Tour Leader: Robert Williams
Tour price (Per person): USD5,695 * GBP4,489 * EUR5,433 * ZAR101,276
Single Supplement: USD560 * GBP441 * EUR534 * ZAR9,959
Flight costs: USD400 * GBP315 * EUR382 * ZAR7,113
Tour Leader: Stephan Lorenz
Pricing notes : *Prices are estimated and dates may change*
Tour price (Per person): USD5,900 * GBP4,651 * EUR5,629 * ZAR104,921
Winter in south-east China offers a rich kaleidoscope of impressive and localised bird specialities, including several of the world’s most spectacular cranes. Foremost among these cranes, poetically referred to as ‘the birds of heaven’, will be the elegant Siberian Crane, one of the rarest cranes on earth. During this tour, we will also be looking for an impressive supporting cast of exciting birds that include the critically endangered Spoon-billed Sandpiper, which has recently been found to winter in this area, the rare Scaly-sided Merganser, thousands of Swan Geese, Falcated Duck, Baikal Teal, Oriental Stork, Saunders's Gull, Black-faced Spoonbill, Reed Parrotbill, Pied Falconet, Elliot’s Pheasant and possibly even the rare Swinhoe’s Crake!
Spoon-billed Sandpiper; Scaly-sided Merganser; Siberian, White-naped, Hooded & Common Cranes; Oriental Stork; Elliot’s & Koklass Pheasants; Black-faced Spoonbill; Swinhoe’s Crake; Taiga Bean & Swan Geese; Falcated Duck; Baikal Teal; Smew; Relict & Saunders's Gulls; Pied Falconet; Reed Parrotbill; Marsh Grassbird; Yellow-bellied Tit; Pygmy Cupwing; Spotted Elachura; Japanese Waxwing; Tristram’s Bunting; Masked Laughingthrush; Eurasian Bittern; Chinese Penduline Tit;
Yangtze Finless Porpoise; Chinese Water Deer; Tufted Deer
Rivers, marshes, lakes, forests
Temperate to very cold conditions
8 with 1 Rockjumper leader & local birding leader
Easy to moderate paced tour. Suitable for most birding interests. Days are mostly cool & quite short, there is no planned night birding. Some early starts, full days in the field.
Comfortable
Easy to moderate. Several rare/difficult species, some low-density species require repeat searches. A personal scope is helpful.
excellent food, brilliant scenery, great people and cultural attractions
Good (to very good of weather is suitable). Some purpose-built hides & blinds. Most waterfowl at Pong Yang Hu are reasonably distant. Lighting can be heavily impacted by grey, overcast skies, light fo
Glen Valentine is an incredible guide and has real talent. We very much appreciate him and always find his tours fun and so rewarding with great birds, great views even in freezing conditions. Any tour with Glen is a guaranteed success and a good time. Daniel Danckwerts will be a great asset to RBT and contributed to the success of the tour. He is also personable and has a great sense of humour. He wasn't all that slow with his scope either and we all saw some fine birds through his scope. We are never surprised at the excellence of RBT guides.
David Hoddinott was an excellent bird guide, finding and identifying birds at amazing speed and ease. He had researched the field well, and knew where to find the birds. He also had researched the literature and was versed in all the newest taxonomic changes. He was very patient in assuring that all the participants got on the bird.
David Hoddinott is an outstanding leader. Always conscious of the need to ensure that everyone sees each bird, he does, rightly, expect concentration and a positive approach throughout. This is the second time that I have travelled with David and I hope that I have the opportunity again in the future. Thank you.
Paul Varney, was very well prepared, despite not having birdied much in China before he had studied the likely birds at each place and particularly he had leaner the calls, so vital in identifying almost identical leaf warblers. He was calm and flexible when logistical issues arose. I would happily tour with him again.
As usual, Glen Valentine was fantastic. I have travelled with him before and it never ceases to amaze me how he can hear and spot birds so effectively. And his enthusiasm is contagious. You know that he has seen any given bird on previous trips but it's as though he is seeing it for the first time with you! Daniel Danckwerts was also on the tour "learning the ropes". Very knowledgeable and a good asset to have on the tour. A superb spotter! All in all, this was a fantastic trip. I would recommend it to anyone.
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