China: A bird-watching gem
We read with interest recently that over a five-day period bird watchers found more than 60 different species of birds in a small marshy lake in Yunnan province—one of WildChina’s favorite places to visit in China. Among these species were Tundra Swans, Purple Swamphens, Ruddy Shelducks, as well as species of coot, egret, grebe, goose and duck.
The survey, which was reported by local Chinese-language media, was carried out at Heqing county’s Caohai Lake, in the same area as the popular WildChina destinations of Dali, Lijiang and Shaxi.
The lake is small by local standards, with a surface area of a mere 1.5 square miles. But a dense bird population and stunning diversity of species has nevertheless made Caohai a popular spot for wild bird watching among local Chinese and, increasingly, foreigners on bird watching holidays from abroad.
Reading the news and looking at brilliant photos of some of the species found at this lake reminded us of what a gem of a birding destination China is. This is especially true for North American birders, for whom a birding vacation to China presents the opportunity to see many new Eurasian species.
WildChina’s February lifelong learning trip, Winter Birding in China, for instance, spans the country to seek glimpses several magnificent examples of the birds of China, such as Red-crowned Cranes, White-naped Cranes, Hooded Cranes and many others.
The trip is led by WildChina expert and Kunming Institute of Botany ornithologist Wen Xianji and includes a stop at a different Caohai Lake in Guizhou province that is also a center for birding trips.
Contact WildChina today to inquire about this trip or to custom craft your bird watching vacation of a lifetime.
Photo: Dali Daily Online
