by Craig Brelsford
Founder, shanghaibirding.com
At Cape Nanhui and other area hotspots, veteran British birder Michael Grunwell, my wife Elaine Du, and I noted 71 species. Chief among them was Japanese Paradise Flycatcher Terpsiphone atrocaudata. We noted 10 on Sat., Sept. 17. Care must be taken to separate Japanese Paradise Flycatcher from Amur Paradise Flycatcher T. incei, which passes through Shanghai in smaller numbers. Male and female Japanese have a more extensive dark hood, extending almost to the belly, whereas that of Amur extends only to the upper breast. For more help distinguishing these species, see ID Workshop: Paradise Flycatchers.
Our team visited Cape Nanhui, the main birding hotspot in Shanghai, on the southeastern tip of Pudong; Lesser Yangshan Island; and the sod farm south of Pudong Airport (31.112586, 121.824742). At Nanhui we were joined by the crack high-school birding team of Larry Chen, Komatsu Yasuhiko, Chi Shu, and Andy Lee.
Other highlights:
White-winged Tern
We noted 2500 at Nanhui, by far the highest number of White-winged Tern that I have seen. They made quite a spectacle, fluttering like snowflakes over the reed beds.
Common Tern
Three at a dry roost (30.920549, 121.963247) at Cape Nanhui. Michael and I discussed whether Aleutian Tern, similar to Common Tern in winter plumage, passes through Shanghai and has been overlooked. Check for the red legs of Common; if the legs appear black, then keep investigating; you may have an Aleutian.
Ruddy Shelduck
Ruddy Shelduck is uncommon in Shanghai; I have recorded flocks at Chongming but had never seen the species at Nanhui. We saw a single Ruddy in the marshy agricultural land north of Luchao (芦潮; 30.851111, 121.848528).
Black-tailed Godwit, Bar-tailed Godwit, Great Knot, Red Knot, Grey-tailed Tattler
The godwits, knots, and tattlers were in the dry roost with Nordmann’s Greenshank.
Black-winged Cuckooshrike
The seven of us covered the microforests. Our teamwork paid off with a view of Black-winged Cuckooshrike, an uncommon passage migrant in Shanghai.
On Lesser Yangshan we found Oriental Dollarbird. Our final stop was the sod farm south of Pudong International Airport, where we found 4 Pacific Golden Plover and 200 Oriental Pratincole.
