Phil Espin and I are organising a birding trip to China in December 2009 and looking for 2 people to join us.
Our main target species include Ibisbill, Siberian Accentor, Siberian Crane, Red crowned Crane, Hooded Crane, Scaly sided Merganser, Spoonbill Sandpiper, Cabots Tragopan and many many more. We expect to get around 300 species in total of which around 80 will be new for us. We've both been to China before, in spring, so anyone who has not been before will probably get 150+ new birds .
We're doing this through a Chinese guide based in Shanghai whose website is
www.shanghaibirdingtour.com. We expect to leave Humberside on the 5 Dec and return on 21 December. The cost will be around £1,800 (including everything except booze and items of "a personal nature") plus the flight to Beijing with KLM which is around £500 at the moment. We hope to book by the end of July and that will involve paying a 50% deposit and the flight.
Its a superb opportunity to see Eastern pal birds that would cost in excess of £4,000 plus flights with the big UK tour companies. However there will not be the same degree of luxury, although the food should be good, and there will be alot of internal travel and some long birding days. There will be no chance to look at any tourist sites and this trip is for committed birders only. The two who come will have to share a room so if you can bring a second person you are happy sharing with, so much the better.
If your interested send me a personal message with your email address and I'll send you the full itinerary and bird list.