Dermot Breen's Blog: April 2018

Monday, 30 April 2018

Taiwan 21st March 2018

Another mixed day weather-wise spent again around in the Anmashan - Daxueshan National Forest Recreation Area. This was our last day here. We had managed to clock up twenty of the twenty seven Taiwan endemics form this general area in three days. New endemics for today included Black-necklaced Laughingthrush, Rufous-crowned Laughingthrush, Taiwan Barbet and Taiwan Bush Warbler. The last species took a good deal of work to lay our eyes on. We had a few singing over the last two days including this same individual the previous day at close quarters. They are real skulkers, not too surprising considering they are a member of the Locustella warbler genus. The other non-endemic lifers for me were Streaked Prinia, Brownish-flank Bush Warbler, Plumbeous Redstart, White-bellied Pigeon and Oriental Cuckoo.

Taiwan Bush Warbler

White-backed Woodpecker

Vivid Niltava

Black Eagle

Rufous-faced Warbler

Green-backed Tit

Rufous-crowned Babbler

Eurasian Nuthatch

Steere's Liocichla

Taiwan Yuhina

Taiwan Barbet

Taiwan Whistling Thrush

Perney's Long-nosed Squirrel

Sunday, 22 April 2018

Taiwan 20th March 2018

I decided to give the camera a bit of a rest today due to issues with my back so this post is a little light on bird shots. I've also included a few mammal and landscape shots that were taken the previous day.
We started off at the lower elevations and had a great selection of species in typical mixed farming habitat. We moved on due to heavy rain and fog. On the way up we got a tip-off about two female Mikado Pheasants seen by other birding groups on the mountain. We managed to find the two bird just off the road in the thick fog. We didn't think we would catch up with this species due to the road going up to the higher elevations being closed due to landslide. We decided to take a gamble and head up to the Visitor Centre just before the road closure and thankfully we got above the bad weather. New endemics included Taiwan Whistling Thrush, Taiwan Hwamei (only one of the trip), Taiwan Bamboo Partridge, Mikado Pheasant, Collared Bush Robin, Taiwan Scimitar Babbler and Rusty Laughingthrush. The other lifers were Black Bulbul, Collared Finchbill, Vinous-throated Parrotbill, Rufous-capped Babbler, Pacific Swallow, Oriental Turtle Dove, Grey-throated Minivet, Eastern Spot-billed Duck, Silver-backed Needletail, Brown Bullfinch, White's Thrush and Grey-capped Woodpecker.

Yellow Tit

White-eared Sibia

Female White-tailed Robin

Female Swinhoe's Pheasant

Second-calendar male Swinhoe's Pheasant

Taiwan Serow

Reeve's Muntjac

Formosan Rock Macaque

Maritime Striped Squirrel

Pallas's Squirrel

Fogbound

River by our Taipei hotel from the first day.

Road closed due to landslide.

Local tourists and the elusive Swhinhoe's Pheasant.

Waterfall which had Little Forktails.

Monday, 16 April 2018

Taiwan 19th March 2018

First full day of the trip which was one of three days spent in the uplands of the Anmashan - Daxueshan National Forest Recreation Area. We tried the higher section today as there was some rain forecasted the next day. We stopped at several spots on the way up to Dasyueshan Visitor Centre. While the diversity wasn't enormous the percentage of endemic species was quite high we managed to clock up nine endemic species during the day - Taiwan Hill Partridge, Swinhoe's Pheasant, Yellow Tit, Grey-cheeked Fulvetta, White-whiskered Laughingthrush, Steere's Liocichla, Taiwan Barwing, White-eared Sibia and Taiwan Yuhina. Other non-endemic lifers included House Swift, Mountain Hawk Eagle, Large-billed Crow, Green-backed Tit, Rufous-faced Warbler, Black-throated Tit, Javan Myna, Vivid Niltava, White-tailed Robin, Little Forktail, Snowy-browed Flycatcher and Fire-breasted Flowerpecker. We couldn't get up the very top as the road had been wiped out in one section due to a rock slide which seem to be a regular occurrence in the hills here. This would mean that we would miss out on a few of the high elevation species at this location in particular Mikado Pheasant. My back has been acting up for the last three months and I found today's birding really tough. I was having difficultly walking by the end of the day, not fun :-( ! I thought it was from carrying the camera but I think it was simply because of the fact that I was spending so many hours on my feet. Thankfully it eased off after a few days but it was a real nuisance for a couple of days.