This is client’s Report by Erik Rasmussen, Denmark. I arranged and guided for their Sichuan tour, visited Balang Shan and Longcanggou from 17th July to 24th July.

Participants: Erik and Birthe Rasmussen, Mads and Tina Elley, Carlos Baron.

Balang Shan was as expected, late July is not the best time for game birds, we got 1 Snow Partridge heard, at least 5 Tibetan Snowcocks during the trip, 12 White-eared Pheasants in group, female Koklass Pheasant with 3 chicks, male and female Blood Pheasant, 1 Chestnut-throated Monal Partridge which was very timid took us long time to spot it on near to the edge of the tree line hiding inside the tree, after I spotted it only Mads managed to see it when it walked through the edge of the bushes up into the forest, Golden Pheasant heard, but no sign of Chinese Monal at all, the monal slope full of plants with very big leaves and much taller in July then May and June, some are more than 1 meter high, the monal can easily hide under the leaves…No sign for Firethroat, but still got Grandala, White-tailed Rubythroat ( Chinese Rubythraot ), Red-fronted Rosefinch and Streaked Rosefinch etc.

Longcanggou birding turned out to be better than I expected, small birds and warblers are still there, and we got all the main target parrotbill species, all had reasonable good view, 3 Grey-hooded Parrotbills in 2 different places, at least 8 Three-toed Parrotbills in group on the last moment of the second day in Longcanggou, Great Parrotbill showed well on the top area and calling a lot, Brown Parrotbill just came into view when we just arrived at the entrance of the under-construction Panda Base, Golden Parrotbills mixed with other small species in the bamboo area. Ashy-throated Parrotbills in group just near the hostel. At least 14 Temminck’s Tragopans had been spotted, but all female and chicks, and 1 female Lady Amherst’s Pheasant.

Tibet and Sichuan Birding Trip Report 5th – 25th July 2017 pdf