June & July 2006, Sichuan Province, China Trip
Report
by John and Jemi Holmes
INTRODUCTION
Apart from Wawushan, which we had visited briefly before, the
purpose of the trip was to visit a variety of panda-related Nature Reserves and
scenic spots in the mountains of Sichuan. Of course the casual visitor is not
going to be permitted to hike up into the hills and disturb the pandas, but
these reserves often have the best bird habitat as well.
Jiuzhaigou has become a huge, money generating business and some
of the other sites are now trying to attract visitors in a more modest
way. For as long as ChinasÕ
logging ban holds, revenue from tourism is being sought as a substitute.
SichuanÕs mountains are separated by a lot of fast-flowing
rivers. There are many dams for hydroelectric projects now under construction.
At the end of May 2006 KLM introduced direct flights between
Chengdu and Amsterdam. With AmsterdamÕs many connections to European cities,
getting to Sichuan has just got a lot easier.
Some of the prices we paid for things have been quoted as a
guide for other independent travellers, we hope this is not too distracting
from the text. Fortunately, Jemi speaks good Putonghua (Mandarin). If you do
not have a forceful guide you may be quoted higher prices than ours. On the
other hand, if you are a local, your hotel rooms, etc. will be cheaper !
ITINERARY
May 30 HK
to Shenzhen airport, Chengdu to Wawushan, Meishan
May 31 - Jun 10 Wawushan, Meishan
Jun 11 - 12 Bifengxia,
Yaan
Jun 13 Mengdingshan, Mingshan
county, Yaan
Jun 14 Yudu
Hotel, Yaan city
Jun 15 - 16 Erlangshan National
Forest Park, Yaan
Jun 17 - 18 Fengtongzhai
Nature Reserve, Baoxing county, Tianquan, county,
Yaan
Jun 19 North
on route S210 Jiajinshan guesthouse at Km219.
Jun 20 Over
Jiajinshan -pass at Km184- to Xiaojin,
Aba
Tibetan & Qiang Autonomous Prefecture (Aba)
Jun 21 - 25 Siguniangshan
(Mt. Four Sisters), Aba
Jun 26 - Jul 2 Zhuokeji,
Maerkang county, Aba
Jul 3 – 5 Kalonggou, Heishui county, Aba
Jul 6 Songpan,
Aba
Jul 8 – 11 Jiuzhaigou,
Aba
Jul 12 – 13 Wanglang
Nature Reserve, Pingwu county, Mianyang
Jul 14 – 15 Tangjiahe
Nature Reserve, Guangyuan
Jul 16 Beichuan
city, Mianyang
Jul 17 – 18 Xiaozhaizi
Gou Nature Reserve, Beichuan county, Mianyang
Jul 19 Chengdu
Jul 20 Chengdu
flew to Shenzhen, SZ airport to HK
REFERENCES
Carey, G.J., (Ed.) (1996)
A biodiversity review of China
Hong
Kong: WWF China programme
Green, Michael J.B.,
(1993) Nature Reserves of the Himalaya and Mountains of Central Asia - IUCN India: OUP, New Delhi
Mackinnon,
J. and Phillipps,K, (2000) A field guide to the Birds of China UK: Oxford University
Press
Martens,J., Eck,S., and SUN Y.-H., ÒOn the discovery of a new treecreeper in China
– Certhia tianquanensis LiÓ OBC
Bulletin 37 June 2003
Mayhew, Bradley et al. (2002) South-west China - Lonely
Planet Guide Australia: Lonely Planet Publications
Pty Ltd.
Schaller, George B., The Last Panda University of Chicago Press, 1993
Stattersfield, A.J., and Capper, D.R., (2000) Threatened birds of the World - Barcelona and Cambridge, UK : Lynx Edicions and Birdlife International
MAP: Central China Nelles Maps - Nelles Verlag Gmbh 2005
SITE NOTES and
COMMENTS
Wawushan,
Meishan
The
best known site for Sichuan Treecreeper and where Emei specialties such as
Grey-hooded Parrotbill and Emeishan Liochichla are readily found. A flat–topped mountain of 3,200m,
managed as a Scenic Area, admission RMB 50. The Wawu Grand Hotel near the entrance, Gongtong (Dove Tree)
Hotel at the cable car base, and Xianger Hotel at the summit are all run by the
same company. Due to this monopoly accommodation and food are relatively
expensive, but at least you are in the middle of a great birding area.
Sichuan
Treecreeper, Wawushan
Location
and access
Inconvenient
without your own transport. About
20 km south south-west of Emeishan.
In July 06 the bus terminated in an open area where Wawu town used to
be. The site was expected to be under water in few months. Public busses from
Hongya take about two hours. There
is also a bus from Emei town that goes up past the base of the Emeishan Wannian
Temple cable car and the Emei summit entrance area 18km below Leidongping.
Going straight on (west, roughly) through picturesque countryside, the bus
reaches the town of Gaomiao. There it turns left (south) on the Hongya –
Wawu road. However, youÕll still need to get from
the bus stop in Wawu town to the Wawu Scenic Area entrance gate (about 3 km,
mainly uphill. You might hire a minivan for RMB 20 or so). The hotel management company runs a
shuttle bus (RMB 40 per person) for the journey to and from the site entrance
to the cable car base, 22 km. We
hired a minivan to get us to Wawushan from Chengdu Airport (RMB 600). Admission at Wawushan is RMB 50. Rather
cheekily they made us pay the admission fee for our driver, too !
View from Wawu
summit towards Emei Shan
View from in front
of Xianger Hotel, Wawushan
Birding
strategy
There
is good birding along the access road.
The area between a bridge by a waterfall up to the point where the cable
car comes into view (from about km 10 to km 15) is good at almost anytime of
day for Lady Amherst Pheasants crossing or feeding by the roadside (seen late
afternoon when we arrived, around 0800 when we hired a van to ÒcoverÓ that
section, and around midday when we left).
The pheasants can be surprised if approached in a vehicle, but flee
quickly if they see people on foot.
From
the Gongtong Hotel near the cable car base, we heard Emeishan Liochiclas almost
constantly by day and, on one clear evening, Oriental Scops Owl just after
sunset. Walking down the road is
easy, it is wide and there is little traffic. We saw GouldÕs Sunbird and Emei Liochicla downhill from the
cable car base.
To
the right of the front of the Gongtong Hotel there is the ÒSwift Cave TrailÓ.
There are no signs in Chinese or English but the route is marked on the
admission tickets. The path was muddy in June! It climbs steadily round the
north-east slope of the mountain. Rusty Laughingthrush was briefly seen twice
and there we found Gold-fronted Fulvettas (pair feeding young). We never did get all the way to the end
of the trail.
White-bellied
Redstart -male
Gold-fronted
Fulvetta, Swift Cave Trail, Wawushan
At
the flattish summit there is a walk of 1.3 km from the cable car to the Xianger
Hotel. The path continues along the northern edge of the plateau to the Lanxi
waterfall. Most of the paths consist of red sandstone flagstones, a good
surface even when wet, but some rest areas and the apron in front of the
Xianger Hotel were polished flat and positively dangerous when wet. The best birding sections of path
were from Xianger Hotel towards Taiqing Temple, and the first 700m or so from
the cable car terminal, also towards the temple. We found both Sichuan and Eurasian Treecreepers breeding in
the area. The path marked from the
Lanxi waterfall to Taiqing Temple is boarded off.
We
saw some great birds, but frequent mist and rain made the going very slow at
times. You can trudge for hours and not see any birds at all. One mammal
highlight was a Red Panda near the Taiqing Temple.
Bifengxia,
Yaan
An
expensively crafted Panda breeding and research area, set in foothills and
surrounded by the upper arms of a ÒYÓ shaped gorge. Admission fee is RMB 80. There is also a zoo and amusement park – perhaps best
avoided - about a kilometre down the road. Elevation 700m to 1300m.
Little Forktail
habitat, Bifengxia Gorge
View of gorge from
the top of the elevator - Bifengxia
Location
& Access
The
main entrance is 18km (RMB 35 taxi ride) from the West gate Bus Station of
Yaan. There is also a regular
mini-van running from the Yaan Travel Bus Station, Baiyi road to the entrance
of the scenic area, RMB 5 per person. The main hotel is expensive, but there
are privately run guesthouses and restaurants back down the road. Admission RMB 80, the shuttle bus to
and from the Panda breeding centre entrance are inclusive. We stayed inside the
site at the pleasant Ò XiaoxitianÓ (Little Heaven), which is 300m beyond the
breeding centre entrance. Standard
room RMB 120 per night. (better rate at weekdays). There is a good restaurant
nearby. In the low season, in
winter, the people at the main entrance may tell you Xiaoxitian is closed. It
is a lie, -they want you to stay at the expensive main hotel!
Birding
Strategy
The
easiest way to bird the gorge is to start at Xiaoxitian and walk down one
branch of the ÔYÕ and up the other, leaving the floor of the gorge by the
unusual 90 metres elevator near the main entrance. (Or you can start at the
elevator and do most of your walking uphill, itÕs up to you!) In the gorge,
Chinese Bamboo Partridges were seen and we had best-ever views of Little and
Spotted Forktails. Grey Treepie, Eurasian Jay, Red-billed Leiothrix,
Yellow-bellied Tits and Black Bulbuls were also present. We found Ashy-throated Parrotbills
common, confiding and feeding young in the bushes outside the restaurant at
Xiaoxitian.
We
saw the Pandas in their fairly natural-looking outdoor runs. Apparently, these
are Pandas from Wolong. If you hear statistics about breeding successes at
Wolong, they may be including the Bifengxia animals. There seem to be far fewer
visitors than at the Panda Research Centres in Wolong and Chengdu. Bifengxia is a pleasant site which
might be better for birding in winter.
Spotted Forktail,
Bifengxia
Mengdingshan,
Mingshang
county, Yaan
Famous
as a centre for green tea. There
are a few original trees on this hilltop, and a lot of secondary growth. The area is criss-crossed with good
stone paths. A museum to the Red
Army Long Marchers is near the top.
ÒHistory is written by the victorsÓ – indeed.
Location
and access
An
easy bus ride from Yaan Travel Bus Station on Baiyi Lu to Mengding town, then a
RMB 5 per person minivan ride. Admission RMB60. A 10-12 minutes cable car ride
(RMB30 return) to the largest temple.
There is a newly built guesthouse, RMB 200 (discount rate) a standard
room. Tea tasting tables and
chairs are set out in pleasant surroundings. Nearby there is the fanciest temple complex toilet we had
ever seen. All very upmarket.
Birding
Notes
Apart
from a single Moustached Laughingthrush we saw a few common birds during the
visit. Not recommended as a birding site, but nice tea.
Erlangshan National Forest Park,
Yaan
The
area is now divided into four scenic spots; - Labahe, Erlangshan, Honglingshan
and Baishahe. We went to Labahe,
which means ÒTrumpet RiverÓ due to the shape of the gully. Admission fee RMB58. A lot of money has recently been spent
on accommodation and facilities.
Location
and access
A 47
Km bus ride from Yaan Travel Station takes you to Tianquan, the county Certhia
tianquanesis
is named after. The busses are
every 20 minutes, but you must get the 07:50 or earlier to make the connection
with the Labahe bus at 10:00. We
missed it and hired a minivan to go there (RMB 140).
37Km
west along route S318 - the road to Kangding and Tibet - there is a turnoff
north over a bridge, with new signboards and an ornate archway. A newly paved road goes 25 Km up the
valley. In places falling rocks have crushed the safety barriers as if they
were tin foil.
Accommodation:
22Km - wooden chalets across river - RMB 220 a standard room
23Km - a large hotel (under re-construction)
24Km - ÒBaigelin HotelÓ - blue-roofed
chalets - RMB 260 a standard room
25Km - ÒBlue Crystal HotelÓ -
RMB 410 a standard room (Re-named Labahe Grand Hotel, Autumn 2006)
The
big hotel (under re-construction) and the Labahe Grand Hotel have salt licks
where Chinese Water Deer (among others) can be seen after sunset when the light
is almost completely gone; - fifteen seconds shutter speed at ISO1600 ! But the
spectacle of big, edible wild animals in China was unforgettable.
Along
the bottom 20Km of the river, four small dams have been constructed to create
boating lakes.
Salt Lick view -
Labahe
Birding
Strategy
We
stayed at the ridiculously opulent Blue Crystal Hotel (now the ÒLabahe GrandÓ)
because we thought it would be easier to access good habitat upstream, but it
appears that you have to walk several kilometres upstream to get away from the
area damaged by logging. We walked about 2km parallel to the main river in the
company of a guide arranged by the hotel. We saw a few birds and found a Lady
AÕs Pheasant tail feather. The
hotel itself is deep in a valley with only secondary trees on the nearby
hillsides. Golden-breasted Fulvettas
and Collared Finchbills were along the road downhill, at the 24 – 25km
area.
The
best place for birders to stay should be the wooden chalets at km 22, (over the
bridge, behind a shrine). This is
where the tour vehicles are based.
For RMB 20 per person, a six-seater 4WD may be hired to go up a gravel
track a few Km to the end of a wooden boardwalk at 2,700m – photo
below. Built in 2005, the
boardwalk runs above shoulder-high bamboo to a viewpoint, then down many steps
and into a gully ending at 2,400m. We saw Fulvous and Brown Parrotbills,
Chinese Babax and Speckled Wood Pigeon. The snow-capped peaks are visible for much of the
walk, but 80% of the original spruce trees are gone. Despite this, a promising-looking area, mainly for the
readily accessible dwarf bamboo.
Not far from the end of the boardwalk we went to Deer Lake (2,400m). White-throated
Needletails were seen coming in to drink.
Boardwalk, Labahe
(upper end)
Fengtongzhai Nature Reserve,
Baoxing
county, Tianquan, county, Yaan
This
(Provincial) Reserve headquarters is right next to the main road. The buildings, dating from the 70Õs,
were being surveyed for demolition during our visit. This is the area where Pere Armand David was first shown a
Giant Panda skin in 1869. A
pictorial signboard proclaims route S201 the ÒDavid roadÓ in an obvious attempt
at a tourist theme.
Location
and access
50
minutes bus ride east of Tianquan, at the road junction we got a bus northwards
to Baoxing – about 1 hour 40 minutes. From there minivans go to a town 6 Km south of Fengtongzhai
HQs. In the absence of Taxis, we
hired a van to cover the last few kilometres.
Most
of the reserve area seems to be the high ground of some very steep
mountains. The topography must be
good for the wildlife, but inconvenient for sightseers. We spent one morning
trudging up slippery paths but there were few birds and it was hard work. We were told that a tent could be hired
(as well as porters, guides) for supervised camping at the higher elevations.
Pere
Armand DavidÕs Mission
On a
Sunday morning we hired a minivan to be driven to ÒPere Davids ChurchÓ a few Km
up a side valley. IÕm not sure how
authentic the wooden buildings are. (There is a 1985 photo in the ÒThe Last
PandaÓ of this site, and parts of it seem to have been recently re-built)
(Admission RMB 20). There are a few stuffed animals, and some furniture said to
have been used by Pere David himself.
Prominence is given to a fading set of photos highlighting a bold
fact-finding mission to the south of France by the good burghers of Baoxing. There are also historical photos of
foreign hunters, including the Roosevelt brothers with their first trophy
panda.
View from in front of the
ÒMissionÓ
Church interiors
Jiajinshan Pass
From
Fengtongzhai we got a bus north up the valley to the rough town of Qiaoji, soon
to be submerged behind a dam. We
found there was no bus north over the pass. Jemi enlisted a mini-van driver and we were driven about
30Km up a picturesque valley with Tibetan houses in fields of potatoes and
broad beans. At km 219 is a
guesthouse renovated in September
2005. There was a road
barrier and self-explanatory sign:-
Ò In
order to let the Panda have a wonderful environment for copulation, this road
is closed from 19:00 to 07:00 from March to June.Ó
A
4,000m pass is at Km 184. The hilltops on the south side are quite bare and
overgrazed, - photo below. (The OLD edition Nelles map ÒCentral ChinaÓ is
completely wrong here; the road does not turn east towards Balangshan Pass, it
descends to join Route S303 near
the town of Dawei, about 60km west of Balangshan. This has been
corrected in the 2005 Nelles map of Central China.)
Bare southern
slopes of Jiajinshan
On the northern side of the pass a lot of road-widening work was going on. We were told the completion of road works would coincide with completion of the Qiaoji dam, and then a bus service might resume. We saw our first Griffon Vultures, Plain Mountain Finch and KesslerÕs Thrush from the road. The road workers were sleeping in rough shelters of plastic sheets and burning rhododendron bushes from the hillsides to keep warm. Despite this, there is a healthy-looking area of Rhododendrons on the slope opposite the road, 2 - 3 Km north of the pass. We passed good areas of spruce and red birch on the way down. The last few km to Dawei are very bare and dry, but Hill Pigeons and Crag Martins were seen.
Siguniangshan (Mt. Four Sisters),
Aba Tibetan & Qiang Autonomous Prefecture
View of
Siguniangshan from ÒThe CatÕs NoseÓ lookout
The
second highest mountain in Sichuan, 6,250m. A popular viewpoint is at Ò The CatÕs NoseÓ at Km135, Route
S303.
Location
and access
We
stayed at the Sunny Hostel in Rilong, a standard room for RMB 80. The town, with a variety of hotels for
domestic and Japanese tourists, is at Km141 on route S303. It is 28 Km west of Balangshan pass and
94 Km from Shawan (Wolong). A good
base for the upper reaches of Balangshan, and there are two very birdable
scenic spots nearby.
Shuangqiaogou
(Double Bridge Valley),
Siguniangshan (Mt. Four sisters)
The entrance is at Km148. They are doing an imitation of Jiuzhaigou in that you must travel on a park minibus. Admission Fee RMB 80, minibus fee also RMB 80. The valley is 35km long - elevation1900m to 3800m - with spruce and larch-clad hillsides and a river in the middle, meandering in wider places through green meadows. At the first stop ÒRenshen guo pingÓ we told the guide on the minibus not to wait for us and walked a 2.6 Km boardwalk. Snow Pigeons, Giant Laughingthrush and Rufous-bellied Woodpeckers were seen well. There are a couple of Tibetan villages in the valley and it may be possible to stay overnight although I suspect this would be contrary to regulations. With relatively few visitors the absence of a foreign visitor might be noticed.
View from the
boardwalk, Shuangqiaogou
Tibetan house,
upper end of Shuangqiaogou
Changpinggou,
Siguniangshan (Mt. Four sisiters)
Location
and access
At
the upper end of Rilong township there is a side road where the S303 crosses
the river. The entrance gate and ticket office (0830 – 1600) are a few
hundred metres up the road. Admission fee is RMB 70, with another RMB 20 for a
7-km minibus ride to the end of a 3.5Km boardwalk. (Pony rides are available on a track roughly parallel to the
boardwalk-useless for birding, obviously.) Elevation of the boardwalk is 3,400m. Many birds were in family parties, such
as Grey-crested, Rufous-vented and Black-browed Tits, Common and White-browed
Rosefinch and White-throated Redstart.
A pair of Rufous-bellied Woodpeckers was also seen. Beyond the boardwalk
a bridge crosses the stream and leads to a campsite further up the valley.
June
may not be a good month to bird this area. Despite the imposition of a barrier
and really unnecessary bus ride to get to the end of the boardwalk, the habitat
looks very promising.
Blue-fronted
Redstart near Rilong
Balangshan
Pass
(route S303 km 114.5)
Aba Tibetan & Qiang Autonomous Prefecture
We
paid RMB 230 for a minivan driver to pick us up at 04:00 on each of two days to
look for the pheasants around km92. (Thanks to up-to-date gen. from Mike Leven
!) When the road is dry it takes about 90 minutes to get there from
Rilong. Our first day was
overcast, but we had a total of 16 White Eared Pheasants above us on the open
parts of the hillside (first dry day after rain). The next day the White Eared
Pheasants were harder to find but we got a male Chinese Monal quite close to
the road. Goral (a kind of
mountain goat) was seen on both days. We saw Alpine Accentor at the pass on the
way back, but missed the hoped-for Grandalas.
Before sunrise, km
92 Balangshan
White Eared
Pheasants – viewed from the road at km92
Chinese Monal
– km92, Balangshan pass road
Route S210 road Xiaojin to Maerkang (Barkam)
(Not
marked on the old Nelles Map, corrected in the 2005 edition.) We got the 0800 bus from Xiaojin. The PLA-captured chain
bridges memorial is upstream from Xiaojin at Km 135 and the road ends at
Zhuokeji, a picturesque Tibetan village 7 km east of Maerkang on Route 317.
Prayer wheels,
temple uphill from km 14.5 route S210
The pass at Mengbishan is 30km south of Zhuokeji. North of the pass the road runs through a good area of mature spruce trees. In mid-afternoon we saw White-winged Grosbeaks and a party of White Eared Pheasants at Km 22. At Km 14.5 a track zigzags up to the hill behind a set of water-driven prayer wheels. The track climbs about 600 metres over a distance of 5 Km. There is ÒimprovementÓ work going on at the temple at the top and some damage to the mainly secondary growth near the track. Nevertheless, our vehicle disturbed family parties of Blood Pheasants here and we had our only sighting of Black Woodpecker.
At
the temple itself Beautiful and White-browed Rosefinches came for the offertory
barley, along with Giant Laughingthrushes. Also present were ElliotÕs Laughingthrush and Chinese
Babax. In the morning and evening
the lama hand-feeds a single White Eared Pheasant. He used to feed several, but the others have gone back to
the wild.
White-eared Pheasant
in temple grounds – near Mengbi Shan
We stayed at a ÒhomestayÓ in Zhuokeji, the first house on the right across the bridge is the only place in Zhuokeji permitted to accept foreigners. RMB 60 each per day included food. The Tibetan-style house had a modern shower but the toilet was a traditional Òlong dropÓ. The LU family, who run the place, are very hospitable.
Zhuokeji, near
Maerkang
Zhegushan
Maerkang County
Until
2004 the road from Maerkang to Chengdu via Miyaoluo/Wenchuan went over this high
pass. Now a tunnel cuts out about 30km from the route. We chugged up to the old
pass in a hired minivan in the middle of the day, but still managed to disturb
a male Koklass Pheasant on the road.
At the high point of the road there were magnificent views to the south
east of great snow-capped mountains, but no other birding excitement. The hillsides along the old pass are
very bare, and not a good alternative to Mengbishan.
Kalonggou,
Heishui
county,
Aba
Tibetan & Qiang Autonomous Prefecture
The
0830 bus from Maerkang takes six hours to get to Heishui. The first 20km of the road
towards Hongyuan on S209 is very alpine-looking, meadows and fir trees, but
gets barer, as the Heishui turnoff is approached. About 60km from Heishui, we crossed a 3,800m
pass. The elderly lady in front of
me was keen to throw prayer papers out of the bus window at the top and a few
of us were enlisted to throw them as high as we could at the crucial moment,
which we did. At Heishui town, we caught the last minivan of the day to go 20km
down the main road and turn left 40km or so up a long valley (towards
Kailonggou) said to be popular with visitors in autumn due to the autumn
leaves.
The
paved road ends at Kalonggou village where there are a few modest guesthouses and no
shop, so buy your snacks on the way.
We had to ÒBaocheÓ to cover the last few Km. It was obvious that some of
the avifauna had changed since we left Maerkang. Tibetan plains species such as
Daurian Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, White-throated Dipper and Godlewskis Bunting
were all new birds for the trip. A
pair of Red Collared Doves were seen on a track near the village. Unlike near Maerkang, the locals
circle their temple anti-clockwise, not clockwise.
Kalonggou
Scenic Area
Admission
RMB 60. Ours were the only two
tickets sold that day. After 5km
up a track there is a small turning circle and a boardwalk follows a stream
through moss covered forest.
The boardwalk, slippery in places,
climbs a long way, about 300 – 400 metres over a distance of 4 km. We saw
a small party of Blood Pheasants near the top, and Chinese Fulvettas at the
bottom. In between there were
Maroon-backed Accentors, Eurasian Treecreepers and Blue-throated Flycatcher. There was a lot of pretty calcified
terrace stream scenery and good flowers, but not a great variety of birds. Great Spotted Woodpeckers, Common
Rosefinches and Grey-headed Bullfinches were seen near the village in the
evening.
Boardwalk at
Kalonggou
There
are plans to build a 3 star hotel and a cable car. A cable car may make more
interesting habitat accessible in the Stone Forest area above the waterfalls; -
meanwhile it is a long hike to get there.
Kalonggou to Heishui to Songpan,
Aba
Tibetan & Qiang Autonomous Prefecture
We
picked our way over two mudslides to get back to Heishui. The minivan driversÕ
friend come up from the town to pick us up on the town side of the last
mudslide. At Heishui we got
straight onto to the Maoxian bus and when we got the junction at the Rainbow
Bridge on the main Chengdu-Songpan road, the driver waved down the bus in the
opposite lane. It was the bus that
had left Chengdu at 0700 that morning (we paid RMB 30 each). We found ourselves
in the convoy of coaches towards Songpan and Jiuzhaigou, arriving Songpan
around 1630. Stayed at the Traffic Hotel (RMB 80) by the bus station. HodgsonÕs Redstart was feeding young on
the wall below our window.
Jiuzhaigou NNR
Aba
Tibetan & Qiang Autonomous Prefecture
Location and access
Got
the 11:00 bus up Route 213 towards Jiuzhaigou from Songpan. The high point is Km 119 after which
the road descends through spruce forest.
There is a lake and a fancy hotel (Jiuzhai Resort) at Km 89, then the
road descends several hairpin bends. There are several kilometres of hotels and shops as
you approach Jiuzhaigou National Nature Reserve entrance at KM 71.
We
stayed at the noisy ÒLangjieÕs HomeÓ Hostel. Nearby there are two Tibetan
Barbeques/Karaoke tents. Nightly
revelry starts at around 20:00 but usually finishes by 23:00.
Entrance
to Jiuzhaigou (from 0700hrs) is RMB 220 plus bus ticket RMB 90. You can have your ticket endorsed to
return the following day free (except in the May and October ÒGolden WeekÓ
holidays).
With
thousands of visitors daily the management have a well-developed system of bussing
everyone around the ÔYÓ - shaped park and trying to avoid bottlenecks. The
scenery is magnificent, but youÕll be sharing it with a lot of people.
No
farming is practised in Jiuzhaigou these days. There are people - mainly ethnic Tibetans - still living in
some villages of which the largest is Zhuzhengzhai. Many reserve workers come
from these villages, which also feature souvenir stalls, barbeque snacks, and
so on. Wandering around, the visitor may be offered accommodation. The volume
of visitors to Jiuzhaigou is so vast, it seems that no notice is taken of a very few who might stay in the
reserve overnight.
View Zhuzhengzhai, Jiuzhaigou
Long Lake,
Zechawa
valley, Jiuzhaigou
At
the end of the left-hand Zechawa valley.
We arrived in mid-morning and found the wooden viewing platform already
teeming with tourists and hawkers. Slipping down a track to the left (where the
hawkers park their cars) we found an open area with a couple of single-storey
buildings. Good views and photos
of White-throated Redstart, Grey-headed Bullfinch and Vinaceous Rosefinch. Down the wooden stairs to Five-colour
Lake we also saw ElliotÕs Laughingthrush and Dark-rumped Rosefinch.
Primitive Forest,
Rize
Valley, Jiuzhaigou
At
the far end of Rize Valley, the right fork of the
valley. The 1.5km boardwalk was
full but we were able to slip away from the viewing platform at the top end of
the loop. A pair of Three-toed
Woodpeckers with a juvenile was the highlight. The boardwalk downhill towards Swan Lake was Òclosed for
maintenanceÓ.
Three-toed
Woodpeckers, Primitive Forest, Jiuzhaigou
Five coloured
lake (Peacock Lake),
Rize
Valley, Jiuzhaigou
We
had our only view of Sooty Tit here.
Disappointingly, the ÒTigers Mouth viewpointÓ had been closed off. It is tempting to conclude that
boardwalk closure is being done to speed the movement of tourists around the
various attractions.
Jiuzhaigou to Wanglang National Nature Reserve
(NNR)
It
is all of 42 km down Route 301 (Km 71 to Km 29) to get from the Jiuzhaigou
ÒEntranceÓ to the county town of the same name. From there we got the 12:00 bus towards Baima. This goes over a 3,800m pass
ÒRhododendron HillÓ, where we saw only Crag Martins and Plumbeous Water
Redstart from the bus. At 14:30 we
alighted at a petrol station opposite some souvenir stalls staffed by people
with Baima costumes, - flat hats with white feathers prominent. There is no regular bus to cover the 41
km to Wanglang NNR so we hired a mini-van (RMB 150). The first 10km of the road crosses a building site and
skirts a huge dam. 20km up the
road there is a village with a couple of clean and inexpensive
guesthouses. Pony rides are
offered along the nearby valleys.
The tree cover viewable from the road was quite poor so perhaps not good
for birding. Brown Water Rafting
was also available.
Wanglang NNR
Pingwu county, Mianyang
Thirty-or–so
Km from the road junction is the entrance to the reserve. Admission fee RMB 30. Jemi voted the ladies toilet at the
entrance Òthe second worst in SW ChinaÓ. Reserve headquarters was another 8 km
along a gravel track, elevation 2,560m.
We paid RMB 80 each for a three-bed room that shared a toilet and shower
with a two-bed room next door. In
contrast to the shabby entrance area the HQs accommodation was new, well
designed and clean. We opted to
take meals with the staff and students and were soon armed with chopsticks and
a medium-sized tin bowl. The food was fine and we were charged a bargain RMB 10
for three meals a day. The
accommodation and catering seems to be under the management of hospitality
professionals, but they will try to steer foreigners into the more expensive
types of accommodation, so beware.
Riverside
Eco-trail
Wanglang NNR
A
2005 boardwalk through fifty-year-old secondary growth and a few relict
firs. Red-billed Blue Magpie,
Daurian Redstart, White-backed Woodpecker, Vinaceous Rosefinch, Blue-throated
Flycatcher, Chestnut Thrush and a Pika.
The trail ends a few hundred metres from park headquarters. (Saw Snowy-cheeked Laughingthrush there
in Oct 2006).
Baishagou
Zhugencha, Wanglang NNR
A
flattish area of big spruce trees at about 3,000m elevation surrounded by
rocky, spectacular mountainsides, about 8-10km from the accommodation. We hired a car at reserve headquarters
to visit Baishagou which has a short circular boardwalk with spectacular views
of the meadows, trees and mountains.
There and at the trail at the end of the road we had two pairs of
White-winged Grosbeaks, White-browed Rosefinches, Goldcrest, Daurian and
White-throated Redstarts, Orange-flanked Bush Robins, Maroon-backed Accentors
and Eurasian Treecreepers.
Spruce forest at
Baishagou
Iron roof house,
Baixionggou
Wanglang NNR
This
area also held Golden Bush Robin. There
is a well-marked path towards Jiuzhaigou, a short boardwalk, and a long
flattish trail parallel to the main stream that seems to go on for several
kilometres.
along the
boardwalk, Baixionggou
We
were told that Blue-eared Pheasants are easy to see at Wanglang NNR in
winter. As we left the Reserve, we
came across a female Koklass Pheasant crossing the road with three young.
Koklass Pheasant,
Wanglang NNR
According
to ÒThreatened Birds of the WorldÓ there are recent sightings of Snowy-cheeked
Laughingthrush and Rufous-headed Robin at Wanglang NNR, which has a common
border with Jiuzhaigou. If you have the time, and especially if you have you
own transport, Wanglang NNR seems like a great alternative to Jiuzhaigou, where
the crowds can be distracting.
Wanglang NNR -
Pingwu – Qingxi – Tangjiahe NNR
We
hired a mini-van to go to the county town of Pingwu, stopping to pick up the
driverÕs wife for weekly shopping. We got the 14:30 local bus northeast to
Qingxi. The journey is only 60 km
but takes two hours, the last 25 Km is on a holed, gravel road. At Qingxi we hired a mini-van to take
us 20 km to Tangjiahe NNR headquarters (Admission RMB 30).
Tangjiahe
National Nature Reserve
Guangyuan
The
site of some of George B SchallersÕ research in 1984/5 described in ÒThe Last
PandaÓ. Reserve HQs (Elevation
1,400m) consists of several blocks in two rows with a restaurant / exhibition
hall building at the top end. It
was a Saturday when we arrived.
There was a conference going on, so we could only get a room in block D,
the oldest and cheapest block (RMB 100). Block B is a lot nicer –
RMB300. In chinese the
accommodation is called the ÒGolden Panda Summer ResortÓ.
Motianling, Tangjiahe
Nature
Trail
Tangjiahe NNR
Near
the restaurant a small suspension in bridge for pedestrians crosses the
river. A gravel path with concrete
steps leads up the hillside under secondary trees reminiscent of HKÕs Tai Po
Kau. Here we were treated to the
sight of Muntjacs Muntjacius reevesii with several seen from 07:00 to 11:00 and
others heard. The commonest bird
seemed to be Grey-headed Flycatcher, with Eurasian Nuthatch and
Crimson-breasted Woodpecker also seen, along with a single Golden Pheasant.
Muntjac on the
nature trail, Tangjiahe
The following morning we checked
out early and drove from Maoxiangba headquarters towards the reserve entrance
and then northwards up the Motianling valley.
Golden
Pheasants were disturbed at the roadside.
Once we saw a female with young, once an immature male. Other ÒfirstsÓ for the trip here were
Crested Kingfisher, Spotted Nutcracker, Vinous-throated Parrotbill and Slaty
Bunting.
Tangjiahe
is obviously a good site for Golden Pheasant, even in mid-summer.
Indian Fritillary
butterfly (Argyreus hyperbius) Tangjiahe
Tangjiahe NNR – Pingwu - Guixi - Beichuan
Our
mini-van took us to the outskirts of Pingwu and from there we got an
air-conditioned bus bound for Mianyang (13:35 – 15:50). We got off at the
town of Guixi. From there we had a short but cheerful and entertaining trip in
a newish and clean 16-seater bus to Beichuan. Jemi balanced a little girl with
an ice-cream bar on her knee part of the way. We arrived in Beichuan at 16:50.
Xiaozhaizi
Gou Nature Reserve
Beichuan Qiang Autonomous Prefecture
Mianyang
Location & access
Mini-vans
to a modest holiday resort at Xiaozhaizi leave from the roadside near Beichuan
Bus Station shortly after midday.
The distance is only 98 km, but the last 50km is up a dusty gravel track
– a 3 1/2 hour journey. From
the ÒresortÓ we paid an extra RMB 20 to be driven 5 km up the hill to the
reserve.
There
is a clean newish accommodation block. The toilets are in a separate building. The atmosphere was relaxed and
friendly. We ate with the reserve
staff.
Accommodation block
(right) at Xiaozhaizi – dining hall is in the red building on the left
Birding Strategy
The
main valley has a gravel track running 7-8 km next to a large stream. The staff ran us up 7 km on the back
of motorcycles (without charge !). The woodland cover by the road is very
scrubby. There are two accessible
side gullys marked ÒXialiliÓ and ÒShangliliÓ. These are popular in winter with
mainland birders. The hillsides
are very steep and reasonable pine cover is 300m or so higher up the hillsides. Jemi found a female White-bellied
Redstart and Chinese Bush Warbler. We also had Streak-throated
Scimitar-babbler, ElliotÕs Laughingthrush, and White-crowned Forktails. We believed the staff when they said
ÒItÕs better in winter.Ó
Views of Xiaozhaizi
gou(valley)
Departure
After
only two nights, we decided to leave. We would probably have stayed longer if
this site had been visited earlier in the trip. The ever-accommodating staff
gave us a lift to Beichuan in their pick-up. From there a bus got us to Mianyang and another to Chengdu.
SPECIES LIST
Species number according to Mackinnon, J. and Phillipps,K,
(2000) A field guide to the Birds of China
0002 Tibetan Snowcock Tetraogallus tibetanus
Heard at Balangshan, Wolong
0027 Chinese Bamboo-Partridge Bambusicola thoracica
A pair seen in the gully at Bifengxia, near Yaan
0028 Blood Pheasant
Ignathis cruentus
Family parties found at the trackside on the way up to Chake Temple, near Zhuokeji, and at the top end of the boardwalk at Kailonggou
0032 Temminck's Tragopan Tragopan temminckii
First year male found near Lanxi waterfall, Wawushan
0034 Koklass Pheasant Pucrasia macrolopha
Single male on old pass road between Maerkang and Miyaoluo.
Female with three young at Wanglang, near reserve entrance.
0037 Chinese Monal Pheasant Lophophorus lhuysii
Single male photographed at km92 on the road to Balangshan Pass
0043 White Eared-Pheasant Crossoptilon crossoptilon
Parties seen above road to Balangshan Pass, and on the Xiaojin to Zhuokeji road, near Mengbishan
0050 Common Pheasant Phasianus colchicus
Single spied by Jemi from a coach in Jiuzhaigou
0051 Golden Pheasant Chrysolophus pictus
Three sightings in Tangjiahe.
0052 Lady Amherst's Pheasant Chrysolophus
amherstiae
Wawushan, on the road between the
entrance and the lower cablecar terminal
0127 Rufous-Bellied Woodpecker Dendrocopos hyperythrus
Pairs seen at Siguniangshan scenic area
0128 Crimson-breasted Woodpecker Dendrocopos cathpharius
Single male at Tangjiahe
0129 Darjeeling Woodpecker Dendrocopos darjellensis
Seen on two days at Wawushan
0130 White-Backed Woodpecker Dendrocopos leucotos (Amended
Jan Õ07 – a misidentification, these should all be 0131 Great Spotted
Woodpecker)
Pairs at Fengtongzhai, Kailonggou and Wanglang
0131 Great Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos major
Singles at Siguniangshan and Wanglang
0133 Thee-Toed Woodpecker Picoides tridactylus
Pair at the primeval forest, Jiuzhaigou
0136 Black Woodpecker Dryocopus martius
Male by the track near Chake Temple near Zhuokeji, Maerkang
0163 Hoopoe Upupa
epops
Noted near Jiuzhaigou entrance and at Wanglang NNR HQs
0177 Black-Capped Kingfisher Halcyon pileata
Singles near Qiaoji and just south of Zhuokeji
0179 Crested Kingfisher Megaceryle lugubris
Up to three individuals at Tangjiahe
0189 Large Hawk Cuckoo Heirococcyx sparveroides
Heard Wawushan and sites around Yaan
0193 Eurasian Cuckoo Cuculus canorus
Heard at Mengdingshan and Bifengxia
0194 Oriental Cuckoo Cuculus saturatus
Heard at Wawushan and Labahe
0195 Lesser Cuckoo Cuculus poliocephalus
Heard and seen at the summit of Wawushan and Bifengxia,
Mengdingshan and the higher parts of the Balangshan Road.
0201 Asian Koel Eudynamys scolopacea
Lower areas of Wawushan and Bifengxia
0214 Himalayan Swiftlet Collocalia brevirostris
100+ at the trail to Lanxi waterfall, Wawushan
0216 White-Throated Needletail Hirundapus caudacutus
Small group drinking at Deer Lake, Labahe, near Yaan
0221 Fork-Tailed Swift Apus pacificus
Noted at various sites, Wanglang, Fengtongzhai and Jiuzhaigou
0230 Oriental Scops Owl Otus sunia
Heard at dusk at Gong Tong Hotel, Wawushan
0247 Collared Owlet Glaucidium brodiei
Heard at lowland sites; - base of Wawushan, Bifengxia and
Tangjiahe
0257 Grey Nightjar Caprimulgus indicus
Heard at dawn from guesthouse outside the entrance to Jiuzhaigou
(at dusk the karaoke made this impossible)
0264 Hill Pigeon Columba rupestris
Noted on rocky, hilly areas, especially near Balangshan Pass,
Rilong and Xiaojin
0265 Snow Pigeon Columba leuconota
Up to twenty at Two Bridges Valley, Siguniangshan
0269 Speckled Wood Pigeon Columba hodgsonii
Fifteen flying to roost at Fengtongzhai, also seen at Labahe and
Jiajinshan
0274 Oriental Turtle Dove Streptopelia orientalis
Singles or pairs noted regularly from Xiaojin to Maerkang
0276 Spotted Dove Streptopelia chinensis
Single up the valley from Fengtongzhai
0277 Red Collared Dove Streptopelia tranquebarica
Single at Rilong, pair at Kailonggou
0458 Oriental Honey-Buzzard Pernis ptilorhynchus
Pair seen at Tangjiahe
0468 Lammergeier Gypaetus barbatus
Two noted near Balangshan Pass
0470 Himalayan Griffon Gyps himalayensis
Near the high passes at Jiajin Shan and Balangshan
0486 Besra Accipiter virgatus
Parents and juvenile noted, Tangjiahe
0494 Upland Buzzard Buteo hemilasius
Pairs at Balangshan, Jiajinshan, Mengbishan
0500 Golden Eagle Aquila chrysaetos
Two pairs at Balangshan
0535 Little Egret Egretta garzetta
A pleasing few noted on broad watercourses on the plains
0544 Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis
See 0535
0545 Chinese Pond-Heron Ardeola bacchus
Single seen near Hongya, two at Labahe
0554 Cinnamon Bittern Ixobrychus cinnamomeus
Single in flight near Zhuokeji
0614 Brown Shrike Lanius cristatus
Single near motorway tollgate, Yaan to Mengding
0616 Long-Tailed Shrike Lanius schach
Singles on wires in populated areas on the plains
0617 Grey-Backed Shrike Lanius tephronotus
Widespread and breeding in upland areas 2,500 to 3,000 metres
0621 Eurasian Jay Garrulus glandarius
Pair near Wawushan entrance gate, also between Mengbishan and
Zhuokeji, near Maerkang
0626 Red-Billed Blue Magpie Urocissa erythrorhyncha
Up to twelve at Fengtongzhai, also at Labahe, Tangjiahe and
Xiaozhaizegou
0632 Grey Treepie Dendrocitta formosae
Only noted at Bifengxia
0636 Black-Billed Magpie Pica pica
Noted near Bifengxia
0640 Spotted Nutcracker Nucifraga caryocatactes
Four at Tangjiahe
0641 Red-Billed Chough Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax
Pairs below Balangshan and Kailonggou
0642 Yellow-Billed Chough Pyrrhocorax graculus
Above Balangshan Pass the only site noted
0644 Daurian Jackdaw Corvus dauurica
Up to seven at Kailonggou
0647 Carrion Crow Corvus corone
Up to three at Kailonggou.
0648 Large-Billed Crow Corvus macrorhynchos
Widespread
0665 Long-Tailed Minivet Pericrocotus ethologus
Widespread, pairs at several sites visited
0677 Spangled Drongo Dicrurus hottentottus
Three to four daily, Bifengxia
0687 White-Throated Dipper Cinclus cinclus
At least two pairs at Kailonggou
0688 Brown Dipper Cinclus pallasii
Bifengxia, Siguninang Shan, Jiuzhaigou and Labahe
0692 Chestnut-Bellied Rockthrush Monticola rufiventris
Single male seen at Jiajinshan
0693 Blue Rock-Thrush Monticola solitarius
On the bare hills near Heishui
0694 Blue Whistling-Thrush Myophonus caeruleus
Widespread near suitable streams
0706 Grey-Winged Blackbird Turdus boulboul
Just two from the road below the cable car base, Wawushan
0707 Eurasian Blackbird Turdus merula
Several noted along the road south of Hongya
0709 Chestnut Thrush Turdus rubrocanus
Widespread
0710 Kessler's Thrush Turdus kessleri
High passes of Balangshan and Jiajinshan
0729 Sooty Flycatcher Muscicapa sibirica
Summit of Wawushan, and in alpine forest at Wanglang
0732 Ferruginous Flycatcher Muscicapa ferruginea
Summit of Wawushan, Kailonggou and Xiaozhaizigou
0737 Rufous-Gorgeted Flycatcher Ficedula strophiata
Pairs at the summit of Wawushan
0740 Snowy-Browed Flycatcher Ficedula hyperythra
Noted at Bifengxia
0743 Slaty-Blue Flycatcher Ficedula tricolor
Pair behind the upper cable car terminus, Wawushan
0746 Verditer Flycatcher Eumyias thalassina
Wawushan and the valley north of Fengtongzhai
0749 Fujian Niltava Niltava davidi
Swift cave trail at Wawushan
0750 Rufous-Bellied Niltava Niltava sundara
Single male on Swift Cave Trail at Wawushan
0756 Blue-Throated Flycatcher Cyornis rubeculoides
Males noted at Siguninang Shan, Kailonggou, Jiuzhaigou and
Wanglang
0759 Grey-Headed Canary-Flycatcher Culicicapa ceylonensis
Seriously common at Tangjiahe, noted at Jiuzhaigou, Bifengxia
and Mengdingshan
0771 Indian Blue Robin Luscinia brunnea
Single male on hillside by Zhusheng Falls, Jiuzhaigou
0773 Orange-Flanked Bush-Robin Tarsiger cyanurus
Widely distributed in upland areas visited
0774 Golden Bush-Robin Tarsiger chrysaeus
Summit of Wawushan and Baixionggou at Wanglang
0778 Oriental Magpie-Robin Copsychus saularis
Viewed in the lowland valley between Heishui and Kailonggou
0785 Hodgson's Redstart Phoenicurus hodgsoni
Noted breeding next the Songpan Bus station
0786 White-Throated Redstart Phoenicurus schisticeps
Notably Siguniang Shan, also near Maerkang and Jiuzhaigou
0787 Daurian Redstart Phoenicurus auroreus
Near Maerkang and at Wanglang, lower elevations than 0786
0789 Blue-Fronted Redstart Phoenicurus frontalis
Balangshan and Jegushan (old road Maerkang – Chengdu)
0790 White-Capped Water-Redstart Chaimarrornis leucocephalus
It seemed like every stream and ditch held a pair of these
0791 Plumbeous Water-Redstart Rhyacornis fuliginosus
See 0790
0792 White-Bellied Redstart Hodgsonius phoenicuroides
Male at Wawushan, female at Xiaozhaizigou
0796 Little Forktail Enicurus scouleri
Distant views at Wawushan and very close at Bifengxia
0798 Slaty-Backed Forktail Enicurus schistaceus
Bifengxia
0799 White-Crowned Forktail Enicurus leschenaulti
Jiuzhaigou and Xiaozhaizigou
0800 Spotted Forktail Enicurus maculatus
Three pairs at Bifengxia
0807 Grey Bushchat Saxicola ferrea
Cultivated hillsides on the way up to Mengding Shan, near Yaan
0829 Crested Myna Acridotheres cristatellus
Around Bifengxia
0832 Eurasian Nuthatch Sitta europaea
Jiuzhaigou and Tangjiahe
0843 Wallcreeper Tichodroma
muraria
Wawushan, road between entrance and cable car base
0844 Eurasian Tree-Creeper Certhia familiaris
Wawushan, Kailonggou and Wanglang
0847b Sichuan Treecreeper
Certhia tianquanensis
Seen daily at the summit of Wawushan, young being fed at
nesthole in a tree stump
0848 Wren Troglodytes troglodytes
Changpinggou (Siguniangshan), and the upper levels of Kailonggou
0852 Marsh Tit Parus palustris
Also Changpinggou, and Tangjiahe
0855 Rusty-Breasted Tit Parus davidi
About twenty coming to drink/bathe near Arrow Bamboo Lake,
Jiuzhaigou
0858 Rufous-Vented Tit Parus rubidiventris
Seen in several areas, spruce above 3,000m
0859 Coal Tit Parus ater
Ones and twos near the summit of Wawushan
0860 Yellow-Bellied Tit Parus venustulus
Bifengxia, Fengtongzhai, Jiuzhaigou, Tangjiahe
0861 Grey-Crested Tit Parus dichrous
Widespread in upland –above 3,000m – areas
0862 Great Tit Parus major
Common
0864 Green-Backed Tit Parus monticolus
Widespread in uplands
0870 Yellow-Browed Tit Sylviparus modestus
Summit area of Wawushan
0873 Black-Throated Tit Aegithalos concinnus
Around the accommodation at Bifengxia
0875 Black-Browed Tit Aegithalos bonvaloti
Most numerous at Changpinggou, Siguniangshan
0876 White-Necklaced Tit (Sooty Tit) Aegithalos fuliginosus
Near Five-colour Lake, Jiuzhaigou
0881 Dusky Crag-Martin Hirundo concolor
Jiuzhaigou town, Songpan, and the bare valley sides near Xiaojin
0882 Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica
Noted between Wawushan and Yaan, also on the approach to
Tangjiahe
0884 Red-Rumped Swallow Hirundo daurica
Noted near Pingwu Guocheng
0887 Asian House-Martin Delichon dasypus
Scores nesting along Balangshan Pass road around Km92
0889 Goldcrest Regulus regulus
Only noted at 3,000m spruce forest in Wanglang
0892 Collared Finchbill Spizixos semitorques
Open, cultivated areas near Pingwu and Beichuan
0897 Brown-Breasted Bulbul Pycnonotus xanthorrhous
Seen from hotel window, Beichuan
0898 Light-Vented Bulbul Pycnonotus sinensis
Noted in open country between Wawushan and Yaan
0912 Black Bulbul Hypsipetes leucocephalus
Breeding in the foothills near Yaan
0923 Chestnut-Flanked White-Eye Zosterops erythropleurus
Only noted at lower parts of Wawushan
0925 Japanese White-Eye Zosterops japonicus
Common in woodland around 1,000 to 1,500m Mengdingshan (Yaan),
and Tangjiahe
0933 Brownish-Flanked Bush-Warbler Cettia fortipes
The ÒwhiplashÓ call noted at lower parts of Wawushan and
Bifengxia
0935 Aberrant Bush-Warbler Cettia flavolivaceus
Noted at summit of Wawushan
0936 Yellowish-Bellied Bush Warbler Cettia acanthizoides
Also at Wawushan summit
0939 Spotted Bush-Warbler Bradypterus thoracicus
Another skulking denizen of Wawu summit area
0941 Chinese Bushwarbler Bradypterus tacsanowskius
Seen at Xiaozhaizigou
0982 Orange (Buff) -Barred Warbler Phylloscopus pulcher
Common at Wawu summit, and similar habitat elsewhere
0994 Large-Billed Warbler Phylloscopus magnirostris
Heard all over the areas visited, 2,000 to 2,500m most numerous
1001 Sulphur-Breasted Warbler Phylloscopus ricketti
Bifengxia, possibly overlooked elsewhere
1002 Golden-Spectacled Warbler Seicercus burkii
This or omeiensis seen widely, but never seen well enough to
separate
1002b Omei Warbler Seicercus
omeiensis
See 1002
1006 Chestnut-Crowned Warbler Seicercus castaniceps
Seen on the road below Gong Tong hotel, Wawushan
1027 Moustached Laughingthrush Garrulax cineraceus
Single at Mengdingshan, near Yaan
1031 Giant Laughingthrush Garrulax maximus
Common in upland areas such as the road to Balang Shan and near
Maerkang
1032 Spotted Laughingthrush Garrulax ocellatus
Singles from the road between Wawu entrance and cable car base
1034 Rusty Laughingthrush Garrulax poecilorhynchus
Twice seen on ÒSwift Cave TrailÓ, Wawushan
1036 Hwamei Garrulax canorus
Quite common at Bifengxia
1041 Elliot's Laughingthrush Garrulax elliotii
Ubiquitous
1044 Black-Faced Laughingthrush Garrulax affinis
Pairs noted at summit of Wawushan
1047 Red-Winged Laughingthrush Garrulax formosus
Heard at Wawushan
1050 Omei Shan Liocichla Liocichla omeiensis
Noisy near the Gongtong Hotel, Wawushan
1059 Streak-Breasted Scimitar Babbler Pomatorhinus ruficollis
Heard at mid-levels of Wawushan, seen at Xiaozhaizigou
1068 Pygmy Wren-Babbler Pnoepyga pusilla
Seen at Bifengxia and Labahe, heard elsewhere
1076 Rufous-Capped Babbler Stachyris ruficeps
Seen and heard in foothills near Yaan – Bifengxia and
Mengdingshan
1084 Chinese Babax Babax lanceolatus
Parties in farmland near Pere David Mission, and at Chake
Temple, near Zhuokeji
1088 Red-Billed Leiothrix Leiothrix lutea
Notably Bifengxia and Tangjiahe
1198 Eurasian Tree Sparrow Passer montanus
Noted near Tianquan and other small towns
1105 Golden-Breasted Fulvetta Alcippe chrysotis
Wawushan and Labahe
1106 Gold-Fronted Fulvetta Alcippe variegaticeps
Pair feeding young along ÒSwift cave trailÓ, Wawushan
1109 White-Browed Fulvetta Alcippe vinipectus
Only in the vicinity of Chake Temple, near Maerkang
1110 Chinese Fulvetta Alcippe striaticollis
Small party on the track below the entrance to Kailonggou scenic
area
1112 Streak-Throated Fulvetta Alcippe cinereiceps
Near the summit of Wawushan, and at 3,000m in Wanglang
1115 Dusky Fulvetta Alcippe brunnea
Bifengxia , near Yaan
1118 Grey-Cheeked Fulvetta Alcippe morrisonia
Bifengxia and Tangjiahe – likes habitat 1,000 to 1,500m at
this season
1130 Stripe-Throated Yuhina Yuhina gularis
Just two noted at Wawushan summit; bleating call distinctive !
1131 White-Collared Yuhina Yuhina diademata
Wawushan, Labahe and Tangjiahe
1138 Great Parrotbill Conostoma oemodium
Pairs noted at Wawushan summit
1140 Brown Parrotbill Paradoxornis unicolor
Family party from boardwalk at Labahe
1145 Vinous-Throated Parrotbill Paradoxornis webbianus
Only at Motianling valley, Tangjiahe
1147 Ashy-Throated Parrotbill Paradoxornis alphonsianus
Small parties and feeding young at Bifengxia
1148 Grey-Hooded Parrotbill Paradoxornis zappeyi
Once seen in eleven days at Wawushan
1150 Fulvous Parrotbill Paradoxornis fulvifrons
Pairs at Wawushan summit and at the boardwalk in Labahe
1186 Mrs Gould's Sunbird Aethopyga gouldiae
Notably at Wawu and Labahe
1207 White Wagtail Motacilla alba
Widespread in lowlands
1212 Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea
Widespread near running water
1218 Olive-Backed Tree Pipit Anthus hodgsoni
Displaying birds at Double Bridge Valley, Siguniangshan
1222 Rosy Pipit Anthus roseatus
Breeding at upper levels of Balangshan and Jiajinshan
1226 Alpine Accentor Prunella collaris
Balangshan Pass
1229 Rufous-Breasted Accentor Prunella strophiata
Jegushan Pass (old road from Maerkang to Chengdu)
1234 Maroon-Backed Accentor Prunella immaculata
Juveniles noted at Kailonggou, Jiuzhaigou and Wanglang
1246 Grey-Capped Greenfinch Carduelis sinica
A few noted over open country between Wawushan and Yaan
1256 Plain Mountain-Finch Leucosticte nemoricola
Breeding behaviour at Jiajin shan and Balangshan
1266 Dark-Breasted Rosefinch Carpodacus nipalensis
Higher levels near Balangshan Pass
1267 Common Rosefinch Carpodacus erythrinus
Siguniang Shan, Kailonggou and Mengbi Shan near Zhuokeji,
Maerkang
1268 Beautiful Rosefinch Carpodacus pulcherrimus
Six to eight near Chake Temple, Zhuokeji
1271 Vinaceous Rosefinch Carpodacus vinaceus
Long Lake, Jiuzhaigou and around reserve HQs, Wanglang
1277 White-Browed Rosefinch Carpodacus thura
Up to ten at Chake Temple, near Zhuokeji, noted also at 3,000m
at Wanglang NNR
1290 Grey-Headed Bullfinch Pyrrhula erythaca
Parties of up to six taking grit under Xiang Er Hotel, Wawushan.
Small parties along the track to Kailonggou scenic area
1297 White-Winged Grosbeak Mycerobas carnipes
Pair at km28, Route S210 near Mengbi shan, and at Baishagou,
Wanglang
1301 Slaty Bunting Latoucheornis siemsseni
Single male seen at Motianling, Tangjiahe
1306 Godlewski's Bunting Emberiza godlewskii
Noted around Kailonggou
Mammals
Red Panda – single
seen near Taiqing Temple, Wawushan
Himalayan Weasel –
single near Kalonggou
Pika sp. – noted
Chake Temple nr Zhoukeji, and Riverside Trail, Wanglang
Tibetan Macaque –
small parties noted near Wawushan summit and Swift Cave Trail Striped Squirrel
– near Chake Temple, Zhuokeji
Goral – up to five
near Km 92 Balangshan road
ReevesÕ Muntjac –
Several seen in the morning at Tangjiahe Headquarters
Water Deer – up to
ten after dark at salt lick, Blue Crystal Hotel, Labahe.
All right reserved copyright John & Jemi Holmes 2006
