Birds of the Forest and Fields - Shanghai, China

Birds of the Forest and Fields - Shanghai, China - May 5th to 18th

Eurasian Blackbird #3 - a familiar bird to anyone who has birded in Europe
Chinese (Light-vented) Bulbul #1 - a common bird seen every day
Black-faced Bunting #1 - the woodland copses at the Nanhui Refuge are good migrant traps
Chestnut Bunting #5 - a handsome bird, one of only two seen in the Dongtai/Dafeng areas
Lesser Coucal #4 - our guide was very pleased to show this bird to us as we drove through the Dongtai/Dafeng areas
Eurasian Cuckoo #6 - identified as Eurasian Cuckoo based on the lack of contrast between the head, back, and upper wings, and the fine barring on the breast and flanks...comments on the ID are definitely welcome!
Oriental Cuckoo #5 - identified as Oriental Cuckoo based on the contrast between the head, back, and upper wings, and the heavy barring on the breast and flanks (see next photo)...comments on the ID are welcome!
Oriental Cuckoo #7 - identified as Oriental Cuckoo based on the heavy barring on the breast and flanks, and the contrast between the head, back, and upper wings (see previous photo)...comments on the ID are welcome!
Oriental (Rufous) Turtle Dove #2 - the most common Dove of the trip...we flushed them from the roadsides as we drove
Spotted Dove #5 - only a few were seen at the Nanhui Refuge
Black Drongo #5 - other than the thousands of shorebirds on the tidal mudflats, this was the most common bird...they were everywhere at the Nanhui Refuge and the Dongtai/Dafeng areas!
Hair-crested (Spangled) Drongo #7 - much less common than its cousin above, we saw two or three birds at the Nanhui Refuge
Asian Brown Flycatcher #3 - one of the most common flycatchers
Blue-and-White Flycatcher #3 - a male molting into breeding plumage at the Nanhui Refuge...this was the only bird seen on the entire trip
Dark-sided Flycatcher #3 - the only one of these birds we saw...comments on the ID are welcome!
Gray-streaked Flycatcher #2 - probably the most common flycatcher, seen often throughout the trip
Japanese Paradise Flycatcher #9 - photographed in the rain, but what a spectacular bird! We had this one at the Nanhui Refuge and another near the Dafeng coast
Mugimaki Flycatcher #1 - a blurry photo, but a fun bird to see, nonetheless
Narcissus Flycatcher #3 - an exquisite bird, aptly named...here the male...
Narcissus Flycatcher #1 - ...and here a female
Yellow-rumped Flycatcher #2 - probably one of the prettiest birds of the trip...this one was in the bushes along the road...here a view from the back...
Yellow-rumped Flycatcher #3 - ...and here a frontal pose
Chinese (Yellow-billed) Grosbeak #6 - a fairly common bird of the woodlands...here a female...
Chinese (Yellow-billed) Grosbeak #9 - ...and here her mate
Hoopoe #12 - although this is a common migrant in China, this was the number one bird of the trip (sorry Spoon-billed Sandpiper!)...I have wanted to see one of these for many, many years...we saw about six in the Dongtai/Dafeng areas
Hoopoe #3 - we followed the bird along the roadside as it flew from tree to tree...
Hoopoe #5 - ...here it has partially raised its crest...
Hoopoe #7 - ...here it was singing "HOO PO", which is where it gets its name...
Hoopoe #13 - ...and one final shot of a beautiful and unique bird
Azure-winged Magpie #1 - we saw about five birds in the Dongtai/Dafeng areas
Common (Eurasian) Magpie #1 - a fairly common bird seen along the roadsides
Crested Myna #4 - a common bird seen throughout the trip
Chinese Birdwatchers #1 - at the Nanhui Refuge with the city of Shanghai in the background. We stopped to ask these birdwatchers what they were looking for...Reed Parrotbill they said (a bird that skulks through the reeds, but occasionally comes up to sing)...apparently this was a well known spot to see this bird...
Reed Parrotbill #1 - ...we drove off and left them to their "vigil"...and had good luck later at a different location when one popped up right next to the car!
Vinous-throated Parrotbill #3 - we found one family group at a hotel with a "boat/yacht" motif
Pechora Pipit #1 - one of only a few seen at the Nanhui Refuge
Richard's Pipit #9 - late one afternoon there was a flight of these birds along the paved roadway at the Nanhui Refuge...as we drove we saw at least a dozen birds
Plain Prinia #5 - a fairly common bird of overgrown fields and bushy roadsides
Brown Shrike #6 - the most common Shrike, seen everywhere
Long-tailed Shrike #7 - we saw a few Long-tailed Shrikes at the Nanhui Refuge and the Dongtai/Dafeng areas
Oriental Skylark #2 - once the flight song is learned, it becomes evident that these birds are everywhere! This bird came down from a flight display close to the car
Eurasian Tree Sparrow #1 - the common Sparrow throughout the trip, sometimes seen in large groups of twenty or more
White-cheeked Starling #1 - a fairly common bird throughout the trip
Siberian Stonechat #1 - a single bird at the Nanhui Refuge popped up right in front of us
Blue Rock Thrush #3 - these birds were seen every day at the Nanhui Refuge
Eyebrowed Thrush #2 - we saw a few of these skulking birds at the Nanhui Refuge
Eastern Great Tit #4 - a few birds were seen in the forested areas of Dongtai/Dafeng
Forest Wagtail #2 - even my guide got excited when we spotted this bird late one afternoon at the Nanhui Refuge
Gray Wagtail #2 - we only saw this one bird along a fishpond
White Wagtail #5 - a common bird throughout the trip...here a male...
White Wagtail #12 - ...and here a young bird waiting to be fed by its parents
Eastern Yellow Wagtail #6 - small groups of these birds were present in fields throughout the trip
Eastern Crowned Warbler #1 - my introduction to the Leaf Warblers...one needs lots of experience to identify these guys!...comments on the ID are welcome
Oriental Reed Warbler #1 - a common bird of the reed beds, once its song is learned!
Pale-legged Leaf Warbler #8 - the pale, pinkish legs help with this ID...comments on the ID are welcome
Yellow-browed Warbler #1 - ...nothing easy about the ID of this bird...comments on the ID are welcome