My Second Birding Competition

April 21st, 2024--A New High: 98 Species Observed In One Day

At the beginning of the competition, we first found a little grebe and a Great Crested Grebe on the lake next to the Nanhuizui Dam Hotel. Afterward, I saw several magpies and sparrows flying by on my way to Little Eucalyptus Road.

Red Flanked Bluetail

When we reached Little Eucalyptus Road, we climbed over the railing onto the dirt track inside. After only a few steps, we saw a little curlew, which gave us a great surprise. After the competition, we discovered that we were one of two teams that found it! Deeper on the road, we also saw many birds that usually lived in bushes, such as the Bluethroat, the Japanese Tit, and the Black Faced Bunting. In the reeds by the river, we also heard the call of the Ring-Necked Pheasant. 

On the way out from Little Eucalyptus Road, a female Pied Harrier, a flock of Eastern Spot-Billed Ducks, and a flock of egrets flew by overhead.

Chinese Egret

Before going to the levee, we took a look in the woods beside the hotel and found a Long-Tailed Shrike and a Gray Starling. 

For our next stop, we went to the levee. We arrived at about 10:30 AM, just in time for high tide, and many water birds were very close to us. Among them were nationally protected animals such as the Chinese Egret and the Black-faced Spoonbill. In addition, there were many different water birds, such as the Pied Avocet, the Little Ringed Plover, the Whimbrel, the Terek Sandpiper, the Greater Sand Plover, and the Siberian Sand Charadrius.

Black-winged Stilt

Not far from the levee, in the “Magic Forest” (Forests 1-5), we found different species of forest birds, including different species of warblers. Among them were the relatively rare Pale-Legged Leaf Warbler and the Eastern Crowned Warbler. In addition, a noisy Grey Treepie was found on top of a tree branch, a white and blue flycatcher was spotted in the middle of the forest catching bugs, and we also heard the Reed Parrotbill.

After leaving the forests, we drove to a place called the “East Sun.” Upon arrival, we saw a dozen common terns on the lake and a few white-winged and gull-billed terns looking for fish to eat. Among the swallows flying overhead was a Pied Kingfisher. On the distant wire, we found a large black figure, which we had thought to be iron, but which turned out to be an Osprey. 

Black Faced Spoonbill

On the reeds across the lake, we also saw a Lesser Coucal, which is a protected animal in China. Then we walked along the road and reached a small pond. There, we saw a few black-winged stilts and several different snipes. Finally, we found a Richard Pipit and an Olive Backed Pipit in an open lawn and finally returned to the hotel. 

At the end of every birding competition, there are always new species that surprise the birders! In a tree behind the hotel, we saw a super cute Northern Boobook (shown below) and a few of us took hundreds of pictures of it. Later we also found a Pallid Scops Owl in the woods next to the sea, ending our joyous and fulfilling trip to Nanhui.

The List of Species We Observed:

环颈雉 Phasianus colchicus

白眉鸭 Spatula querquedula 

斑嘴鸭 Anas zonorhyncha

绿翅鸭 Anas crecca

小䴙䴘 Tachybaptus ruhcollis 

凤头䴙䴘 Podiceps cristatus

山斑鸠Streptopelia orientalis 

珠颈斑鸠 Spilopelia chinensis 

小鸦鹃 Centropus bengalensis 

黑水鸡 Gallinula chloropus 

白骨顶 Fulica atra 

黑脸琵鹭 Platalea minor

夜鹭 Nycticorax nycticorax

池鹭 Ardeola bacchus 

苍鹭 Ardea cinerea

大白鹭 Ardea alba 

中白鹭 Ardea intermedia

白鹭 Egretta garzetta

黄嘴白鹭 Egretta eulophotes

反嘴鹬 Recurvirostra avosetta 

黑翅长脚鹬 Himantonus himantonus 

金眶鸻 Charadrius dubius 

环颈鸻 Charadrius alexandrinus 

蒙古沙鸻 Charadrius mongolus 

铁嘴沙鸻 Charadrius leschenaultii 

中杓鹬 Numenius phaeopus 

小杓鹬 Numenius minutus 

斑尾塍鹬 Limosa lapponica

大滨鹬 Calidris tenuirostris 

红腹滨鹬 Calidris canutus 

阔鹬 Calidris falcinellus 

尖尾滨鹬 Calidris acuminata 

长趾滨鹬 Calidris subminuta 

红颈滨鹬 Calidris rufcollis

黑腹滨鹬 Calidris alpina 

扇尾沙锥 Gallinago gallinago 

翘嘴鹬 Xenus cinereus

矶鹬 Actitis hypoleucos 

白腰草鹬 Tringa ochropus 

鹤鹬 Tringa erythropus 

青脚鹬 Tringa meuuiana

红脚鹬 Tringa totanus 

林鹬Tringa glareola

泽鹬 Tringa stagnatilis 

鸥嘴噪鸥 Gelochelidon nilotica

普通燕鸥 Sterna hirundo 

白翅浮鸥 Chlidonias leucopterus 

鹗Pandion haliaetus 

凤头鹰 Accipiter trivirgatus 

鹊鹞 Circus melanoleucos 

斑鱼狗 Ceryle rudis 

棕背伯劳 Lanius schach

灰树鹊 Dendrocitta formosae 

喜鹊 Pica serica

大山雀 Parus minor

中华攀雀 Remiz consobrinus

小云雀 Alauda gulgula

棕扇尾莺 Cisticola juncidis 

纯色山鹪莺 Prinia inornata 

东方大苇莺 Acrocephalus orientalis

斑背大尾莺 Helopsaltes pryerix

家燕 Hirundo rustica 

白头鹎 Pycnonotus sinensis 

栗背短脚鹎Hemixos castanonotus 

黄眉柳莺 Phylloscopus inornatus 

黄腰柳莺 Phylloscopus proregulus

冕柳莺 Phylloscopus coronatus 

淡脚柳莺 Phylloscopus tenellipes 

远东树莺Horornis canturians 

棕头鸦雀 Sinosuthora webbiana

震日鸦雀 Paradoxornis heudei

暗绿绣眼鸟 Zosterops simplex

八哥Acridotheres cristatellus 

灰椋鸟 Spodiopsar cineraceus 

黑领椋鸟 Gracupica nigricollis

灰背鸫 Turdus hortulorum

乌鸫Turdus mandarinus

北灰鶲 Muscicapa dauurica 

白腹蓝鶲Cyanoptila cyanomelana 

蓝喉歌鸲 Luscinia svecica

红胁蓝尾鸲Tarsiger cyanurus

白眉姬鶲 Ficedula zanthopygia 

黄眉姬鶲 Ficedula narcissina

鸲姬鶲 Ficedula mugimaki

北红尾鸲 Phoenicurus auroreus

麻雀 Passer montanus 

树鹨 Anthus hodgsoni

田鹨 Anthus richardi

黄鹡鸰 Motacilla tschutschensis 

灰鹡鸰Motacilla cinerea

白鹡鸰 Motacilla alba

燕雀 Fringilla montifringilla 

黑尾蜡嘴雀 Eophona migratoria 

苇鹀  Emberiza pallasi

小鹀 Emberiza pusilla 

灰头鹀 Emberiza spodocephala 

白眉鹀 Emberiza tristrami

北鹰鸮 Northern Boobook (Ninox japonica)

红角鸮 Pallid Scops Owl (Otus brucei)