KEN CROSS IN CHINA: Day 4 - Tuesday 31 May 2016

quite the muddy drive....

Today we had a full day on the mountain area and to get here we first ignored the bigger bus and piled into two smaller vehicles – willing and ready to challenge the rough muddy roads.

Our first stop was a pre-dawn try for Bamboo Partridge. We stopped outside a likely looking bamboo patch [if patch is the right word?] and played the birds. Dogs began barking and then, from not-so-deep within the forest the birds started calling. Sadly they did not feel inclined to come any closer and reluctantly we left them be.

The next stop was an amazing one. One of our target species for sure; Temminck’s Tragopan – a beautiful specie of pheasant. By the roadside and adult male and a juvenile male with him. The birds stayed within sight for an impressive amount of time before walking slowly away. It was on this mountain that we met a group of birders from the UK – Sunbird Tours to be precise – and it was all we could do to stop ourselves from being juvenile and, while doing our daily lists, reading the name ‘Tragopan’ just that little bit loudly as, sadly, they had missed it!

The pheasants kept on coming as we heard a male Lady Amerherst Pheasant calling on the high side of the road. It too failed to come into view. However we were lucky later in the day to score pretty good views of this bird, again on the roadside.

One of our first new birds for the day was recently a new bird to science. Well it was a newly named specie; a sub specie elevated to full specie status and that had only been recognised within the last year or so. The new specie was the Sichuan Bush Warbler; a non-descript looking warbler that located itself deep in rank grass. Once we got the birds calling, we realised, within this little area at least that they were quite common. Their squeaking call sounded somewhat like a rusty gate being slowly pushed back and forth.

The day and mountain was misty and the birds even when they were in full sight were difficult to see so we soon felt the need for breakfast. Our guide Summer also cooks a mean breakfast; frying eggs armed only with chopsticks to prepare course one - egg butty with soy sauce. Second course was bananas and peanut butter and honey, washed down with instant black coffee. At that time of day – Fanatastic! While on the subject of food another new ‘treat’ awaited us at lunch. An instant self -heating rice and curry pack. Water added to chemical pouch starts heating almost immediately boiling the water. The food was good and spicy although a little dangerous or is that just my ‘Australian sensibilities’ kicking in? They were easy but the amount of packaging and therefore waste is a little concerning.

Despite the mist we did get some great birds. One of the stand outs was the brilliant Chestnut headed Tesia. Usually a skulking species this individual put on a little show at the forest’s edge. The Great Parrotbill was seen well and it started a brief but passionate argument that it be renamed the Carrot Bill. Also the Golden Parrotbill was seen and we had fantastic and long views of this little beauty. Nearby a Golden breasted Fulvetta was seen. WE all got lifers, including Summer, who scored a view of a male Ultramarine Flycatcher . Fire-tufted Tits were seen as well as other tits now forgotten, White collared Yuhinas, Dark sided and Verditer Flycatchers, Mrs Gould’s Sunbird etc etc. Despite the muddy conditions and mist we achieved a great list with some very memorable sightings with the Bird of the Day – an almost unanimous, Tragopan!!