Event Details
WHAT: Spring 2026 Birdwatching โ guided by Terry Townshend (in-person)
WHEN: April 12, Sunday. Bus leaves at 5.30 AM, returning by 5.30 PM latest, including two hours' travel each way.
WHERE: The trip will begin and end at the Liangmahe Hilton, 1 Dongfang Rd, North Dongsanhuan Rd. ๅไบฌๅธๅฐ้กฟ้ ๅบ ๏ผไบฎ้ฉฌๆฒณๅบ๏ผไธๆน่ทฏ1ๅท. The birding site we will visit is just across the border in Hebei province. It is an area of wetlands and grassland and, in mid-April, we can expect to see ducks, storks, shorebirds, birds of prey and more.
MORE ABOUT THE EVENT: Birding in the wetlands over the border in Hebei is next Sunday! Sunrise is around 530 AM at this time of year, and we should be on site by 8-8.30 AM. Despite the spring-like temperatures downtown, it may be cold at the site as it is at a higher elevation and more exposed, so please bring layers and sturdy footwear in case it's somewhat wet underfoot.
Walking is easy - mostly on gravel tracks. We will plan a route that means we stay with the bus for most of the time and visit several spots next to the track, with the option of staying on the bus if anyone is too cold.
Please bring your passport/ID as we will pass through a police checkpoint on the way back into Beijing from Hebei province. Please remember to bring refreshments including food for your own lunch as we won't be stopping at a restaurant.
Please bring binoculars if you have them, but Terry will bring his telescope so that everyone can secure close up views of the birds we see. He will also tell us about the birds we see - where they have come from, where they are going and how they connect Beijing with other parts of China, Asia and even, in some cases, across continents. Terry expects us to see up to 50 species during the day.
Banner image: Siberian ruby-throat (A Spring migratory Beijing visitor)
HOW MUCH: Cost is RMB 250 for members (priority booking starts now) and RMB 350 for non-members (ticket sales will begin on April 6. Children are welcome, at full price if they take a seat on the coach. Payment by Alipay may be easier than by WeChat. Credit cards are also accepted. Interested in becoming an RASBJ member? Please sign up at https://rasbj.glueup.cn/org/rasbeijing/memberships/
Instead of charging a fee for guiding us on this tour, Terry invites participants to support Shan Shui Conservation Center, a local NGO that focuses on community-based conservation on the Tibetan Plateau and runs urban biodiversity programmes in Beijing, Shanghai and Hangzhou (please see http://en.shanshui.org/ for more information). RASBJ will donate half of any surplus from this event to Shan Shui Conservation Center, as we did during RASBJ's previous birding excursions; therefore adult registrants who travel to the birding site using their own transport are asked to pay full price.
HOW TO JOIN THE EVENT: Please click "Register" or "I Will Attend" and follow the instructions, which will include providing your WeChat ID so that we can reach you with any last-minute information and updates โ very important! After successful registration, you will receive a confirmation email. If you seem not to have received it, please check your spam folder.
Places are limited to 15, and RASBJ members have priority until Monday April 6, after which time tickets for the remaining spaces will become available to non-members. Places will be limited to one per person and will be allocated in order of receipt of payment, so early booking is advised.
REFUND POLICY: If the event is cancelled or postponed by RASBJ, all registrants will receive refunds in full. Registrants wishing to cancel for their own reasons will be refunded if cancellation is received via email to communications@rasbj.org by April 9, so that your place can be offered to those on the waiting list.
DISCLAIMER: Please see RASBJ's liaibility disclaimer on the "About Us" page. RASBJ accepts no liability for loss or damange, including personal injury or damage to property during events.
