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.

Home of wildlife - Part 1

 

Khao Yai National Park is a pristine landscape that provides sanctuary to countless species of flora and fauna. I knew about this park even before I started birding. Naturally, I was excited for my maiden visit and what it has in store for me. We were just minutes from the main entrance when our guide did a detour. We stopped just outside the borders of the park because that particular locality is a known birding hotspot. As always, have faith in your guide. True enough, the diagnostic wing beats of a hornbill echoed across the vicinity and very few things in life can rival the emotional whirlwind caused by coming face to face with a Great Hornbill first thing in the morning.

I have been birding a long time and through the decades, I have come across a number of truly remarkable species. And believe me when I tell you this behemoth of a bird deserves a place right up there among the best. And it has been too long since I last saw one in the wild.

The smaller Oriental Pied Hornbills were also recorded in vicinity. Naturally, they were overshadowed by their bigger relative. And I only began to take notice of this male once the Great Hornbill was gone.

Another species that I cannot help but to take notice are the Red-breasted Parakeets. Apart from increasing my global life list, they occur here in exceptionally high numbers.  However, they seem to always perch on the tallest trees and good photographic opportunities were hard to come by.

Parakeets are also known to mate for life and this pair certainly appeared to be in the loving mood judging from their public display of affection.

Eventually I did find a lone male perched lower than the rest. It may not be the perfect shot but it will do.

This locality is also the domain of an impressive nocturnal predator and we were fortunate enough to be shown a roosting individual. This trip has been great so far when it comes to owls. This was the fourth species and I can confidently say the best although there are two more days before this Thai adventure ends. The Spot-bellied Eagle-Owl bears some resemblance to the Barred Eagle-Owl back home. But it is bigger and a lot more imposing. When it looks our way, I am grateful I do not form part of its diet.

The Spot-bellied Eagle-Owl alone was a good enough reason to delay our entry into the home of wildlife which is the tagline of the national park. Every bit of birding inevitably effects the lives of the birds that we birders revere. The goal is to keep our intrusion to a minimum. Not only for the sake of the birds but also to give to others a chance to enjoy what you have just experienced.

We spent roughly two day exploring Khao Yai National Park and the one of the first birds to greet our photographic intentions was the diminutive Collared Owlet. Ironically, every owl encounter so far in our trip took place in the daytime. But I for one, am not complaining.

Any habitat that houses hornbills should and must be conserved. The park authorities here are doing a great job and these winged rhinos are still able to roam freely (and safely) within its borders. A male Great Hornbill gorging on a fruiting tree just next to the access road is proof of that.

Resting comfortably in the canopy level of the forest was this male Wreathed Hornbill. The lighting was getting harsh by then and the bird was not exactly close. Still, it was a picture of bliss as we observed him preening and watching the world go by.

Another male was recorded during our exploration of the park. Although this species not be able to conjure up as much emotions as the Great Hornbill, the photographic opportunity provided was so much better.

One glance at the Black-crested Bulbuls found here and any Malaysian birder will notice the red throat that this subspecies possesses that is absent from the ones back home.

Whenever the opportunities present themselves, I would try to improve my images of these ‘red-throated’ Bulbuls.

Quite a number of Bulbuls require scrutiny to determine their identifications. This is pretty much the case for the Puff-throated Bulbul until I found out from my guide that the similar-looking Ochraceous Bulbul, a species I am very familiar with, does not occur here.

I guess sooner or later I have to man-up and write about these two particular species of Bulbuls that I encountered in central Thailand. There are four almost-identical Bulbul species that occur in this country. Luckily, the Olive and Buff-vented Bulbuls (which I have encountered both before) are restricted to the southern region. In Kaeng Krachan National Park, I tried my best to obtain a record shot of the Baker’s Bulbul but it got the better of me on every one of those few occasions our paths crossed. I fared much better in this national park and obtained what should be (after I have given my all in confirming the identification) Grey-eyed Bulbuls.

Fruiting trees are always a good place to stop for a look. We were fortunate to come across a few next to each at one of the camp grounds. Naturally, we spent a considerable amount of time here. And lucky we did. I had a brief encounter with the Golden-crested at the last national park we visited. This time, we had a pair and they stayed considerably longer. By the way, a pair of Common Hill Mynas also alighted on the same tree but they were out of the picture - naturally.

Although not exactly ‘feather-counting’ quality, I obtained the improvement shots I so badly wanted. There is this occasional occurrence in birding when once you finally unblocked a species that you have been trying to do so for many years, it will no longer be as difficult anymore. My second Golden-crested Myna in four days - unbelievable.

Here is an image of the female which finally received my attention when the male moved further away.

The fruiting tree also attracted three species of barbets and all of them new to me. The Green-eared Barbet is probably the most confiding and when any member of this family of birds performs well, one must take full advantage of it. Lord knows barbets can be difficult to photograph due to their preference for the highest canopies.

The plumage coloration of the Green-eared Barbet may not be as striking as some of the others but being new to me is novelty that surpasses beauty.

Because of the recent split, the Blue-eared Barbet was replaced in my life list by the Black-eared Barbet. There was not much reason to celebrate when the Blue-eared Barbet was re-entered back into my life list here in Thailand. Perhaps it was the least interesting to me and I did not put much effort in obtaining a photograph. The Moustached Barbet, on the other hand, had my full attention. The availability of food also made it forgo its natural instincts and provided excellent views which was a true blessing. And emotions certainly ran high for us at the fruiting trees...

In Southeast Asia, there are very few species that can rival Hanging-Parrots in terms of cuteness. Past experiences with the Blue-crowned Hanging-Parrot back home have taught me that they are not exactly easy to photograph. In this neck of the woods, the Vernal Hanging-Parrot replaces it and we were delighted to find a small flock patronizing one of the fruiting trees. I could not help but to feel a little disappointed because I think they were all females or immatures and none of them had a red bill.

It was the same outcome when we encountered these parrots again suggesting it was the same flock. One of the birds ventured exceptionally low, upside down and looking simply adorable. And the disappointment gradually faded away.

Then I caught sight of a single bird resting a little further from the flock. Unless my eyes (and camera) betrayed me, it had a significantly redder bill. But the blue tinge on throat does not give me enough confidence to call it a male.

I think it is safe to say that the Black Giant Squirrels in both the national parks we have been to are exceptionally confiding by nature. With fruiting trees as an enticement, one can almost reach out and touch them on the tail.

The Finlayson’s Squirrel is another stunning species drawn to the fruits and capturing a few images was and including it in my post was the least I could do. One thing that I noticed here is there are not as many birders present when compared to Kaeng Krachan National Park. Even at the fruiting tree we basically had the place to ourselves.

To be continued…