Event Details

WHAT: Birdwatching at Shahe Reservoir 沙河水库 guided by Terry Townshend.



WHEN: Sunday April 21. Bus leaves at 5.30am, returning 12.00 noon. (The trip will begin/end at a location near Guloudajie subway station; registrants will be notified of the address)



MORE ABOUT THE EVENT: Beijing is host to more birds than any other capital city during the seasonal migrations. RASBJ is very fortunate to offer a visit to the Shahe wetlands (an hour north of Beijing) guided by Terry Townshend, to see the waterbirds. Terry is Beijing's leading Western ornithologist and conservationist, and will introduce the general background of birding in China as well as provide expert commentary (including amusing anecdotes and factoids that will amaze as well as educate) about specific birds we will see – and he will help us see them!


The excursion will take just over six hours: an hour's ride on a private coach each way, and several hours on-site at Shahe Reservoir. The coach will leave at 5.30 am (sharp!) from a spot near Guloudajie subway station (Lines 2 & 8) and return there by 12.00 noon. Participants will be advised of the exact meeting location closer to the event date.

Walking will be rough but not arduous – we suggest you check the weather forecast and dress accordingly. Please bring your own refreshments, binoculars if you have them, and bird books.

Note: The banner photo for this notice was taken by RASBJ member Chris Limbrunner on a previous RASBJ birding trip with Terry Townshend , and is used with his kind permission.



HOW MUCH: Cost is RMB 200 for members and RMB 300 for non-members. Children are welcome, at full price if they take a seat on the coach. Payment by Alipay may be easier than by WeChat. Credit cards are also accepted. Refreshments are not included – please bring your own! Interested in becoming an RASBJ member? Please sign up at https://rasbj.org/membership​


Instead of charging a fee for guiding us on this tour, Terry invites participants to support Shan Shui Conservation Center, a local NGO that focuses on community-based conservation on the Tibetan Plateau and runs urban biodiversity programmes in Beijing, Shanghai and Hangzhou (please see http://en.shanshui.org/​ for more information). RASBJ will donate half of any surplus from this event to Shan Shui Conservation Center, as we did during RASBJ's autumn birding excursion; therefore adult registrants who travel to Shahe reservoir using their own transport are asked to pay full price.



HOW TO JOIN THE EVENT: Please click "Register" or "I Will Attend", no later than April 18, and follow the instructions, which will include providing your WeChat ID and mobile phone number so that we can reach you with any last-minute information and updates -- very important! After successful registration, you will receive a confirmation email. If you seem not to have received it, please check your spam folder. Places are limited to 15 and will be allocated in order of receipt of payment, so early booking is advised.



REFUND POLICY: If the event is cancelled or postponed by RASBJ, all registrants will receive refunds in full. If a registrant wishes to cancel for their own reasons, they will be refunded if cancellation is received via email to communications@rasbj.org by April 18

Speakers

  • Terry Townshend (Tour leader)

    Terry Townshend

    Tour leader

    Through the website "Beijing Birding", Terry Townshend celebrates the birds and other wildlife that can be found in and around China’s capital city.  A passionate conservationist, Terry has spearheaded efforts to raise awareness about, and help save, some of China’s most endangered birds, in particular the Jankowski’s Bunting, a relatively little-known bird living in remote northeast China.  Terry is dedicated to encouraging the public, especially young people, to learn, and care, about the environment. He initiated projects to track some of Beijing’s iconic birds -- including the Beijing Swift and the Beijing Cuckoo -- discovering for the first time that both species undertake incredible migrations to southern Africa for the northern winter.

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