Anybody voluntarily touring to the northern components of Interior Mongolia in winter is both mentally unstable or a birder, although the traces between these two teams could not all the time be as clear as folks suppose. However right here I used to be touchdown in Hailar in mid-December for a bit extra of every week of owling and searching for another birds, utilizing the 8 hours of daylight obtainable presently of the yr. In summer season, the times are for much longer however apparently shared with massive numbers of mosquitos.
For those who suppose that Interior Mongolia is simply too chilly presently of the yr, you’re proper – it goes to minus 30 levels Celsius at night time and solely reaches about minus 15 levels throughout daytime. Nevertheless, in case you suppose that Interior Mongolia is simply too sizzling throughout this time of the yr, you’re additionally proper – I skilled among the warmest resort rooms ever, as much as 28 levels Celsius. I suppose that is just like over-airconditioned rooms within the tropics – a symbolic “sure we are able to” demonstration of wealth and standing.
As you may think about, the chilly means comparatively few birds and hen species (they’re usually not allowed to winter in overheated resort rooms). Whereas Pete Dunne would most likely name these remaining species brave, I’m pondering extra alongside the traces of “silly” (the identical time period I’d use for bungee jumpers), however in fact, these have been precisely the birds I got here for.
These birds largely have been owls, and I noticed the 4 species that have been my most important targets, in addition to some focused passerines. Nevertheless, being of a frugal mindset, these highlights are featured in separate posts – this one right here is for the opposite species. Largely passerines, but in addition a number of others, so let’s begin with these.
A pair of Mallards occupied the roughly 20 sq. meters of the river operating by way of Hailar which was not frozen. Appeared a bit precarious to me, watching them from the frozen river. A passer-by who acquired very near them on the riverbank walkway tried to throw a snowball on the male Mallard. So I yelled at him in dangerous Chinese language.
Two Eurasian Collared Doves had stationed themselves at a farm. Considerably just like Eurasian Tree Sparrows, this species is extra more likely to be discovered close to human-made areas – remoted buildings, water sources, massive cultivated areas – than in pure habitat (supply).
Whereas it’s an invasive species (supply), India and China are a part of its historic distribution.
After getting a fairly dangerous picture of a Hazel Grouse throughout my first winter go to to Interior Mongolia in 2015, I acquired a slightly higher – although nonetheless removed from good – one this time.
A Chinese language birder pal of mine said that when he talked about the Hazel Grouse to locals in Interior Mongolia, they remarked on its good style. No surprise the species is shy. And just like inhabitants of locations akin to Mallorca or Barcelona, Hazel Grouse will not be keen on vacationers. A research discovered that websites occupied by the species have been largely situated farther from mountain climbing trails and in locations with low vacationer numbers.
The authors of a paper on the nestling weight-reduction plan and success of Lesser Noticed Woodpeckers couldn’t resist a somewhat dangerous pun, stating “The early hen will get the caterpillar” within the title of the paper.
Apparently, pairs breeding early get to feed their nestlings extra caterpillars somewhat than wood-dwelling larvae as caterpillar populations attain their peak earlier within the season. And as caterpillars make higher chick meals than the larvae, the nestling success of the early breeders is greater.
It’s a small hen roughly the dimensions of a sparrow – a Swiss web site calls it “the dwarf among the many European woodpeckers” (which coming from a smallish nation like Switzerland could be a praise).
The species takes the ethical excessive floor, not less than by human requirements – in a single research, the divorce fee amongst pairs was 3.4%, and in monogamous pairs, the male supplied extra parental care than the feminine. Sounds just like the type of woke hen some folks will fortunately detest.
Sarcastically, most analysis papers on the Lesser Noticed Woodpecker appear to cowl UK birds, the place the species is uncommon and declining whereas within the late Eighteen Nineties, the Lesser Noticed Woodpecker was nonetheless the commoner species (supply).
Nevertheless, in Interior Mongolia, not less than my impression was that it’s moderately frequent.
In distinction to the Lesser, the Nice Noticed Woodpecker is prospering within the UK (supply).
I’d not have wanted to journey to Interior Mongolia to see a Nice Noticed Woodpecker – it’s common in Germany, and I’ve certainly seen it in my dad and mom’ backyard. It is also the villain in a weblog submit by a fellow author.
Among the many passerines, some have been very acquainted to me as they’re additionally current in Shanghai in winter (presumably the much less brave/extra intelligent people). These included Azure-winged Magpie …
… Cinereous Tit (TSFNAJT, The Species Previously Recognized As Japanese Tit) …
… and naturally Eurasian Tree Sparrow.
These components of Interior Mongolia will not be densely populated and thus presumably not very polluted – excellent news for these sparrows, as analysis evaluating the well being of the species in severely polluted and fewer polluted Chinese language cities discovered a weaker immune system within the “polluted” hen.
Another species are so much more durable to search out in Shanghai than in Interior Mongolia, although not impossibly so:
Hawfinch …
… Bohemian Waxwing …
… Pink-throated Thrush …
… and Massive-billed Crow, proven right here as extras in an episode of Recreation of Thrones (the nightwatch).
The Asian Rosy Finch tackles a somewhat tough trend query – find out how to mix the colours brown and pink with out wanting like some Sixties trend sufferer.
I’m not certain the hen succeeds. The feminine largely avoids the problem by skipping the pink altogether.
The subspecies right here is more than likely Leucosticte arctoa brunneonucha, which signifies that this hen is white-speckled, northern, and has a brown nape. No data on the invoice measurement within the identify in anyway.
Given the time of the yr of my journey, the male Eurasian Bullfinches appeared like decorations on Christmas timber.
It has two German names, each probably not constructive. “Gimpel” is a reputation that can be a logo of stupidity whereas “Dompfaff” combines a phrase for a cathedral (“Dom”) with a derogatory time period for a priest (“Pfaffe”). Presumably, the colour of the male hen and its spherical form reminded folks of obese monks of their pink attire. The English identify Bullfinch in fact additionally highlights the compact form of the hen.
People being people, they’ve additionally made the Eurasian Bullfinch a logo for a lot of issues, together with concord in marriage, constancy, loyalty, and longevity, relying on the nation you see the hen (supply). In Albania, seeing a male Eurasian Bullfinch apparently signifies that you’re about to max out your bank card, although I could have simply made this bit of knowledge up.
Eurasian Jays appear to be fairly frequent in Interior Mongolia, typically feeding immediately on the icy roads – sadly, that doesn’t imply it’s notably straightforward to get a very good picture of them.
Willow Tits are simpler, not less than in case you can find a spot the place anyone feeds them sunflower seeds. The images proven right here have been taken at a railroad crossing someplace in a forest fairly removed from the closest village – however nonetheless manned by a human tasked with closing the highway each time a prepare approached. I suppose feeding the tits not less than gave him some firm – he will need to have been fed up with this job.
And be at liberty to submit a remark in case these will not be Willow Tits however Marsh Tits – I’m afraid I’m not in a position to inform the distinction.
On condition that the locals normally requested me whether or not I used to be Russian (somewhat than German), it might most likely have been pretty protected to make one in every of my ordinary Willow Tit Hitler jokes – however I refrained however.
The feeding station was additionally utilized by one or two Eurasian Nuthatches – just like the tits, apparently frequent birds on this a part of Interior Mongolia.
eBird makes the Pallas’s Rosefinch sound a bit like an aged girl operating a butcher store: “Sturdy, stout-billed finch”.
Within the areas I visited, it appears to co-exist with the Siberian Lengthy-tailed Rosefinch. However no worries – eBird has the useful assertion “One of many solely rosefinches in its vary for probably the most half” (?).
As for gown type, the females choose a extra refined strategy (brownish) than the male (pink).
Apparently, the unique fourteenth-century which means of ballot was “hair on the pinnacle” or simply “head” (supply). So, the unique which means of the species identify Redpoll is “Redhead”. Much more attention-grabbing (effectively, for people who find themselves concerned with such issues, which might be a somewhat small group, although it consists of me), the phrase ballot later took on the which means of “particular person”. It then developed additional, and these days a ballot is an election or a survey of individuals’s opinions (supply).
The phrase ballot in its considerably extra authentic which means additionally survived within the phrase “Ballot tax”, although Margaret Thatcher’s political profession didn’t survive the latter (supply). To elucidate: “The Neighborhood Cost, generally referred to as the ballot tax, was a system of native taxation launched by Margaret Thatcher’s authorities whereby every taxpayer was taxed the identical fastened sum (a ‘ballot tax’ or ‘head tax), with the exact quantity being set by every native authority” (supply).
Do Swiss Pines like Noticed Nutcrackers? At first look, it appears so: “The seeds of Swiss pine are the one most necessary meals supply for the noticed nutcrackers of the Alpine area. These, in flip, are an important technique of seed dispersal for the Swiss pine” (supply).
And it’s most likely true – however one other paper finds that the Noticed Nutcracker normally hides the pine nuts in locations that aren’t very appropriate for the germination of the seeds. May this be the tip of an extended friendship?
Bear in mind the time when folks nonetheless wrote letters by hand? A time when such a letter needed to have an precise ending, a final sentence explaining why the letter ended? A minimum of for these letters you wrote to a grandmother, thanking her for a Christmas current?
I’ve to finish this submit now, have to feed my cats.