Harvesting Exciting Northern Specials During A Short Stay in Beijing
Serving as one of the seven ancient capitals and the current capital of China, Beijing is known for its splendid and unique culture and history. While at the same time, Beijing is a nice birding place for a short visit, there are many fascinating birding sites within and near the city area. We carefully select three birding sites where you can expect some special birds of northern China, such as Chinese Nuthatch (Snowy-browed Nuthatch), Vinous-throated Parrotbill, Pere David's Laughingthrush, etc. If you come in the right season, we can also expect some interesting waterfowls including Swan Goose, Whooper Swan, Ruddy Shelduck, Mandarin Duck, Falcated Duck, Northern Pintail, Red-crested Pochard, Common Pochard, Ferruginous Duck, etc. Depending on seasons and the latest bird information, we may tune the itinerary to make sure the best use of your time.
Tour Info Sheet
| Highlight Birds | Golden Eagle, Eastern Buzzard, Common Kestrel, Eurasian Hobby, Snowy-browed Nuthatch, Vinous-throated Parrotbill, Pere David's Laughingthrush, Grey-capped Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Grey-headed Woodpecker, Spotted Dove, Azure-winged Magpie, Yellow-bellied Tit, Marsh Tit, Silver-throated Tit, Light-vented Bulbul, Chinese Blackbird, Red-throated Thrush, Dusky Thrush, Yellow-billed Grosbeak, Oriental Greenfinch, Gadwall, Chinese Spot-billed Duck, Ferruginous Pochard, Tufted Duck, Smew, Black-necked Grebe, Great Crested Grebe, Eurasian Spoonbill, Pallas's Bunting, Godlewski's Bunting, Falcated Duck, Chinese Grey Shrike, Chinese Leaf Warbler, Yellow-streaked Warbler, Silver-throated Tit, Siberian Accentor, Brambling, Chinese Beautiful Rosefinch, Long-tailed Rosefinch, Pallas's Rosefinch, etc. |
|---|---|
Numbers of Species to Expect | 80-100 |
| Ease of Birding | mostly easy birding with a few tricky species |
Photography Opportunities | birding focused but with very good photography chances |
| Habitats Covered | subtropical forests, wetlands |
| Expected Climate | see details in the "pre-trip briefings" |
Physical Requirements | mostly easy, moderate but optional in certain parts |
| Accommodation | very comfortable |
What makes this trip irreplaceable?
1. Focusing on some northern specials like Beijing Babbler, Snowy-browed Nuthatch, Vinous-throated Parrotbill, Pere David's Laughingthrush, etc.
2. Covering two famous birding sites, namely Yeyahu Lake and Lingshan Mountain. We may visit different places depending on seasons and the latest bird information.
3. Experienced guides with great knowledge about local birds and rich experiences of guiding travelers from different countries.
4. A short program with more flexibility. This trip can be customized to meet your needs and preferences better.
5. Years of working as a local partner for some prestigious western companies specialized in birds and wildlife.
6. A strong logistic team in the office to ensure our trip goes smoothly and every participant has a comfortable and memorable journey.
Gallery
Dates & Prices
| Dates | Booking Status | Price | Single Supplement | Group Size | Guide | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All Year Round | Space Available | TBA | TBA | Departure from 2 | Local Guide | Customizable |
Slide the sheet to the left to see the full sheet if you are viewing on your phone or tablet.
The cost includes the following:
1. Services of an experienced English-speaking bird guide from day 1 through day 3.
2. Accommodation from the first night to the last night, at the quality of 3- to 4-star hotels in cities.
3. Private transportation throughout the trip, including airport pick-up and drop-off.
4. Meals at well-reviewed local restaurants, from dinner on the first day through dinner on the final day. Picnic breakfasts and lunches will be provided when necessary.
5. Entrance fees for all sites listed in the itinerary.
6. Bottled water and snacks provided throughout the trip.
7. China domestic travel insurance coverage.
8. Full logistical support throughout the journey.
The cost does not include the following:
1. Soft drinks and alcoholic beverages during meals.
2. Additional costs arising from itinerary changes made by the client or from factors beyond AlpineBirding’s control, such as natural disasters or changes in government policy.
3. Discretionary tips for local guides and drivers.
4.Personal expenses, including laundry services.
5.Airfare to the trip starting point and from the trip ending point.
6. Banking and transaction fees charged by banks or third-party companies during payment to AlpineBirding's accounts
7. Any activities or services not listed in the itinerary.
* Please be aware that the price is inapplicable during any Chinese official holidays including but not limited to Chinese New Year, Labour Day, National Day, etc. Please contact us to confirm the price if your trip date covers any Chinese holidays.
Itinerary
Tour Map
Day 1: Beijing Botanical Garden to Yeyahu Lake
Meet your private bird guide and driver in Beijing, either at your hotel or at your arrival airport. Then we drive to Beijing Botanical Garden to search for some northern specials in the lush forest. We can expect some sought-after species like Chinese Nuthatch (Snowy-browed Nuthatch), Vinous-throated Parrotbill, Pere David's Laughingthrush, Grey-capped Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Grey-headed Woodpecker, Spotted Dove, Azure-winged Magpie, Yellow-bellied Tit, Marsh Tit, Silver-throated Tit, Light-vented Bulbul, Chinese Blackbird, Red-throated Thrush, Dusky Thrush, Yellow-billed Grosbeak, Oriental Greenfinch, etc. In the afternoon, we drive about 1.5 hours to the Yeyahu area.
Day 2: Yeyahu Lake to Lingshan Mountain
We spend most of the day in Yeyahu Lake which is considered as one of the most important wetlands in Beijing. Each spring and autumn, a lot of waterfowls come to visit this area, while in the summertime, there are a lot of waterfowls and wetland birds breed here. Although the species of birds visible here can be different from season to season, we can normally expect birds like Swan Goose, Whooper Swan, Ruddy Shelduck, Mandarin Duck, Falcated Duck, Northern Pintail, Red-crested Pochard, Common Pochard, Ferruginous Duck, Great Crested Grebe, Collared Dove, Black-winged Stilt, Northern Lapwing, Grey-headed Lapwing, Purple Heron, Great White Egret, Chinese Pond Heron, etc. In addition, we can also look for Eastern Marsh Harrier, Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Amur Falcon, Chinese Grey Shrike, Chinese Penduline Tit, Black-browed Reed Warbler, Oriental Reed Warbler, White-cheeked Starling, Water Pipit, Pallas's Reed Bunting, Little Bunting, Black-faced Bunting, etc. In the late afternoon, we drive about 3 hours to the Lingshan Mountain area and check in at our conveniently-suited guesthouse.
Day 3: Lingshan Mountain to Beijing downtown
We spend most of the day in Lingshan Mountain Scenic Area. Located to the west of Beijing, Lingshan is the highest mountain in Beijing that sets at an elevation of 2,303 meters. It is home to many mountain species of middle elevation in the northern part. Here we have chances to see birds like Hill Pigeon, Golden Eagle, Eastern Buzzard, Common Kestrel, Eurasian Hobby, Carrion Crow, Willow Tit, Chinese Leaf Warbler, Yellow-streaked Warbler, Silver-throated Tit, Pere David's Laughingthrush, Black-throated Thrush, Siberian Accentor, Brambling, Chinese Beautiful Rosefinch, Long-tailed Rosefinch, Pallas's Rosefinch, Godlewski's Bunting, Meadow Bunting, etc.
In the late afternoon, we drive you back to Beijing, either to your hotel or to the airport. The AlpineBirding service concludes.
Gentle Reminder:
1. The bird species mentioned in the itinerary are just for your reference, it changes with the seasons. We may tune the itinerary according to the latest bird information to maximize our chances.
2. We are more than happy to assist with hotel booking, flight booking, etc. before or after the trip to make your travel more enjoyable and comfortable, please feel free to let us know in advance.
Guide(s)
We will arrange one of our best local guides for this trip who has rich experience of guiding tours in this region. The followings are some of our professional guides who have guided tours in this area for many years.
Bella Zhang
Bella, the director of AlpineBirding, was graduated from Sichuan Agricultural University with a Bachelor's Degree. She joined AlpineBirding in early 2016 and became the director of AlpineBirding in 2018. She was born and grown up in a Bai ethnic family in Yunnan Province which boasts of the largest number of bird species in China. Her interests toward birds started with her observation of a Long-tailed Minivet in her mom's garden at a very young age. As she grows up, the interests and love toward birds become stronger and stronger. Because of that, she found AlpineBirding before graduation and joined the company for further learning of birds. Bella has guided a number of birding trips in cooperation with AlpineBirding guide in the past years, her passion, readiness to help, and detail-oriented attitude have won her lots of praise from our clients.
Linked Tours
Currently, there is no extension available for this tour. If you want to spend more time before or after the main tour to look for certain species or enjoy other attractions, you are warmly welcome to share your ideas with us to tailor make a tour of your own style. Please send us an email to info@alpinebirding.com with your preferences, we will get back to you in a timely manner.
Reports
We don't have a report available for this tour at this stage, please feel free to email us, we are more than happy to answer any of your questions and share the latest bird information with you.
