ECBP Diary-A Trip to Guangxi

Biodiversity Diary 2 trips to Guangxi - Sun Yongli et al.

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Pretty fritillary Argyreus hyperbius

Sunli’s Butterflies

Euploea sp.

Papilio memnon

Danaus chrysippus

Gaudy swallowtail Atrophaneura sp.

Wind farms

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Papilio helena

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SW Guangxi – limestone rarities 广西弄岗国家级自然保护区，成立于1979年，是 中国广西崇左市境内的一个国家级自然保护区，距龙 州县城东北30公里，地跨龙州县和宁明县，从西到东 共长33.53公里，由陇呼、弄岗、陇山三片组成，总面 积为100.77平方公里。海拔300-650米，为峰丛深切槽 谷地形。群山连绵，雄奇巍峨，崖陡壑深，地下河纵 横，密林深处，云烟飘逸，雾霭回荡，变幻莫测，气 候 温 和，年 平 均 气 温 22C。森 林 生 态 系 统 保 存 较 完 整，生物资源丰富，森林覆盖率高达98.8%。共有植 物172科709属1454种、兽类7目20科34种、鸟类11目27 科74种，昆虫有14目101科565种，其中以蝶类最为丰 富，达到201种。岩溶、地质、地貌、水文、土壤和气 候等方面都很典型，具有较高的研究价值。 早上5.30，带着一身的汗臭味儿和因一夜未眠的 疲惫悄悄地起来了（我们一行4人住在森林保护站 里），顾不得蚊子对我们的狂轰乱炸，在用过早餐之 后等来了向导，于是，踏着薄雾，踩着青纱，5个人怀 着不同的心情上路了。

Karst scenery

Rugged fieldwork

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Biodiversity Diary ECBP Newsletter Supplements October 7 – 18, 2009

SPIKE，英国人，ECBP项目的首席技术顾问，鸟 类专家；张姣，野生动物保护国际（FFI）项目助 理，一个娇小的却是绝对不可小看的女孩子，对鸟 类也有研究，一路上幸亏有她陪着SPIKE聊着对我 来说太专业的话题和单词（听不懂鸟类的专业术 语），偷偷的学了一个单词-babbler（画眉）；徐 竟甯，广西环保局项目办的官员，学植物出身，我 一路上跟他学了不少东西呢，我，还有向导。前面 的雾很浓很浓，浓到2、3米之外就什么都看不见 了，远处黛青色的山在雾的装扮下，若隐若现出那 迷人的轮廓，那样地朦胧、那样地神秘，让人心旷 神怡。由于湿度很大，没有走多远就看见他们的衣 服都湿透了，我也汗如雨下，弄着苍蝇围着我们 转，嘿嘿。在跟向导解释和聊天的不知不觉的过程 中，我们穿过了在一片比人高出几个头的甘蔗地。 脚下的小径消失在我们的行进中，现在我明白了为 什么向导在途中会找到像棍子一样的东西握在手里 了-开路。 天色越来越亮了，雾气也慢慢地悄无声息地散去， 耳边不时的传来各种各样的鸟叫声，于是听见的还 有他们根据鸟叫声来判断鸟的种类的谈话。为了吸 引鸟儿，向导一路都在模仿着鸟叫，声音非常的优 美动听，恍惚中，此起彼伏，我实在是无法区分到

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A field trip after the SW Guangxi BSAP meetings Guangxi Nonggang National Nature Reserve, established in 1979, lies on the boundaries of Chongzuo City, 30 km northeast from Longzhou City, and straddles Longzhou and Ningming Counties. From west to east it totals 33.53 km, from Long Hu, Longgang, Longshan 3, and has a total area of 10,077 ha. With an altitude range of 300-650 meters deep from peaks to valley floor, it comprises rolling hills, magnificent towering, steep cliffs and deep gullies, underground river aspect, hidden, and clouds flowing, fog reverberate, unpredictable, mild climate and annual average temperature of 22oC. The relatively intact forest ecosystems is rich in biological resources with forest coverage of 98.8%.

A total of 709 plants genera with 1454 species and belonging to 172 families; 7 orders, 20 families and 34 mammal species, 27 families and 11 orders of birds with 74 recorded species; 14 orders of insects and 101 families 565 kinds, among which the most abundant butterflies, to 201 kinds. These figures reflect only a proportion of species that could be found if a full inventory was made. The karst geology, geomorphology, hydrology, soil and climate and so on are typical, with high research value.

BSAP workgroup

BSAP meeting

At 5.30 am, the odour of fatigue due to an all night sessions (our line of 4 years living in the forest protection stations), gives way to the indiscriminate bombing by mosquitoes at breakfast after the others of our experts, then follow the misty path, and walk to Qingsha, 5 individuals, with varying feelings of the road.

Sunny in forest

Spike, English, ECBP project's chief technical adviser, and bird experts; Zhang Jiao, Wildlife Conservation International (FFI) project assistant, petite but absolutely can not underestimate the girls, there are students of birds along the way. Fortunately, she was chatting with Spike because their talk was too specialized for me (I do not understand the jargon of birds), secretly learned a new word ‘babbler’ (thrush); actually I learned a lot about plants along the way from Xu Ning, Guangxi Environmental Protection Bureau PMO officials, our plant expert and guide. Ahead the fog is very dense, concentrated to 2,3 meters away on what is unseen, and distant blue mountains in the fog, the looming outline of a charming Dai costumes, as to the mysterious, people so relaxed and happy. There is so much humidity, that before we get far our clothes are already soaked, and I the sweat, add the flies and the Documentation sweat I want to turn back, hehe. In the interpretation BIODIVERSITY

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Pill millipede

Beetle eats Hibiscus

Delicate Begonia

Square bug

Costus ginger flowers

and chat with the experts process unconsciously, we passed through vegetation higher than in a few head of cane. The foot of the trail disappeared in the middle of our road, and now I understand why the experts all seem to have a stick in their hand.

Increasingly bright sky, the fog slowly and quietly disperses, ears from time to time catch the sound of a variety of birds, so the conversation turns to discuss what birds make what calls. In order to attract the birds, the experts all the way imitate the birds, the sound is very beautiful sounds, trance, come and go, I really can not tell in the end which is the expert calling and which are real birds. Taking deep breaths of the uncontaminated humid air, look down in their direction, to see their excitement and emotional expression, I raised my camera. Because the wet, dark and high temperature, the forest trails are covered with moss, and very slippery.

Although everyone is very careful, but I am still anxStrange-shaped grasshopper ious that Spike

Spray of blossom

might fall.

But our foreign expert Spike becomes more excited about the bird Nonggang Babbler (scientific name: Stachyris nonggangensis). This babbler is a new species that was only recognised here in 2008. It is 18 cm in length, short, covered with brown-black plumage with a crescent-shaped white face and throat with black and white stripes. The eyes have a blue iris, very strange.

Mainly found in Nonggang Nature Reserve of Guangxi's karst in well preserved seasonal rainforest. It is shy personality, usually skulking near the ground, or if frightened, will fly a little, following a variety of seasonal small animals for food. Current bird only found in Nonggang Nature Reserve and surrounding forests are well preserved, the population of only 100 or so. From their excited faces that I can know that the purpose of the visit was achieved. Few people in the world, even those who visit this reserve have ever seen the Nonggang Babbler because for various reasons the Babbler is easily missed.

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Of the damp misty forest

Spike and guide look for Nanggong babbler

Strange snail

底是向导在叫还是小鸟在叫。贪婪地大口地呼吸的新鲜的还未被现 代文明所污染的潮湿的空气，目光顺着他们的方向，看到他们的兴 奋和激动的神情，我举起了我的相机。因为潮湿、阴暗和高温，森 林里的小径都长满了苔藓，很滑。尽管每个人都非常的小心，但 SPIKE还是摔了几跤，让我的神经一路都绷着，怕他出什么意外。让 我们的外专SPIKE兴奋的鸟叫弄岗穗鹛（学名：Stachyris nonggangensis），画眉科穗鹛属的一个品种，于2008年被确认为新种。它体 长约为18厘米，个子不大，浑身棕黑色，脸颊有一道月牙状白斑， 喉部有黑白相间的斑纹，眼睛是蓝色的虹膜，非常奇特。主要栖息 在广西弄岗国家级自然保护区保存较好的喀斯特季节性雨林中，性 格羞怯，平时常在地面活动，除受惊吓外，极少飞行，以落叶下面 的各种小动物为食。目前这种鸟类仅分布于弄岗自然保护区及周围 保存较好的森林中，种群数量仅为100多对。从他们的兴奋的表情我 能够知道，此行的目的达到了。目前全世界能够亲眼看到弄岗穗鹛 的人寥寥无几，就算是来到了弄岗国家自然保护区也可能因为种种 原因而与弄岗穗鹛无缘。 路越来越难走，林子也越来越密，光线也越来越暗，我们的每 一步都不得不小心翼翼，有时还必须借助身边的植物来攀爬，甚至 是手脚并用。小徐对各种各样、稀奇古怪的植物是情有独钟，非常 认真、用心的拍着植物，于是他成了我的风景，进入了我的镜头。 随着清脆的鸟叫声由远而近，以及他们的紧张小声的嘘嘘，我知 道，机会又来了。于是停了下来，因为我的衣服色彩相对鲜,艳，会

让穗鹛受到惊吓，所以我尽量的将自己隐藏在密林中，可 是通过相机我看到的只是无边无际的树枝树叶以及从缝隙 间洒下来的缕缕金色 阳光，他们用眼神和 Medicinal Tacca flower 手势在交流，告诉我 穗鹛的所在地，随着 Rain on wild yam leaf

Seed head

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Legacies of Mongolian past

Birdin on misty dawn

Poisonous Euphorbia

一声声“it’s so beautiful” ,然后就是我的叹息。 鸟类专家们都带着观鸟的高倍望远镜，可我的 300CM变焦的镜头实在是无法捕捉到那个小东西。 几次尝试之后，我放弃了拍鸟的想法，于是祈祷， 就让我看到一眼这个弄岗的精灵吧。他们兴奋的在 那里悄声细语，不敢高声语，恐惊枝上鸟。 精灵们追逐着阳光，我们追逐着它们，这是一 次追鸟之旅。因为时间关系我们不得不准备沿原路 返回，尽管SPIKE 千般不愿、万般不舍，但还是跟 随着向导和我们返回。老天真是眷顾我们，在回去 的路上，又一次的和这些精灵们相遇，向导也很兴 奋，大概在离我们100米左右的右前方再一次很清楚 的看见了可爱的穗鹛（我还是没有看见）。留点遗 憾，让我才更加的难于忘怀。 回到驻地之后，等着车来接我们。于是我顶着 太阳，坐在蝴蝶出没的花丛边上，端着相机，努力

的抓拍蝴蝶翅膀每一次的震动，想留下它 们的美丽。对我来说，这不光是一次追鸟之 旅，更是一次生物多样性之旅，也是一次体验 生命之旅，认识了很多的植物和昆虫，第一次 和这么多的美丽的蝴蝶亲密接触，第一次这样 的深入密林……让自己认识到保护生物多样性 的重要意义，认识到自己工作的重要的意义以 及自己肩上所承担的责任，保护生物多样性就 是保护我们自己的家园，保护家园，从我做 起，从点滴做起。

Daurian Redstart

Black Bulbul—white-headed form

Yellow-bellied Tit

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BSAP follow-up

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Laegerstomia

Prinia peeps at forest intruders from the scerub

.The road, become increasingly difficult to walk on; the woods are more dense, more and more dark, and we had to carefully pick every step, and sometimes must even add hands to feet and use the plants to climb around. Xiao Xu, with his strange soft spot for the plants is very serious and likes to pat the plants, so he became my picture in my lens. With the crisp sound of Youyuanerjin birds, and their tense whisper hush hush, I know, the opportunity has come again. I stopped, because my clothing is relatively bright colors, might make Babbler frightened, so I try to hide in the jungle itself, but only through the camera I saw the immense gaps between the branches, leaves and sprinkle from down the plume of the golden sun, they used the eyes and gestures in communication, and tell me the Babbler’s location, with a loud voice "it's so beautiful", then is my sigh. Birds. The bird experts have highpowered telescopes, but my 300CM zoom lens is not enough to capture such small things. After several attempts, I gave up the idea of pictures of the birds, so pray, let the expert watch the Nonggang. Where they are excited whisperings, not loud words, fearful of frightening the birds in the branches.

Elves chase the sun, and we chase the elves, this is a journey to discover a bird. Because of the time along the same route we had to prepare to return, although unwilling to offer all kinds of Spike, the worth of sad, but still followed the expert and return to us. God is really blessing us on the the way back, again we meet those elves, the experts are very excited, probably about 100 meters away from us and right in front once again to clearly see the lovely Babbler (I did not see them). Unfortunately, we have to leave, so it was so hard to forget.

Back to the residential station, we wait for the car to pick us up.

So I braved the sun, sitting on the edge of the butterfly-infested bushes, holding my camera, trying to capture the butterfly wings, to capture their beauty. For me, this is not just a journey to record a rare bird, it is a journey of biological diversity, but also a journey of a life experience, to know a lot of plants and insects, for the first time and so many beautiful butterflies up close. It is the first such deep jungle ... ... so people know the importance of conservation of biological diversity, recognizing the importance of their own work and understand that their own shoulders bear responsibility to protect biodiversity as a way to protect our own homes.

Scarlet-back flowerpecker in mistletoes

Red-cheeked Bulbul

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Crimson sunbird

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Wealth of Birdlife

Nonggang Babbler—photo Zhao Chao

Oriental White-eye

Brown-breasted bulbul

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Nostalgic visit

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John and Yingyi visit prof Pan Wenshi

John replaced Spike as ECBP advisor to the next round of BSAP workshops on the Guangxi project.

After two days of meetings John and FFI staff made a brief excursion to the nearby Chongzuo nature reserve. This was set up

by Prof Pan Wenshi who has worked for 9 years with local villagers to protect the endangered white-headed monkeys and other wildlife that occur here.

As Zhang Yingyi was a former student of Pan and these were her study monkeys, the visit was a bit of nostalgic reunion—the more so since John and Pan were old friends from early panda days in the 1980s.

Pan has build a tower from which he can lie in his own bed and watch his monkeys sleeping in their own cave. His station is like a farm with so many chickens and pigs—all part of Pan’s search for Aggressive jungle fowl new and better varieties.

Old Macdonald had a farm—a la Pan Wenshi

We had great views of monkeys and got attacked by one cock jungle fowl.

Pan monkley tower

Brown Wood Owl

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The smell of sweet fruits

White-headed monkey close by in trees

The monkeys could scamper across near-vertical cliffs

White-headed monkeys feed

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EU-China Biodiversity Programme Add: Rm. 503, International Conventions Building, No.5 Houyingfang Hutong, Xicheng District, Beijing.

100035, P.R. China Fax: (+8610) 8220 5421 Email: info@ecbp.cn