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Balang Shan, Sichuan, 2nd and 3rd June
2013









Wenyu River, Chaoyang, Beijing, May 2013









Wenyu River, Chaoyang, Beijing, 21st
April

Hanshiqiao, Shunyi, Beijing, 20th
April



"Wenyu River", Chaoyang, Beijing, 17th
April


Qilihai and Beidaihe, Hebei, 5th April
2013








"Wenyu River", Chaoyang, Beijing, 21st
March

Beijing, 18th March 2013


Wenyu River, Beijing, 16th March 2013

Miyun Reservoir, Beijing, 13th March
2013




Güldenstädt's Redstart, Phoenicurus erythrogastrus grandis 3rd March 2013; Lingshan, Beijing

Tundra Swan 27th February 2013; Beijing

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| The sub-species is probably bewickii (other side of bill shows significantly more yellow) |
Western Yunnan 5th to the 15th February 2013





































Hoopoe Near Wenyu River, Chaoyang, Beijing; 13th January 2013

Oriental Greenfinch My garden, Chaoyang, Beijing; 13th December 2012

Bewick's (left) and "Whistling"
Swans Wenyu River, Tongzhou, Beijing; 9th December
2012

Bohemian Waxwing Chaoyang, Beijing; 7th December 2012

Bewick's (left) and "Whistling"
Swans Wenyu River, Tongzhou, Beijing; 3rd December 2012

Japanese Waxwing Botanical Gardens, Beijing; 19th November 2012

Japanese Waxwing Botanical Gardens, Beijing; 19th November 2012

Grey-tailed Tattler Wenyu River, Chaoyang, Beijing; 12th September 2012

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| A rare bird in Beijing, perhaps even the first record here...? |

Temminck's Tragopan Emei Shan, Sichuan; 31st December 2009

Snow was falling. It had taken me the entire morning to climb up from Hongchun Monastery,
where I had spent the night. I was tired and cold (at least the earlier noodles at Xianfeng Monastery had got me this
far). I stopped in my tracks.
A sound, coming from deep inside the
thicket of bamboo that abuts the steps on this part of the long climb up Emei Mountain, made me get my camera ready for action. Then I saw something - pehaps a bird, perhaps an animal
- move. The shape reminded me of something I had seen before - two years ago on the adjacent Sichuan mountain
of Wawu Shan. Could it really be a tragopan - this close? I was alone on the mountain (or so I had thought), and was prepared to wait as long as I needed to, to find out.
These things can't be rushed. Then, perhaps
100 yards in front of me, I saw two men carrying supplies for the monastery on their backs, descending the steps. In
perhaps a minute they would be down to where I was and would undoubtedly scare whatever it was away. Just as I was cursing my luck (after all, they were the first people I'd
seen coming down the mountain that morning), the subject of my interest emerged from the bamboo. And what an amazing sight it was. The most glorious bird in all of China - as far as I am concerend - was
there not more than 10 yards in front of me. A resplendant male Temminck's Tragopan no less. One of the world's most beautiful pheasants. This amazing creature walked quickly across the snow-covered steps as I
fired off 8 shots (at 4 frames a second). Then it was gone, disappearing into the bamboo thicket on the
other side of the steps. Incredible. And what a wonderful way to finish the year. What joys would tomorrow and the new decade bring I wonder? The concluding chapter of my 3-day climb up Emei Shan, in Sichuan province, appears here. New Year's Day was the first day of my China "365
Challenge" - the plan was to photograph 365 species of birds in China during the year. I actually
achieved the goal in June. The accounts of
my adventures (and all the photographs of the 365 species) appear here. A few other photos from journeys to all of China's
34 provinces, municipalities and regions appear below:




















































































































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