Beidaihe May 2004 with Wildwings  

by Gordon Hodgson 

For years, I have stared longingly at pics of Sibes from this mythical far flung place, so when the opportunity came for me to join the Wildwings trip in 2003 with some old birding friends from 'up north' I jumped at the chance - only to be scuppered by SARS, forcing us to cancel the trip one week before departure. As you can imagine the eagerness to get there in 2004 was only heightened - I wasn't disappointed! 

The trip was slick and very well organised and lead by Tony Marr and Mark Andrews, it made the most of the time in China and the build up to the more mega birding sites was very exciting. We began in Beijing for two nights after flights from Heathrow via Amsterdam. The stay in Beijing is primarily for the usual tourist attractions - Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City (see pic below), both well worth seeing but almost bird less. There was a speedy 30-minute dash to a local park for a few hours birding in the late afternoon where we managed to hook up with some of the commoner Chinese species and our first 'Sibe' migrants. It was really exciting to find our first Red-throated (Taiga) Flycatcher, Daurian Redstart and White's Thrush - as at this stage we had no idea what was to come! 

After a day at the amazing Summer Palace, (see two pics below) where we picked up several new birds amongst the throngs of Chinese tourists followed by more central park birding we were really revved up and keener than ever to get to Beidaihe. 

Our arrival at the Jin Shan Hotel in Beidaihe on the morning of day three was a mixture of excitement, confusion and panic! As we got off the coach outside our hotel block flocks of buntings poured over, amongst them Olive-backed Pipits squeaked and the bushes in the hotel grounds literally 'tacked' with Dusky Warblers and were alive with sprites - all this and trying to find your cases, get checked in and have something to eat before getting amongst the birds!

The Jin Shan Hotel was to be our base for most of the holiday and various areas in the immediate vicinitywere explored by a mixture of bike, taxi, coach and foot from here. To the North there are extensive sand flats, a productive strip of coastal marsh and wood, a reservoir and small reserve. To the South there is Yang Ho, an estuary, extensive shrimp ponds and small wood. In Beidaihe itself there is the famous Lighthouse Point, Eagle Rock Gully (a quiet secluded vegetated gully) Jin Shan Field (a barren, open field but the highest point around) Suzy Wong's (an overgrown garden next to Jin Shan Field),  The Lotus Hills ( the highest point around for miles and an excellent vis.mig. spot) plus a myriad of lush hotel gardens and grounds all of which can and do support many migrants. The trip includes time spent to the South of Beidaihe to visit the Magic Wood, the Big Wood and Happy Island. Asian Chipmunk in the pic below. On the Journey South a stop is made at an area of extensive grassland, sparse woodland and small pools called Da Pu He, here we saw the only Cattle Egrets of the trip - a different race showing much more orange than Western birds, here also were Pintail Snipe and several migrant waders and passerines, this proved to be the best area for large pipits although generally these were very thin on the ground. 

As you approach the Magic Wood some barren roadside fields and pools held impressive numbers of birds, the sheer volume of birds was staggering. 40 Red-necked, two Temminck’s and a Long-toed Stint, 12 Sharp-tailed and 70 Curlew Sandpipers, nine Marsh and 100+ Wood Sandpipers, with 100+ Whiskered, 20 Little, ten Gull-billed, six White-winged Black (1,000 of these here later) and two Common Terns, not to mention the flock of Pacific Golden Plovers and Little Whimbrel in the fields nearby. 

Magic Wood is a small and very isolated wood in an otherwise blank landscape of shrimp ponds and is the only greenery visible on the mainland from Happy Island - hence, a complete magnet for tired migrant birds. Our first venture into the wood was incredible, we moved slowly through the wood not because of the terrain just the amount of birds to identify in every bush! Sadly during our time there part of the wood was literally taken away before our eyes to provide soil to plant fast growing roadside poplar trees ! Slightly farther inland is the Big Wood which as its name suggests is much bigger and actually two woods, and is managed by the Chinese authorities as a nursery for saplings (I think) - this wood is also crammed with migrants, I will never forget walking through the Big Wood with Yellow-browed, Pallas's, Dusky, and Pale-legged Leaf Warblers flying out from under every step I took, add in a few incredibly bright or challenging flycatchers and the odd thrush  - This was exactly why I was here!  

The Legendary Happy Island (see pic taken near Happy Island below), reached by a small tidal dependant ferry is a real migrant hotspot and looks like one, a medium sized (about 2 miles long) island occupied by a few Buddhists who were well outnumbered by Scandinavian birders. In the centre of the Island is a fairly large mature wood, which holds most of the migrant passerines. Also here is the best chance of catching up with some cracking waders that gather on the mudflats at the South of the Island. Sadly we found no Spoonbill Sandpipers this year. 

There is an optional excursion to Old Peak which I didn’t take advantage of… the toss up was between finding rare Sibes at Beidaihe or getting up at 3am in the rain to look for Kockless Pheasant… we chose Beidaihe ! 

The trip was fantastic and just Birds, Birds, and more Birds, the tour leaders were great and the company of the rest of the group made for an extremely enjoyable trip. 

Thanks to Mark Andrews and Tony Marr and Mick, Phil, Gary and Mark D. 

List of Species seen by me, others were recorded by the group

Birds highlighted in red have a pic below their name

Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis    First seen at the Summer Palace and then in most freshwater areas.
Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus    Only seen at the Summer Palace.
Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo    A handful of 'Cormorants' seen from a distance in flight only - most probably this species.
Yellow Bittern Ixobrychus sinensis    As predicted by Mark and Tony these birds appeared towards the end of the trip and were easily seen at the Reservoir including a party of five.

Black-crowned Night-Heron Nycticorax nycticorax    Fairly common, even seen flying over the centre of Beijing at dawn. A colony at the Summer Palace and literally 100's (300+) roosting in the Big Wood.
Little Green Heron Butorides striatus    One bird seen briefly at the back of the Reservoir.
Chinese Pond-Heron Ardeola bacchus    Very common in all areas.

Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis    One group of 16 cracking birds seen at Da Pu He, (should be renamed Rusty Egret).
Chinese Egret Egretta eulophotes    A surprising three together on the Yang Ho estuary just South of Beidaihe.

Little Egret Egretta garzetta    Uncommon.
Intermediate Egret Egretta intermedia    At least one seen on the Sandflats reserve and one past the Lotus Hills.
Great Egret Egretta alba    Seen in several places including over the Lotus Hills.
Grey Heron Ardea cinerea    Locally common.
Purple Heron Ardea purpurea    Just a handful seen, mainly with Grey Heron flocks.
Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia    One seen on the Yang Ho Estuary.
Ruddy Shelduck Tadorna ferruginea    Flock of six flew around the lakes at The Summer Palace.
Mandarin Duck Aix galericulata    One REAL Mandarin seen on the floating pontoons in Yan Tan Park.

Mallard Anas platyrhynchos    Common–ish.

Pochard Aythya farina    Just two seen at Da Pu He.
Spot-billed Duck Anas poecilorhyncha aonorhyncha   First seen at The Summer Palace this proved to be the most common duck around.

Crested Honey-Buzzard Pernis ptilorhyncus orientalis    After one probable distant bird high over Tiananmen Square we had cracking views of several birds over The Lotus Hills plus one low over the Magic Wood.
Pied Harrier Circus melanoleucos    On our first morning in Beidaihe we had a mad climb to the top of the Lotus Hills for a spot of 'Vis Mig-in' as the winds proved promising, within a few minutes of our arrival two stunning male Pied Harriers appeared from nowhere and circled very closely for several minutes - possibly the most beautiful raptor. A total of ten were seen in a couple of hours.
Eastern Marsh-Harrier (Striped Harrier) Circus spilonotus    Only few seen from Lotus Hills and from the Great Wall, North of Beidaihe.

Black Baza Aviceda leuphotes    One over the Lotus Hills on 15^th March was only the second ever on these trips, the third ever was also seen later in the trip.
Chinese Goshawk Accipiter soloensis    One over the Lotus Hills 15^th March.
Japanese Sparrowhawk Accipiter gularis    Tiny raptor chasing migrants in the Magic Wood.
Eurasian Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus    Fairly Common.
Common Buzzard Buteo buteo
Grey-faced Buzzard Butastur indicus    One which was probably this species seen over the Lotus Hills, strange raptor, sometimes like a harrier, sometimes like a buzzard, sometimes like an Accipiter.
Eurasian Kestrel Falco tinnunculus    Fairly Common.
Amur Falcon Falco amurensis    First seen over the Summer Palace, best place for these stunning falcons is Lotus Hills where they pass relatively close.
Northern Hobby Falco subbuteo    Fairly common, seen over the Forbidden City too.

Japanese Quail Coturnix japonica    A handful seen, mainly around the edges of Magic Wood but also in Jin Shan Hotel grounds.
Common Pheasant Phasianus colchicus    Common most places where there is any cover.
Baillon's Crake Porzana pusilla    One or two seen at the Sand Flats Reserve later into the trip. 

Watercock Gallicrex cinerea    What was potentially one was glimpsed at the now almost extinct Radar Marsh.
Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus    Common.
Eurasian Coot Fulica atra    One at the reservoir.

Greater Painted Snipe Rostratula benghalensis    One male at the pools near the Yang Ho estuary seen well in flight but not on the deck.
Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus    Seen at various sites.
Pied Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta    One at the Sand Flats.
Oriental Pratincole Glareola maldivarum    A good number observed mainly on migration from the Lotus Hills.
Little Ringed Plover Charadrius dubius
Common Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula
Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrinus
Lesser Sand-Plover (Mongolian Plover) Charadrius mongolus    Over 100 seen on a small estuary near Happy Island with smaller groups elsewhere.

Greater Sand-Plover Charadrius leschenaultii    Only a few amongst the Lesser’s.
Pacific Golden Plover Pluvialis fulva    In most wet areas, some flocks.
Grey Plover Pluvialis squatarola
Grey-headed Lapwing Vanellus cinereus    Fairly scarce, best place was the pools by the Yang Ho estuary.
Great Knot Calidris tenuirostris    Cracking summer plumage birds seen best at Happy Island but also at Beidaihe Sandflats.
Sanderling Calidris alba
Red-necked Stint Calidris ruficollis    By far the commonest wader around on both salt and fresh water.

Little Stint Calidris minuta    One seen at the pools near the magic Wood (Magic Pools).
Temminck's Stint Calidris temminckii    Several seen, most the Magic Pools where there were around six birds present.

Long-toed Stint Calidris subminuta    Seen at the Sandflats and the magic Pools, cracking little wader.
Sharp-tailed Sandpiper Calidris acuminata    Fairly common with Red-necked Stint flocks.

Dunlin Calidris alpina    Some.
Curlew Sandpiper Calidris ferruginea    Some cracking 'red' birds.
Broad-billed Sandpiper Limicola falcinellus    One miles out on the mudflats on Happy Island and four were seen on the sandflats at Beidaihe.
Common Snipe Gallinago gallinago    Common, even seen on Jin Shan Field in Beidaihe.
Pintail Snipe Gallinago stenura    Seen and heard at Da Pu He and Town Field at Beidaihe where three were seen well.

Asian Dowitcher Limnodromus semipalmatus    Several birds with the waders on Happy Island.
Eurasian Woodcock Scolopax rusticola    One bird seen in Yang Ho Wood.
Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa    One Winter plumaged bird seen from the ferry to Happy Island.
Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica    Common in most saline areas.
Little Whimbrel Numenius minutus    2/3 seen well at Magic Pools with the Pacific Golden Plover flock.
Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus variegatus    Common everywhere.
Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata    Uncommon.
Far-Eastern Curlew Numenius madagascariensis    Fairly common, incredibly long billed, dark rump.
Spotted Redshank Tringa erythropus    Some very black summer plumaged birds seen at the Magic Pools.
Common Redshank Tringa totanus    Not particularly common.
Marsh Sandpiper Tringa stagnatilis    Uncommon, most seen at Magic Pools.
Common Greenshank Tringa nebularia    Common, mostly in saline areas/Shrimp pools.
Green Sandpiper Tringa ochropus
Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola    Common on most fresh water.
Terek Sandpiper Xenus cinereus    Probably 40+ seen throughout the trip, at Yang Ho Estuary, Beidaihe Sandflats & Happy Island.
Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos
Grey-tailed Tattler Heteroscelus brevipes    One bird seen distantly at Yang Ho Estuary.
Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres
Relict Gull Larus relictus    Only seen at Happy Island where probably 8+ birds were counted.
Saunders's Gull Larus saundersi    Only seen around Happy Island where some immatures were sign of breeding success.
Black-headed Gull Larus ridibundus    Fairly common in most places.
Slender-billed Gull Larus genei?    One found on the Sand Flats reserve 6th May proved very interesting as it's bill colour and shape just weren't right for SBG, shorter and darker, perhaps some Eastern race?

Black-tailed Gull Larus crassirostris    Probably the most common Larus around, only a few adults were seen, mainly passing Lighthouse point, the rest were immature birds, probably around 60+ seen throughout the trip.
Common Gull Larus canus kamtschatschensis/heini    Immature Kamtschatchensis at the Sand Flats Reserve.
Vega Gull Larus vegae birulae/vegae    Beidaihe sandflats/lighthouse point.

Heuglin's Gull Larus heuglini taimyrensis    Beidaihe sandflats.
Gull-billed Tern Gelochelidon nilotica    Seen in small numbers in most coastal areas, best place was Magic Pools.
Caspian Tern Hydroprogne tschegrava    One bird seen on The Sand Flats.
(Eastern) Common Tern (Nordmann's Tern)    Sterna hirundo longipennis Several birds seen at various places, the best place being Magic Pools, these 'longipennis' sub species are very striking with all dark bill and dusky underparts a bit like a fresh Arctic Tern

Little Tern Sterna albifrons sinensis    Yang Ho, Magic Pools and Happy Island were the best places for this apparently different race, although birds did seem longer tailed!??
Whiskered Tern Chlidonias hybrida    Present at most fresh water sites, parties seen passing north along the coast from Lighthouse Point.
White-winged Tern Chlidonias leucoptera    An incredible sight of around 1,000 at the Magic Pools plus many other singles and small flocks passing through most sites.
Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto    Seen from the coach several times.
Rufous Turtle-Dove (Oriental Turtle-Dove) Streptopelia orientalis    By far the most common Dove, seen most places.

Spotted Dove Streptopelia chinensis    Fairly local and scarce, first ones seen in the Forbidden City Grounds, just one at Beidaihe.

Large Hawk-Cuckoo Cuculus sparverioides    One at the wood near Yang He Estuary.
Northern Hawk-Cuckoo Cuculus hyperythrus    One on Happy Island.
Common Cuckoo Cuculus canorus
Oriental Cuckoo Cuculus saturatus    Happy Island.
Oriental Scops-Owl Otus sunia    1-2 in The Magic Wood showed very well.

Black Winged Cuckoo Shrike  Coracina melaschistos    One at The Reservoir.

Brown Hawk-Owl Ninox scutulata    Only one seen by me, on Happy Island. Another was seen in the Big Wood by other members of the group.

Little Owl Athene noctua    One on Happy Island.
Jungle Nightjar (Grey Nightjar) Caprimulgus indicus    Two Magic Wood.

White-throated Needletail Hirundapus caudacuta    18 (yes 18) flew past Lotus Hills in about three hours on 15th May, singles 2's even a group of 7,  some came really close and were gone as fast as they seemed to arrive - one of the highlights of the trip for me. Later on I also had cracking views of a single from Lotus Hills which flew leisurely around us for 3/4 minutes before continuing north.
Common Swift Apus apus    Noticeably more common in the second week but only low numbers throughout.
Pacific Swift (Fork-tailed Swift) Apus pacificus    Disappointingly low numbers, after 2 on Yang Ho estuary early on the only real number seen was on 16th May when four flew north over Lotus Hills and one was over the Jin Shan Hotel.
Black-capped Kingfisher Halcyon pileata    Two at Lotus Hills. 

Common Kingfisher Alcedo atthis    Fairly common.
Dollarbird Eurystomus orientalis    Two birds seen.
Hoopoe Upupa epops    Common everywhere, birds in China are slightly darker and duller than Western races.
Eurasian Wryneck Jynx torquilla    Just one seen at the reservoir at Beidaihe.
Grey-headed Woodpecker Picus canus    Seen in several places, first views were at the Summer Palace.
Great Spotted Woodpecker Picoides major    Uncommon.
Rufous-bellied Woodpecker Picoides hyperythrus    Common, seen in most wooded environments, two in The Magic Wood.

Grey-capped Woodpecker Picoides canicapillus    A few seen at the Summer Palace and another at Beidaihe.
Mongolian Lark Melanocorypha mongolica    One rather approachable bird with a damaged lower mandible seen on the Sandflats at Beidaihe, these birds are however very common as cage birds in China so its origins are dubious.
Asian Short-toed Lark Calandrella cheleensis    Seen at Da Pu he, Yang Ho and Beidaihe Sandflats.
Sand Martin  Riparia riparia    Only a handful seen passing through.
Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica    Very common everywhere.
Red-rumped Swallow Hirundo daurica    Very common everywhere.
House Martin Delichon urbica    Only a couple seen.
Richard's Pipit Anthus richardi    A couple at Da Pu He.
Blyth's Pipit Anthus godlewskii    Several fly overs at Da Pu He and one on the ground.
Olive-backed Pipit Anthus hodgsoni    Not as common as I expected but still some smart birds in most wooded areas.

Pechora Pipit Anthus gustavi    Less than expected and difficult to get onto, best place was the sandflats marsh where you stand a chance of seeing one in the open.
Forest Wagtail Dendronanthus indicus    One seen at the back of the reservoir, call is a  distinctive metallic 'ping' not unlike. Pale-legged Leaf Warbler
Yellow Wagtail Motacilla flava     M.f. macronyx/plexa and  simillima all seen, the best place being Town Field Marsh.
Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea
White Wagtail/East Siberian Wagtail Motacilla alba/ocularis    Both occularis and leucopsis races were seen.
Chinese Bulbul (Light-vented Bulbul) Pycnonotus sinensis  
Red-tailed Robin Erithacus sibilans    Just one female seen well at The Magic Wood.

Siberian Rubythroat Erithacus calliope    After a tense first three days when others had managed to see these my first was at Lighthouse Point,  occurrences became fairly regular after the first 4-5 days, a fair amount seen around The Jin Shan in Beidaihe.
Bluethroat Erithacus svecicus   One or two in most places.

Siberian Blue Robin Erithacus cyane    Likewise with the Siberian Rubythroat these blue little stubby things became common once you got onto your first one!, springing up from the most unlikely places.

Red-flanked Bluetail Tarsiger cyanurus   A female in The Magic Wood and a male on Happy Island. This species occurs earlier in the Spring so these were the remnants of earlier passage.

Daurian Redstart Phoenicurus auroreus   Our first was a cracking male in Yuan Tan Park after which a handful of females were seen.
Stonechat Saxicola torquata stejnegeri    Peachy/buffy individuals everywhere.
White-throated Rock Thrush Monticola gularis    3 - 4 in total, seen in the Magic Wood, Big Wood and Happy Island, just one female.

Blue Rock Thrush Monticola solitarius philippensis    Two, one near the Great Wall and one on Happy Island, smart race with red underparts (Phillipensis).
(Blue Whistling Thrush Myophonus caeruleus   A possible seen on Jin Shan Field).
White's Thrush Zoothera dauma    Our first was in Yan Tan Park in Beijing, after which seen in most wooded areas, up to 4 were in Magic Wood.

Siberian Thrush Zoothera sibirica    Tantalisingly brief views to begin with until a pair sat in the open in bright sunshine in the Magic Wood (while the camera malfunctioned of course).

Grey-backed Thrush Turdus hortulorum    One seen well in a hotel garden in Beidaihe.
Eye-browed Thrush Turdus obscurus    Several individuals and some small flocks, both woods and Beidaihe Hotel Gardens.

Dusky Thrush Turdus naumanni eunomus    A few in the Hotel Gardens in Beidaihe.

Chinese Song-Thrush Turdus mupinensis   2/3 in Beidaihe Hotel Gardens.

Asian Stub-tailed Bush Warbler Cettia squameiceps    Amazingly clockwork like one at the Jin Shan Hotel – great jizz.
Fan-tailed Warbler (Zitting Cisticola) Cisticola juncidis    Beidaihe Sandflats – completely different song to European ones.
Pallas's Grasshopper-Warbler Locustella certhiola    Almost certainly one on Happy Island, seen briefly several times.
Lanceolated Warbler Locustella lanceolata    2/3 seen well, especially the one we caught behind the fridge in the hotel bar one evening!  

Oriental Great Reed Warbler Acrocephalus orientalis

Black-browed Reed-Warbler Acrocephalus bistrigiceps    Irregularly seen, commoner later in the trip.
Manchurian Reed Warbler Acrocephalus (agricola) tangorum    One in the Magic Wood.

Thick-billed Warbler Acrocephalus aedon    Best views were at Yang He Wood, only 2/3 seen on the trip.
Blyth's Leaf-Warbler Phylloscopus reguloides    Happy Island.
Eastern Crowned Warbler Phylloscopus coronatus   Most in the Big Wood, a cracking and distinctive warbler.
Pale-legged Leaf-Warbler Phylloscopus tenellipes    First seen at the Reservoir characteristically dipping it’s tail, later in the trip their ‘tink’ calls became a common sound (bit like Forest Wagtail).
Two-barred Warbler Phylloscopus plumbeitarsus    A few appeared later in the trip.
Arctic Warbler Phylloscopus borealis    A few smart birds towards the end of the trip.
Pallas's Leaf-Warbler Phylloscopus proregulus    Everywhere, the best warbler.
Yellow-browed Warbler Phylloscopus inornatus inornatus    Great to see so many, probably 1000’s.
Radde's Warbler Phylloscopus schwarzi    Almost everywhere, great practice identifying these from Dusky on call.

Dusky Warbler Phylloscopus fuscatus    Everywhere.
Blue-and-white Flycatcher Cyanoptila cyanomelana    A cracking male in the Big Wood.

Siberian Flycatcher Muscicapa sibirica   A handful of birds seen, with very ‘Sooty’ underparts and flanks.
Grey-streaked Flycatcher Muscicapa griseisticta    Seen more regularly towards the end of the trip.

Asian Brown Flycatcher Muscicapa latirostris    Very Common, biggest eyes!

Yellow-rumped Flycatcher Ficedula zanthopygia   Some stunning males. First summer male pictured.

Mugimaki Flycatcher Ficedula mugimaki   Handful of variables seen. Immature male and adult male pictured.

Red-throated Flycatcher Ficedula (parva) albicilla    Seen in most places and one of the first Sibes to greet us in Beijing.

Vinous-throated Parrotbill Paradoxornis webbianus    Small party at the Summer Palace.
Long-tailed Tit Aegithalos caudatus vinaceus
Chinese Penduline-Tit Remiz (pendulinus) consobrinus    A couple of small flocks and 2/3 singles.
Coal Tit Parus ater
Yellow-bellied Tit Parus venustulus    Two in the Park in Beijing.
Great Tit Parus major minor
Chestnut-flanked White-eye Zosterops erythropleura    Several noisy groups flew through, best views were on Happy Island.
Black-naped Oriole Oriolus chinensis   Increasingly common as the days went by, 20+ on the last few days.
Tiger Shrike Lanius tigrinus   Cracking male in the Magic Wood.
Bull-headed Shrike Lanius bucephalus    Female in the Magic Wood with a Yellow-browed Warbler impaled on a thorn.
Brown Shrike Lanius cristatus    One of the commonest birds around, numbers fluctuating daily.

Black Drongo Dicrurus macrocercus    Seen at The Magic Wood and at Yang Ho.
Blue Magpie Urocissa erythrorhyncha    Incredible looking things fairly common and quite aggressive on territory.

Azure-winged Magpie Cyanopica cyana    Fairly common park bird.
Black-billed Magpie Pica pica
Rook Corvus frugilegus
Carrion Crow Corvus corone
Daurian Starling (Purple-backed Starling) Sturnus sturninus    Happy Island.

White-cheeked Starling Sturnus cineraceus    First seen at the Summer Palace then odd singles elsewhere.
Eurasian Tree-Sparrow Passer montanus   Common.
Brambling Fringilla montifringilla   Regular Big Wood, Magic Wood.
Oriental Greenfinch  Carduelis sinica    Seen at the Summer Palace and in Beidaihe.
Common Rosefinch Carpodacus erythrinus   Magic Wood.

Chinese Grosbeak (Yellow-billed Grosbeak) Eophona migratoria    Summer Palace.
Japanese Grosbeak Eophona personata    Two on Happy Island, huge finch.
Black-faced Bunting Emberiza spodocephala    The most regularly seen Bunting almost always near water (Chinese Dunnock!).

Siberian Meadow Bunting Emberiza cioides    Seen on the day trip to the Great Wall.

Chestnut-eared Bunting Emberiza fucata    Fairly common, best area was around the Sandflats.

Yellow-browed Bunting Emberiza chrysophrys    Two seen well in the park in Beijing, with singles briefly at other sites.
Tristram's Bunting Emberiza tristrami    Very tame bird at the Reservoir.

Little Bunting Emberiza pusilla    Turned up in most places.
Chestnut Bunting Emberiza rutila    Handful seen.
Yellow-breasted Bunting Emberiza aureola   A few small flocks, first seen at Yang He.
Pallas's Reed Bunting Emberiza pallasi    Some very smart ones at Yang He and the Sandflats.
Japanese Reed Bunting Emberiza yessoensis    Regularly seen at the Sandflats.