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Appendix C: Visits to other localities
Martin D. Williams
Autumn observations at five other localities visited during Beidaihe surveys are worth noting, par-ticularly as two of them—the Luanhe and Daqinghe—are evidently of international importance for wetland birds.
Shanhaiguan Shanhaiguan is a walled town ca. 30 km north of Beidaihe; it lies on the eastern end of the Great Wall. A little west of town is a steep hillside—the eastern flank of the mountains (the coastal plain is narrower here than at Beidaihe). Jiao Shan (Corner Hill, 516 m), the highest acces-sible peak, affords an excellent vantage for observing visible migration (but, even with the help of a recently-built chairlift leading half-way up, takes some effort to reach). A valley leading from the southeastern slopes of the peak has scrub and maturing woodland.
Resident birds include Common Pheasant, Red-billed Chough, Large-billed Crow, Vinous-throated Parrotbill (erratic?; highest numbers, so far, in autumn), Chinese Hill-Warbler, Eurasian Rock-Bunting and Meadow Bunting. A Hazel Grouse Tetrastes bonasia was seen on 21 October 1989, a Northern Crag-Martin Hirundo rupestris on 27 October 1990 (La Touche reported this species breeding in the mountains), and there were two Père David’s Laughingthrushes on 21 October 1989 (judging by spring visits, this species breeds here).
All visits have produced at least some passing migrants; especially raptors, which apparently pass here in greater numbers than Beidaihe (though, as yet, there have not been observations on a ‘wave day’).
The following days were noteworthy for visible migration as observations were also made at the Lotus Hills (2 October 1986 and 27 October 1990; LH numbers for species seen at Shanhaiguan are given in square brackets).
2 October 1986. One Black Kite [0], one Pied Harrier [0], three Eastern Marsh-Harriers [two], three Japanese Sparrowhawks [0], three Eurasian Sparrowhawks [1], ten North-ern Goshawks [0], 33 Common Buzzards [2] and four Amur Falcons [4]; additionally, at Beidaihe, three Lesser Kes-trels, and one Lesser Kestrel or Eurasian Kestrel were recorded. The weather was anticyclonic, the wind light, variable.
7 October 1991 (eight hours). 286 raptors of 14 species, including 153 Common Buzzards, one Greater Spotted and one Golden Eagle, and 58 Amur Falcons (Clark 1991). The raptor numbers were similar to those at Beidaihe on 6th (177) and 8 (251) October; most of the raptors on this date and 17 October (when Clark recorded 25 raptors of nine species, including one Eurasian Black Vulture, passing Shanhaiguan) ‘struck out south across the plains. I had no feeling for any move-ment along the mountains’ (William S. Clark in litt. to MDW).
21 October 1989. 31 Black Storks; 147 raptors of 11 species, including 20 Northern Goshawks, 94 Common Buzzards, one Greater Spotted, one Steppe and two Imperial Eagles. The weather was anticyclonic, much as on slack days for visible migration at Beidaihe (where 18 passing raptors were noted on 20th, and 24 on 22nd). Most of the passing birds were following the hillside; some—notably several Northern Goshawks—arrived from over the plain, and headed through a small pass north of the ‘watchpoint peak’, before continuing on a roughly southwestwards course.
27 October 1990. Five Hen Harriers [0], six Eurasian Sparrowhawks [2], nine Common Buzzards [1], three Upland Buzzards [0], one Rough-legged Buzzard [0], one Merlin [0]; a Saker Falcon was recorded passing Beidaihe.
Late November 1988 (Hornskov 1989). Two White-tailed Eagles and 16 Eurasian Black Vultures were of note (two of the vultures were lingering, the others passed south?).
Luanhe Kou (Mouth of the Luan River) The Luanhe forms a large delta/estuarine area as it enters the sea ca. 45 km south of Beidaihe; site 41 in Scott (1989) and Lu (1990). The main river channel is sandy, there are mudflats along the coast; north of the channel is an area of dunes and poor fields (similar to the ‘Grassy Sands’ Hemmingsen described?), fish/shrimp ponds extend southwards from the southern shore (and bound the northern extent of the area). A narrow planta-tion of young trees separates the Luanhe Kou area from rice fields inland.
This is an excellent area, especially for water birds, including species which now rarely land at Beidaihe (e.g. cranes and geese, which frequent the dunes and fields north of the river channel). Substantial numbers of migrant songbirds have been seen on two visits.
Visits made, and selected records of interest, are:
16 October 1988. 24 Black Storks, 73 ducks of four species, 11 Common Cranes, one Great Bustard, 54 shorebirds of eight species, an adult Glaucous Gull, two Chinese Grey Shrikes, 11 Red-flanked Bluetails and two Grey-backed Thrushes (among an apparent arrival of songbirds).
18 October 1989. Six Black Storks, 25 Bean Geese, at least 200 of both Ruddy and Common Shelducks (highest estimate for each was 2000), 238 other ducks of eight species, at least five Hen Harriers, three Merlin, 30 Japanese Quail, 47 Common, 95 White-naped and 20 Siberian Cranes (latter were only seen flying over, very low, heading south), 897 shorebirds of eight species, in-cluding five Common Oystercatchers, 400 Kentish Plover, 100 Eurasian Curlew and 150 Pied Avocets, 15 Caspian Terns, 50 Black-tailed and two immature Saunders’s Gulls, 1000 Asian Short-toed, 200 Eurasian and 120 Mongolian Larks, three Chinese Grey Shrikes and 15 Japanese Reed-Buntings.
28 October 1990. One Black Stork, six Ruddy and 32 Common Shelducks, six Common Gold-eneye, 18 Red-breasted Mergansers, (no other ducks), one Great Bustard, 239 shorebirds of eight species, 40 Black-tailed Gulls, a first-winter Relict Gull, 17 Saunders’s Gulls and one Chinese Grey Shrike.
6 November 1986 (the day after a large crane ‘wave’ was recorded at Beidaihe). 184 Bean Geese, 400 Ruddy and 200 Common Shelducks, 90 Spot-billed Duck, at least 100 Common Cranes pre-sent (also 314 passed south; from overnight roost a little to the north?), two Red-crowned Cranes, 11 Great Bustards.
12 November 1989. One Red-necked Grebe, 600 Ruddy and 300 Common Shelduck, 991 other ducks of eight species, including 600 Spot-billed Ducks, 48 Common Cranes, only one shorebird (a Grey Plover), one Northern Eagle-Owl, two Chinese Grey Shrikes.
12 November 1990 (two days after a large crane ‘wave’ was recorded at Beidaihe). At least 200 Bean Geese, 500 Ruddy (only 13 Common) Shelduck, 171 other ducks of seven species, five Up-land Buzzards (mostly resting on the ground), at least 200 Common, three Hooded and six Red-crowned Cranes, two Great Bustards and 35 shorebirds of five species.
Daqinghe The Daqinghe is a small river which reaches the sea ca. 80 km south-southwest of Beidaihe. There are extensive sand and mud flats off the (south-facing) coast; these are bounded to the east by a long sandbar/spit (nearly linked to the land). East of the Daqinghe, there are large fish/shrimp ponds along the coast, with rice paddies inland of them; immediately east of the sand bar/spit, work is underway on a new port. There are saltponds west of the river. A small island, Kuaile Dao—Happy Island, off the mouth of the river has some marsh, scrub, trees, and mudflats along its east shore: it was visited on 28 October 1990; observations were otherwise made from the coast, including east of the Daqinghe.
The area is included in, or just east of, site 42 in Scott (1989) and Lu (1990).
Visits made, and selected records of interest, are:
22 October 1989. 250 Grey Herons (on mudflats), six Black Storks, 1500 Common Shelduck, 20 Spot-billed Ducks, eight Common Goldeneye, 45 Red-breasted Mergansers, also 1000 unidentified ducks, two adult and two juvenile White-naped Cranes, 1208 shorebirds of 15 species, including three Common Oystercatchers, 300 Eurasian and ten Far-Eastern Curlew, 200 unidentified curlew, two Terek Sandpipers and 150 Pied Avocets, ten Caspian Terns, four adult Saunders’s Gulls and one Chinese Grey Shrike. Observations were limited to the coast, chiefly east of the Daqinghe mouth.
28 October 1990. 30 Common Shelduck, three White-winged Scoter, one Common Goldeneye, three Red-breasted Mergansers (no other ducks), five Grey and 50 Kentish Plover, 40 Eurasian Curlew (no other shorebirds) and two Saunders’s Gulls. Observations were limited to Happy Is-land (not thorough), and the crossing to reach and leave it.
13 November 1990. 25 Oriental White Storks, 60 Bean Geese, 500 Common Shelduck, 127 other ducks of eight species, including 32 Common Goldeneye and 25 Red-breasted Mergansers, 46 Common and 24 Red-crowned Cranes, 70 unidentified cranes, one Great Bustard, 438 shorebirds of eight species, including 300 Eurasian and six Far-Eastern Curlew, 12 adult Relict Gulls, three adult and one first-winter Saunders’s Gulls, a first-winter Black-legged Kittiwake and one Chinese Grey Shrike. Covered the coast, chiefly east of the Daqinghe mouth.
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