Sympetrum infuscatum was still on the wing just south of Foping town. Other Odonates went unidentified sadly, next year I will take a net!
Our China trip ended with a short journey south to see crested ibis, something of a conservation success story this species. It has bounced back from a population of just four adults in 1981 to a still wobbly but infinitely preferable 500 or so.
The drive south took us along a wide river valley south of Foping town, here we caught up with spectacular Daurian redstart.
Another eagerly awaited species at this site was ibisbill, no problems finding one on this trip.
A riverside walk outside Yangxian gave us plenty of new birds, not just showy birds like this crested kingfisher but also a chance to look at rosy and blakistonii water pipit. One of the better birds here was a pair of long-billed plover.
Our main target here of course was the crested ibis, we never got great photographic opportunities sadly. The lack of light, a shortage of time and the wariness of many individuals conspired against us.
The tour ended with a mad dash around the Terracotta Army site just outside Xian. It was good but after an hour some of us slipped away to bird the grounds and came away with this male Hodgson's redstart added to our life-lists. I have been after this one for some time, so it was a nice way to end the tour.
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