subbuteo 12/04/2012 20:52
Xinjiang, early April
Unfortunately not a birding trip I did what I could! It was still cool, trees were in blossom but few in leaf. The difference between the agricultural/town areas and the national park was stunning- suddenly there were birds.
2.4.12
[b]Xian[/b]- park around city walls
Tree Sparrow
Phyllosc sp
Azure-winged Magpie
Daurian Redstart
Starling sp
White-winged Grosbeak? Definitely a grosbeak, a small beaked one but right in the city centre park, dark head and chest, white wing spot. Unexpected.
Rock Dove (feral)
Magpie
White Wagtail
[b]Dongguan[/b]
Sauxal Sparrow
Tree Sparrow
Desert Finch
Collared Dove
Rock Dove
White-crowned Penduline Tit? Unfortunately, I didn't know there was such a thing at the time so can't be certain of the id. There were several (20+) feeding in the trees along at Mogao Caves
[b]Urumqi to Turpan[/b]
Kestrel x2
Tree sparrow
Chinese Blackbird
Collared Dove
Great Cormorant
Desert Finch
Hoopoe
Isabelline Shrike
Laughing Dove
Pallas' Fish Eagle
Isabelline Wheatear? can't be sure!
Mallard
Dark-throated Thrush
[b]Kashgar[/b]
Desert Finch
Rook
Magpie
Carrion Cow
Staling
Tree Sparrow
Isabelline Shrike
White Wagtail
Laughing Dove
Collared Dove
[b]Tian Shan, Heavenly Lake[/b](in the snow! Lake frozen and in the clouds)
Goosander (pair on a small pond on the way up)
Black-eared Kite (several)
Mistle Thrush
Song Thrush
Treecreeper
Buzzard sp
Carrion Crow
Azure Tut- stunning!
Turkestan Tit
Grey Wagtail
White-throated Dipper - several singing and chasing each other along the river at the entrance to the park.
Another tit sp- see attached photos
I am not a photographer- these were taken with a compact camera and cropped.
Dylan
[[i] Last edited by subbuteo at 12/04/2012 20:57 [/i]]
lpaul 13/04/2012 09:25
Dylan,
The Blackbird in Xinjiang is not Chinese Blackbird, it is the subspecies intermedius which is essentially a Central Asian taxon. It is vocally and sturcturally distinct from Chinse Blackbird which is restricted to southern and eastern China.
subbuteo 13/04/2012 10:22
Thanks, Paul.
Any idea what the tit in the last three pictures is? I know they are grim images but I only have the MacKinnon book here- eye-browed and rusty-breasted tit are the only ones with a dark belly/flanks. But the rusty-breasted is in central China and this one doesn't have an eyebrow. Could it be a [i]songarus[/i] willow tit?
Great place- I want to go back and do proper birding trip, I was limited in time and location, I am sure I missed a lot and probably was a few of weeks early for most migrants.
Dylan
PS also in Kashgar there were what I think were Common Swift over the town.
lpaul 13/04/2012 12:12
On range it can only be Songar Tit.