Birdwatching in Sichuan
Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival at Chengdu International Airport. Transfer to hotel. Depending on arrival time, birdwatching in Du Fung Cottage Park. Vinous-throated Parrotbill and White-browed Laughingthrush are some of the targets here.

Day 2: Early morning bus departure to Emei Shan. Cable car to hotel at the Golden Summit. Afternoon birding around the Golden Summit. Some of the possibilities here include Great Parrotbill, Vinaceous and Blandford's Rosefinches, Aberrant and Spotted Bush-Warbler as well as Elliot's and Black-faced Laughingthrush.

Day 3: An early-morning start on the Golden Summit will be interesting not only for the avian specialties, but also for the off-chance of witnessing the rare sight of an Emei sunrise. Later in the morning we will descend the thousands of stairs from the summit on our way to Xianfeng Monastery, possibly encountering en route the rare Spotted Laughingthrush besides Bianchi's Warbler, Darjeeling Woodpecker, Brown Parrotbill and Ferruginous Flycatcher. Overnight in basic hostal at Xianfeng Monastery.

Day 4: We will rise early to go birdwatching in one of the most exciting elevational zones on Mt. Emei, descending from Xianfeng to the picturesque Xixiang Monastery, where we will spend the following night. Possibilities en route include the endemic Emei Liocichla, Gray-headed Parrotbill, Moustached Laughingthrush, Golden-breasted Fulvetta, Spot-breasted Scimitar-Babbler and Purple Cochoa.

Day 5: From Xixiang, we will walk down the steepest part of the mountain to Wannian Monastery along a stairway that has been in use by monks and pilgrims for centuries. These elevations hold the recently described Emei Leaf Warbler as well as Brown Bullfinch, Red-winged and Barred Laughingthrush and Vivid Niltava, amongst many others. Overnight in Wannian.

Day 6: The forests around Wannian Monastery are subtropical in character, and we will be glad about the pleasant temperatures. Birding highlights may include the curious Dusky Fulvetta, Sulphur-breasted Warbler, Red-headed Trogon and Chinese Blue Flycatcher. In the late afternoon or evening, we will be glad to check into a comfortable hotel in Emei Town after so many days on the mountain.

Day 7: Early morning birding around the base of the mountain, where specialties may include Brown-breasted Flycatcher, Ashy-throated Parrotbill, the sonorous Hwamei and Swinhoe's Minivet. Afternoon bus ride to Wawu Table Mountain; cable car ride to hotel at the top of the plateau.

Day 8: Whole day birding on Wawu Table Mountain, where we should find the newly discovered Sichuan Treecreeper. Other target birds include the near-endemic Gray-hooded Parrotbill, Fulvous Parrotbill, Golden Bush Robin as well as a great variety of bush warblers.

Day 9: Early morning birding on Wawu. Cable car descent; bus ride to Chengdu and on to Wolong. Possibly some light birding around Wolong Village upon arrival in the late afternoon, depending on arrival time.

Day 10: Birdwatching in the woods and scrub surrounding Wolong Village. Slaty Bunting, Chinese Babax, Golden Pheasant and Indian Blue Robin may well be the best treats at this site.

Day 11: Early morning hike to simple accommodation at Wuyipeng Panda Research Station. This day and most of the following will be spent in a fairy-like forest, home of the Giant Panda and a whole range of rare or endemic bird species, including Temminck's Tragopan, Blood Pheasant, White-browed Bush Robin and the stunning Firethroat.

Day 12: Birdwatching around Wuyipeng in the morning and early afternoon. Hike back into valley. Overnight at hotel in Wolong Village.

Day 13-14: Two full days of birding at Balang Shan Pass. Early-morning bus departure from Wolong Village. We will first be trying for Wood Snipe at their display ground at first light. Then we shall proceed to the pass to try for Grandala, Tibetan Snowcock and Snow Partridge, and for Kessler's Thrush and an assorted array of rosefinches, mountainfinches and pheasants further down. Late afternoon bus ride back to Wolong Village.

Day 15: Another early-morning start to Balang Shan, where we will try and fill in yesterday's gaps, especially concentrating on the areas beyond the pass. Possibilities here include Giant Laughingthrush, White-browed Tit-Warbler, Streaked Rosefinch and the spectacular White-tailed Rubythroat. Bus ride from pass to hotel in Maerkang.

Day 16: A whole day will be invested in the dry coniferous forest around Maerkang, where Verreaux's Monal-Partridge, the endemic Three-toed Parrotbill, Pink-rumped Rosefinch and Hodgson's Redstart are just a few among a whole bag of potential sightings. Overnight in hotel in Maerkang.

Day 17: After some birdwatching in scrub and secondary forest around Maerkang, we will drive through a wide open Tibetan plain to Hongyuan. We shall stop en route to look for Chinese Gray Shrike, White-browed Tit, Godlewski's Bunting and other goodies. Overnight in hotel in Hongyuan.

Day 18: With luck, a visit to a local high-elevation wetland may well produce the fascinating Black-necked Crane and other waterbirds, as well as a variety of Tibetan passerines such as Tibetan Lark or Twite. Afternoon bus ride to accommodation at Jiuzhaigou National Park.

Day 19 - Day 22: All-day birdwatching in scenic Jiuzhaigou National Park with its distinct avifauna. This park harbors a few species that can be diffuclt to near-impossible to find outside its boundaries, and we will be in pursuit of Rufous-headed Robin, Severtsov's Grouse, Sichuan Jay, Pere David's Owl, Blue Eared-Pheasant, Sukatschev's Laughingthrush and a whole variety of equally stunning but more widespread species.

Day 23:Early morning birding in Jiuzhaigou; then bus ride to Chengdu, overnight in hotel in Chengdu.

The itinerary is open to minor changes due to conditions in China.