Reported by Nick Bray
Sichuan is home to some truly exciting species and what has been described as the best scenery of any birding tour! Amongst the 306 species seen on this tour there were an incredible 14 species of galliformes, 28 warblers, 8 parrotbills and 8 rosefinches. As usual, the stunning Firethroat stole the show with repeated views of several different individuals. Or was the male Temminck’s Tragopan bird of the trip? Then again, a delightful Crested Tit-Warbler dancing in the pines of Mengbishan takes some beating. Other highlights include a Chinese Monal strutting across an alpine meadow, a Tibetan Snowcock calling from its craggy perch, a delightful Ground Tit posing on the Tibetan Plateau, Chinese Grouse in the scope for ten minutes, Snowy-cheeked Laughingthrush too close to focus our binoculars on, a pair of the rare Golden-fronted Fulvettas feeding young, and a Przewalski’s Nuthatch seemingly close enough to touch. Such wonderful memories and all set amidst snow-capped peaks, lush forest-cloaked mountains and the wide-open plains of the Tibetan Plateau. This tour just seems to get better each year!