May 3-7, 2005
A little information for anyone looking for semi independant spots in China on a reasonable budget. Its a great spot, completely quiet even for May Holiday.
Changqing nature reserve is in the Qinling Mountains in southern Shaanxi province. The nearest city with rail service is Hanzhong, and from there it is an easy bus ride to Yang Xian, home to Changqing Reserve's main office and the nearby Crested Ibis Center. The center wants US $50 to enter, but we saw a couple Crested Ibis hanging out nearby in a field.
There is no public transportation service into the reserve, so you must arrange with reserve staff. The number is 86-916-822-6504 and email [email protected]. At the time there was a woman, whose name I have forgotten, who speaks English.
They will drive you from Yang Xian to Huayang, a village just outside of the reserve, where the accomodation is located. You have at your disposal a 4WD vehicle, driver and a guide (our guide was named "Jack", who spoke fair English).
The rates that they are asking are very steep for those of us working in China, but they will negotiate the entrance fee and accomodation. The guide fee and 4WD are set prices so if you have 3 or 4 people you can save money.
In addition to the birds we saw Golden Takin (a kind of wild yak?), Serow (a wild goat), and missed a Giant Panda by about 3 minutes (saw the poo though).
The highlights were the crested Ibis, the Pheasants, and apparently the first sighting of Mountain Hawk Eagle for the reserve.
Here's the list: 84 Species
Blk-crowned Night Heron
Chinese Pond Heron
Cattle Egret
Striated Heron
Little Egret
Grey Heron
Crested Ibis (saw two times; group of 5 and group of3)
Black Baza
Black-eared Kite
Besra [Sparrowhawk]
Chinese Goshawk
Mountain Hawk-eagle
Common Kestrel
European Hobby
Blood Pheasant
Temminck's Tragopan (unfortunately very brief but definitive look)
Ring-necked Pheasant
Golden Pheasant (several excellent looks)
White-breasted Waterhen
Eurasian Stilt
Little Ringed Plover
Oriental Plover
Wood Sandpiper
Common Sandpiper
Swinhoe's Snipe
(Common) Rock Pigeon
Oriental Turtle-dove
Large Hawk-Cuckoo
Indian Cuckoo
Oriental Cuckoo
Common Koel
Himalayan Swiftlet
Fork-tailed Swift
Crested Kingfisher
Common Kingfisher
Black-capped Kingfisher
Barn Swallow
Red-rumped Swallow
Asian House Martin
Grey Wagtail
Black-backed Wagtail
Long-tailed Minivet
Collared Finchbill
Brown-breasted Bulbul
Light-vented Bulbul
Long-tailed Shrike
Brown Dipper
Asian Magpie-Robin
Daurian Redstart
Plumbeous Redstart
Grey Bushchat
White-capped Water Redstart
Blue Rock Thrush
Streak-breasted Scimitar-babbler
Plain Laughing-thrush
Hwamei
White-collared Yuhina
Great Parrotbill
Spectacled Parrotbill
Vinous-throated Parrotbill
Yellowish-bellied Bush-warbler
Brownish-flanked Bush-warbler
Hume's Warbler
Chinese Leaf-Warbler
Bianchi's Warbler
Chestnut-crowned Warbler
Zitting Cisticola
Blue-&-white Flycatcher
Fujian Niltava
Grey-headed Flycatcher
Coal Tit
Yellow-bellied Tit
Great Tit
Japanese White-eye
Little Bunting
Vinaceous Rosefinch
Eurasian Tree Sparrow
Black Drongo
Eurasian Jay
Red-billed Blue Magpie
Eurasian Magpie
Spotted Nutcracker
Large-billed Crow
Pygmy Wren-babbler
A little information for anyone looking for semi independant spots in China on a reasonable budget. Its a great spot, completely quiet even for May Holiday.
Changqing nature reserve is in the Qinling Mountains in southern Shaanxi province. The nearest city with rail service is Hanzhong, and from there it is an easy bus ride to Yang Xian, home to Changqing Reserve's main office and the nearby Crested Ibis Center. The center wants US $50 to enter, but we saw a couple Crested Ibis hanging out nearby in a field.
There is no public transportation service into the reserve, so you must arrange with reserve staff. The number is 86-916-822-6504 and email [email protected]. At the time there was a woman, whose name I have forgotten, who speaks English.
They will drive you from Yang Xian to Huayang, a village just outside of the reserve, where the accomodation is located. You have at your disposal a 4WD vehicle, driver and a guide (our guide was named "Jack", who spoke fair English).
The rates that they are asking are very steep for those of us working in China, but they will negotiate the entrance fee and accomodation. The guide fee and 4WD are set prices so if you have 3 or 4 people you can save money.
In addition to the birds we saw Golden Takin (a kind of wild yak?), Serow (a wild goat), and missed a Giant Panda by about 3 minutes (saw the poo though).
The highlights were the crested Ibis, the Pheasants, and apparently the first sighting of Mountain Hawk Eagle for the reserve.
Here's the list: 84 Species
Blk-crowned Night Heron
Chinese Pond Heron
Cattle Egret
Striated Heron
Little Egret
Grey Heron
Crested Ibis (saw two times; group of 5 and group of3)
Black Baza
Black-eared Kite
Besra [Sparrowhawk]
Chinese Goshawk
Mountain Hawk-eagle
Common Kestrel
European Hobby
Blood Pheasant
Temminck's Tragopan (unfortunately very brief but definitive look)
Ring-necked Pheasant
Golden Pheasant (several excellent looks)
White-breasted Waterhen
Eurasian Stilt
Little Ringed Plover
Oriental Plover
Wood Sandpiper
Common Sandpiper
Swinhoe's Snipe
(Common) Rock Pigeon
Oriental Turtle-dove
Large Hawk-Cuckoo
Indian Cuckoo
Oriental Cuckoo
Common Koel
Himalayan Swiftlet
Fork-tailed Swift
Crested Kingfisher
Common Kingfisher
Black-capped Kingfisher
Barn Swallow
Red-rumped Swallow
Asian House Martin
Grey Wagtail
Black-backed Wagtail
Long-tailed Minivet
Collared Finchbill
Brown-breasted Bulbul
Light-vented Bulbul
Long-tailed Shrike
Brown Dipper
Asian Magpie-Robin
Daurian Redstart
Plumbeous Redstart
Grey Bushchat
White-capped Water Redstart
Blue Rock Thrush
Streak-breasted Scimitar-babbler
Plain Laughing-thrush
Hwamei
White-collared Yuhina
Great Parrotbill
Spectacled Parrotbill
Vinous-throated Parrotbill
Yellowish-bellied Bush-warbler
Brownish-flanked Bush-warbler
Hume's Warbler
Chinese Leaf-Warbler
Bianchi's Warbler
Chestnut-crowned Warbler
Zitting Cisticola
Blue-&-white Flycatcher
Fujian Niltava
Grey-headed Flycatcher
Coal Tit
Yellow-bellied Tit
Great Tit
Japanese White-eye
Little Bunting
Vinaceous Rosefinch
Eurasian Tree Sparrow
Black Drongo
Eurasian Jay
Red-billed Blue Magpie
Eurasian Magpie
Spotted Nutcracker
Large-billed Crow
Pygmy Wren-babbler
