Bird watching in Beijing
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Later in our journey, we found one long-billed plover and one plumbeous water-redstart in Sidu. The biggest surprise came at Liudu, where a dozen black storks were scattered in the stream. "They are perhaps taking a nap after lunch. It is almost 1 pm," Gao Wu explained. "Next time we should set o. earlier."
Still in Liudu, we encountered another group of birdwatchers, also from Beijing. Both groups were fascinated by the black storks, but after 40 minutes I couldn't bear the cold anymore and fled back to the bus, where some of the bird photographers were showing o. their recent shots to each other. Rambunctious children in the back snacked on jam and bread, counting the number of people defeated by the low temperatures.
At the last stop, Shisidu, the appearance of the common kestrel roused our spirits again in the lucky grand finale of our trip. "Though we saw many kinds of avian creatures along the way, seeing this bird of prey fulfilled the whole trip," a keen birdwatcher in the seat before me said.
From my vantage point as a newcomer, this scene of 30 people trying to find the exact location of the kestrel, binoculars pressed to eyes, was a little bizarre. Only the telescope could provide a proper view of the kestrel's location on the edge of the cliff opposite.
At the moment of discovery, a white-tailed sea eagle flew over our heads. As most people were staring into the distance, nearly everyone missed it.
On the return trip, as a volunteer from Friends of Nature read the watching report, I was somewhat surprised to learn that our group saw 36 kinds of birds along the way. I guessed some of them must have been seen when I was hiding on the bus at Liudu, but I'm not distressed; I am quite content with my memory of that first view of the whistling swan.
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