Sichuan & The Tibetan Plateau Tour Report 2015

1st June to 17th June 2015

 

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS:

Either for rarity value, excellent views or simply a group favourite.

  • Chinese Grouse
  • Snow Partridge
  • Verreaux’s Monal-Partridge
  • Tibetan Snowcock
  • Tibetan Partridge
  • Temminck’s Tragopan
  • Koklass Pheasant
  • Chinese Monal
  • White Eared Pheasant
  • Blue Eared Pheasant
  • Lady Amherst’s Pheasant
  • Black-necked Crane
  • Pere David’s Owl
  • Sichuan Jay
  • White-browed Tit
  • Ground Tit
  • Tibetan Lark
  • Black-browed Bushtit
  • White-browed Tit-Warbler
  • Crested Tit-Warbler
  • Sichuan Bush-Warbler
  • Golden-fronted Fulvetta
  • Chinese Babax
  • Snowy-cheeked Laughingthrush
  • Barred Laughingthrush
  • Giant Laughingthrush
  • Red-winged Laughingthrush
  • Emei Shan Liocichla
  • Golden-breasted Fulvetta
  • Rufous-tailed Babbler
  • Great Parrotbill
  • Three-toed Parrotbill
  • Grey-hooded Parrotbill
  • Przewalski’s Nuthatch
  • Wallcreeper
  • Long-tailed Thrush
  • White-tailed Rubythroat
  • Firethroat
  • Rufous-necked Snowfinch
  • Collared Grosbeak
  • Streaked Rosefinch
  • Long-tailed Rosefinch
  • Three-banded Rosefinch
  • Red-fronted Rosefinch
  • Crimson-browed Finch
  • Slaty Bunting

 

 SUMMARY:

Golden-fronted Fulvetta - Sichuan 2015Sichuan is home to some truly exciting species and what has been described as the best scenery of any birding tour! Amongst the 306 species seen on this tour there were an incredible 14 species of galliformes, 28 warblers, 8 parrotbills and 8 rosefinches. As usual, the stunning Firethroat stole the show with repeated views of several different individuals. Or was the male Temminck’s Tragopan bird of the trip? Then again, a delightful Crested Tit-Warbler dancing in the pines of Mengbishan takes some beating. Other highlights include a Chinese Monal strutting across an alpine meadow, a Tibetan Snowcock calling from its craggy perch, a delightful Ground Tit posing on the Tibetan Plateau, Chinese Grouse in the scope for ten minutes, Snowy-cheeked Laughingthrush too close to focus our binoculars on, a pair of the rare Golden-fronted Fulvettas feeding young, and a Przewalski’s Nuthatch seemingly close enough to touch. Such wonderful memories and all set amidst snow-capped peaks, lush forest-cloaked mountains and the wide-open plains of the Tibetan Plateau. This tour just seems to get better each year!


Download Full Tour Report