Bird News from Tim Edelsten
An afternoon on the island included a brief look at the main shorebird roost followed by the Western Reservoir and adjacent natural wetland. This shallow reed-fringed wetland is probably the best remaining freshwater habitat on the island, but it has already been 70% filled in and appears to be under threat of final annihilation to make way for the new airport runway. Birds seen today were:
Mandarin Duck Aix galericulata. Two on the wetland.
Mallard Anas platyrhynchos. Three on the wetland.
Eastern Spot-billed Duck Anas zonorhyncha.
Garganey Anas querquedula. Six on the wetland. Intriguing to see them feeding in a co-ordinated group, paddling along with heads down at the same time.
Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis.
Black-faced Spoonbill Platalea minor. Sixty-seven on the southern mudflat included at least four juveniles.
Yellow Bittern Ixobrychus sinensis. One on the wetland is apparently a first record for the island.
Grey Heron Ardea cinerea.
Great Egret Ardea alba.
Intermediate Egret Egretta intermedia.
Little Egret Egretta garzetta.
Chinese Egret Egretta eulophotes. At least one on the southern mudflat.
Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo.
Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus. One immature on the wetland.
Eurasian Coot Fulica atra. Two adults and two immatures on the wetland.
Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus. One juvenile on the wetland.
Grey Plover Pluvialis squatarola. Only about ten on the mudflat.
Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica.
Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus.
Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata.
Far Eastern Curlew Numenius madagascariensis.
Spotted Redshank Tringa erythropus. Seven on the wetland. This species seems to have really declined in recent years. Where have the large flocks gone?.
Common Greenshank Tringa nebularia.
Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola.
Terek Sandpiper Xenus cinereus. Still up to 300 at the wader roost.
Red-necked Stint Calidris ruficollis.
Sharp-tailed Sandpiper Calidris acuminata. One on the wetland. Another species that has apparently crashed in recent years. I hardly ever see them anymore.
Saunders’s Gull Chroicocephalus saundersi. Only two adults on the mudflat. This species is in very low numbers this summer.
Black-tailed Gull Larus crassirostris.
Mongolian Gull Larus mongolicus.
Oriental Reed Warbler Acrocephalus orientalis. Several still singing on the wetland.
Zitting Cisticola Cisticola juncidis. One calling from the reservoir.
Vinous-throated Parrotbill Sinosuthera webbiana.
Eurasian Tree Sparrow Passer montanus.
Eastern Yellow Wagtail Motacilla tschutschensis. Up to fifteen included both taivana and tschutschensis.
White Wagtail Motacilla alba.
Meadow Bunting Emberiza cioides.
Non-avian wildlife included a Black-spotted Frog Pelophylax nigromaculatus, several Asian Swallowtail Papilio xuthus and a Painted Lady Cynthia cardui.
Black-spotted Frog Pelophylax nigromaculatus, © Tim Edelsten
Asian Swallowtail Papilio xuthus, © Tim Edelsten
Painted Lady Cynthia cardui, © Tim Edelsten