Fishmonger in Wanchai
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Autumn migration at Beidaihe 1986-1990 - species |
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Written by Martin Williams
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Saturday, 20 May 2006 |
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Autumn migration at Beidaihe 1986-1990 - species
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Bitterns, egrets and herons
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Spoonbills, Ibises, Storks
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Swans, Geese, Shelducks and Ducks
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Raptors
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Partridges, pheasants and quail
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Cranes
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Rails, Crakes, Coot and Bustards
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Shorebirds
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Skuas, Gulls and Terns
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Sandgrouse and Doves
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Cuckoos, Owls and Swifts
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Kingfishers, Dollarbird, Hoopoe, Wryneck and Woodpeckers
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Larks, Martins and Swallows
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Wagtails and Pipits
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Minivet, Bulbuls, Shrikes
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Waxwings, Orioles, Drongos and Starlings
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Crows
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Wrens and Accentors
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Robins and Chats
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Rockthrushes and Thrushes
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Laughinthrushes, Parrotbill and Bush-Warblers
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Marsh-, Grasshopper, and Reed Warblers
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Phylloscopus warblers, Cisticolas, Kinglets, hill warbler
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Flycatchers
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Tits
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Nuthatches, Wallcreeper and White-eyes
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Finches
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Buntings
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Page 7 of 29
Common Crane Grus grus LT—immense flocks of cranes, believed to be mainly this species, pass over during October. ‘On the 12th of October, 1915, I counted some 28 flocks passing from 4.30 P.M. to dark—there were from 40 to 70 birds in each flock. At 8 P.M. they were still passing. Thousands must have gone over that day.’ Wilder (1924a)—during visit 6-9 October 1924, cranes ‘of two or three, possibly four species. A fifth might well have been seen also. They were passing over in the early mornings and late afternoons in flocks of from six to one hundred.’ Included (at least) ‘two or three large flocks’ of cranes which were probably this species. But there is no mention of these birds under ‘Common Crane’ in Wilder and Hubbard (1924), while this reference includes more flocks of White-naped Cranes than does Wilder (1924a) (perhaps reflecting uncertainty over the identification of ‘grey cranes’ which were not seen very well). H—more common in autumn than in spring; main autumn passage mid-October to early November; totals of 3059 (1943), 4448 (1943), 4228 (1944) and 8404 (1945); peak days for cranes in these years were 25 October 1942 (over 800), 6 November 1943 (over 1000), 20 October 1944 (ca. 1600) and 3 November 1945 (ca. 3800). Extreme dates 17 September to 24 November. COE—4409 birds, 15 March to 7 May.
1986: 4428 birds were recorded from 7 October to 18 November. All but 79 were seen from LH; 4385 flew south, 43 flew north. Additionally, five flocks were heard passing over Se after sunset: one on 29 October and four on 5 November. The main passage was from 25 October to 10 November; 3690 birds were recorded during this period. The highest day count was 1263 on 5 November; other notable totals were 412 on 29 October, 680 on 1st and 485 on 6 November. Of 871 birds aged, 733 were adults, three (0.3 percent) were sub-adults and 135 (15.5 percent) were juveniles. An albinotic bird flew south on 29 October; its plumage was white where it would normally be grey; the flight feathers were dark, the legs and bill pink.
1987: 4678 were recorded flying south, 8 October to 21 November; 4139 were recorded between 1st and 15 November; highest day totals 675 on 10th, 1466 on 11th and 830 on 12 November.
1988 (Ho): 4040 were recorded, 14 October to 18 November.
1988 (Earthwatch): 3766 were recorded from 15 October to 16 November; 3693 flew south, 73 flew north. The main passage was from 11-16 November, when 3331 were recorded and there was the highest day total—2578 birds on 14th. Of 278 birds aged, 227 were adults and 51 (18.3 percent) were juveniles.
1989: 3693 bird-days (3559 flew south, 80 flew north), 15 October to 14 November; highest day totals were 1125 on 4th, 447 on 5th, 458 on 9th and 447 on 10 November; flocks heard passing after dusk on two days (at around 18h30 on 31 October and at 19h30 on 9 November). Of 324 birds aged, 267 were adults and 57 (17.6 percent) were juveniles.
1990: before 23 October, 11 were recorded. After 23 October, 4177 were recorded flying south, and 122 north, 25 October to 16 November; highest totals of birds flying south were 194 on 2nd, 167 on 7th, 468 on 9th, 2695 on 10th, 387 on 11th and 146 on 14 November. Birds were still passing in numbers at dusk on 10th, and, judging by flocks heard, a considerable number passed after dark (these may well have included rarer cranes, which were also seen in numbers on this date). Of 61 birds aged, 52 were adults and nine (14.8 percent) were juveniles.
As discussed above, the autumn migration path tended to be over or near the eastern part of Beidaihe, which may at least partly account for Hemmingsen recording substantially more birds in autumn than in spring, when (at least in 1985) the birds tend to pass to the west of the town.
See also ‘unidentified cranes’.
•(CD)Hooded Crane Grus monacha LT—no records. Sh—seems to be very rare, passes in October. WH—see under ‘White-naped Crane’. H—155-185 birds over three autumns from 12 October to 7 November, plus about 115 more ‘possible’ or ‘probable’ Hooded Cranes. COE—309 birds, 25 March to 20 April; 257 passed on 2 April.
1986: 527 birds flew south from 11 October to 7 November. The first record, of a single bird, was not followed until 29 October. The main passage occurred over 5-7 November: 446 were recorded during this period, with 436 on 5 November. This marked concentration of passage into just one day was also a notable feature of the species’ occurrence in spring 1985. Of 309 birds aged, 257 were adults and 52 (16.8 percent) were juveniles.
1987: 45 were recorded flying south, 21 October to 16 November; highest day totals 15 on 5th and 11 on 9 November.
1988 (Ho): 92 were recorded, 29 October to 14 November.
1988 (Earthwatch): 94 were recorded flying south from 29 October to 14 November. The highest day total was 68 birds on 14 November, coinciding with the peak numbers of Common and Red-crowned Cranes. None was aged.
1989: 115 flew south, 26 October to 10 November; 86 flew south during 2-7 November; highest day total 51 on 5 November. Of 30 birds aged, 24 were adults and six (20 percent) were juveniles.
1990: 452 were recorded flying south: 59 on 2nd, 328 on 10th, 56 on 11th and nine on 15 November. Of nine birds aged, seven were adults and two were juveniles.
Common x Hooded Crane hybrid
1987: one flew south on 12 November.
1989: one flew south on 23 October.
•(VU)Red-crowned Crane (Japanese Crane) Grus japonensis LT—only heard of two captured in seven years; records of flocks seen probably refer at least partly to the Siberian Crane as some described as having black primaries. H—considerably more common than in spring, from 22 October to 23 November; totals of six (1942), 151 (1943), 92 (1944) and 98 (1945). COE—244 birds, 15-31 March.
1986: 501 birds were recorded from 13 October to 19 November, mostly from LH, flying south. The main passage was from 5 November to the end of the survey; 423 birds were recorded during this period. The maximum day count was 180 on 7 November and the next highest 61 on 14th. Of 206 birds aged, 158 were adults, 45 (21.8 percent) were juveniles; two were considered to be second-winter and one sub-adult.
1987: 320 were recorded flying south from 12 October to 21 November; 174 were recorded from 7th to 13 November; highest day totals 53 on 10th, 55 on 12th and 44 on 13 November.
1988 (Ho): 281 were recorded from 25 October to 18 November.
1988 (Earthwatch): 256 were recorded flying south from 25 October to 16 November. The highest day totals were 69 on 29 October and 107 on 14 November, the latter coinciding with the peak numbers of Common and Hooded Cranes. Of 149 birds aged, 133 were adults, six (4 percent) were juveniles or immatures and ten (6.7 percent) were juveniles.
1989: two flew south on 25 September; 630 flew south, 19 October to 14 November; highest day totals 119 on 4th, 121 on 6th, 90 on 7th and 110 on 10 November. Of 273 birds aged, 212 were adults and 61 (22.3 percent) were juveniles.
1990: before 23 October, 11 were recorded on 9 October. From 23 October, 542 were recorded flying south, 25 October to 14 November; highest day totals were 74 on 7th, 135 on 10th, 102 on 11th and 100 on 14 November. Of 99 birds aged, 74 were adults and 15 (15.1 percent) were juveniles.
•(VU)White-naped Crane Grus vipio LT—no records. Wilder (1924a) records a flock passing 6-9 October 1923 (exact date not specified); identified as this species by the snow white necks (‘easily visible in the sunlight, but probably in shadow would not be noticed, and the birds would be easily confused with the common grey crane.’), and so could have been Hooded Cranes (though these are less similar to Common Cranes). Wilder (1924b) notes that these may have been Hooded Cranes; ‘The specimens we have are all of this species.’ Confusingly, Wilder and Hubbard (1924) report ‘Oct. 8th and 9th, at Peitaiho [Beidaihe] flocks of from 20 to several hundreds were flying south.’; perhaps these include birds reported as probably Common Cranes in Wilder (1924a). H—46 birds very probably this species seen over three dates in four autumns, 25 October to 2 November, standing on Grassy Sands. COE—no records.
1986: 139 were recorded flying south and 13 flying north from 17 September to 6 November. The main passage was from 25-29 October, when 92 passed, including 19 on 21st and 63 on 25th. The early records were widely spaced: 17 September (two), 28 September (five) and 16-18 October (19). Of 29 birds aged, 22 were adults and seven (24 percent) were juveniles.
1987: recorded on three days—three birds on 19th, 53 on 20th and seven on 22 October; all flew south.
1988 (Ho): 46 were recorded from 14 October to 9 November.
1988 (Earthwatch): 48 were recorded from 14 October to 11 November; 46 flew south, two flew north. The highest day total was 29 birds on 14 October. Four were aged, and were all adults.
1989: 17 bird-days (13 flew south, four flew north), 28 October to 10 November. Only two birds—both adults—were aged.
1990: before 23 October, three were recorded on 9th and 17 October. From 23 October, 63 were recorded flying south, 26 October to 11 November; highest day totals 32 (one flock) on 3rd and 19 on 11 November. None were aged.
•(EN)Siberian Crane Grus leucogeranus LT—Specimen from Hsieh Chia Ying marshes, some 15 miles south of Beidaihe. At least some of his records under Red-crowned Crane refer to this species, judging by description of plumage (white with black wings, or black wing tips) and call (shrill ‘coo-kee’). Notable dates were 12 October and 2 November 1913 and 30 March 1915. La Touche evidently realised his error, as he later (1923) noted that the species passes in great numbers in October and November. Wilder (1924) recorded flocks of 100 with one grey crane (presumably Common) and 40 including six presumed Common Cranes passing south, 6-9 October 1923. Also notes that ‘the hunters at Ch’ang Li, a little further from the sea, report having shot these white cranes and found them good eating.’ H—autumn totals of 15 (1942), 227 (1943), 80 (1944) and 34 (1945), 12 October to 11 November.
1986: 192 birds were recorded flying south from 11 October to 10 November; the highest day totals were 49 on 29 October, 50 on 1st and 27 on 7 November. Of 155 birds aged, 121 were adults and 34 (22 percent) were juveniles.
1987: 143 were recorded flying south, 21 October to 12 November; highest day totals 26 on 5th, 43 on 7th and 19 on 12 November.
1988 (Earthwatch): 344 birds were recorded flying south from 29 October to 12 November. The highest day totals were 208 on 29 October and 97 on 3 November. Of 312 birds aged, 286 were adults and 26 (8.3 percent) were juveniles. Only eight juveniles were amongst the 208 on 29 October (suggesting the adults seen were mainly failed breeders?); cf. two immatures and 15 juveniles on 3 November.
1989: 181 flew south, 7 October to 12 November; first record—of a party of eight birds—was not followed until 20 October; highest day totals were 77 on 4th and 33 on 6 November. Of 167 birds aged, 137 were adults and 30 (18 percent) were juveniles.
1990: 577 were recorded flying south, 26 October to 10 November; highest day totals 30 on 26 October, 389 on 2nd and 141 on 10 November. Of 321 birds aged, 271 were adults and 50 (18.5 percent) were juveniles.
Demoiselle Crane Anthropoides virgo LT, H, COE—no records. Sh—no definite records, but assumed to pass. Ch—migrant in Hebei; status: fairly common in its breeding range.
1986: 14 birds flew south: one on 7th, 12 on 14th and one on 15 November. Three birds were aged: two were adults and one was a juvenile.
1989: a grey crane in a flock of Common Cranes on 8 November appeared around half the size of the other birds in the flock, and may have been this species.
Unidentified cranes Grus spp.
1986: 1557 unidentified cranes were recorded from 1-18 November. Of these, seven were considered to be Common or Demoiselle, 260 were Common or White-naped and 478 were Common or Hooded (the latter were seen on 5 November, when both species were passing in numbers).
1987: 364 unidentified cranes were recorded; 15 were considered to be Common or White-naped Cranes.
1988 (Ho): 338 unidentified cranes were recorded.
1988 (Earthwatch): of 376 unidentified cranes recorded, 32 were considered to be Common or White-naped, and 261 were considered to be Common or Hooded.
1989: three Common or White-naped Cranes flew north on 1 November, and three unidentified grey cranes flew south on 5 November.
1990: 521 were recorded flying south, and four north, 24 October to 11 November; highest day total of birds flying south 391 on 10 November (mostly over sea, at dusk). It is likely that most were Common Cranes, and the remainder mainly Hooded or White-naped.
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Last Updated ( Sunday, 21 May 2006 )
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