By Peter Hinow
Initially from Dresden, Germany, Peter Hinow is a arithmetic professor on the College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA. At some point, when left unsupervised at residence, he toyed round with a 300 mm lens that his higher half had purchased as a part of a digicam bundle, and which had sat a number of years in its unique field unused. It seems, they’ll make distant objects seem nearer!
This summer season, our household and a household of mates undertook an epic highway journey alongside the Silk Highway, from Xining in Qinghai province to Dunhuang in western Gansu. Earlier than each journey, I take a look at eBird for hotspots and goal species lists for my goal vacation spot. As is well-known, hotspots can have various levels of accessibility, and accessibility may change over time. Within the case of Lake Qinghai, the beautiful saline lake at 3200 m altitude surrounded by majestic mountains, it has been fenced off at 100-150 m from the shore for conservation functions. Seeing this for the primary time, the aware birder and wildlife photographer should overcome a sure sting of disappointment earlier than noticing that the fences make for glorious perching areas.
My first novel species on this journey was the curious little Floor Tit (Pseudopodoces humilis), which lives on highland meadows between the Himalayas and the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. Its taxonomic journey consists of as soon as being categorised as a corvid earlier than lastly arriving within the tit household (Paridae). With somewhat luck, you may see them paying homage to their former English identify, “groundpecker”.
Floor Tit (Pseudopodoces humilis), Xiaobeihu Freshwater Marsh, southeastern nook of Lake Qinghai.
One of many few areas the place the lake is accessible to vacationers is the Erlangjian Scenic Space. You’re taking a ship from the pier on the southern shore to the tip of a peninsula after which make your means again by bus, stopping at a number of locations. Eye-catching had been the Brown-headed Gulls (Chroicocephalus brunnicephalus), Hill Pigeon (Columba rupestris), and Hume’s Lark (Calandrella acutirostris). Allan Octavian Hume (British, 1829-1912) should have been somewhat fashionable amongst individuals who coin fashionable species names; seven chicken species are listed on eBird as “his”. Curiously sufficient, Mrs. Hume additionally bought one, a pheasant.
Brown-headed Gull (Chroicocephalus brunnicephalus), Erlangjian Scenic Space.
On the western shore, I lastly bought to see from up shut what I had been hoping for from the start, the Bar-headed Goose (Anser indicus). With occasional data at 8800 meters, these majestic geese are among the many highest fliers on their daunting migration route from India to China and again. I had seen them in Frankfurt’s Palmengarten, however in fact, that was solely a “provisional lifer” since they’re an launched species there.
Bar-headed Goose (Anser indicus) at a vacationer spot on the western shore of Lake Qinghai. I had a pleasant coconut latte once I took this image.
From Qinghai, we drove into Gansu, spending some severe mountains alongside the best way. “Himalayan” is likely one of the coolest issues a chicken can have in its identify, and so I’m fairly glad I bought to bag the corresponding Griffon (Gyps himalayensis).
When seeing a hovering raptor whereas driving, one should battle the impulse to slam on the brakes to take photos. Roads in that a part of China are slender, and drivers of heavy vans have a sure – let’s consider – assertiveness. Nonetheless, I used to be fortunate to catch a second with out visitors.
In Gansu, our first cease was on the Shandan Navy Horse Farm, the place, throughout a number of dynasties and till the current, horses are bred, though in the present day in a lot smaller numbers. The world surrounds a small reservoir, which is – you guessed it – surrounded by a fence. However once more, fence posts generally is a excellent spot for surprises, for instance, when a Little Owl (Athene noctua) lands proper in entrance of you. I usually consider owls as tremendous secretive and close to unattainable to search out by yourself. Good to be unsuitable.
Little Owl (Athene noctua), Xida River Reservoir, Gansu.
To be continued.
