The Deskbound Birder: Taiwan Hwamei

Friday, 7 February 2020

South Korea and Taiwan - 7th February (Day 13)

We began the day at the NTU Experimental Farm to the south-east of Ren'ai. Our journey here was interesting to say the least, we could have followed the main road but Google maps sent us on the most direct route down a steep and often unmade track with multiple sharp hairpin bends and in places barely passable. We arrived at the farm at 06:50 and birded here for the first three hours of the day seeing Taiwan Bamboo-Partridge, a distant White-bellied Green-Pigeon, Taiwan Hwamei, Rusty Laughingthrush and Snowy-browed Flycatcher. The birding was very pleasant around the small woodland patches and weedy arable fields. My eBird checklist for the site can be viewed here.

Collared Finchbill - NTU Experimental Farm, Ren'ai, Taiwan

Rusty Laughingthrush - NTU Experimental Farm, Ren'ai, Taiwan

Taiwan Hwamei - NTU Experimental Farm, Ren'ai, Taiwan

Snowy-browed Flycatcher - NTU Experimental Farm, Ren'ai, Taiwan

We then headed up hill to Hehuan Shan Mountain to the north-east of Wuling and at 3,150m. The carpark at the pass was shrouded in thick fog and Taiwanese people marvelling at the thin covering of dirty snow and ice in the litter strewn car park. There were no birds to be seen. We then dropped to the the carpark at Song Shue Lodge which was bathed in sunshine but very cold. Here we recorded Taiwan Rosefinch, White-whiskered Laughingthrush, Flamecrest and Taiwan Fulvetta but there was no sign of our main target, Alpine Accentor. We headed a little further along the road to various lay-bys but saw little. My eBird checklist for the area can be viewed here.

Cutting our losses we headed back downhill and spent the last hour or so of daylight on the lower section of the Blue Gates Trail but saw little. My eBird checklist for the area can be viewed here.

Flamecrest - Song Shue Lodge, Hehuan Shan Mountain, Wuling, Taiwan

White-whiskered Laughingthrush - Song Shue Lodge, Hehuan Shan Mountain, Wuling, Taiwan

Taiwan Fulvetta - Song Shue Lodge, Hehuan Shan Mountain, Wuling, Taiwan

Taiwan Rosefinch - Song Shue Lodge, Hehuan Shan Mountain, Wuling, Taiwan

Links to Other Days of the Trip (Click to View)

South Korea

26th January (Day 1 and 2) – International flight then Han River area.

28th January (Day 3) – Songdo Tidal Flats and Korea National Arboretum.

29th January (Day 4) – Seosan Reclamation.

30th January (Day 5) – Seosan Reclamation then Geum River.

31st January (Day 6) – Yubu Island, and Han River.

Taiwan

1st February (Day 7) – Fly Seoul (South Korea) to Taipei (Taiwan) then Dasyueshan Forest Reserve.

2nd February (Day 8) – Dasyueshan Forest Reserve.

3rd February (Day 9) – Dasyueshan Forest Reserve.

4th February (Day 10) – Dasyueshan Forest Reserve.

5th February (Day11) – Dasyueshan Forest Reserve then Huisin Forest Reserve.

6th February (Day 12) – Huisin Forest Reserve then Blue Gates Trail.

7th February (Day 13) – Hehuanshan National Forest Recreation Area.

8th February (Day 14) – Hehuanshan National Forest Recreation Area then Firefly Lodge.

9th February (Day 15) – Alishan.

10th February (Day 16) – Alishan, Kenting National Park and Pintung University.

11th February (Day 17) – Pingtung University then international flight.

Tuesday, 4 February 2020

South Korea and Taiwan - 4th February (Day 10)

We started the day birding the lower areas of Dasyueshan Forest Reserve at KM15, we were hoping to find a trail here but ended up walking through an orchard and a bamboo plantation which were both devoid of birds. The area around the bridge proved to be fairly birdy and we bumped into a feeding flock which contained a couple our targets Chestnut-bellied Tit and Taiwan Scimitar-Babbler. The bridge over the river produced a pair of Brown Dipper which were new for the trip. My eBird checklist for the site can be viewed here.

Chestnut-bellied Tit - KM15, Dasyueshan Forest Reserve, Taiwan

Grey-chinned Minivet - KM15, Dasyueshan Forest Reserve, Taiwan

Taiwan Scimitar-Babbler- KM15, Dasyueshan Forest Reserve, Taiwan

Taiwan Scimitar-Babbler - KM15, Dasyueshan Forest Reserve, Taiwan

Plumbeous Redstart - KM15, Dasyueshan Forest Reserve, Taiwan

White-tailed Robin - KM15, Dasyueshan Forest Reserve, Taiwan

Brown Dipper - KM15, Dasyueshan Forest Reserve, Taiwan

Our next stop further down the road was along the roadside at KM6 at a stakeout for the fast declining Taiwan Hwamei. The species is loosing habitat and is inbreeding with Chinese Hwamei which is imported as a cage bird for its singing abilities. The bird at this location showed quickly and well in the roadside vegetation. My eBird checklist for this location can be viewed here.

Spotted Dove - KM6, Dasyueshan Forest Reserve, Taiwan

Taiwan Hwamei - KM6, Dasyueshan Forest Reserve, Taiwan

The afternoon was then spent birding the road between KM16.5 to KM21 the forest here looked superb but we saw very little and failed to see our two main targets of Black-necklaced Scimitar-Babbler and Rusty Laughingthrush. Highlights were a flock of 33 Ashy Woodpigeon, Chestnut-bellied Tit and White-bellied Erpornis. My eBird checklists for the area can be viewed here and here.