Wawu Mountain area – including Longcanggou
Presently the most accessible site in the Wawu area is Loncanggou Forest Park. Loncanggou is located just to the west of the, now closed Wawu Mountain tourist area.
In the past Wawu Mountain, a site featured in many Sichuan birding reports, used to be one of the top Sichuan birding destinations, but since 2012 has been closed for further tourist development.
Loncanggou is also being developed for tourism with road building and hotel construction – but it was still fully open to birders during the summer of 2015
Avifauna found on Wawu Mountain and Longcanggou sites are almost identical and both have been good for Lady Amherst’s Pheasant and Temminck’s Tragopan.
Red Panda is often seen in the Wawu/Longcanggou area
Prime birds include
Lady Amherst’s Pheasant, Temminck’s Tragopan, Gold-fronted Fulvetta, Grey-hooded Parrotbill, Three-toed Parrottbill, Brown Parrotbill, Great Parrotbill, Golden Parrotbill, Ashy-throated Parrotbill, Fulvous Parrotbill, Buffy Laughingthrush, Red-winged Laughingthrush, Black-faced Laughingthrush, Emei Liocichla, Emei Leaf Warbler, Chinese Wren Babbler, Sichuan Bush Warbler, Spotted Bush Warbler, Brown Bush Warbler, Little Forktail, Spotted Forktail, Golden Bush Robin, Chinese Blue Flycatcher, Slaty Bunting, Fire-capped Tit, Sichuan Treecreeper, Chestnut-crowned Tesia
Lying to the west of Emei the Wawu/Longcanggou area is around 190km from Chengdu – with motorway making up the majority of the journey.
Longcanggou is accessed on the G5 via Yingjing while Wawu Mountain is by taking the G93
Longcanggou sites
Access Road
On the access road leading into the park you climb up through areas of traditional smallholding agriculture – scrubby areas here, especially those containing long grass or bamboo (lots of cultivated bamboo) are good for Ashy-throated Parrotbill and other Sichuan Basin farmland species
Highlight birds – Ashy-throated Parrotbill, Kloss’s Leaf Warbler
Bottom Park
Once inside the gates, beyond the carpark in the direction of the hotel, a concrete/boardwalk path leads up the river to areas of waterfall and rocky river-bed which lies in a valley lush, deciduous native woodland, Alsodon’t ignore grassy areas close to the carpark for Sichuan Bush warbler
Highlight birds
Little Forktail, Spotted Forktail, Fujian Niltava, Black-chinned Yuhina, Chestnut-crowned Warbler, Bush Warbler
Middle Park
The park road initially winds its way upwards through plantation forest, but, as it gets higher, more native growth and wild bamboo appears.
Silver Pheasant is rare, but is sometimes seen in the lower plantation
Highlight birds
Silver Pheasant, Lady Amherst’s Pheasant, Temminck’s Tragopan, Gold-fronted Fulvetta, Golden-breasted Fulvetta, Golden Parrotbill, Buffy Laughingthrush, White-throated Laughingthrush, Red-winged Laughingthrush, White-throated Laughingthrush, Emei Liocichla, Emei Leaf Warbler, Kloss’s Leaf Warbler, Claudia’s Leaf Warbler, Marten’s Warbler, Chinese Blue Flycatcher, Red-tailed Minla, Blue-winged Minla
Top Park
At the top section primary native forest evolves from mixed to conifer. Until the late 90’s much of this area was logged, which resulted in large empty areas now filled with bird rich bamboo and secondary scrub. Continuing along the track leads to larger areas of untouched conifer with bamboo understorey that resembles the habitat found on Wawu summit.
Highlight birds
Grey-hooded Parrotbill, Three-toed Parrottbill, Brown Parrotbill, Great Parrotbill, Fulvous Parrotbill, Black-faced Laughingthrush, Buff-throated Warbler, Buff-barred Warbler, Sichuan Leaf Warbler, Chinese Wren Babbler, Spotted Bush Warbler, Brown Bush Warbler, Golden Bush Robin, Chinese Blue Flycatcher, Slaty Bunting, Fire-capped Tit, Sichuan Treecreeper, Chestnut-crowned Tesia, Grey-hooded Fulvetta, Golden Bush Robin, White-browed Shortwing, Vinacous Rosefinch
Ticketing
As of summer 2015 no ticketing – but this will change once the park officially opens for tourists.
Accommodation
A good hotel can be found around 10km from the park entrance – the park hotel looks close to completion.
Wawu Mountain
A 2015 July situation report was given by Summer Wong – http://www.birdforum.net/showpost.php?p=3254408&postcount=1045
Abandoned and still officially closed to the general public, a few birders are now getting in. However with no cable car and no hotels on the summit area, birding the top areas will be far from easy.