Partricipants: Scott and Alla

Leader/driver: Tang Jun

Dates: 21 Feb to 29 March 2024 total 38 days

Reported by Tang Jun

All Photos by Tang Jun (camera, cell phone+scope) during the trip

*** Before I write this report, I would like to say "thank you again" to Scott and Alla. This tour is supposed to take place in February 2020, but everybody knows COVID-19 happend. I would like to refund the fees be paid in advance but I was told that: please keep it and we will be back in one day. Finally in February 2024 here comes the kind couple and lovers on wildlife. What we can do, only an unforgettable/fruitful tour can be a perfect ending.

21 Feb 

Fly into Chengdu Tianfu at 21:30 on CX916 from US. Met by Tang Jun and drive to the downtown to stay at good Jinjiang Hotel.

22 Feb

After some shopping at Chengdu,drive towards to Yushu and staied at Daofu where is about 480km away from Chengdu.Scott had a little bit altitude sick.

23 Feb

Drive towards to Yushu/stop at Shiqu for mammals, very heavy snow on the way and luckly by a good 4WD TOYOTA,we saw our first Tibetan Gazelle( spotted by Alla) of the trip

24 Feb

Shiqu area for mammals then 2 hrs drive to Yushu, Glover's Pika,Tibetan Fox,Red Fox,Tibetan Gazelle 

25-26 Feb 

Because of the close of the Valley of Cats (VOC) , we went to Yunta Village as the altervative,nice man named Pu Song and lovely family. Homestay.

Mammal watching at Yunta Village,we got Snow Leopard in the morning and very colde at -19°c.Alpine Musked Deer is not difficult in winter. Tibetan Partridges everywhere.

27-28 Feb 

Because it was very cold and not that many things to see at Yunta, after talked to the organization who helped us to enter the area and family,we are allowed to leave this site couple of nights earlier. We drove to Qumalai and staied at hotel where much warmer.We stay at Qumalai one day look for mammals around and got Argali,White-lipped Deer,Blue Sheep

29 Feb 

Drive to Xidatan and just outside the town we saw fours Grey Wolf and rest of the day saw many Kiang/Tibetan Wild Ass,Tibetan Gazelle,Tibetan Antelope ,Wild Yak.

 1 March 

Original we planned to stay one full day at Wild Yak Valley and back to Xidatan for another night. But we did very well inside the valley then we carry on to Gomuld for a very nice 5* hotel,very good breakfast. Mammals we saw in wild yek valley include many many many Wild Yaks and just beside the road,Kiang/Tibetan Wild Ass,Tibetan Gazelle,Argali,Wooly Hare

2 March 

After the very good breakfast in the hotel we drive to Xiangride and saw Goitered Gazelle from the high way and the Mongolian Ground Jay

3-5 March 

We staied one night inside the valley but was suggested to move outside the valley for security reason.Then each daytime we explored different valleies of Gouli area to look for mammals and do not spent special time for the Snow Leopard as had a very good view at Yunta already. Scott and Alla really want Eurasian Lynx so we tried hard and finally we saw two times and two different individual at different sites. This is the best season for Lynx as the males are calling for mating. Others include Pallas's Cat, Kiang/Tibetan Wild Ass, Tibetan Gazelle, Wooly Hare, Grey Wolf, Tibetan Fox, Blue Sheep and lots of Przevalski’s Partridge

6 March 

As we realized it was difficult to find Brown Bear and we carry on towards to Xining city and stop somewhere for a qucik look of Przewaski Gazelle. When we arrived at Xining but still in the early afternoon thus we decide to drive further towards Sichuan provice. Finally we stopped at a county named Jianzha and find a good hotel but did a lot of paperwork to check in.

7-10 March 

We drove into Sichuan and arrive at Ruoergai and had a really Sichuan hot pot tonight.Do Mammal watching in the daytime and also did a night drive in one night.Mammals and birds saw include: Pallas’s Cat, Chinese Mountain Cat, Tibetan Fox, Grey Wolf, Himalayan Marmot, Sika Deer, Asian Hog Badger/Greater Hog Badger, Siberian Roe Deer, Blue Eared Pheasant, Przewaski Finch

11 March 

Drive to Pingwu for Sichuan Snub-nosed Monkey

12-15 March 

Drive to Tangjiahe from Pingwu, we spent one day at the site to scan and wait where possible for Giant Panda in March/April. Other days drove and walked along the roads to look for mammals. We saw Rock Squirrel, Tibetan Macaque, Tufted Deer , Takin, Wild Boar, Reeve's Muntjac, Chinese Serow, Chinese Goral, Masked Palm Civet, Eurasian Otter, Asian Hog Badger, Perny's Long-nosed Squirrel. But we failed to find Leopard Cat through tried hard.

16-18 March 

Last try at Tangjiahe and drove to Wolong for birds, we tried Chinese Monal but not succeed and still too cold and snowy.Only Golden Pheasant and Tibetan Snowcock and a huge flock of Grandala.

19-20 March 

Drive to Longhua area where has couple of hides for birds and mainly for pheasants, we saw Sichuan Partridge, Chinese Bamboo Partridge, Lady Amherst's Pheasant, Temminck's Tragopan, Silver Pheasant, Buffy & Red-winged Laughingthrush, Emeishan Liocichla 

21-22 March 

We drove to a seldom known site in Jiajin Mountain where has possibility for Giant Panda in later March and early April. We tried hard by walked up and down quiet along the trail where the panda was reported. Yes, we heard one but the bamboo is too thick to look into to see it. Scott and Alla are keen to see a Giant Panda in wild but do not want spend one week (maybe for nothing) like other Giant Panda watching tour. There did has a tour with about 6-7 people who were especially looking for Giant Panda. So we decided to move to Labahe where has possibility for GIant Panda too and many other mammals.

Forest Musk Deer by Scott

23-26 March 

On the way drive to Labahe, we off the main road and drove into an abandoned road whick leaded to a very wild valley, here was a site reported Giant Panda also and we spent about 3 hours in this area with nothing.

We spent at Labahe 4 nights and saw many good staff in day and night drive. Perny's Long-nosed Squirrel , Pallas's Squirrel, Sambar Deer, Red and White Flying Squirrel , Swinhoe's Striped Squirrel, Red Panda, Forest Musk Deer, Chinese Ferret Badger, Chinese Small-toothed Ferret Badger, Chinese Serow, Chinese Goral, Masked Palm Civet, Takin, Tibetan Macaque and Lady Amherst's Pheasant 

27 March 

As we heard other tour who saw one Giant Panda at Jiajin Mountain Forest, then we decided to drive back to Jiajin again, after the arrival and spent rest of the day but not succeed except a Red Panda.

28 March 

We spent another almost all the day at Jiajin to try the Giant Panda again but still no luck. Drove back to Chengdu and stay at good Airport Hotel at Chengdu TFC as very early departure next morning.

29 March 

Chengdu Tianfu on 29 Mar 2024 at 08:15 (AM) on CX917

Hi Tang Jun,

Just sending some post-trip statistics and the mammals list.

We took 16,267 photos totaling 309GB and 410 video clips totaling 63GB.

Also, Alla found her headlight at the very bottom of my backpack.  Yay!

Here's the mammal list. The bird list will take us a while.

1. Tibetan gazelle 
2. Plateau pika
3. Tibetan fox
4. Red fox
5. Glover's pika
6. White lipped deer
7. Blue sheep
8. Alpine musk deer
9. Snow leopard
10. Wooly hair
11. Argali
12. Grey Wolf
13. Kiang/Tibetan wild ass
14. Tibetan antelope 
15. Wild yak
16. Goitered gazelle 
17. Red deer
18. Pallas's cat
19. Erasian Lynx
20. Przewaski's gazelle 
21. Himalayan marmot 
22. Sika deer
23. Chinese mountain cat 
24. Asian hog badger/greater hog badger
25. Siberian roe deer
26. Rock squirrel 
27. Golden snub nosed monkey
28. Tibetan macaque 
29. Tufted deer 
30. Takin
31. Wild boar
32. Reeve's muntjac
33. Chinese serow
34. Chinese goral
35. Masked palm civet
36. Eurasian otter
37. Moupin pika
38. Perny's long nosed squirrel 
39. Pallas's squirrel 
40. Sambar deer
41. Red and white flying squirrel 
42. Swainhoe's striped squirrel 
43. Red panda
44. Forest musk deer
45. Chinese ferret badger/small-toothed ferret badger

Total 45

New 39

Thanks so much for a great trip!

Scott and Alla

Hi Tang Jun,

Here is our bird list from the trip without the warbler that is still not identified. We saw 154 birds. 73 species were new for us. Let me know if you would like this in any other format.

Scott