China May 2008

Way back in September 2006, an email from the Boulmer Birder alerted me to a trip to the migration hotspot of Happy Island in the Hebei province of China. Did I want to go? This was a trip that I had to be on; some of my most wanted birds would pass through and I stood a good chance of catching up with them.

So eight eager birders set off from Newcastle International Airport on May 8 2008 on a flight that would take us half way round the world. After a short hop we arrived in Paris and then the mammoth ten and a half hour flight to Beijing through the night. Unable to sleep on the plane we arrived the next morning and passed through immigration control, collected our bags, met our guide for the duration, Jesper Hornskov and then went birding for ten days....

I've started to upload some pictures and as they are now all processed it shouldn't take too long to get them all on.

 

Lesser Grey Shrike Nearly finished work when the pager goes, I'll look later, then a phone call from Stewart, ye gads it must be special. Pull in and have a read of the pager and the afternoon is planned, a trip to the Long Nanny is a must, its a British Lifer. The weather didn't play fair as it rained very hard making the light poor and the bird bedraggled but I managed some decent shots in the end	Long-eared Owl Standing in a field in the growing dusk is not everyone's cup of tea, but I was waiting for Long-eared Owl and I was having a great time. Not only Long-eared but Barn Owl as well and at least four Roe Deer. I like standing in a field in the dark
Red-rumped Swallow After an unsuccessful twitch to Swallow pond in the rain on the evening of the 28 April, success was very sweet on the morning of the 29th. This bird showed very well at times and I'm happy with what I got	Short-toed Lark News of a Short-toed Lark tempted me and a few others up to the Long Nanny in Beadnell Bay. In the end managed some decent shots of this skittish bird, at times it disappeared for ages so spent all of the day here. If you've already looked look again as there's some more on there
Pallas's Warbler Pallas's Warbler at any time is a good bird, but a spring singing bird, well I had to go and have a look for that. It took two attempts, but in the end it was well worth it. It even sat out on the edge of a tree and sang allowing for some decent shots to be had	High Brown Fritillary A second look at the White-tailed Plover when it was at Leighton Moss and while down this way a chance to see some butterflies that do not occur up here in sunny Northumberland