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Swinhoe's Pheasant |
We spent two
weeks doing a self-drive trip around Taiwan with the aim of seeing
all the country's endemics and specialties, with plenty of time for
relaxing and sight-seeing. This was followed by a week-long trip to
Palau and then back to Taipei, the Taiwanese
capital, for a few days before heading home. The
trip was highly
successful with almost all targets accounted for, including
all the endemics.
Although we opted not to hire a guide, Taiwan birder Patrick Lee was
most helpful; his services would clearly make it easier to track down
birds and find your way around (contact
falcon.rusticolus@gmail.com).
Thanks also to Keith
Barnes for his tips.
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Dasyueshan - high in the mountains |
We arrived in Taipei in the
early morning of April 14 and headed to the town of Dongshi for an
overnight stay. That afternoon I ventured up the famous Dasyueshan
birding road a short
distance, stopping at KM 4 in an area of second growth scrub and
gardens. Here I quickly snared my first endemic – the sometimes
difficult Taiwan Hwamei. More
easily encountered
endemics in bamboo
thickets along a stream
were Taiwan Barbet,
Taiwan Scimitar-Babbler and Grey-cheeked Fulvetta.
|
Taiwan Barbet |
|
Taiwan Hwamei |
The next morning we headed
up to Dasyueshan
for a three-night stay at the Anmashan Mountain Hostel, kindly booked
ahead by Patrick. In second-growth scrub along a rocky
stream near KM 15 I
had reasonable
views of a flushed
Taiwan Bamboo-Partridge
- another potentially problematic target.
Other nice birds
included Plumbeous
Redstart and
Collared Finchbill.
|
Collared Finchbill |
|
Plumbeous Redstart |
Our next stop was KM 23, a
known site for pheasants and partridges because
they are often fed here.
None appeared but the
first of many Taiwan
Yuhinas and White-eared Sibias in
the mountains were out
and about.
|
Taiwan Yuhina |
|
White-eared Sibia |
The entrance to the
Dasyueshan National Forest Reserve is
at KM 35, where a park-like area adjoins
the entrance to Trail
210, a birding hotspot. A party of Rufous-crowned Laughingthrushes
was found in the clearing at the entrance and a second group was seen
about 1km along Trail 210 – a welcome
surprise because this
bird can be difficult. Also in the
area were Vivid Niltava, Taiwan Macaque and Reeve's Muntjac.
|
Rufous-crowned Laughingthrush |
|
Taiwan Macaque |
|
Vivid Niltava |
We
continued to the park visitors' centre and accommodation lodge at KM
44, and
settled
into our comfortable lodge in
the forest. Sadly
the food in the
restaurant (there's nowhere else to eat up in the mountains) lived up
to its dreadful reputation. Fortunately
the birds were active in the mist in trees outside the restaurant
windows. Here were Taiwan Barwing, Taiwan Fulvetta and Steere's
Liocichla, while Taiwan Whistling-Thrush and Pale Thrush were on the
lawns outside. Pallas's Squirrel was common.
|
Pallas's Squirrel |
|
Anmashan Mountain Lodge |
|
Taiwan Barwing |
|
Taiwan Whistling-thrush |
|
Steere's Liocichla |
The next day we drove to the end of the road at KM 50. Weather conditions were appalling all day but an odd-looking Taiwan Serow roadside at KM 48 was a surprise. A pair of Grey-headed (Taiwan) Bullfinches were seen in the mist in the same area.
|
Taiwan Serow |
|
Grey-headed Bullfinch |
A female Mikado Pheasant feeding on the lawn outside the interpretation centre at KM 50 could be approached closely. Also here were White-whiskered Laughingthrush, Taiwan Rosefinch and Collared Bush-Robin.
|
Collared Bush-Robin |
|
Mikado Pheasant (female) |
In the afternoon I headed back down the road in a vain search for better weather, but I did find a pair of Taiwan Partridges (another tough one) along Trail 210, along with a furtive pair of Mikado Pheasants. At the KM 23 site, a male Swinhoe's Pheasant was truly something to behold; it was soon joined by a second male pheasant. Large Hawk-Cuckoo had been calling loudly here and one eventually put in an appearance.
|
Large Hawk-Cuckoo |
|
Swinhoe's Pheasant |
With better weather the next day, we headed back up the mountain. White-browed Bush-Robin was seen at two spots around KM 47. A male Mikado Pheasant showed very nicely roadside at KM 46 after another female was seen at KM 47; I saw a total of five of this much-wanted species at four sites.
|
Mikado Pheasant (male) |
|
White-browed Bush-Robin |
Taiwan Bush-Warbler was seen at KM 48 with more heard, while Yellowish-bellied Bush-Warbler was common. White-whiskered Laughingthrush and Collared Bush-Robin were plentiful high up. I saw a Taiwan Shortwing and a Taiwan Cupwing briefly along Trail 230, although both appeared to be quite common by call, as did Taiwan Bush-Warbler. A single Ferruginous Flycatcher was seen on the trail.
|
Yellowish-bellied Bush-Warbler |
|
Ferruginous Flycatcher |
On the way back were several delightful Flamecrests at KM 47 feeding in the conifers. In the afternoon I again descended the road, where a singing Kamchatka Leaf-Warbler was at KM 39 and a group of noisy Rusty Laughingthrushes were a welcome site at KM 37.5.
|
Flamecrest |
|
Rusty Laughingthrush |
Outside the cabins that night, Mountain Scops-Owl was calling well but a sighting eluded me yet again, though close-up Red-and-white Giant Flying-Squirrel was a nice consolation prize.
|
Red-and-white Giant Flying-Squirrel |
On the final day at Dasyueshan, April 18, a pair of Yellow Tits – another potentially tricky target - showed very nicely in the trees behind the restaurant .A party of Brown Bullfinches was feeding in a fruiting tree. Another male Swinhoe's Pheasant appeared brilliantly in a patch of sunlight outside our cabin.
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Brown Bullfinch |
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Yellow Tit |
On the way down on our final day in the mountains, I found a pair of Black-necklaced Scimitar-Babblers, another species sometimes missed by birders, at KM 35.5. A male Swinhoe's Pheasant crossed the road at KM 16.5; I saw a total of four of this species, all males, at three sites. We stopped again at KM 15, seeing Taiwan Bamboo-Partridge very well as a pair crossed the road. A Brown Dipper was along the river.
|
Brown Dipper |
|
Taiwan Bamboo-Patridge |
On the subject of dipping, the only potential targets that I failed to see in the mountains were Himalayan Owl, which I didn't search for, and the distinctive endemic race of Island Thrush.
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Dasyueshan at KM 15 |
COOL !!! You have good luck
ReplyDeleteLook your article, it seems birding with you in Taiwan.