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by Elliotte Rusty Harold.
Original Post: #409 in the Forbidden City
Feed Title: Mokka mit Schlag
Feed URL: http://www.elharo.com/blog/feed/atom/?
Feed Description: Ranting and Raving
I was repeatedly warned that there were no birds in Beijing. The city was too polluted, and the Chinese had killed them all 50 years ago anyway. I suspected that was false, and I was right. Friday morning we’d barely started acting like tourists when I spotted my first life bird of the trip: Common Swift (Apus apus) flittering over the Forbidden City:
In fact, I saw several of them, and then dozens. They’re quite loud, very fast, rather large compared to our Chimney Swifts, and completely regardless of people. I’ve continued to see them everywhere since then even at Tian’anmen Square in the rain today. I suspect there are thousands, maybe more, in the city.
After exploring the Forbidden City, I put Beth in a cab to return to the conference, and then went across the street to Jianshan Park. This is a very pretty park, almost completely empty of Westerners. Lots of gorgeous Cypress trees and a few butterflies, ants, and bumblebees. It also had numerous Common Swifts and European Tree Sparrows. Otherwise, though, the fauna was relatively absent.
I left Jianshan Park from the north side and proceeded to get lost in various Hutongs and the Sicha Hai district. I wandered around Hou Hai lake, but it was one of the most devoid of ducks I’ve ever seen. Not even a domestic Mallard or goose, much less anything interesting avian wise. People were another story. The fence and “No Swimming” signs must have been English only, but the locals were certainly ignoring them. Rickshaw drivers accost you every five meters, and as soon as one has given up, another starts trying. At night this is also a major bar district, and beer signs were everywhere. In the hutongs off the East side of the lake I found some of the best food I’ve eaten all trip.
I eventually found my way out, and stumbled into Behai Park without much planning too. More on that soon.
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