Sichuan Province – Qingcheng Hau Shan, Tangjiahe and Wanglang NNR November 2007 by John and Jemi Holmes 四川省 青城后山 唐家河／王朗国家级自然保护区 2007年11月 孔思义 黄亚萍
 
ITINERARY and DAILY LOG Nov 6th Crossed Border in evening at Lok Ma chau 落马洲 – taxi to Sunway Airport hotel Nov 7th Flew from Shenzhen to Chengdu 07:45 to 09:50; - airport bus and taxi to New South Gate Bus Station 新南门车站 Bus RMB 48 to Dujiangyan 都江堰 12:20 to 13:50 hrs, stayed at “Gingko hotel” 银杏宾馆 at Agricultural University 农业大学 , surveyed Lingyan Shan 灵岩山 – poor habitat and few birds. Nov 8th Bus to Lingyan Shan 灵岩山 索 道 cable car base near the Er Wang Temple 二王庙, then RMB 68 cable car each uphill. But we found that we had got further uphill by taxi the previous evening, and thought the habitat poor. We returned swiftly to Gingko Hotel and checked out. Paid Taxi RMB 100 to go to base of Qincheng Shan 青城山, and then on another 20km to Shaping, where we paid RMB 20 to enter “Qincheng Back Mountain” 青城后山. Ignoring a posse of aggressive touts, we got the Jinli cable car 金骊索道 to near Youyi Cun (village) 又一村. Found a good mixed flock at high point of footpath between cable car and the “village” itself. Hazy and cloudy weather. Nov 9th Took the upper Baiyun cable car 白云索道 (RMB 70) from Youyi Cun 又一村 to Baiyun Cun 白云村. Spent a few hours around the village. Photo opportunities of Spotted Laughingthrush, and Red-winged Laughingthrush was seen. Back to Youyi Cun 又一村 in mid-afternoon. Nov 10th Arranged with guesthouse to move our heavier bags back to the Jinli cable car terminal 金骊索道站while we birded, and at cable car base, got a minivan (RMB 80) back to Dujiangyan bus station 都江堰车站. Buses to Chengdu leave every few minutes. Stayed at Sims Cozy Guest House 观华旅馆 (noisy due to adjacent construction), stocked up on snacks. Nov 11th Met TAM Yiu-leung and WONG Choi-on early in the morning, they had arrived late the night before. We caught two taxis to Zhao Jue Temple Bus Station 成都 昭觉寺车站. The direct bus to Pingwu 平武 departed at 09:00. At 13:15 we got off the bus at Tangjiahe 唐家河 turnoff (about 30km south of Pingwu 平武 ). Jemi negotiated a minivan for RMB 200 to take us to Reserve HQs. Admission RMB 35 each, rooms in block “B” were RMB 280. Birded around HQs and up river until dark. Nov 12th I thought Ondie and Ah Leung were joining me on the Nature Trail but they had wandered off somewhere. Saw 23 species between 08:15 and 12:30. Best were Golden Pheasants (eight) and Slaty Buntings (pair). Jemi also saw Golden Pheasants upstream from HQs at “Shui Tang Ping” 水塘坪. Day List for all four observers was 50 species. In the afternoon a quick trip up the Motianling 摩天岭 Valley brought Jemi and I close views of a family of Takin. Nov 13th Mr Wang picked us up and drove us downriver towards the reserve main entrance and then up the other valley towards Motianling 摩天岭. We tried the old path that led to Gansu Province 甘肃省 in the days before the area became a reserve. Apart from a couple of good mixed flocks the birding was slow. In late afternoon a Golden Eagle clutching a screaming monkey was memorable. As dusk fell we stopped for Takin and Serow (four) feeding on abandoned terraces. Nov 14th Birded Tangjiahe in the morning and left with Mr Wang at about 11:00hrs. Arrived Pingwu and changed to Mr Hung’s minivan, departing at 15:00hrs. Arrived Wanglang HQs at 17:40hrs. Rooms RMB 200 per night. Nov 15th Ondie and Ah Leung birded uphill from HQs, Jemi and I tried downhill. We got lucky with several Snowy-cheeked and two Barred Laughingthrushes seen. Over 300 Grandala were noted in a flock. Uphill, Ondie and “Ah Leung” had seen Three-barred Rosefinches and White-cheeked Nuthatch. After lunch got vehicle towards Da Cao Ping 大草坪, and then to Bai Xiong Gou 白熊沟 (path to Jiuzhaigou 九寨沟). Driven back to HQs, arriving about 17:00hrs. Nov 16th At 07:30 to path below HQs, but no sign of Snowy-cheeked Laughingthrush. At 08:40 driven towards Bai Xiong Gou 白熊沟, stopping for big group of Blood Pheasants crossing the road. A kilometre from the end of the road, Jemi found a bright autumn-plumage White-browed Tit Warbler. Arrived boardwalk at 11:00 where Great Parrotbill and Crested Tit Warblers were seen.
Snowy-cheeked Laughingthrush, White-browed Tit-warbler, Spectacle Parrotbill & Great Parrotbill,
Wanglang NNR (Nov 2007）
Rusty-breasted Tit, Wanglang NNR (Nov 2007)
 
The Great Parrotbills responded vigorously to Ondie’s whistled imitation of their call. At 16:45 we were picked up wandering downhill and driven back to HQs, the woods were mostly quiet. Nov 17th It started to snow, getting heavier as we were due to leave at 10:30. Coal Tits and Rusty-breasted Tits were photographed foraging in the pine trees at reserve HQs. “Ah Leung” photographed Three-toed Parrotbills, but the rest of us missed them. Mr HUNG’s minivan took about 2 ½ hours to get to Pingwu 平武, and we caught the 14:20 direct bus back to Chengdu. Due to roadworks, the highway southbound was closed. With the other diverted traffic we reached Chengdu at 19:45, well after dark. (We phoned Sims Cozy Guest House 观华旅馆, but their new annexe was unavailable, ever helpful, they gave us the phone number of their competitor.) Nov 18th Ondie and “Ah Leung” visited Du Fu’s cottage, Jemi and I caught up on some paperwork. Flew back to Shenzhen in mid-afternoon.
REFERENCES
 
Carey, G.J., (Ed.) (1996) A biodiversity review of China  Hong Kong: WWF China programme
 
Mackinnon, J. and Phillipps,K, (2000) A field guide to the Birds of China UK: Oxford University Press
 
SHENG Helin et.al. (1999) The Mammalian of China China Forestry Publishing House, Beijing
 
MAPS:
Central China  (2005) Nelles Maps  - Nelles Verlag Gmbh