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China Birding Trip: September-16-30, 2013 |
Day 16
September 30 - Beijing Zoo and Goodbye
Bird of the
day: Grey-headed Woodpecker
Beijing Zoo
Hugh, George and Ian would join us for a trip to the Beijing Zoo
before our flights left later in the day. The others were off
early in the morning for the extension tour to Xi’an. June
and Mr. Lee were looking after transportation to the airport for
everyone.
We bid our farewells at 6:30 a.m. to Sharon, Rick, Nuncio, Phil,
Dave and Liz.
Our zoo group had breakfast at 7 a.m. so we could arrive at the
zoo soon after it opened at 7:30 a.m. – it was just a short
walk from our hotel. Later Kevin and Linda joined us. Although we
did not understand a public announcement that our guide was
looking for us (Barbara thought it was a lost child announcement
that Baba’s Dad was looking for her), they quickly found us.
Of course, we were visiting the zoo to do some birding in the
forested park but it was fun seeing the pandas too.
.JPG)
As well, we were interested in the zoo birds and spent some time
at the large pond and at the aviary. We were most interested in
Chinese birds but there was a large collection of colourful birds
from around the world as well. Check out the spectacular Mandarin
Ducks swimming together in a beautiful pond.
.JPG)
.JPG)
Kevin spotted a wild Grey-headed Woodpecker high up in a tree and
we got good views. As well we saw some wild Azure-Winged Magpies.
Unfortunately, we had already counted these two species on our
bird list so could not add to the trip total of 202. Sorry, Dave!
Note we could not count any captive “zoo” birds on our
list.
The Beijing Zoo is a worthwhile stop for birders as there are
good views of many native birds. We were very pleased to see the
magnificent Mandarin Ducks up close.
Our long flight home was delayed in Detroit because our plane hit
a bird on the runway – this required a safety inspection and
we had to change planes. Our flight attendant remarked how
amazing it was that one little bird could stop a large airplane.
English signs of the day:
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Reflections
China surprised us. It is a country of contrasts.
Birds
China has a remarkable variety of birds. Chinese people often
keep birds in their homes. Bird cages are hung outside during the
day. Little birds are also hunted for food, making wild birds shy
of people, increasing the challenge for birders. In contrast, we
appreciated seeing wild birds in their natural habitats in China.
Environment
All living things benefit from a clean, natural environment. We
noticed many gardens and flowers, even on medians and in boxes
beside highways. Fishing is popular. Officially the country
supports the environment, specifically using signs to promote
awareness of environmental protection. However, we also noticed
garbage and significant pollution in natural places where we
birded like Lighthouse Point, Stone River, Dapuhe River. As well,
air pollution is an issue in large cities and many people wear
masks. It will take time to clean city air – driving is very
popular, gas is leaded, and industries / large smokestacks
abound.
Lifestyle
Chinese culture and traditions are evident. People are polite,
considerate and friendly. Children are well dressed and seem
happy – parents and grandparents are attentive. However,
personal health and safety are not always evident. Smoking
persists, in spite of No Smoking signs. Driving is fast and
dangerous. Bikers do not wear helmets and car drivers and
passengers do not usually wear seatbelts. Speeding and honking
are common.
Modernization
China is partly in the old world and partly in the new world.
Donkeys and bicycles share roads with trucks and cars. Large
cities and modern autoroutes (with tolls) have English signs. The
cars on the highways are from Korea, Japan, Germany and North
America. One can easily find North American food chains in
Beijing. In the large stores, North American brand clothing,
shoes and toys are prominent. I-phones are common. China is
definitely part of the modern world today.
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Goodbye
fellow birders
Thanks for sharing two weeks with us…
Dave, you are always keen to bird, including birding at dawn
every morning. We appreciate your careful bird identification and
daily listing. Plus your enthusiasm! Thanks, Liz, for supporting
the birding team - and for careful spotting.
Hugh, we were amazed by your lifetime world bird list of 5,300+ ;
you are a proficient birder with sharp ID skills (also national
Scrabble champion).
Ian, it was good to have another birder with a super long camera
lens and an ongoing interest in wildlife photography, including
spiders and snakes.
Rick, we know you are a very enthusiastic proficient birder
– plus, in China, you were popular with Chinese women!
Sharon, we appreciated your interest in birds, your sharp eyes
and your knowledge of wildlife, snakes in particular.
George your passion for birding was ongoing - thanks for finding,
and sharing, good views of faraway birds.
Nuncio, although you were new to birding, you quickly became
interested in large birds and spotted three pheasants for us.
Plus you added a lot of joie de vivre to our trip.
Phil, thanks for being an enthusiastic traveller, and for sharing
drinks with us all.
Goodbye and
thank you
Chendu Overseas Travel provided a professional support team:
June: our considerate, fast acting, fun trip leader, with
excellent English (has now mastered the expression “Holy
Moley!)
Kevin: attentive to our needs – helpful, very interested in
birds – good spotter
PJ: detailed birding expertise – always willing to verify
sightings
Many thanks for ensuring we all had a quality birding trip
sighting 202 species.
Gan bei!