![]() ![]() ![]() Siberian Rubythroat and Thick-billed Warbler forage among the scrubby plants in the foreground. Gray’s Grasshopper Warbler and Lanceolated Warbler use the thick vegetation along the unseen stream. We have now spent 20 days birding in the reserve-12 days in summer 2015 and eight days in spring 2016.įor more information on places mentioned in the text, see “List of Place Names” in Part 2. After our discovery of Xidaquan in the summer of 2015, we turned it into our laboratory in which to study the birds of the eastern Palearctic woodlands. One of the best is Xidaquan National Forest, just 25 km (15.5 mi.) from Boli Town. Where tigers once roared, magpies now caw.Īmid the sea of grain fields are islands of the old Manchurian forest. In eastern Heilongjiang, the toil of thousands of farmers has converted the land from an endless forest into a vast maize field. The transformation the migration has wrought on the land has been profound. The settlement of the Northeast by Han farmers is a major event in Chinese history, like the settling of the West is to Americans. In Elaine’s case, the settlers were her parents, who left Shandong in the 1970s. Like many residents of the Northeast, Elaine is descended from migrants who chuǎng Guāndōng (闯关东)-“leapt” north, mainly from Hebei and Shandong, to farm areas of Guandong (Manchuria) formerly closed to Han Chinese settlement. In the background are the verdant foothills of the Laoye Mountains. Elaine Du (L) with parents and elder sisters. Elaine is never happier than when she is with her parents and two elder sisters, and I not only like her family but also appreciate the opportunity they give me to learn about Chinese culture. The trip described here is the realization of that plan.įor Elaine and me, birding trips to Boli are special because they combine Northeast China birding with family. We were thoroughly impressed and made plans to bird the area yet again, this time during breeding season. Xidaquan preserves a remnant of the northern temperate forest that once covered the region. During a 32-day visit to her hometown, Elaine and I discovered Xidaquan National Forest, a reserve in the Laoye Mountains covering 9,400 hectares (36 sq. In August and September 2015, Elaine and I fulfilled that goal. I vowed to return and bird the area thoroughly. Expecting to find only magpies and sparrows, I was pleasantly surprised to find forested hills near the village and good birds such as Rough-legged Buzzard. During breaks in the festivities, I explored the frozen country. ![]() In January 2015 Elaine and I were married in Dawucun, where Elaine was born. It is part of Qitaihe Prefecture in eastern Heilongjiang, not far from the Sino-Russian border. We noted in full breeding mode many birds that we had previously known only as passage migrants in Shanghai we heard for the first time the songs of Siberian Blue Robin, Blue-and-white Flycatcher, White-throated Rock Thrush, Siberian Thrush, and many other species.īACKGROUND Boli County lies within the Amur Basin of Northeast China. Our bird of the trip was Band-bellied Crake, and we found breeding Eurasian Eagle-Owl. We birded 15 of those days, mainly around Xidaquan National Forest (Xīdàquān Guójiā Sēnlín Gōngyuán, 45.727751, 130.317316). In springtime, Boli County is the breeding home of birds that in the more densely populated southern regions of China appear only as passage migrants or winter visitors.įrom 26 May to 12 June 2016, Elaine Du and I visited her home village of Dawucun (Dàwǔcūn, 45.732679, 130.589612) in Boli County, Heilongjiang, China. Its forests, remnants of the ancient northern temperate forest that once stretched unbroken across the region, hold northern species absent further south in China. ( Craig Brelsford)īoli County is a good place to study the woodland birds of the eastern Palearctic. WHY SHOULD BIRDERS CARE ABOUT BOLI? Silver Birch Grove (白桦林), one of the attractions of Xidaquan National Forest in Boli County, Heilongjiang. There are as well my sound-recordings of Boli birds and plenty of photos. Surely one of the most beautiful ducks in the world.In this report, you will get an introduction to Boli County and eastern Heilongjiang, you will discover the birds we met there at the height of the breeding season, you will learn about the birds we missed, and you will find out how Elaine Du and I combine birding with family. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |