We started off the day at Huisan Forest Area. It was another cold start. Even our guide Stijn had said that this was the coldest weather he had experienced in the country after guiding here over several years. The first new endemic of the day was a party of Taiwan Blue Magpie on the way to the forest. These particular birds were very brief but we would be treated to prolonged and excellent views of numerous birds in the main car park in the forest area later. They were attracted to the area by trees full of berries. These were also joined by the much smaller Grey Treepie, there were at least 100 treepies in the area. Also on the way into the main car park we had a brief stop by the roadside where we picked up a Chestnut-bellied Tit, another endemic but this would prove to be our only sighting of the trip. We also didn't see another Blue Magpie on the entire trip although we did hear them on the last day. Similar situation with Sri Lanka Blue Magpies last year. We also had a small group of White-bellied Erpornis around the car park. These noisy little characters are group within the Vireonidae Family making them one of the few Old members of this Family along with shrike-babblers.
We visited the Endemic Species Research Institute further to the South later in the day in the hope of some wintering thrush, flycatchers, etc. The small urban park was eerily quiet with no migrants noted at all. We may have been a little late in the winter as we didn't have as many winter migrants as expected overall. There were two Crested Honey Buzzards and a Crested Serpent Eagle in care on the grounds. Not sure if they were being rehabilitated or if they were unable to be released due to permanent impairments. Several Malayan Night Herons and a fly-over Pacific Swift being the only real memorable species seen in the park.
New endemics for the day were Chestnut-bellied Tit and Taiwan Blue Magpie. My other lifers included Malayan Night Heron, White-bellied Erpornis, Pacific Swift, Striated Swallow and Grey-throated Martin.
We visited the Endemic Species Research Institute further to the South later in the day in the hope of some wintering thrush, flycatchers, etc. The small urban park was eerily quiet with no migrants noted at all. We may have been a little late in the winter as we didn't have as many winter migrants as expected overall. There were two Crested Honey Buzzards and a Crested Serpent Eagle in care on the grounds. Not sure if they were being rehabilitated or if they were unable to be released due to permanent impairments. Several Malayan Night Herons and a fly-over Pacific Swift being the only real memorable species seen in the park.
New endemics for the day were Chestnut-bellied Tit and Taiwan Blue Magpie. My other lifers included Malayan Night Heron, White-bellied Erpornis, Pacific Swift, Striated Swallow and Grey-throated Martin.
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| Chestnut-bellied Tit |
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| Chestnut-bellied Tit |
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| Taiwan Blue Magpie |
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| Taiwan Blue Magpie |
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| Taiwan Blue Magpie |
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| Taiwan Blue Magpie |
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| Taiwan Blue Magpie |
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| Taiwan Blue Magpie |
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| Grey Treepie |
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| Grey Treepie |
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| Grey Treepie |
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| White-bellied Erpornis |
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| White-bellied Erpornis |
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| White-bellied Erpornis |
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| White Wagtail luecopsis |
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| House Swift |
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| Crested Goshawk |
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| Crested Serpent Eagle (in captivity). |
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| Crested Serpent Eagle (in captivity) |
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| Crested Honey Buzzard (in captivity), note the slited nostrils to prevent bee stings into them. |
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| Crested Honey Buzzard (in captivity). |
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| Crested Honey Buzzard (in captivity). |
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| Black Bulbul |
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| Black Bulbul |
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| Black Bulbul |
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| Light-vented Bulbul |
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| Brown Shrike |
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| Javan Myna |
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| Crested Myna |
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| Crested Myna |
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| Crested Myna |
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| Crested x Javan Myna |
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| Chinese Softshell Turtle |
