortable enough, and the room design was exactly like several hotels that I stayed in on a previous visit to China in 2002.

Day Two, Chengdu to Emei Shan, Saturday April 7: Kevin met us for breakfast at 6 AM and we departed at 6:30 AM for a visit to Du Fu¡¯s Cottage in Chengdu, the traditional spot for city birding in Chengdu (as well as an interesting historical location). There was a light to moderate rain, with temps around 15 C (60 F). We arrived at the gate at 7, still raining, and discovered that the park would not open until 8, so we walked around for an hour in the adjacent landscaped park with some adjacent waterways. Despite the rain, there was a fair amount of bird activity, including White-browed Laughingthrushes, several wagtails, and several common species, but we also flushed a Eurasian Woodcock off a grassy, wet lawn, found a singing Little Bunting, several Red-billed Leiothrix, and heard a Yellowish Bellied Bush Warbler, along with some very wet Vinous-throated Parrotbills and Black-throated Tits. A couple of White-cheeked Starlings perched high in a tree, which was mostly leafed out. The park with Du Fu¡¯s Cottage opened at 8 and we were first in line. Not too much competition on a wet day. The rain eased up a bit and as we explored the historic park, we found single Eye-browed and Dusky Thrushes and Striated Prinia, and more of the common things. We left a little after 10 to meet Jia Min to hand over our trip payment and had a snack that evolved into a lunch as the number of small dishes increased. About 12, we left for the drive to Emei-Shan, arriving about 3 at Bao Guo where we checked into the Emei Shan Hotel. We spent the last few hours of the afternoon birding around the base of Emeishan up as far as the main (new) entrance gate. We added Brown-breasted Bulbul and Ahlstrom¡¯s Warbler, our only ones of the trip, as well as a number of common species, including the first of many White-capped and Plumbeous Redstarts and a Slaty-backed Forktail. The day ended overcast and very humid, but not hot.

Day Three, Bottom to Top (Golden Summit) of Emei Shan, Sunday, April 8: It was the weekend, unavoidably, so Emei-shan was crowded, despite off and on rain, which was heavy at times, mostly when we tried to look for birds. It became steadily cooler as we traveled up the mountain. We got up early, stashed most of our luggage in Mr. Lee¡¯s room, since he got to stay and watch TV all day at the Emei Shan Hotel, and, with Kevin, we caught the first public bus to the Wannian Temple parking area. The crowds were already gathered in long lines for the cable car. We decided to walk up the steps in the hopes of both escaping the crowds and seeing a few birds, as the rain picked up in intensity. We succeeded only slightly on both counts. Our best bird was a small group of White-winged Magpies, part way up the climb. The rain really hindered our birding, though we managed to find some Collared Finchbills, and, after a shower let up, the trail around the temple, which was largely quiet, except for a large flock of White-collared Yuhinas. We then walked down a different trail in the mist, finding Hwameis, Grey Bushchat, Masked and Elliott¡¯s Laughingthrushes, a couple of shy Emeishan Leiochiclas, and some likely migrating Chestnut-eared Buntings, as well as several common species. We heard several loudly singing birds with a distinctive song that we later identified as Brownish-flanked Bush Warblers, because we found many more. At the parking area again, we caught a public bus to go higher up, in order to catch the cable car to the top for the night. The cloud ceiling got steadily lower, the temperature decreased, and it started to snow lightly by the time we got to the base of the new glass-walled cable car. As we rode up the cable car, the vegetation got progressively more encrusted with ice, and I started to wonder if I had made a serious mistake in coming so early in the season. This was by far the coldest night of the trip. The ground at the summit was covered with a crusty layer of packed snow, the visibility was down to a few meters, the temperature was definitely below freezing, and the hotel room was not much warmer, even after we got the heater going. I slept under the comforter with all of my clothes on and was barely comfortable enough to get some sleep. We found one restaurant open, and while the food was good and spicy and hot, it cooled rapidly in the below freezing room of the restaurant. We ate quickly and returned to our beds, as the snow fell lightly. We did have hot water in the bathroom, but I was in no mood to undress in below freezing temperatures.

Day Four, Golden Summit down to bottom and drive to Wawu-shan, Monday, April 9: Most visitors get up by tradition to view dawn on the Golden Summit and the hotel receptionist dutifully knocked on everyone¡¯s door. It was still cold, with a small layer of snow on the ground and the visibility was poor. No birds in view and not a sound in the icy pre-dawn. Kevin cheered us on to look for dawn, but it was evident that it was not to be, as the light snow kept falling. We searched the top and finally found a few Winter Wrens and a Rufous-breasted Accentor at a rubbish tip, as well as a couple of Elliott¡¯s Laughingthrushes eating some discarded corn cobs, and then decided to head down right after breakfast to warmer climes. Near the bottom of the cable car, we encountered a tit flock and a couple of Black-faced Laughingthrushes, but that was it. We took the bus down to meet Mr. Lee and immediately left for the drive to Wawu-shan, which would take about six hours. The weather improved temperature-wise and the snow/rain stopped. The newly completed hydroelectric dam near Wawu-shan had been completed and had started filling with water the day before. We had to drive on the new road, still under construction, around what would become the new rim of the future lake. There was lots of road construction, as well as hotel and restaurant construction along the road, in anticipation of an influx of tourism once the lake was filled. The largely agricultural valley, with the old road to Wawu-shan across it, below us would be flooded. As we entered the park, the temperatures were very comfortable and the vegetation seemed well leafed out, as it had been in Chengdu, but as we climbed up the road to the hotel, early summer gave way to early spring, until we reached the Gongtong Hotel where buds on the tree were barely in view, though the rhododendrons were blooming. The hotel was nearly empty and it was cold outside, though not freezing. The down side was that the hotel had no hot water, except for some supplied to us in large thermos bottles (enough to wash our faces but not shower) but the up side was that the beds had warm electric heating pads. A few birds were singing in the early evening as we went to an excellent dinner at the restaurant, but they were hard to spot. We only identified a Collared Owlet.

Day Five, Wawu-shan, Tuesday, April 10: I woke early to a chorus of birds, with a clear sky, and temperatures slightly above freezing. Collared Owlet was the only one that I recognized right away. We went for a walk down the road until breakfast at 8. Temminck¡¯s Tragopans seemed to be calling loudly everywhere. Bird life was numerous, which was a welcome change, along with the improved weather. The day got steadily warmer. In our morning walk, in addition to the Tragopans (which we never managed to see here, despite how common they seemed to be) we heard several Lady Amherst¡¯s Pheasants, Chestnut Thrushes, Ferruginous Flycatcher, Red-winged and Rusty Laughingthrushes, Golden-breasted Fulvettas, Claudia¡¯s Warbler, and a flock of Golden Parrotbills, as well as others. After breakfast, with the good weather continuing, we decided to go to the summit on the cable car. While some of the cars looked pretty rusty, it seemed like a safe operation. Although the ground was bare at the bottom, we found several inches (10 cm) of wet slushy snow at the top. The day was warm with the sun, so it was melting rapidly into a wet mess. We hiked down the trail to the left of the summit and quickly started finding birds. A Black Baza flew by just over the tree tops, and there were lots of warblers singing in the trees, most of which appeared to be Lemon-rumped, but we also identified Hume¡¯s and Greenish and White-tailed (Kloss¡¯s). Rufous-gorgeted Flycatchers were numerous but the biggest surprise, and probably the best bird of the trip, was a male Blackthroat that we got great looks at low down, as it fed among the bamboo and rhododendron with its tail cocked. We found several Great Parrotbills, as well as more Goldens, and a brief view of two Grey-hoodeds in the bamboo meadow. Tits, particularly, Coal Tit, were numerous. A Sichuan Treecreeper, followed by long views of a Red Panda watching us from a bare tree, made it a great day. We ate a picnic lunch from snacks that Kevin brought and took an early afternoon cable car down. We ended the day with another, longer walk back down the road, adding Yellow-browed and Fire-capped Tits and Gould¡¯s Sunbird to the day¡¯s list. Dinner was back at the hotel dining room and then we went back into the heated bed pads for the night. At dinner, we got the news from Kevin that we would have to leave the following day, a day earlier than planned, because the drive to Wolong would take two days, due to extensive road construction and wide detours, but that we could still have a morning of birding down the mountain.

Day Six, Down Wawu-shan and drive to Dujiang Yan, Wednesday, April 11: We were up early and heard an Asian Barred Owlet from our room window overlooking the forest and then walked back down the road again, where there was a lot of bird activity. We heard more Tragopans and Pheasants calling and finally saw a female Lady Amherst¡¯s Pheasant fly across the valley. We saw several Streak-Breasted ScimitarBabblers and two constantly calling White-browed Fulvettas, as well as two species of Shrike-Babblers. After breakfast at 8, we packed up and then drove down the mountain, stopping frequently for birding stops until we reached the bottom. Brownish-flanked Bush Warblers were common, now that we knew the song, and we heard a repeated loud call that we later matched exactly to Bay Woodpecker on the recordings. We also heard and saw Emei Leaf Warbler at the elevation reported by others, as well as Chestnut-crowned Warbler, a flock of Red-winged Laughingthrushes, Yellow-bellied Tits, and a Slaty Bunting foraging beside the road. As with the previous two days, traffic was negligible. Just outside the park entrance, we tried to walk up the side road that several reports recommended, but were chased back after a kilometer or so by two vicious dogs. We continued with a long days drive to Dujiang Yan over extensive construction. The distance was not far but the detours were extensive and our driver had to stop frequently and inquire about the route. We had lunch in a new city where the refugees from the flooded valley had been moved to and saw them receiving mass public education on an outdoor screen. House Swifts flew around the city. We arrived in Dujiang Yan, after passing through an irrigation system with Little Egrets and a lone Tufted Duck to a comfortable hotel in the early evening.

Day Seven, Dujiang Yan to Wolong, Thursday, April 12: Although the distance was not so far to Wolong, we learned that one of the tunnels in a multi-tunnel system only allowed one way traffic, in the direction we needed, from 9 to 11. In fact we encountered frequent long delays and one way traffic that made the trip a five hour endurance test. In the early dawn light, I heard a Collared Scops Owl on the hotel grounds. Before leaving Dujiang Yan, I birded the grounds of the hotel some more and found Collared Finchbill and a Rufous-faced Warbler, among many common species. During one of our many waiting periods, we thought we heard what we were sure were Golden Pheasants on the steep hillsides near the road and saw more Collared Finchbills. Although we had not planned to visit the Wolong Panda Breeding Center, we stopped to have lunch nearby and had a chance to see some pandas in their enclosures visible from the road. Shortly after, we arrived at the comfortable Wolong Hotel where wagtails were very common on the grounds. We had a room facing the hillside behind the hotel and soon spotted a female Spot-winged Rosefinch (a late migrant, we wondered?) feeding very close to the wall, which we were able to study at length, and many pheasants were calling. Later, climbing up the hill, we got several quick views of gorgeous Golden Pheasants. The only other bird of note was a Sooty Tit. We had an OK meal at the hotel restaurant, but Kevin decided that we should eat the rest of our lunches and dinners at the Good Flavor Restaurant a short walk up the main road. The weather had been sunny and pretty warm all day, 25 degrees.

Day Eight, Hiking up to Wuyipeng, Friday, April 13: An early morning stroll found a pair of Black-faced Buntings in Wolong village. The plan for this day was, after breakfast and leaving most of our luggage at the hotel, to hike up to the Wuyipeng Research Station and stay overnight. After buying some food supplies, which were later carried up the hill by some hired locals, at 9 o¡¯clock we drove a short distance up the road, again with heavy road construction everywhere, to a spot where we walked through the village to a swinging metal bridge where we crossed to the other side of the river to the trail. We were accompanied by Kevin and a local guide, Mr. Liu, from the Research Station. It was a rather steep hike and since the weather had turned quite warm, it was good exercise. We heard a number of Golden Pheasants on the hike up, found another Slaty Bunting near the start of the trail, and glimpsed Giant and Barred Laughingthrushes. The walk became easier when the trail leveled off at the top and we continued to the field station where we ate lunch. We spent the time before and after lunch wandering the level trails on either side of the station and added Koklass Pheasant, Collared Owlet, Darjeeling and White-backed Woodpeckers, Two-barred Warbler, Red-flanked Bush-Robin, Pere David¡¯s Tit, and Nutcracker to our list. We spent the night at the field station, where conditions were a little primitive (barely running water and essentially no heat, but plenty of blankets) , but the friendly caretaker, Mr. Wong, who also cooked our meals made up for it. His wife, son, daughter-in-law, and three grandchildren arrived later in the afternoon for the weekend, adding a family atmosphere.