subbuteo

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
Xian- 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

Dongguan

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

Urumqi to Turpan

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

Kashgar

Desert Finch
Rook
Magpie
Carrion Cow
Staling
Tree Sparrow
Isabelline Shrike
White Wagtail
Laughing Dove
Collared Dove

Tian Shan, Heavenly Lake(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

[ Last edited by subbuteo at 12/04/2012 20:57 ]

lpaul

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

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 songarus 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

On range it can only be Songar Tit.