Spring migration in Eastern China has been fabulous for me. Due to lack of
birders in the
area, I've birded mostly solo and I've found numerous personal lifers in Zhong
Shan Park,
Qingdao, China. Zhong Shan Park contains a tract of coastal forest and is about
1 kilometer from the Yellow Sea. Through a good part of both April and May,
I birded this park
several times per week, and averaged about 2 lifers per visit. I have had the
unique privilege to spend a great deal of time observing many of the fascinating
birds East Asia, as well as experiencing the entire spring migration period
here in Eastern China. Through direct observation, I have learned as much I
could about many of these fascinating species

Due to the fact, that I birded Zhong Shan so often, I don't think that I
missed too much of what was passing through. Some species were only in the park
for one day, and others a couple of days or longer. If hadn't been out birding
so
frequently, I would have certainly missed some key species .Included below are
my trip reports from mid-May to date.

Before sundown on 5/15/11, Angela Merchant and I birded for an hour in Zhong
Shan Park, Qingdao. It was too late in the day for most birds, but we did see
a saw a flock of 8 CHESTNUT-FLANKED WHITE-EYEs, and a YELLOW-RUMPED FLYCATCHER.
Although I've often seen flocks of Japanese White-eyes in there before, I wasn't
expecting to see a whole flock Chestnut-flanks migrating through like that.

Early the morning of 5/16/11 in Zhong Shan Park, Qingdao, I saw a
female SIBERIAN THRUSH, and later in the morning I was viewing a nice
CHINESE THRUSH (only my second) when a another thrush flew in along the outer
rim of the Magic Ravine. It turned out to be gorgeous, full adult male,
WHITE-THROATED ROCK THRUSH (with orange underparts, a sky blue crown, cobalt
blue mantle, midnight blue/black wings with white wing patches)! It perched on
a dead branch for over a couple of minutes and I had great views of the bird in
profile. It then flew low into another tree, and this time it was facing me. The
small white throat
patch contrasted with dark orange breast so strongly that it truly stood out
like a
little beacon light. Other nice birds of interest included TRISTRAM'S BUNTING,
CHESTNUT BUNTING (including beautiful adult males), LITTLE BUNTING, BLACK-FACED
BUNTING, CHESTNUT-FLANKED WHITE-EYE, JAPANESE WHITE-EYE, RUFOUS-TAILED
ROBIN, FOREST WAGTAIL (looks detailed with racing stripes), OLIVE-BACKED
PIPIT, ARCTIC WARBLER (singing), EASTERN CROWNED WARBLER, PALE-LEGGED LEAF
WARBLER, YELLOW-BROWED WARBLER, JAPANESE SPARROWHAWK (one adult male with prey
in its talons), BROWN SHRIKE (hunting in a heavily wooded ravine), and I
practically tripping over SIBERIAN BLUE ROBINs (one was at very close range and
fanning its tail while hunting invertebrates on the forest floor).

During the afternoon, I enjoyed communing with a DARK-SIDED FLYCATCHERs (aka
Siberian or Sooty Flycatcher), and comparing it to the nearby GREY-STEAKED
FLYCATCHER, and ASIAN BROWN FLYCATCHER that were all working the same patch of
trees at the same time! The Dark-sided Flycatcher has a breast pattern rather
similar to our North American Olive-sided Flycatcher.


On 5/18/11 in Zhong Shan Park, Qingdao,, I was thrilled to see a
single Japanese
Grosbeak at close range. From my understanding Japanese Grosbeak is rather
scarce in migration on the mainland. Its huge bright, yellow,unmarked beak
looked like a plastic toy, and its call was much lower and flatter sounding
than
the Chinese Grosbeak. It was my lifer of the day.

In addition, there were quite a few ARCTIC WARBLERs singing, a DARK-SIDED
FLYCATCHER and a GREY-STREAKED FLYCATCHER in the same binocular view, a DAURIAN
REDSTART, a couple of
female WHITE-THROATED ROCK THRUSHES (which are rather bizarre looking), plenty
of CHINESE GROSBEAKs, SIBERIAN BLUE ROBIN, CHINESE POND HERON, and a pair of
COMMON MOORHENs.

In the Dalian area, I birded the weekend with a resident bird guide,Tom Beeke.
Even though target birding for migrants is a very dodgy prospect, I had to
try.
Although we had a very slow Saturday afternoon, most of the time we had plenty
of action, and of course some very good birds.

On 5/21/11, we scored one of my last remaining East Asian shorebird species
that I had yet to see. On the coastal tidal flats north of Pikou, we had
excellent lifer views of an alternate plumaged BROAD-BILLED SANDPIPER. After
missing this
species in Rudong the previous month, I was completely obsessed with seeing one,
and we
had crippling views out the car window at point blank range. Although we didn't
spend much
more time with general shorebirding, it was hard not to notice both FAR EASTERN
& EURASIAN
CURLEWs, GREAT KNOT, RED-NECKED STINT, SHARP-TAILED SANDPIPER, TEREK SANDPIPER,
DUNLIN, GREY PLOVER, KENTISH PLOVER, LESSER SAND PLOVER, COMMON GREENSHANK &
REDSHANK, WHIMBREl, and CHINESE EGRET.

In the Jinshitan area, we saw both ORIENTAL REED WARBLER and BLACK-BROWED REED
WARBLER, BLACK DRONGO, DOLLARBIRD, COMMON KINGFISHER, BLACK-CAPPED
KINGFISHER, BLACK-NAPED ORIOLE, FOREST WAGTAIL, DARK-SIDED FLYCATCHER, EASTERN
CATTLE EGRET, INTERMEDIATE EGRET, ASIAN BROWN FLYCATCHER, GREY-STREAKED
FLYCATCHER, STRIATED HERON, BROWN SHRIKE, ORIENTAL TURTLE DOVE, PACIFIC
(Fort-tailed) SWIFT, HOOPOE, EURASIAN KESTREL, EURASIAN CUCKOO (singing on
powerline), and a hunting party of AMUR FALCONs .

On the golf course property, we saw the beautiful Red-breasted race
(phillippenis) of the BLUE ROCK THRUSH. WHITE-CHEEKED STARLING, DUSKY WARBLER,
RADDE'S WARBLER, and BLACK-BROWED REED WARBLER. In the evening we dipped on
Little Owl, but our consolation was hearing calling ORIENTAL SCOPS OWL and GREY
NIGHTJARs.

On 5/22/11, we birded the Laotieshan which is the point of the penisula and has
some of the best looking forest that I've seen in eastern China. To date, very
few birders have visited this site, but a couple of British birders spent a
week
and a half out there in mid-May and saw some phenomenal birds.
Although we didn't have a fall-out day, we still picked up some excellent
birds.

One of my most wanted target birds was one of the first of the morning. It was a
highly
cooperative LANCEOLATED WARBLER. Once we summited the ridge, we were eye level
with a pair of ORIENTAL HONEY BUZZARDs, Other raptors that we picked up
included GREY-FACED BUZZARD, NORTHER HOBBY, CHINESE SPARROWHAWK - 3, Passerines
were quite active though noon, and we turned up DARK-SIDED, GREY-STREAKED, and
ASIAN
BROWN FLYCATCHERs; EASTERN CROWNED, YELLOW-BROWED, BLACK-BROWED REED
WARBLER (incredible views), PALE-LEGGED LEAF, PALLAS'S LEAF, DUSKY, and RADDE'S
(over a
dozen) WARBLERs; SIBERIAN BLUE ROBIN, and BLUE ROCK THRUSH,. Although we heard
a
KOREAN BUSH WARBLER singing from a wisteria covered thicket, but never had a
visual. Meanwhile, a THICK-BILLED WARBLER delivered us a quick view and an
impressive song of mimicry. We ended the day by viewing an impressive
procession
of STREAKED SHEARWATERs winging it around the point.

After hearing (and barely glimpsing) the Thick-billed Warbler at Laotieshan, I
kept Tom Beeke's advice for finding this bird in mind. While birding Zhong Shan
on
morning of 5/25/11, I recognized the song of a THICK-BILLED WARBLER. After some
careful
searching along the upper reaches of the Magic Ravine, I was noting the
dense leafy
understory on a steep slope, and thinking that it was the right habitat. When
the bird sang again, I began pishing and a curious Thick-billed Warbler flew up
onto a bare branch and afforded me a killer ten second visual.

Woodlands migrants here have slowed down considerably, but there were still a
fair number of ARCTIC WARBLERs, a BLACK-NAPED ORIOLE, JAPANESE WHITE-EYEs and a
couple of YELLOW-BROWED WARBLERs around. I did have quick views of a cuckoo
(Eurasian or Oriental) flying through dense foliage, but it never called.


On Monday (5/30/11), I saw a few migrants in Zhong Shan Park, but it is much
quieter. I did see several Arctic Warblers, Chestnut Bunting, Common Reed
Bunting (first time in Qingdao), and was surprised to see two Red-billed
Leiothrix! Although I've seen plenty of wild caught cage birds in Qingdao,
I've
never seen that species in a cage. The Leiothrix were loosely associating with
the other migrant birds. According to the field guide, Qingdao isn't too far
north of the indicated range of this species.

Later on the morning of June 6, 2011, Angela Merchant and I visited
Zhong Shan Park, Qingdao. While the park on Dragon Boat Festival was overrun
with people, there were very few birds of interest, but we did see displaying
Hoopoes with their crests fully extended and a pair of Vinous-throated
Parrotbills. Fortunately, I flushed my lifer EASTERN WATER RAIL out of some
marginal
looking, overgrown, damp habitat.


Yours in Qingdao,

Gina Sheridan