Journey to The Mountain City of China

 

There are a few places in China that has gained tremendous popularity as tourist destinations in recent years. Chongqing which is located in the south-western side of this massive country is one of them. My better half and I decided to go for a regular tour to this holiday destination and initially, I considered leaving my birding gear at home for this one. A similar tour that we had to Vietnam where I managed to obtain one significant experience from only a single bird throughout the entire visit was not exactly encouraging. However, a little research online and optimism convinced me otherwise just before the departure date.

Chongqing certainly lived up to its reputation. The countryside was truly amazing and were my favourite parts of this sightseeing excursion.

Do not get me wrong. The city was impressive too with a rich mixture of tradition and modern technology.

However, it is after dark that this so-called Cyberpunk City comes to life and reveals its true splendour.

In terms of birds, Chongqing exceeded my expectations. Although it is only casual birding, I noticed that quite a few places were teeming with birds – even in the city centre. One particular species was quite prominent in the countryside and it was the Red-billed Blue-Magpie. I have recorded it in Cambodia before but it was certainly scarcer there.

Big, colourful and loud; I crossed paths with this remarkable bird on several occasions throughout the tour. Even my sightseeing tour guide is quite familiar with this species and that supports my guess of the bird’s status here. I know that the grass is always greener on the other side but just look at it. There is not one inch of the Red-billed Blue-Magpie that spells ordinary.

We visited several rivers during our 8-day stay and most of them had their own distinct charms. The smaller ones especially if they were rocky, had my undivided attention. Not so much for their appeal but for the feathered residents that they might house.

One particular river stood out from the rest and the circumstances in which things unfolded was unfortunately, bittersweet. Our group was waiting for our turn to embark on a boat trip in the Puhua district. There was a long queue and for almost an hour, we were on an elevated waiting area overlooking the river. While the rest of the group grew restless, I was overwhelmed with excitement because it was a great vantage point for birding. It began with the unmistakeable presence of a forktail foraging directly below. Upon further scrutiny, the greyish back was undeniable. And there is only so much that a familiar species like a Slaty-backed Forktail can conjure up for me despite the prolonged observation.

A pair of Plumbeous Redstarts was also flitting about the fast-flowing waters of this idyllic river. And just like the ones I encountered in Vietnam, they were rather confiding. I have to admit that I did not pay as much attention to them as much as I should have. I was feeling optimistic. After obtaining a record shot of the male Plumbeous Redstart, I started scanning every inch of the river in hopes of obtaining of my first global lifer of the trip. When the wait for the boat was over, I reluctantly kept my gear only to catch sight of a stunning male White-capped Redstart flying across the river and alighting on the rocks where I have been staring at just minutes ago. There was no way of halting the boat without making a scene and I could only watch my lifer until the distance was just too great.

Our tour took us to several scenic areas with amazing limestone formations and lush landscapes. As expected, I managed to capture just a small fraction of the birds found here. During overseas vacations with my better half, the key to an enjoyable outing is moderation and compromising. Despite being surrounded by an array of bird calls very foreign to me, I still have the discipline to pull myself away when required. What can I say? She has trained me well.

Collared Finchbills are interesting-looking birds that I have encountered before in Taiwan. An individual attracted to a fruiting tree provided one of the notable encounters for my China trip. The fruiting tree was located at the entrance to the City Grand Canyon of Qianjiang. I took it as a sign from above but one rarely gets the satisfaction of being right based on gut feelings alone when it comes to birding – rarely but not never.

The fruits also attracted a Pallas’s Squirrel and since only the Finchbill was the only other species present, the rodent had some time in the limelight.

White-browed Laughingthrushes are relatively common in this region. Despite occurring in flocks and showing little fear to human presence, they have a tendency of keeping themselves partially hidden. And their active nature compounds my frustration. Perhaps it is just bad luck. Luckily, I still have this one photo to show in the end.

Drably-coloured bulbuls often require effort to positively identify. Back in Malaysia, this is a constant challenge and I guess it is no different here. Although the Brown-breasted Bulbul is not exactly drab, I was still uncertain of its identification until I consulted Dave.

And just like back home, fruiting trees are a natural magnet for bulbuls. I wished I had more time for the birds patronizing this tree but this lifer will just have to do. Moderation and compromising, remember?

We had our first Daurian Redstart in Malaysia a few years back. The bird, despite being the duller female, provided much excitement at the time. I know fully well how attractive the male can be and when I finally saw him in the flesh, he was even more stunning. My gut feeling turned out right and this location contributed the most species for my photographic efforts.   

The Fairy Mountain was one of the destinations I looked forward to for the trip. Based on my research and AI assistance, it should be the place that will make lugging more than two kilograms of photographic gear around during a regular tour worth the while. Our tour bus finally crossed into the boundaries of The Fairy Mountain National Forest Park after midday. The mist was unbelievable heavy which was something I did not expect to face at this hour. Everyone in the tour group was elated with this mesmerizing condition. I was devastated.

Luckily, I did not end up empty-handed. While on board one of the shuttle buses that operates within the park, I caught sight of a flock of Collared Crows resting on dead tree next to the access road. This lifer would have made a fine addition to my photographic efforts for the trip but instead it became one of the major disappointments in terms of bird photography. The Azure-winged Magpies, which I came across in an urban park within the city centre on the last day of our tour, was another heartbreaker. And that time, it was not due to being in a moving bus but Murphy’s Law. I decided to leave my gear in our hotel room thinking I could not possibly encounter anything during a city tour that warrant the use of my camera. A goddamn lifer proved me wrong.

Anyway, back to Fairy Mountain (I think Misty Mountain would be a more appropriate name). A few Oriental Magpies have adapted to surviving off scraps left behind by visitors to this tourist hotspot and judging from the huge crowd when I was there, these birds have it made. Despite the mist, the images turned out better than expected and the bold nature of the birds was a big help.

The main birding highlight of this trip took place on another mountain, Jinfosan. The open areas yielded a distant Long-tailed Shrike. As it is not uncommon in my country, this record shot was sufficient.

We then walked along a nature trail that reminded me of The Mossy Forest Eco Park in Cameron Highlands. As with most of the sites we visited, the scenery was fascinating. After capturing this photo, my wife excitedly signalled and told me that there were birds along the path in front of her and I rushed over.

Instead of finding the birds gone, which would be the usual case, the birds were still there. In fact, the flock appeared to be moving towards me. I knew they were Red-tailed Laughingthrushes and their beauty precedes them. The flock consisted of both adults and juveniles. Naturally, the young ones were much bolder. At times, I could have given them a pat on the head!

To be in such close proximities with these birds was an incredible experience. I find it hard to recall the last time I was given such privilege. The Red-tailed Laughingthrush is a fitting species to end my casual birding endeavour to China. Just like most of the attractions here, the bird was striking and definitely memory-making material.

A red start to the Lunar New Year

I barely stepped into my house after leading a 2-day birding tour when this message came in from one of my birding mates – Daurian Redstart in Penang Island! It may be a common species in northern Asia but here in Malaysia, it is a long-awaited first record. This migratory season has been phenomenal with the likes of a Grey-sided Thrush (another first for Malaysia), Eurasian Wigeon, Wolly-necked Stork, Ashy Woodswallow, Himalayan Griffon, Small Pratincole, Slaty-legged Crake and other not-so-rare-but-still-exceptional migrants. The thrush would be a very long drive for me and a recent event in my life has left me quite drained – both physically and emotionally. The redstart, on the other hand, is in my hometown and I would not be able to look myself in the mirror if no attempts were made to tick this first record for the country.

When the opportunity arose, I took a ride up north in my island home to a small park behind a row of houses in Tanjung Bungah. Again, no secret handshake is required and the occurrence of this rare visitor was shared throughout the birding community – the way it should be.  I sometimes see people sharing images or news of rarities one year after its occurrence. I understand if it is an endangered species and all but other than that, I do not see the reason for such secrecy. A more exotic location usually comes to mind when one is on a twitching mission but apparently the Daurian Redstart occurs in this type of habitat in its regular range. The distinguished visitor has been showing well since its discovery and that provided me with the confidence to try for this female bird in, of all times, the hottest part of the day. The resident male Oriental Magpie-Robin probably found me amusing as he lingered in the trees above to observe this fool of a birder scanning the scrub vegetation under the blazing hot sun in search of a little brown bird.

When I picked out an unfamiliar silhouette with a distinct habit of rapid tail cocking within a low bush, I had to be sure I was not hallucinating. Exposure to intense sunlight is known to cause that. But when it hopped out of hiding, all doubts vanished and I was looking at my first lifer of the year and Malaysia’s first Daurian Redstart.

It was a short encounter but I am grateful she still obliged despite the testing temperature. I followed her movements briefly and she made one last stop on a barbed wire before disappearing back into the cover of the vegetation. It may not be an appealing image but I certainly appreciated her cooperation. Welcome to Malaysia, girl...

I dipped out on my previous attempt for the female Eurasian Wigeon (yes, another girl) at the marshlands of Pulau Burung. Although she would only be a Malaysian lifer and I have seen the gorgeous males during my visit to Japan, it was still a bitter pill to swallow. A few days after my success with the redstart, on the eve of the Lunar New Year to be exact, I rode my iron steed and head towards one of the most repulsive locations (to normal folks) in Penang State – the landfill of Pulau Burung. I guess my anticipation for the rare duck woke me up earlier than my alarm and I reach the location with enough time to enjoy the view of the rising sun.

As soon as it got bright enough, I scrutinized the flocks of resident Lesser Whistling Ducks for my would-be lifer. It was a tedious task. Not only does the wigeon blend in well with the locals but most of the ducks were reluctant to start off the day yet and still had their heads tucked under their wings. Then by chance or divine intervention, one of ducks out of the hundreds present struck me as a little odd. Senses heightened and eyes strained, I could just make out the uniform coloured and largish head (partially hidden). I knew I was now looking at the female Eurasian Wigeon but I needed more than a photo of a sleeping duck to commemorate the moment.

So, I waited. My eyes hardly lifted from the sleeping beauty - even when a pair of uncommon Garganeys swam across my field of view. I just could not risk losing sight of the wigeon among the other ducks should she finally decide to start off the day without me knowing it. I did not ride all the way here and tolerated the overwhelming odour of the landfill to miss out having a good look at the Eurasian Wigeon because I got distracted. It would make a good story but not at my expense. Gradually, she started to stir and I got busy trying to obtain her images as well as I possibly can.

Distance was a major hindrance but I have been birding long enough to know that you cannot have your cake and eat it every single time.

The Eurasian Wigeon swam further and further away from me and I do not see much chance to improve on my images. Then I decided to travel back to the island and spend some time with another distinguished guest – the Daurian Redstart. There was only a handful of people with the same intention present at the modest park today. It came as no surprise. Traffic along all major highways will be horrendous today and most Chinese folks will be preparing to usher in the Year of the Rat. Unfortunately by the time the Daurian Redstart finally revealed herself, the lighting was harsh and we had to struggle to obtain any acceptable images.

Murphy’s Law is at work again but better this than the Daurian Redstart not showing at all. It was another brief sighting. I waited for a couple more hours for her return but to no avail. But if all goes well and both birders and photographers keep their behaviour and enthusiasm in check, I will have the chance for improvement shots before this migratory season comes to a close.