Managed to get a lay in today and didn't have to up until 5 due to the time of the tides. A grey and windy start to the day and I am joined by Dong who is a guide for Shanghai birds and is also taking part in the Wader survey's here in Yangkou. We discuss what area to check and we decide to check another area of the same mudflats which is around 6Km's to the west of the site I have been previously surveying. Photo above is of the area where the Birdquest tour had around 15 Spoon Billed Sabdpiper's during their tour here during May 2010 and this is the area we survey today. Again it was a poor show with hardly any wader's coming close in due to the low height of the current tides. Photo below is of Dong.
We had to walk out 3KM's today in order to get out on to the mud as the Chinese Government have planted Grass on the mudflats (photo above) from the seawall which extend out for nearly 2 KM's. This idea is because the government think it is nice and attractive looking for Chinese tourists visiting the area and have no idea on how damaging this is to the area of inter-tidal mudflats and also having a "knock on" affect to the feeding area's for the Wader's. 
After quittng the mudflats at high tide we walk back to the seawall, go for breakfast and decide to visit the fishponds again. The usual selection of Waders and passerines were present again from Yesterday but a single new Sharp Tailed Sandpiper held my attention and it took me 2 hours to get this photo above. Also a single Temminks Stint was new in today.
After a rest at the hotel Dong decides to take me to what the locals call the "Magical Forest" it is a narrow track with a few sparse trees on ether side. Dong tells me that this area is a passerine migrant trap / hotspot during migration times and we take a slow walk along the track (photo above)
Photo above and below shows a Red flanked Bluetail of which around 8 were present, also present was plenty of Dusky Thrush, Little & Black faced Bunting's, Yellow Billed Grosbeaks, Wryneck and several Chinese Penduline Tits at an area of small reed bed at the end of the track. After this is it was getting dark and we returned back to the hotel. I am hoping that the tides improve tomorrow. The photo's do thats for sure....
