Hi Eric,thank you for your nice comments.
Actually, I just joined a group of birders from Beijing for this 7-day N. Xinjiang birding trip. Our trip started at Urumqi & went north as far as Habahe (close to the border of Republic Kazakhstan). As this was the 2nd year our leader led the group to Xinjiang in a similar route, he was familiar with the birding spots there. And all our accommodations & traffic arrangement were handled by an experienced & specialized local travel agent, so everything went very smooth.
As I wanted to go birding for more places in my trip, I didn't fly direct from Shenzhen to Urumqi. Indeed I took a train from Guangzhou to Yangxian (Qingling) at Shaanxi first. After birding for 3 days, I took a flight from Xian to Urumqi to join the fellow birders. After the trip ended, I stayed for one more day in Urumqi for local birds & then flied back to Shenzhen.
For birders to go birding in Xinjiang on their own,I think it will not be easy. Xinjiang is such a large place, you definitely need a good bird guide who knows the distribution of different bird species in different parts of Xinjiang. And also you need a good driver who understands the needs of birders. Meanwhile, car hiring expense in Xinjiang is also very high compared with the rest of China. For foreign birders, communication with the locals will be a problem as well but it can be handled by your bird guide.
Even though it will not be easy for a foreign birder to go birding in Xinjiang, it definitely will be a great trip. The birds, the people & the scenery are so different from other parts of China!
Paul
