Orange-headed Thrush - March, Yunnan. No white marking on greater covert, indicating the local ssp. innotata #BirdsSeenIn2024

#SnowLeopard - received this the other day, a far better photo of our August, Qinghai Snow Leopard sighting. Photo by Mark Langston

Rufous-bellied Niltava - note large glossy crown and evenly rufous-red chest and belly that distinguishes from very similar Fujian. One of our Yunnan species from the April visit to Baihualing hides. #BirdsSeenIn2024

Presently doing an extremely needed update to my website sichuanbirding.cloudaccess.net - ashamed to say this has been ignored since 2021! Chinese Monal - from June #BirdsSeenIn2024

Chinese Rubythroat - singing from an dry stone wall on Balang - a bird of scrubby grassland well above the treeline sichuanbirding.cloudaccess.net #BirdsSeenIn2024

Taken a bit of a break from posting, but now the time for a few pics. Great Parrotbill, today from a frosty Labahe #BirdsSeenIn2024

#redpanda day at Labahe -yesterday a blank, but a light dusting of snow gave tracks showing activity. Using a thermal imager, able to detect a red #panda deep inside a berry fruiting tree - pic is of an October animal, but same misty, dank conditions.

Darjeeling Woodpecker - that orangey neck shading reminds me of nicotine stained finger coloration from the days when men were men and smoked navy cut or woodbines without filters!!! Yesterday at Labahe #BirdsSeenIn2024

Giant (Tibetan) Grey Shrike - thorn bushes are not plentiful on the Tibetan Plateau, so a shrike must improvise if they're to live up to the butcher bird name. I thinks its skewered a Black-winged Snowfinch in that old roll of wire #BirdsSeenIn2024

Tufted Deer - a rather wet looking female (male has fangs) in its dark winter coat. Today the snow is melting and this animal emerged from damp, dripping bamboo. This species is listed as near-endangered. Hengduan Mountains, Sichuan

White-backed Woodpecker - the Sichuan ssp. tangi. One of 2 mainland China races that represent isolated populations far distant from main distribution. Today in the Hengduan Mountains #BirdsSeenIn2024

Golden Snub-nosed Monkey - from 2 days ago, lucky enough to see a troop of around 50 animals feeding on hanging Lichens. These are not the habituated troop that can now be viewed in the PIngwu area - seeing wild, free ranging animals can be difficult.

#redpandar - today's animal literally chilling out on a cold snowy afternoon in the Hengduan Mountains. These animals are rather inconspicuous when hiding away in a tangle of branches- thermal imagers make finding #pandas so much easier

#GiantPanda - front paw minutes old. 5 digits and claw marks clearly seen. Were able to follow into into bamboo, but then impossible to go further. Briefly saw another very distant animal a couple of days ago. Today Hengduan Mountains, Sichuan.

How half a tonne Sichuan Takin can dance over wire guardrails!! Tangjiahe just before new year

Remember the old spot the ball competition - well here's spot the Ibisbill (all 5 of them) - yesterday just down the road from where I live in Dujiangyan - part of a flock of around 10 #BirdsSeenIn2025

White-throated Redstart - but just a spot of white, the sizable white wing flashes are a far better ID pointer, as is that slaty-blue cap. Alpine breeder that has dropped down a 1000m in the recent snowy weather - one of my favourite Chinese Redstarts #BirdsSeenIn2025

Collared Owlet - a small example of a small owl, this guy was tiny! Perched for 30secs and typically had camera on entirely wrong settings - but with it sorted, just had time for a quick burst before this brilliant little bird disappeared. An hour ago Dujiangyan #BirdsSeenIn2025

Today's local patch birding Dujiangyan, Spot-breasted Parrotbill - also included Ibisbill, Chinese Merg, Maroon-backed Accentor, Chestnut-bellied Rockthrush, Yellow-browed Tit, Bull-headed Shrike and a male Hen Harrier - all decent birds for Chengdu area #BirdsSeenIn2025

White-collared Yuhina - striking a nice pose from yesterday. A common bird that is presently in large winter flocks #BirdsSeenIn2025