An incredible close encounter with a male Hen Harrier (Circus cyaneus 白尾鹞 Bái wěi yào) yesterday at ShaCheng Wetlands in Hebei. Something made me look around and I saw this stunning bird heading directly towards me. Fortunately the camera focused! Breathtakingly beautiful. #Birds #China #HenHarrier

Latest watercolour - Blue Sheep (Bharal, Pseudois nayaur) making their way up a sunlit mountain in the Himalayas. #watercolour #blueskyart #himalayas

A male Chinese Long-tailed Rosefinch (Uragus sibiricus lepidus 长尾雀 Cháng wěi què) at Lingshan yesterday. #birds #beijing #china

Three typically confiding Alpine Accentor (Prunella collaris 领岩鹨 Lǐng yán liù) at the peak of Lingshan, Beijing's highest mountain (2,303m asl) yesterday. #birds #beijing #china

During the reign of Emp. Gaozong (649 to 683), a flock of Pallas's Sandgrouse (Syrrhaptes paradoxus) flew across the border. Li Shizhen wrote "According to the Tang Shu the border guards were alarmed and said, 'If the quails fly south, the nomads will surely invade.' And indeed, it happened." #Birds

Four bunting species on the local patch: Yellow-browed (Emberiza chrysophrys 黄眉鹀), Yellow-throated (Emberiza elegans 黄喉鹀) with a deformed bill, Little (Emberiza pusilla 小鹀) and Pallas's Reed (Emberiza pallasi 苇鹀). #birds #beijing #china #migrants

Latest watercolour - a typical view of a migrant autumn Siberian Rubythroat (Luscinia calliope 红喉歌鸲 Hóng hóu gē qú). A common passage migrant in Beijing but usually skulky. Much sought after by bird-trappers - a pristine male can fetch up to GBP 8,000 on the black market! #birds #beijing #migrants

Latest watercolour: Rook (Corvus frugilegus 秃鼻乌鸦 tūbíwūyā). In the UK rook is resident, with breeding colonies (“rookeries”) a common sight. In Beijing it’s migratory. In early Oct groups can be seen heading south, using thermals to gain height before continuing their journey. #birds #blueskyart

My timeline on WeChat is full of people sharing tributes to Dr Jane Goodall. Jane was a titan of wildlife conservation and this reaction reflects the impact she has had on so many people around the world, including here in #China RIP Jane, and thank you. ❤️

A stunning 1cy female Bluethroat (Luscinia svecica) on the patch in the early morning light. A regular passage migrant through Beijing and late September is the peak time. #birds #beijing #migrants

A quad of buntings on the local patch this morning: Yellow-breasted, Little, Black-faced and Chestnut-eared. It's peak bunting migration season in Beijing right now. #birds #beijing #migrants

Latest watercolour: Spoon-billed Sandpipers (Eurynorhynchus pygmaeus 勺嘴鹬 Sháo zuǐ yù). Classified as Critically Endangered, the decline of this charismatic shorebird has slowed thanks to an international effort involving RU, CH, UK+others but still far from saving the species. #birds #blueskyart

Under the auspices of the #AmbassadorsForNature initiative, the Embassy of the Kingdom of Belgium in Beijing has fitted anti-bird collision film to a large area of glass that had caused several collisions during the migration season. Small actions can make a big difference! #birds #birdcollisions

A presumed juvenile Pallas's Bunting (Emberiza pallasi 苇鹀 Wěi wú) on the patch this morning. One of 55 species present, including six bunting sp. (Black-faced, Chestnut-eared, Common Reed, Little, Pallas's and Yellow-browed). #birds #beijing #china #migrants

A mini-fall of Lanceolated Warblers (Locustella lanceolata 矛斑蝗莺 Máo bān huáng yīng) on the patch this morning, including this crisp individual. At least nine seen and likely many more present. #birds #migrants #china #beijing

Latest #watercolour. Bar-headed Geese (Anser indicus) migrating over the Himalayas. Inspired by last weekend’s visit to the Tibetan Plateau, where pre-migration groups were gathering ahead of their spectacular and treacherous high altitude journey to India. #birds #blueskyart #china #migration

Nice to see a Yellow-browed Bunting (Emberiza chrysophrys 黄眉鹀 Huáng méi wú) on the patch this evening. One of four species of bunting today (alongside Little, Black-faced and Pallas's). #birds #china #beijing

Latest watercolour - two Snow Leopards (Panthera uncia 雪豹 Xuěbào). Inspired by my first encounter with these magnificent cats on the Tibetan Plateau in August 2016. #bigcats #china #biodiversity #nature

Back on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau - this time with Welsh explorer Ash Dykes as part of his adventure to walk the length of the Yellow River from the source to the sea. This segment about the wildlife around the source at 4200m above sea level. Look out for it on TV in 2026! #china #biodiversity

Latest watercolour - a Peregrine (Falco peregrinus 游隼 Yóu sǔn). The Peregrine is one of the most widespread birds in the world, found on all continents except Antarctica. In Beijing it is increasing, thanks to the huge population of domestic pigeons, a favourite prey. #birds #beijing #watercolour

Latest watercolour - a male Amur Stonechat (Saxicola stejnegeri 东亚石䳭 Dōng yà shí jí). September is the peak time for these charismatic birds to pass through Beijing, often perching prominently as they hunt for insects. They love scrub and grassland. #birds #beijing #migration

"What can I do?" This Asiatic Bluetail (Ischnura asiatica 东亚异痣蟌 Dōngyà yì zhì cōng) seemed to give me a signal while waiting for the dew to burn off... #Odonata #Beijing

Juveniles of Dark-sided (Muscicapa sibirica 乌鹟 Wū wēng) and Asian Brown Flycatchers (Muscicapa dauurica 北灰鹟 Běi huī wēng) on the patch. NocMig suggests most adults pass through as early as late July and early August, with sight records showing that juveniles follow a few weeks later. #birds #beijing

The patch count of critically endangered Yellow-breasted Buntings (Emberiza aureola 黄胸鹀 Huáng xiōng wú) has increased to a minimum of 26 this morning! #birds #beijing

Juveniles of Long-toed Stint (Calidris subminuta 长趾滨鹬 Zhǎng zhǐ bīn yù) and Red-necked Stint (Calidris ruficollis 红颈滨鹬 Hóng jǐng bīn yù). Incredibly, these birds - likely just 10 wks old - are migrating from Siberia (the Arctic Circle in the case of the Red-necked) to the S hemisphere. #birds

This confiding juvenile Brown Shrike (Lanius cristatus 红尾伯劳 Hóng wěi bó láo) was one of at least 12 on the local patch yesterday. #birds #beijing

At least 12 'critically endangered' Yellow-breasted Buntings (Emberiza aureola 黄胸鹀 Huáng xiōng wú) on the patch today. Late August is a good time to see this species in Beijing on autumn migration - certainly one of the earliest autumn migrant buntings in the capital. #birds #beijing

Latest watercolour - White-throated Needletails on autumn migration over Baiwangshan Forest Park in Beijing. Late August is a good time to catch some of these “fighter-bombers” as they cruise south. #birds #china

Found this cute planthopper (Diostrombus politus) on a local maize crop in Beijing this weekend. "A goldfish with wings" was how it was described by a friend!

Latest watercolour: Genghis Khan's horsemen. Last wkend I spent time with a herder family in Inner Mongolia. They told vivid stories of Khan's conquests in the late 12th+early 13th C, using highly skilled horsemen with arrows. It must have been terrifying to hear the thundering hooves approaching.

What do you think of this? A new *floating* double-headed wind turbine, 70kms from shore in the South China Sea (not visible from land). I visited this as part of documentary on China's journey to net zero (target set for 2060). #China #ClimateChange #OffshoreWind

Every summer Beijing is inundated with "黄蜻" (yellow dragonflies). The Globe Skimmer is a migratory insect and has been recorded crossing the ocean from India to east Africa and back, fuelling the migration of the Amur Falcon. Often seen in the city centre, hence the backdrop for this watercolour.

Latest watercolour - a Short-tailed Mamushi (Gloydius brevicauda) on the Great Wall. In the right conditions, the wall is a wonderful place to find basking snakes. One of three pitvipers in Beijing, along with Siberian Pitviper+Gobi Pitviper. Inspired by an image by Kevin Messenger. #herps #beijing

Latest watercolour: a European Storm Petrel (Hydrobates pelagicus) over a choppy sea. One of my most magical experiences was spending a night with the colony on Nólsoy, Faroes as these birds returned to their burrows after dark. Listen to an example here: xeno-canto.org/957958 #birds #watercolour

Latest watercolour - "Going to roost", a semi-abstract cityscape. #watercolour #birds

Latest watercolour. A Rosy Pipit (Anthus roseatus 粉红胸鹨 Fěn hóng xiōng liù) on its alpine meadow breeding grounds. A scarce and local breeder in the mountains of Beijing. Also a scarce passage migrant in spring (April and May) and autumn (primarily September) in lowland Beijing.  #birds #beijing

The new biodiversity garden at the French Embassy in Beijing, created in partnership with the Chinese Institute of Botany as part of the #AmbassadorsForNature initiative, whereby 38 Ambassadors have committed to implement the Pledge for Nature. See more here: wildbeijing.org/the-ambassad...

A Peking Gecko (Gekko swinhonis – 无蹼壁虎 – Wú pǔ bì hǔ) foraging in Haidian District. One of 25 reptile species in Beijing! #reptiles #beijing

Latest watercolour - a Common Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus 大杜鹃 Dà dù juān). In 2016 “Flappy McFlapperson”, a cuckoo named by Beijing students, became an internet sensation as we tracked her migration to Mozambique, proving for the first time that cuckoos from E Asia spent the winter in Africa. #birds

Latest watercolour - Red-throated Thrush (Turdus ruficollis 赤颈鸫 Chì jǐng dōng) with sea buckthorn. A winter visitor to Beijing where it can be seen in good numbers feeding on sea buckthorn at Lingshan. #birds #beijing #china

Oriental Blue Dasher (Brachydiplax chalybea 蓝额疏脉蜻 Lán é shū mài qīng) on the local dragonfly reserve in Shunyi District. Rare in Beijing, this is the third consecutive year the species has appeared at this site, with at least 5 males present last weekend. #dragonflies #insects

Latest watercolour. A lone Wolf (Canis lupus 狼 Láng) surveys its territory from a rocky outcrop. My 1st wolf encounter was in Qinghai in 2015. Since then I've seen >50, ironically in the #ValleyOfTheCATs, where they thrive alongside other apex predators - #SnowLeopard #Leopard #BrownBear and #Lynx

This juv Tree Sparrow (Passer montanus 树麻雀 Shù má què) was in an illegal mist net by the Wenyu River on Sunday. It appeared healthy + released in a safe place close by. Reinforces the importance of work to ban the public sale of these barbaric poaching tools. #birds wildbeijing.org/2025/01/29/s...

With an average body length of just 16mm, the Scarlet Pygmy (Nannophya pygmaea) is the world's smallest #dragonfly! Such a privilege to encounter this male, one of at least 16 on site, in #Singapore.

Oriental Pied Hornbill (Anthracoceros albirostris 冠斑犀鸟 Guān bān xī niǎo). I think this is what is known as a "big beautiful bill". #birds #china #trump

Blue Jacob's Ladder (Polemonium caeruleum) is putting on a show in the wooded mountains of Beijing right now. Found right across Eurasia, from UK to Japan, and in parts of North America.

Lesser Kestrels (Falco naumanni 黄爪隼 Huáng zhǎo sǔn) from the eastern part of the range are more richly coloured than those in the west, with more grey on the upperwing coverts. This one from May in Beijing. #birds #beijing

Although the songs are similar, the Yellow-rumped Flycatcher (Ficedula zanthopygia 白眉姬鹟 Báiméi jī wēng) is usually found at lower elevations than the Green-backed Flycatcher (Ficedula elisae 绿背姬鹟 Lǜ bèi jī wēng) on the breeding grounds in Beijing.

Volume up! The haunting song of the White's Thrush (Zoothera aurea 虎斑地鸫 Hǔ bān di dōng), often delivered at night in the otherwise silent forest. This one recorded in Mentougou District, Beijing at 2am. #birds #beijing

The Green-backed Flycatcher (Ficedula elisae 绿背姬鹟 Lǜ bèi jī wēng) is one of the most sought-after species for visiting birders. It breeds in the wooded mountains of Beijing, Hebei and Shanxi Provinces and nowhere else in the world. This is a male holding territory in Mentougou District. #birds