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China Hebei

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Red-rumped Swallow Hirundo daurica �Alister Benn

Hebei is a northern province of the People's Republic of China. Its one-character abbreviation is j�, named after Ji Province, a Han Dynasty province (zhou) that included southern Hebei. The name Hebei means 'north of the (Yellow) River'.

Zhili meaning 'Directly Ruled (by the Imperial Court)', was the name of Hebei before 1928.

Hebei completely surrounds Beijing and Tianjin municipalities (which also border each other). It borders Liaoning to the northeast, Inner Mongolia to the north, Shanxi to the west, Henan to the south, and Shandong to the southeast. Bohai Bay of the Yellow Sea is to the east. A small part of Hebei, an exclave disjointed from the rest of the province, is wedged between the municipalities of Beijing and Tianjin.

The provincial capital of Hebei is Shijiazhuang.

Most of central and southern Hebei lies within the North China Plain. The western part of Hebei rises into the Taihang Mountains (Taihang Shan), while the Yan Mountains (Yan Shan) run through northern Hebei, beyond which lie the grasslands of Inner Mongolia. The Great Wall of China cuts through northern Hebei from east to west as well, briefly entering the border of Beijing Municipality, and terminates at the seacoast of Shanhaiguan in northeastern Hebei. The highest peak is Mount Xiaowutai in northwestern Hebei, with an altitude of 2882 m.

Hebei borders Bohai Sea on the east. The Hai He watershed covers most of the province's central and southern parts, and the Luan He watershed covers the northeast. Not counting the numerous reservoirs to be found in Hebei's hills and mountains, the largest lake in Hebei is Baiyangdian, located mostly in Anxin County.

Hebei has a continental monsoon climate, with temperatures of -16 to -3 �C in January and 20 - 27 �C in July, and with annual precipitation of 400 to 800 mm, occurring mostly in summer.

Top Sites

Beidaihe [Happy Island]

Satellite View
4 hours from Beijing, legendary coastal migration spots, with peak time being first three weeks of May, then a protracted Autumn migration beginning in late June with reverse shorebird migration, peak passerine diversity in late September, and Crane migration from mid October through to early November. Expectations: 150-200 for experienced birders in a three-week peak-time trip.

Contributor

Wikipedia
(GNU Free Documentation License)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hebei

Useful Reading

* Field Guides & Bird Song

For a comprehensive list of recommended titles covering China as a whole - please see the China page of Fatbirder

Organisations

Xipobo Bird Watching Society

Website

Xipobo Bird Watching Society (Xipobo BWS) established in 1999 at Hebei Province during a "Love Bird Week" activity at Ping Shan County. In April 2002, it was formally registered at the Civil Affairs Bureau as an organization for non-profit purpose. Xipobo BWS aims to promote wildlife and environmental conservation in Ping Shan County, it also assist taking care of injured animal and promote bird watching activities. Target audiences are the general public in particular student. The Society also facilitate them to understand the importance of protection of wildlife and their environment, and the "Law of the Protection of Wildlife"

Trip Reports

This section sponsored by:

2002 [December] - Jesper Hornskov and Jan Kiel - Beidaihe area, Beijing

Report

...On 2 Dec we visited scrub-covered hillsides at the Great Wall near Shanhaiguan before JK departed on the 13h30 train, enjoying prolonged sessions with several N China birds, incl. Pere David`s Laughingthrush, Vinous-throated Parrotbill, Chinese Hill Warbler, and the exquisite Godlewski`s, Meadow & Yellow-throated Buntings...

2002 [February] - Steve Bale - Beidaihe (& surrounding area)

Report

Train from Beijing to Beidaihe (Four and a half hours via Tianjin. Although there is one much faster train per day throughout the winter). Arrived at about 3 pm. Reservoir area at 4 pm. The reservoir was frozen, but the lagoon to the east was virtually frost free and held c30 Mallard + 1 male Mandarin Duck...

2002 [May] - Bas van den Boogaard - Happy Island

Report

In spring 2002 Bas van den Boogaard, Rob Bouwman, Antonio Mendoza, Edwin de Weerd, Hans Vrolijk and Henk Hendriks visited China for a birding trip to the famous Happy Island, on the Chinese east coast. Several members of the group had limited vacation time available, therefore our stay lasted only for two weeks (between April 28th and May 12th). However, a good number of species were seen (198 in total); the quality of the species was even better...

2003 [June] - Steve Bale - Wuling Shan

Report

There are many wonderful mountains within easy reach of Beijing, but very few, if any, that are blessed with the stature, beauty, ecosystem and accessibility of Wuling Shan. The foot of the mountain is about a two and a half hour drive from the centre of Beijing. The summit (c180 KM north-east of central Beijing) is reached via a 40 minute ascent along a winding, but generously wide paved road; followed by a 5 minute gentle walk. Waitao peak, at 2118 metres, is the highest point of Hebei and Beijing�s majestic Yan Shan range (literally, �swallow mountains�)...

2005 [May] - Bas van den Boogaard - Happy Island, Beidaihe and north of Huairo

Report

pdf

2005 [October] - Jesper Hornskov & Jay Vandergaast

Report

... picnic breakfast of pastries and moon cakes was spiced up a bit by a party of Red-billed Blue Magpies fluttering through the hillside scrub and whetting our appetites for whatever else the day held in store...

2006 [October] - Jesper Hornskov

Report

pdf

2008 [September] - David Hoddinott

Report

Chinese Bamboo Partridge, Golden Pheasant, Crested Ibis, Japanese Sparrowhawk, Pied Harrier, Long- billed Plover, Ibisbill, Eurasian Eagle-Owl, White-backed Woodpecker, Red-billed Blue Magpie, Spotted Nutcracker, Collared Crow, Yellow-bellied Tit, Fire-capped Tit, Sooty Bushtit, Chinese Babax, Barred and Moustached Laughingthrushes, Red-billed Leiothrix, Green Shrike Babbler, Chinese Hill Warbler, Golden-breasted and Spectacled Fulvetta, Great and Spectacled Parrotbill, Red-billed Starling, Little and White-crowned Forktail, Vinaceous Rosefinch and Slaty Bunting...

2009 [September] - Jesper Hornskov

Report

In the species list the concept "bird-days" is used - it is the avian equivalent of man-hours: for example, separate flocks of ten and 15 Henri�s Snowfinches moving through score 25 bird-days, as would the same single individual seen daily for 25 days...

Autumn Report

Report

Guides & Tour Operators

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Fieldguides

Tour Operator

A truly fabulous birding adventure, beginning with a tide of stunning autumn migrants at Beidahe and Happy Island and concluding high in the mountains of the remote Tibetan Plateau...

Birds at Beidaihe

Website

I first visited Beidaihe, a resort on China's east coast, in spring 1985, and have returned each year since, mostly as leader or co-leader of migration surveys and birding tours, a couple of times for a holiday. In all, I have spent over a year at the town, garnering a Beidaihe list with over 300 Asian migrants, and experiencing superb spells of birding. In addition, trying to stimulate conservation work � it was partly on my urging that, in spring 1990, the town established an unimpressive nature reserve...

Checklist of Beidaihe

Website

A Checklist of the Birds of the Beidaihe/Qinhuangdao District, Hebei Province, China...

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