Spent quite a bit of time looking sky-wards for migrating cranes, but perhaps the wind was too strong (the forecast was for a 4, but at times it felt more like a 6).

The only movement of big birds I saw was a flock of about 20 Bean Geese, flying high over the sea, near the Sandflats... heading north-east.

Star billing among the Sandflats' notables has to go to the flock of six Great Knot - a couple of which were in fairly advanced breeding plumage. One went a bit too far, though, in having a fashion-victim yellow pendant pinned to its upper left leg.

As you can see from the photo, the branding is "AAH", or maybe that's "HAA". I'm a big fan of ringing projects normally, but I must admit to thinking that there has to be a better way of tracking big waders than sticking day-glow yellow flags to their legs (sort of spoils the aesthetics).

On a serious note, if anyone knows how to get the news to whoever, that one of their beacons has been spotted in Beidaihe, then please feel free to make their day. That said, I wouldn't be surprised to find out they've been tracking it on Google Earth.

Other returning waders here were c40 Kentish Plovers, several Dunlin, and an odd couple of curlews... a Eurasian Curlew and a Far Eastern Curlew (that very kindly allowed me to get a shot of its underwing as it flew past me... not a wing tag in sight I'm happy to say).

There were also more than 1000 gulls on the Sandflats. Or maybe more than 2,000 (Don't tell anyone but counting gulls has the same effect on me as counting sheep... I never get past 100 before losing concentration or falling asleep). Most were Black-headed, but there were also a few hundred Kamchatka and 30 or 40 Vega/Mongolian. Despite trying (but not that hard to be honest), I couldn't find a Saunders or a Relict, or even a Black-tailed (but who knows what I may find when I go through the photos ;-).

Here's the list of birds I saw (birds whose photos appear below are highlighted; the 9 new for the year are numbered).

214 Kentish Plover, c40, Sandflats
215 Great Knot, 6, Sandflats
216 Dunlin, sev, Sandflats
Black-headed Gull, many
Kamchatka Gull, lots (outnumbered by BHG by 8:1), Sandflats
Vega/Mongolian Gull 30-40, Sandflats
Eurasian Curlew, 1, Sandflats
217 Far Eastern Curlew, 1
Bean Geese, c20, over sea
Pochard, 17, on sea
Great Crested Grebe, 1, sea
Goldeneye, c100. on sea
218 Common Redshank, 1
Naumann's Thrush, 1, Reservoir
Elegant Bunting (sev, Reservoir; c30 Lotus Hills)
Water Pipit, 2, Reservoir
Red-flanked Bluetail, c15
219 Great White Egret, sev, Reservoir
220 Hoopoe, c12
Pallas's Reed Bunting, 1, Sandflats' reedbeds
Oriental Greenfinch, 1
Night Heron (c doz)
Daurian Redstart, 3
221, Hawfinch, 1, Lotus Hills
Rufous Turtle Dove, c20, Lotus Hills
Chinese Bulbul, 2, Lotus Hills
Great Spotted Woodpecker, 1
Grey-headed Woodpecker, 4
222 Collared Dove, 4
Red-throated Thrush x Naumann's Thrush hybrid ??