In Dalian, all eyes are on the sky

Third annual bird-watching race attracts enthusiasts from China, UK, Germany and Russia

Just before John Donegan-Cross left his native Edinburgh to move to China this fall, his grandmother handed him a guidebook - not about the country, but about its birds.

He arrived at Beijing's Peking University to study Mandarin two months ago, and since then has taken every opportunity to travel the country to "see lovely places and meet interesting people" as well as "learn all about local birds".