China: Mammal Highlights

Day 1: Arrivals into Chengdu International Airport (TFU), and transfer to Wawushan for overnight.

Day 2-3: This forested 3000m peak about 70km to the west of the more famous Emeishan holds a superb mosaic of deciduous forest and large bamboo-covered areas mixed within stands of coniferous rhododendron forest. As we walk around amongst the gnarled, moss-encrusted trees, we may enjoy some superb vistas across a seemingly endless series of mountain ridges to the great snow-capped peaks of western Sichuan beyond. This is one of the best places in the world to see the enigmatic Red Panda, and we expect to be able to enjoy several sightings. Most days there are calm individuals resting somewhere next to the main boardwalk! 

Post-breeding movements are already well underway by October, so this is not the best season for birding! Nonetheless, avian highlights in the forest could include Darjeeling Woodpecker, Crimson-breasted Woodpecker, Rufous-vented Tit, Grey-crested Tit, Brown Parrotbill, Three-toed Parrotbill, Ashy-throated Parrotbill, Grey-hooded Parrotbill, Fulvous Parrotbill, Stripe-throated Yuhina, Grey-hooded Fulvetta, Golden-breasted Fulvetta, Red-winged Laughingthrush, Elliott’s Laughingthrush, Vinaceous Rosefinch, Grey-headed Bullfinch, plus a huge assortment of wintering warblers including Sichuan Leaf Warbler. Late afternoon on Day 3 we will transit to the city of Kangding.

Day 4: At dawn we will find ourselves visiting a stunningly scenic spot where Lady Amherst's Pheasant come to feed against a picturesque mountain backdrop, before continuing onwards to a remote valley where we will have an initial afternoon outing in search of White Eared Pheasant. In the past we have had success spotlighting in this area too, with Himalayan Black Bear and Leopard Cat possible.

Day 5: Morning visit to the snowline where several glorious male Chinese Monal should appear at close range, with chances for Blood Pheasant, Snow Pigeon, Giant Laughingthrush, Sichuan Tit, and Maroon-backed Accentor. After lunch and a quick check of the river for Solitary Snipe and Brown Dipper, we will return to Chengdu for overnight. 

Day 6: Catching a morning flight to Xining, we’ll transit to Gouli Valley Reserve near Dulan. Along the way, we'll make some birding stops if we see anything interesting! 

Day 7-8-9-10: With four full days at our disposal, we stand an excellent chance of finding multiple Snow Leopard, Pallas's Cat, and Eurasian Lynx among the imposing mountainous terrain. Hosted by a local family, we will be guided around the valley by their expert knowledge, and we can effectively say that these three felines are guaranteed, though the usual caveats about wild animals apply! Time is key to successfully finding them, so we will be spending a lot of time scanning the slopes at around 3700m. We are also likely to see Grey Wolf and the endearing Tibetan Fox. The main large herbivores in this area are Tibetan Red Deer and Blue Sheep, while Woolly Hare and Plateau Pika are common.

Birds are typically scarce but may include Tibetan Snowcock, Himalyan Snowcock, Tibetan Partridge, Przevalski's Partridge, Hill Pigeon, Bearded Vulture, Golden Eagle, Upland Buzzard, Ground Tit, White-browed Tit-warbler, White-winged Redstart, Robin Accentor, Brown Accentor, Tibetan Snowfinch, Black-winged Snowfinch, White-rumped Snowfinch, Rufous-necked Snowfinch, Black-headed Mountain-Finch, Tibetan Rosefinch, Great Rosefinch, and more. Depending on our luck we may elect to leave one night earlier, which will allow us to visit an area where Goitered Gazelle is possible amongst a wider set of Central Asian birds like Tarim Babbler, Black-necked Crane, Daurian Partridge, and many more migrants.

Day 11: Final morning for cats before returning to Xining in the evening for a late dinner and hot shower!

Day 12: Morning flight back to Chengdu, then transit north to Tangjiahe Nature Reserve. 

Day 13-14: This large forest area is well-protected (indeed, there are more than 50 Giant Panda in the area, though they are very rarely seen), and as a result is a haven for mammals. The impressive Chinese Takin is common, often be seen by the side of the road while doing safari-style driving in the reserve. Other mammals like Tibetan Macaque, Chinese Goral, Chinese Serrow, Tufted Deer, Reeve’s Muntjac, plus hopefully Himalayan Black Bear, Leopard Cat, Hog Badger, and Eurasian Otter can all be encountered here, while we also have chances for Golden Pheasant plus some other good endemic birds like Sichuan Treecreeper and Slaty Bunting. Other species to be found might include Golden Eagle, Crested Kingfisher, Tawny Fish Owl, Necklaced Woodpecker, Chestnut-vented Nuthatch, Red-billed Leiothrix, White-collared Yuhina, Green Shrike-Babbler, Little Forktail, White-crowned Forktail, Brown Dipper, Collared Crow, Sooty Bushtit, Yellow-browed Tit, and Yellow-bellied Tit.

Day 15: Our grand finale this morning will be spent with the superb Golden Snub-nosed Monkey, at a special site where a habituated but still completely wild family is very easy to photograph! A few nice birds can also be seen here like Black-faced Laughingthrush and sometimes Great Parrotbill. After this, we'll return to Chengdu where the tour ends with drop-offs back at Chengdu International Airport (TFU) in time for late evening flights.