Birding China (1 Viewer)

[katastrofa]

Well there is a simple alternative that I guess you will not like !! - I bought an electric mountain bike or just use my old mountain bike and slog out on the hills. So even with transport fixed many paths and roads have illegal gates across them so you cannot proceed or military posts or more often when you get to a descent spot there is just nothing but trees, nothing flying unless you include mosquitoes.
Local knowledge would be great, but often there is none. Guangzhou and Shenzhen birders dont share !!, Hangzhou is excellent and actually a little park to the north west of Xihu and the wetlands is good and accessible. Sanya - struggling to find anything, Harbin, is OK in Sun Island but not much variety, and Changchun I will attack tomorrow. In general it is tough compared to Europe and the US

Speaking of military posts and the like: how risky is it to trot around random places in China, looking for birds, with a pair of binoculars / telephoto lens / spotting scope? What if it turns out that I'm birdwatching next to a police station or a military unit?

I'm travelling to China late 2024 / early 2025 for unrelated reason (visiting my partner's family) and was hoping to get some birdwatching done. My partner is a native Chinese, so language won't be a problem, but I was wondering about the above. She thinks it might be a problem if we end up "in the wrong place".

 

[Owen Krout]

Speaking of military posts and the like: how risky is it to trot around random places in China, looking for birds, with a pair of binoculars / telephoto lens / spotting scope? What if it turns out that I'm birdwatching next to a police station or a military unit?

I'm travelling to China late 2024 / early 2025 for unrelated reason (visiting my partner's family) and was hoping to get some birdwatching done. My partner is a native Chinese, so language won't be a problem, but I was wondering about the above. She thinks it might be a problem if we end up "in the wrong place".

Hi, katastrofa! I spent about 10 years birding in Liaoning Province, primarily in and around Panjin, and also have a native Chinese wife, so I can speak directly to the question. The short answer is that I agree with your partner. Keep in mind that the basic way it works in China is that anything can be illegal if the police say it is. I was once riding in a taxi in Dalian where the driver was stopped twice at police check points and at the first had to pay a "fine" (bribe) for not wearing his sunglasses and ten minutes later at another check point he was fined for wearing his sunglasses.

I was properly registered with the local police and was retired as an Engineer, most recently from teaching Technical English at an aeronautical university in Shenyang, so they were able to pretty easily check up on me, but still when we first moved to Panjin to be near my wife's family I actually had plain clothes police following me around keeping track of what I was doing with that Canon camera with the long lens and no less concerning, with binoculars! Eventually, I got to be friends with the particular officer in charge of keeping track of me and made it clear that they could see my files at anytime so I got to roam around any public areas without any problem. I was there during two periods that ads actually ran on the TV warning people to be on the lookout for the "many" laowei (foreign) spies who were about and giving a phone number to call to report them. During one of my every six month check-ins with the police I commented that I knew people were reporting me as a spy and the officer just laughed and told me not to worry about it, but if he hadn't felt that he knew me well enough to ignore it, it could have been a serious problem. What worked out the best was that the locals decided they liked me and so actually got to be helpful instead of suspicious. Also my wife told me that they were all convinced that I was crazy because of wandering around looking up in the trees all the time! Our niece chimned in with that was because all Americans are crazy!

 

[katastrofa]

Thank you!

 

[katastrofa]

My partner suggested that when we register my presence at the police station, we ask the police "is it OK to go birdwatching here and here with these binoculars". I just hope they won't confiscate my new pair of Nikons!

 

[opisska]

Every time there is activity in this thread, I am re-affirmed in my opinion that I will never go to China

 

[Owen Krout]

It occurred to me this morning that I may have been a bit too negative. I don't know where you are wanting to bird, but many of the larger cities have some city parks that can produce some good birding. Panjin for instance (something close to 1.5 million at this point) has a waterfront park literally within walking distance of the rail station and in the middle of the city along the river that can be quite interesting and produce other wildlife besides birds. Other Chinese parks can be quite barren of any wildlife whatsoever though. I never got a Chinese drivers license just because I had no desire to drive in Chinese traffic 🫣 but found that I could hire a taxi pretty easily and even pay to have them wait while I spent a couple of hours birding at a quite reasonable rate. Also I commonly used the busses to get around very cheaply. One word of advice would be to let the police authorities know when you register that you intend to do some bird watching and let them see the camera and binoculars and even ask if there are any restrictions that you should be aware of. Being cooperative tends to head off any suspicions.

 

[Owen Krout]

Every time there is activity in this thread, I am re-affirmed in my opinion that I will never go to China

China's not for everyone! Having lived there for a number of years I never had any serious problems with the authorities but the constantly increasing surveillance of everybody and the massive crowds with the Chinese pushing and shoving does weigh on someone who grew up in rural Appalachian America. However I did find the great majority of Chinese to be quite friendly though asking for directions was often pointless as it was amazing to me how limited the knowledge of even their own city often is outside of the immediate district they live in. Couple that with it culturally being difficult to just admit they don't know where something is and giving directions that are really just a guess can land you in some "interesting" places. Having Chinese relatives to help out was a major advantage.

 

[MKinHK]

In contrast to Owene's experience I birded all over China from 1990 (as a student in Beijing) to 2018 without the slightest difficulty from the police. There are lots birders in China so folk with binoculars and cameras looking for birds are normal these days.

You'd be missing out on a heap of great birds Opisska!

Cheers
Mike

 

[katastrofa]

In contrast to Owene's experience I birded all over China from 1990 (as a student in Beijing) to 2018 without the slightest difficulty from the police. There are lots birders in China so folk with binoculars and cameras looking for birds are normal these days.

You'd be missing out on a heap of great birds Opisska!

Cheers
Mike

I suppose things might have deteriorated in recent years, though?

 

[katastrofa]

Is Yunnan in winter a good destination?

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

Is Yunnan in winter a good destination?

Yes, fantastic e.g. at Baihualing and Hongbenghe. A lot of the birding there is at hides set up for photographers, so it can be a bit artificial. You probably will need someone to assist with travel and organisation.

 

[katastrofa]

Yes, I've read the description. I think as long as the birds are free, it's not a problem.

 

[MacHector]

Hi

Does anyone have up to date contact details for Ms Jean Wang in Beidaihe?

Andrew

 

[samnew]

I suppose things might have deteriorated in recent years, though?

Yes, at least in my experience. I have lived in China for over a decade but only started birding recently (during the covid lockdowns). I first of all must state that the majority of my birding experience in China has been of great pleasure and I've met some fantastic birders and people. However, I have also been told on many occasions 'no foreigners' to locations that local birders go to no problem. The worst experience was been detained by state police on suspicion of spying (at a location that local birders still go to today known as the 'magic forest' as it's so good). However, those are the worst. In general birding in China is becoming more and more of a hobby. Mostly bird photography.

Is Yunnan in winter a good destination?

As Andrew said, it's great! I went for the first time in Janary (Baihualing and Hornbill valley were closed to foreigners for the past few years - see above). Highly recommend it if you have the option to go. In both locations it's basically all hide photography, with most hides being 100rmb a day from memory. In baihualing you are restricted in the areas you can go and as a foreigner you have to get a permit (about 350rmb I think) and even then the bao'an (guards) may not let you in easily. However, if you have the opportunity they are both amazing places to visit.

 

[jurek]

How easy / difficult are currently Chinese and Sclater's Monals?

 

[temmie]

Chinese is 'doable' on e.g. Balang Shan or Labahe.
Sclater's is present for a short window somewhere in late Nov on Mayodhia pass in the Mishmi hills of Arunachal, NE India, I don't know where in China would be good for Sclater's, but the Dulongjiang Valley seems to be the best place.