The Deskbound Birder: White's thrush

Showing posts with label White's thrush. Show all posts

Sunday, 9 February 2020

South Korea and Taiwan - 9th February (Day 15)

We were up at 06:00 and after breakfast at Firefly Lodge headed to KM108 on Highway 18 that passes through Alishan National Forest Recreation Area. On our drive, at approximately KM104 two stunning Yellow-throated Marten ran across the road in front of the vehicle and we eventually had great views of these beautiful mustilids. We began the morning by birding the car park area where we had a flock of nine Grey-headed Bullfinch fly along the road, Taiwan Rosefinch, Collared Bush-robin and Steere’s Liochicla. Wandering up the road that passes the Tourist Information Centre and the Giant Taiwan Hemlock we trawled for Golden Parrotbill, Taiwan Shortwing and Taiwan Bush Warbler our only remaining species in the higher altitudinal habitats but with no success. We did enjoy further great views of three Yellow-throated Marten and bird species such as Taiwan Fulvetta, Taiwan Barwing, Taiwan Barbet and Flamecrest. We finished walking the loop trail and arrived at the Tataka Visitor Centre which was closed for refurbishment although the restaurant was open and serving terrible food, we had peanut butter on toast with hundreds and thousands! We then birded back down the road to the car seeing much the same as before, the highlight was probably a flock of six Japanese Waxwing which we saw in flight - a scarce bird in Taiwan.

After finding a hotel in the main visitor centre complex further down the road we birded a few random spots on our way back up to KM108 but saw relatively little. We spent the last few hours of the day birding at KM108 but saw much the same as we had this morning. I came across two Grey-headed Bullfinch feeding in a weedy patch but they flushed before I spotted them on the ground and flew into the forest not to be seen again. My eBird checklists for the day can be viewed here, here, here and here.

Collared Bush-Robin - Alishan National Forest Recreation Area, Taiwan

Coal Tit - Alishan National Forest Recreation Area, Taiwan

Taiwan Barbet - Alishan National Forest Recreation Area, Taiwan

White's Thrush - Alishan National Forest Recreation Area, Taiwan

Black-throated Tit - Alishan National Forest Recreation Area, Taiwan

Yellowish-bellied Bush Warbler - Alishan National Forest Recreation Area, Taiwan

Flamecrest - Alishan National Forest Recreation Area, Taiwan

Taiwan Fulvetta - Alishan National Forest Recreation Area, Taiwan

Pale Thrush - Alishan National Forest Recreation Area, Taiwan

Yellow-throated Marten - Alishan National Forest Recreation Area, Taiwan

Formosan Macaque - Alishan National Forest Recreation Area, 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.

Wednesday, 5 February 2020

South Korea and Taiwan - 5th February (Day 11)

We started the morning by loading the car in the semi-dark ready to depart Dasyueshan Forest Reserve after a few hours of birding. The day started well with a superb Little Forktail feeding on the road not far above the entrance gate. We then birded the area around the park entrance gate seeing a range of the species we had seen previously including Swinhoe's Pheasant, White-tailed Robin and Collared Bush-Robin. My eBird list for the area can be viewed here.

A short way further down the road in some nice looking forest at KM31 we stopped again and very quickly located a pair of stunning Black-necklaced Scimitar-Babbler, they showed well as they foraged amongst the leaf-litter. And then in the same bush Ian picked up a flock of Rusty Laughingthrush, we were amazed at our luck in seeing our two main remaining species to see at this site in the same bush and in the final hour or so that we had. Eventually, 33 Rusty Laughingthrush appeared and foraged busily in the bushes eventually flying across the road where we managed an accurate count. On closer study of my photographs it appeared that they were feeding on an odd gelatinous substance adhered to the branches of the bush. This can be seen in the first image of the species below, the bird can be seen with the substance in its bill while further blobs can be seen adhered to the branches. Also here in the same bush were two Steere's Liochichla and a single Yellowish-bellied Bush Warbler. My eBird checklist for this stop can be viewed here.

Black-necklaced Scimitar-Babbler - KM31, Dasyueshan Forest Reserve, Taiwan

Rusty Laughingthrush - KM31, Dasyueshan Forest Reserve, Taiwan

Dropping out of the mountains we stopped randomly at KM4, this produced great views of Crested Serpent-Eagle and a Brownish-flanked Bush-warbler. My eBird checklist can be viewed here.

Brownish-flanked Bush Warbler - KM4, Dasyueshan Forest Reserve, Taiwan

Crested Serpent-Eagle - KM4, Dasyueshan Forest Reserve, Taiwan

After stops to get picnic supplies and lunch we arrived at our next stop, Huisin Forest Park at 14:15. A stop at the park entrance produced our first ornate Taiwan Blue-Magpie and their drabber cousin's Grey Treepie. The park was the only site where we saw the Blue-Magpie and here they were common, we were puzzled why we didn't encounter this species more widely given that the forest habitat here seemed to be widespread. Further into the park on the lawn area beside the coffee shop and the education centre were two cracking and very confiding Malayan Night-Heron and 10 Taiwan Blue-Magpie. After checking in to our accommodation we wandered to the observation platform but saw relatively little, the highlight being a White's Thrush which we thought may have been a Scaly Thrush but eventually we considered that it looked to dark and not sufficiently golden and with the cheeks too well marked. After dinner we did a short nightwalk which produced a single Collared Scops Owl. My eBird checklists for Huisin Forest Park can be viewed here and here.

Malayan Night-Heron - Huisin Forest Park, Taiwan

Taiwan Blue-Magpie - Huisin Forest Park, Taiwan

White's Thrush - Huisin Forest Park, 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.

Monday, 3 February 2020

South Korea and Taiwan - 3rd February (Day 9)

We started the day birding the KM50 area of Dasyueshan Forest Reserve as many of our remaining targets were in the higher elevations of the reserve. We birded the area around the main tourist complex, along the trail to the 'Sky Pond' and a track that extended south-west through bamboo dominated forest from the main car park area called the 230 Forest Road. One of the highlights of the morning was a superb White's Thrush that showed in the open feeding on Cotoneaster berries for at least 15 minutes giving us all time to study the intricacies of this superb birds plumage. Other new birds we had were a pair of Taiwan Rosefinch coming to drink on the pool at the rear of the toilet block, Taiwan Cupwing, White-browed Bush-robin, two Taiwan Thrush and Yellowish-bellied Bush Warbler on the 230 Forest Road. My eBird checklists for the morning can be viewed here, here and here.

White's Thrush - KM50 Area, Dasyueshan Forest Reserve, Taiwan

Taiwan Rosefinch - KM50 Area, Dasyueshan Forest Reserve, Taiwan

Taiwan Barwing - KM50 Area, Dasyueshan Forest Reserve, Taiwan

Coal Tit of subspecies ptilosus - KM50 area, Dasyueshan Forest Reserve, Taiwan

After a superb self cook vegetable and noodle soup at the visitor centre (eBird checklist here). We headed down to KM23 and walked down the road. We enjoyed good views of Taiwan Barbet and our best views yet of Taiwan Whistling-thrush but otherwise the species here were much the same as yesterday mornings session at KM23. My eBird checklist can be viewed here.

Taiwan Barbet - KM23 area, Dasyueshan Forest Reserve, Taiwan

Taiwan Whistling-Thrush - KM23 area, Dasyueshan Forest Reserve, Taiwan

White-eared Sibia - KM23 area, Dasyueshan Forest Reserve, Taiwan

Swinhoe's Pheasant - KM23 area, Dasyueshan Forest Reserve, Taiwan

It was now 15:00 and we decided to head uphill. As we reached KM30 I heard a call I had not heard before and on stopping the car we found a group of eight Steere's Liochichla feeding along the roadside and then in the tree's above a party of 12 Brown Bullfinch of the endemic subspecies uchidai. Here we also had good views of White-backed Woodpecker of the heavily streaked subspecies insularius and Rufous-faced Warbler, a bird whose insect like trill was commonly heard but we had good views of relatively few. My eBird checklist for the location can be viewed here.

After 30 minutes the fog rolled in and we drove above it to KM35 (eBird checklist here) but it was not long before the fog had risen up the hill and shrouded us once again and so it was time to head back to the lodge after a successful days birding.