The Deskbound Birder: South Korea and Taiwan

Thursday 6 February 2020

South Korea and Taiwan - 6th February (Day 12)

We spent the first part of the day birding the Huisin Forest Reserve looking for Crimson Oriole but with no luck. There was a nice range of birds to be seen with a flock of 13 Brown-headed Thrush which contained a single Eyebrowed Thrush, our first of the trip. We also enjoyed further views of Malayan Night-Heron, up to 18 Taiwan Blue Magpie and six Chestnut-bellied Tit. My eBird checklist for the site can be viewed here.

Brown-headed Thrush - Huisin Forest Reserve, Taiwan

Eyebrowed Thrush - Huisin Forest Reserve, Taiwan

Chestnut-bellied Tit - Huisin Forest Reserve, Taiwan

Daurian Redstart - Huisin Forest Reserve, Taiwan

As our target was not showing we decided to head for the Dizang Budhist Temple at Puli for the Oriole. This site showing as one where the species is frequently seen according to eBird. The birding at the temple was very pleasant and there was a distinctly tranquil feel to the site with shady paths and well managed grounds. We failed once again to see Crimson Oriole. Highlights were several Arctic Warbler, Taiwan Scimitar-Babbler and a displaying Crested Goshawk. My eBird checklist for the site can be viewed here.

Olive-backed Pipit - Dizang Budhist Temple, Taiwan

Black-crowned Night-Heron - Dizang Budhist Temple, Taiwan

Crested Honey-Buzzard - Dizang Budhist Temple, Taiwan

Crested Goshawk - Dizang Budhist Temple, Taiwan

Besra - Dizang Budhist Temple, Taiwan

Plumbeous Redstart - Dizang Budhist Temple, Taiwan

Taiwan Scimitar-Babbler - Dizang Budhist Temple, Taiwan

From Puli we drove eastwards along Highway 14 to Ren'ai and the Wushe area. We visited our booked hotel, the bizarrely named ‘Cingjing Brilliant Twins of Seattle’, but unusually for such a welcoming country the chap on reception was rather rude and unhelpful and the hotel appeared grotty and so we decided to leave and check into an alternative the 'Maple Land Hotel'. After lunch we headed uphill to the Blue Gates trail and parked just below the Police Station and walked down the road to the upper part of the trail. The track contoured along a steep forested slope but it was rather quiet in the late afternoon and none of our targets revealed themselves and the best birds we recorded were Taiwan Cupwing, Steere's Liochichla and White-browed Bush-Robin. We birded here until the light faded. My eBird checklist for the site can be viewed here.