Beidaihe-AMustforBirdsWatchers
Setonthecoastsome280kmeastofBeijing,theseasideholidayresortofBeidaiheisfamousnotonlyasatouristcenterandasagoodplacetorecuperateafterillness,butalsoasoneofthebestplacesintheworldtoseemigratorybirds.
China''sYanshanMountainRangewindsitswaythousandsofmilesfromthewesttotheeasternseaboard.ItsendsanumberofwaterwaysliketheHenghe,Daihe,YangheandLuanheriversdowntotheBohaiSeaatBeidaihe.Theycreateavastareaofwetlands,mud-banks,andlagoonswithrichfeedingandgoodplacesforbirdstorest.HeremigratoryroutescometogetherlikegreatseasonalriversofbirdslinkingnortheastAsiawithsouthChina,Indo-China,AustraliaandevenfaroffeastAfrica.
NaturehasrichlyendowedBeidaihewithbirdspeciesandofthe1,198foundinChina,416havebeenrecordedatBeidaihe.Thisisapartoftheworldthatplayshosttoeighteenspeciesofgulls,threeofswans,andsixofcranes.
XuWeishu,vicedirectoroftheChinaOrnithologicalSocietytellsofthetimewhenasmanyas2,729orientalwhitestorkswererecordedinBeidaihe,doublingthepreviousworldrecord.
LookintotheskiesofBeidaiheinthefirsttendaysofNovembereveryyearandyouwillbesuretoseeflocksofred-crownedcranesandwhitecranes.
TheyearfromMay1999toMay2000sawtennewbirdspeciesaddedtothelistforBeidaihe.
Backinthe1940sDanishscientist,AxelHemmingsen,publishedareportsayingthathehadseenlargenumbersofcranesatBeidaihe,butnoonefolloweduponthisatthetime.Thenin1985guidedbyHemmingsen''sreport,BritishornithologistDoctorMartinWilliamsfirstcametoBeidaihe.WiththehelpofanofficialfromtheBeidaihetourismauthority,DrWilliamsvisitedShijiutuoIslandinnearbyLaotingCounty.Whathediscoveredtherewasfarbeyondhisexpectationsandhefoundmanynewkindsofbirds.Sincethen,accompaniedbyhisChinesecounterpart,XuWeishu,hehasbroughtmanyoverseasprofessionalstogetherinBeidaiheeveryyeartoenjoywatchingthebirdsandcarryoutresearch.
SincethefirsttwopartiesofChinesebirdenthusiastsvisitedBeidaihein1999,moreandmoredomesticvisitorshavejoinedbirdwatchinggroupsgoingthereonvacation.
Beidaihehasenjoyedagoodreputationsince1893.ItwasthenthataBritishengineerhelpingbuildarailwaylinerecognizedthatwithitslowhills,beachesandseabreezes,theheadlandwasanidealplacetogotoescapethesummerheatoftheinterior.Onhisrecommendation,thefirstholidaymakersarrived.Beidaihe,untilthenapoorfishingvillage,quicklybecamepopularwithdiplomats,merchants,missionaries,andwelloffChinese.
Meanwhilethebirdsareregularvisitorsheretoo.Flocksofgullsareeasilyspotted.WhatmightnotbesoeasyistobeabletodistinguishamongthebewilderingvarietyintheskiesoverBeidaihe.Manydifferentbirdspassthroughhereastheseasonscomeandgoandeveryyearstillseesfreshspeciesspotted.Itisamagnificentsighttoseetheoccasionalflockoflargecranespassbyortowatchthebirdsofprey,howeverthelargerbirdshavebeendecreasinginnumber.
Roundthecalendar
TheperiodspanningthelasttendaysofAprilthroughthelasttendaysofMayisthebestseasonforbirdwatching.ThisiswhenyoucanseethegreatestnumberandvarietyofbirdsinBeidaihe.
ThentheperiodfromthelasttendaysofAugustthroughSeptemberisthetimeforthemediumandsmallwadingbirdstopassthrough.
Octoberbringsanotherpeakseasonasmanybirdspassthroughthearea,goingsouthforthewinter.
AsthecolderweathercomesinwiththefirsttendaysofNovember,flocksofcraneswillbemakingtheirwaysouth.TheywillcomenorthagainthefollowingMarch.
Thebestspots
Forwaterfowlandsongbirds,tryChituHill,LianfengHillandthehilltopsinGeziwoParkorthemanywell-woodedcourtyardsinBeidaiheDistrict.
middot;Forswimmingandwadingbirds,Daihe,YangheandDapuriversshouldnotdisappoint.
middot;VisitJiaoshanMountaintoenjoywatchingbirdsofpreyandsongbirds.
middot;ShijiutuoIslandinnearbyLaotingCountyiswellworthanextendedvisitofafewdaysduration.
Duringthecourseofatypical12-dayvisit,youmightexpecttosee200differentkindsofbirds.BeidaiheChinaInternationalTravelServicearrangesspecialisttoursforbirdenthusiasts.Theirofficenumberis086-335-4033598.