Also here was a flock of around 300 Common Crane which contained a single Hooded Crane and at least two Sandhill Crane. Nearby another flock of 18 Red-crowned Crane. Four species of crane within an area consisting of two, relatively small fields, was remarkable. The ditches were alive with buntings and we recorded Little Bunting, Chestnut-eared Bunting (six), Yellow-breasted Bunting (one), Yellow-throated Bunting (one), Rustic Bunting (four), Black-faced Bunting (two) and Pallas’s Bunting (10’s). Other highlights here included Siberian (Stejneger’s) Stonechat, Daurian Redstart (five), Grey-backed Thrush (one), White-cheeked Starling (four), Hoopoe (three), Red-throated Pipit (four), Merlin (1), Hen Harrier (three) and Black-shouldered Kite (one). While overhead were Tundra Bean Goose (50), two rather distant Oriental Stork and a brief Grey-backed Thrush. A short drive back down the road produced more buntings of the same species including another two Yellow-breasted Bunting and four more Yellow-throated Bunting and a single Pale Thrush. It started to spit with rain and so we decided to head for lunch, this was a ridiculous banquet with enough food to feed a group three times the size. It included some rather disgusting dishes including 1000-year-old eggs which tasted just how I would imagine licking a urinal would taste, raw crabs, dried and shredded octopus and pickled peanuts – really quite disgusting!
Red-crowned Crane, two adult and a juvenile - Yancheng Nature Reserve, Yancheng
Red-crowned Crane, two adult and a juvenile - Yancheng Nature Reserve, Yancheng
Red-crowned Crane, two adult and a juvenile - Yancheng Nature Reserve, Yancheng
Red-crowned Crane, two adult and a juvenile - Yancheng Nature Reserve, Yancheng
Common Crane - Yancheng Nature Reserve, Yancheng
Flock of Common Crane - Yancheng Nature Reserve, Yancheng
Tundra Bean Goose - Yancheng Nature Reserve, Yancheng
Pallas's Bunting - Yancheng Nature Reserve, Yancheng
Pallas's Bunting (female) - Yancheng Nature Reserve, Yancheng
Pallas's Bunting (female) - Yancheng Nature Reserve, Yancheng
Pallas's Bunting (male) - Yancheng Nature Reserve, Yancheng
Chestnut-eared Bunting - Yancheng Nature Reserve, Yancheng
Chestnut-eared Bunting - Yancheng Nature Reserve, Yancheng
Little Bunting - Yancheng Nature Reserve, Yancheng
Stejneger's Stonechat - Yancheng Nature Reserve, Yancheng
Stejneger's Stonechat - Yancheng Nature Reserve, Yancheng
Long-tailed Shrike - Yancheng Nature Reserve, Yancheng
Reed Parrotbill - Yancheng Nature Reserve, Yancheng
Hen Harrier - Yancheng Nature Reserve, Yancheng
Spotted Redshank - Yancheng Nature Reserve, Yancheng
Chinese Spot-billed Duck - Yancheng Nature Reserve, Yancheng
Greylag Goose of race rubrirostris- Yancheng Nature Reserve, Yancheng
After lunch we headed for the Yancheng Crane Nature Reserve visitor centre and wetland area, it was raining more steadily by now and we opted to hire an electric vehicle to take us around the reserve. These were like mini electric single decker buses and were excellent birding hides. This turned out to be a good move as the rain became more and more steady and the wind picked up. The reserve consists of extensive reedbeds and pools many of which were still under construction. Highlights of the birding included four Swan Goose, 50 Falcated Duck, Eurasian Bittern (2), 100’s of Chinese Spot-billed Duck, 30 Mandarin Duck and White Wagtail of the races ocularis and leucopsis. The rain was now heavy and so we headed back to our hotel for 16:00 and relaxed until dinner at 18:30.
Life Birds;
- Swan Goose
- Oriental Stork
- Red-crowned Crane
- Hooded Crane
- Light-vented Bulbul
- Reed Parrotbill
- White-cheeked Starling
- Black-collared Starling
- Grey-backed Thrush
- Pale Thrush
- Chestnut-eared Bunting
- Black-faced Bunting
Links to Other Days of the Trip (Click to View)