Sichuan: Longcanggou Forest Park

I flew out of Abu Dhabi to Chengdu, in Sichuan province in China on 22nd May. The flight was uneventful, but on arrival my driver was one & half hours late! Not a good start! We drove through the darkness & arrived at the hotel very late & I tumbled into bed, not really knowing where I was. I was of course on the edge of Longcanggou Forest Park,  a mixture of  deciduous forest at lower altitudes, but as you climb, this slowly changes to coniferous forest & finally more open areas. The area has been heavily logged in the past, but the forest still holds good numbers of birds.

Longcanggou Hotel.

Found in most Chines Hotels!

 The rough track up the mountain.

Good deciduous forest still exists.

This is the kind of habitat for Red Panda.
I didn't manage to see one though.

I was up at 5.15 am on 23rd May & drove about 7.5 kms up the mountain. Where the car was parked & I walked further up the mountain birding.

Female Plumbeous Redstart

Rufous gorgeted Flycatcher

Fire-capped Tit

 Aberrant Bush Warbler

Sichuan Leaf Warbler

Large billed Leaf Warbler

 Golden breasted Fulvetta

 White collared Yuhina

 Mrs Gould's Sunbird

Best birds were: a female Lady Amherst's Pheasant by the side of the track.Grey capped Pygmy Woodpecker; 15 White-throated Needletail; Long tailed Minivet; Plumbeous Redstart; Rufous gorgeted Flycatcher; Fire-capped Tit; Brownish flanked Bush Warbler; Aberrant Bush Warbler; Sichuan Leaf Warbler; Large-billed Warbler; Kloss's Leaf Warbler; Marten's Warbler; Red-winged Laughing Thrush; Red-billed Leiothrix; Golden breasted Fulvetta; White collared Yuhina; Brown Parrotbill; Grey hooded Parrotbill; Mrs Gould's Sunbird; 

Later in the day I worked the lower elevation forest closer to the hotel. A few migrants around in the gardens, but nothing special.

On the 24th May I was again up early & birded the mid elevation forest, then walked back down the mountain towards the hotel.

A shockingly bad photo of a Emei Liocichia.

But it is a very rare & localized endemic!

 Blue-winged Minla.

Additional species recorded included: Himalayan & Lesser Cuckoo; Northern Booboook; Red billed Blue Magpie; Brown Bush Warbler; Emei Liocichia; Golden Parrotbill; Blue-winged Minla & Vinaceous Rosefinch.

 Luding

The hotel where I stayed for two nights.

In the afternoon we drove to Luding. This was a tiring journey on the main highway, but slow going because of all the trucks on the road. Luding was not a pretty town but very strategically placed to bird the nearby Erlang Shan.

Abu Dhabi Islands

The Intercontinental Hotel Marina.

It is Friday 15th May & it is a tad warm here in Abu Dhabi! I had arrived here last Saturday after my monster trip. It is nice to be back & going out on a little trip! I had arranged with Captain Maarten for a short jaunt around some of the islands just off AD for breeding seabirds. We all met at 8 am & we were off!

Looking back to the city of Abu Dhabi.

 Captain Maarten

Tim, Robin, Maarten, Simon & Oscar.

Socotra Cormorant

A dark phase Western Reef Heron

Landing on the first island.

 Bridled Tern

 Bridled Terns wheeled overhead in good numbers.

 They are nesting in and under boulders
 on the island.

White-cheeked Tern

This is the commonest species of Tern
 breeding on these islands.

However, all tern species in this area are declining 
as breeding species, due to on-going development.

 This was quite surprising, seeing recently fledged 
Saunder's Little Terns so early in the season.

Oscar on the prowl!

Mangroves being planted on a 

recently dredged island. 

Ruddy Turnstones migrating through
 in good numbers.

 Lesser crested Terns

 It was surprising to find this species here
 in good numbers at this time of year.
Possibility of breeding, which would be a first
 for this location.

 Have to return in June to check this out.

Thanks Maarten for another great day out. Till the next time.