The below message is forwarded with permission from Chris Feeney who
is still on the ground in China.

Nathan Dias - Charleston, South Carolina, USA

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Chris Feeney <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Mon, May 7, 2012 at 7:11 AM
Subject: Spoon-billed Sandpipers
To: Nate Dias <[log in to unmask]>


Hi Nate-

I am winding down on my China trip.  Yang Kou has been very productive
for shorebirds-46 species.  Had Spoon-billed Sandpipers early on, with
5 the most I saw in one day (the guide, who knows the birds, counted
12 in one flock).  So far every stint except Little, and ever other
Asian shorebird expected at this time of year.  I was the one who
found the only Ruff!  I finally saw an Oriental Pratincole
today-probably my last new shorebird.  Land birding has also been
spectacular.  Every kind of flycatcher you can imagine.

I had a tour for the first week with 3 Germans who were very good
birders.  Then I went to Beijing/Beidaihe/Happy Island.  The last two
spots have been destroyed by construction.  I found birds, but not in
the numbers that should have been there.

I am now on my own with a driver in Yang Kou.  It has been a lot of
fun to look for birds and take a lot of photos.  The guide who set my
trip up called me and asked if I would show some World Wildlife and
local government folks the wetlands and shorebirds on the 9th.  I am
the only birder in the area at this time, so I will do it for sure.  I
guess they are making an effort to save some of the Spoon-billed
Sandpiper habitat.  The birds depend on going inland off the huge
mudflats at high tide, and the area here is rapidly being built up.  I
found one Spoon-billed Sandpiper today in a large shorebird flock, and
could see the a main road in the background.  Factories are being
built up on filled-in land about a mile from the roost.  There are
areas to the south that are not yet developed, but it probably won't
take long to get to them as well.

Home on May 11th.  Looking forward to the pelagic in June.

Chris