Taiwan - Birding Reports (1 Viewer)

[Dave 2x]

A disappointing trip to Dongyin over the holiday period, with some common migrants but no real diversity to speak of. Pretty much all the buntings there were Little Buntings, and a singing Bluethroat didn't do much to break the monotony of the daily fog.

There had been birds before and will surely be some there now as the cold front arrives. The weather had just been far too nice for far too long in the days running up to this past weekend!

I just read your blog Steve and I would have been quite happy with some of those birds you saw....Bluethroat, Goldcrest, Brown-cheeked Rail and the Shearwater are all great finds!

I tried Huajiang again at the weekend...nothing to report apart from the Chinese Penduline-Tits seem to have increased from 4 to 7 birds and the photographers have decreased from 120 to 10!

Cheers

Dave

 

[SteveMM]

I just read your blog Steve and I would have been quite happy with some of those birds you saw....Bluethroat, Goldcrest, Brown-cheeked Rail and the Shearwater are all great finds!

I tried Huajiang again at the weekend...nothing to report apart from the Chinese Penduline-Tits seem to have increased from 4 to 7 birds and the photographers have decreased from 120 to 10!

Cheers

Dave

Cheers, Dave.

Yes, I agree, but I do have very high expectations of places like Dongyin as I was spoilt something rotten on my last trip there over the Tomb Sweep Day holiday (in 2013)!

A trip list of a massive 120 species included: Northern Goshawk, Brown-cheeked Rail, Baillon's Crake, Woodcock, Japanese Woodpigeon, Ryukyu Minivet, Japanese Robin, Bluethroat, Hartert's Leaf Warbler, Bianchi's Warbler, Goldcrest, owstoni Flycatcher, Daurian Starling, Common Rosefinch and 11 species of bunting including Common Reed Bunting!

All the common migrants were also present (in numbers, too) and we got Black-footed Albatross and Pomarine Skua from the ferry home!

Perfect conditions, perfect birds, and an extra day's holiday with the boat cancelled really was a case of 'died and gone to heaven'. I was by no means expecting a repeat performance this year, but was certainly hopeful of more than I actually got!

Short-tailed Shearwaters are also no big deal if you seawatch and will become quite common offshore towards the end of the month (and Wedge-taileds will start turning up, too). They're especially nice when they're flying up and down the beach in Qi Gu (as two astonishingly chose to do last May)!

 

[SteveMM]

There seem to be Little Stints all over the place at the moment. This one is from Bu Dai on Friday. As the coast seems to be a dead loss for passerines at the moment, I finally went for that Black Bittern today.

 

[Dave 2x]

That Black Bittern is tempting.....depending on other reports I may make it down to Kaoshiung this weekend. Thanks for posting.

Little Stint is another bird I have never got a good photo of to date...one day!

This last weekend I went to Yehliu following reports of Japanese Paradise-Flycatchers being seen there the day before. Upon entering the Geopark I quickly picked up a Chinese Hwamei in the garden next to the carpark, which is obviously an escaped cage bird.

While photographing the Hwamei a Japanese Paradise-Flycatcher flew in, quickly followed by another. Altogether I think there were at least 5 birds...2 in the garden at the entrance, one at the top of the set of steps up the rock and 2 by the toilets on the top (one of these a long-tailed male).

Next to the Queen's head 4 Chinese Egrets were hanging around...lots of photographers were arriving but none stopped for these birds even when I tried to point them out. The Chinese Egrets hung around all morning and were still there when I left close to lunchtime.

The following day (Sunday 19 April 2015), I tried Huajiang....absolutely nothing unusual or even slightly uncommon to report!

Cheers

Dave

 

[davidhru]

Dave,
I'm always amazed at the photos you get. I was at Yehliu a day previous to you and felt lucky just to get a glimpse of the male Japanese Paradise-Flycatcher nevertheless a photo. I think I saw the Chinese egrets also but with no scope I couldn't confirm so I'll have to wait for another day to add them to my TW list.
BTW when I went to WBST to pay for the upcoming Guishan trip the girl thought that I was you since we have the same first name. So if you're going on that trip hopefully we can meet up.

David

 

[Dave 2x]

Dave,
I'm always amazed at the photos you get. I was at Yehliu a day previous to you and felt lucky just to get a glimpse of the male Japanese Paradise-Flycatcher nevertheless a photo. I think I saw the Chinese egrets also but with no scope I couldn't confirm so I'll have to wait for another day to add them to my TW list.
BTW when I went to WBST to pay for the upcoming Guishan trip the girl thought that I was you since we have the same first name. So if you're going on that trip hopefully we can meet up.

David

I tried to book the Guishan trip last week but there is already a waiting list...a shame as that island usually holds some really good birds!

We should meet up one of these weekends and go birding!

Cheers

Dave

 

[davidhru]

I tried to book the Guishan trip last week but there is already a waiting list...a shame as that island usually holds some really good birds!

We should meet up one of these weekends and go birding!

There is still hope for the Guishan trip--I was also on the waiting list but got called a couple of days ago. I've never been to Guishan Island but the part of not landing if the seas are too rough is a little off-putting.
Anyway I'm free most weekends as well as weekdays for birding now since I've retired. I can get to most of the northern sites via public transportation but it's always nice to go with someone if possible. If you are going to make a trip to dashueshan anytime I would especially love to join--I'm still missing the endemic Taiwan Partridge despite several trips to find it.

David

 

[SteveMM]

A few flycatchers on the south-west coast, but migrants generally still seem to be few and far between. I have this one down as an unusually poor spring.

I've heard rumours of Orange-headed Thrush at Yehliu, but don't know how accurate they are. Apparently, there was also Pied Triller in Qi Gu earlier in the month (when I was on ******* Dongyin!). Birds, eh!

 

[Dave 2x]

I've heard rumours of Orange-headed Thrush at Yehliu, but don't know how accurate they are. Apparently, there was also Pied Triller in Qi Gu earlier in the month (when I was on ******* Dongyin!). Birds, eh!

Hadn't heard anything about the Orange-headed Thrush....that would be a great bird for Yehliu! Not even close to being in the same league, but a male Chestnut Bunting is being reported from there today.

David - they just called and I am now booked on the Guishan Island trip so I will see you there. The island is very hit and miss but if you get lucky and time it right there can be lots of migrants. Also resident on the island are Brown-eared Bulbul and Lowland White-eye which are difficult to get on the mainland. I also had an Aleutian Tern on their spring trip 2 years ago.

Cheers

Dave

 

[Dave 2x]

A few good birds reported on 22 April at Yehiu including a Baillon's Crake and a Ruddy Kingfisher.

Pied Harrier also on the 22 April at Jinshan, with 5 Oriental Storks reported in Jinshan earlier in the week.

Cheers

Dave

 

[davidhru]

A few good birds reported on 22 April at Yehiu including a Baillon's Crake and a Ruddy Kingfisher.

Pied Harrier also on the 22 April at Jinshan, with 5 Oriental Storks reported in Jinshan earlier in the week.

I made a trip to Yehliu and Jinshan today--there was a ton of photographers and birdwatchers for the middle of the week at Yehliu. I didn't see or hear of others seeing the Baillon's crake today or the rumored Orange-headed Thrush but there were some good birds including Ruddy Kingfisher moving in dense brush but occassionally offering good views. Also responding to people putting some food on the trail were Chestnut Buntings and Narcissus Flycatchers. At Jinshan no sign of the Oriental Storks but a small flock of Long-toed Stints and a couple of Pacific Golden Plovers were available. It was difficult to get a spot to grab any photos but here's a partially blocked one of the Chestnut Bunting.
http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll10/davidhru/P39%20Chestnut%20Bunting%204-23-15%20Yehliu%20TW_zps4kupaj1z.jpg

Edit: I see a report on ebird of someone who was out very early on the 23rd at Yehliu (0630) that did see the Baillon's Crake plus quite a few other goodies like Chestnut-winged Cuckoo, Radde's and Eastern Crowned Warblers plus a bunch of flycatchers including Asian Brown, Red-flanked Bluetail and Red-breasted. Yehliu is definitely a hot spot right now but for how long these birds will stay around is hard to say. If you're going after you work your way through the tourist crowd and up to the birdwatching area the trail splits into upper, middle and lower tracks heading towards the cape. The Ruddy Kingfisher was on the upper track, flycatcher on the middle and Chestnut Bunting on the lower so check out all 3.

David

 

[Dave 2x]

Thanks David, I went today:
Yehliu:
Baillon's Crake was showing well on the top path;
Ruddy kingfisher was showing well on the middle path before you get to the toilet area;

Jinshan:
Dipped on the Japanese Night Heron reported a couple of days ago;
Pied Harrier (female) in the Siberian Crane area - had to wait quite a while to get distant looks.

Will add photos later in the week.

Cheers

Dave

 

[Dave 2x]

One correction from yesterday....closer looks at my photos and it appears to be a female Hen Harrier rather than a Pied Harrier.

Both Pied and Hen Harrier's were reported in Jinshan over the weekend.

Cheers

Dave

 

[davidhru]

As usual some great photos Dave. I went back to Yehliu on Sunday hoping to see the Baillon's Crake. I arrived at 8 am on the upper trail where it was showing Saturday but I just missed it and even though I waited untill 10 am it didn't show again. The early bird got the worm and I didn't get the bird.

David

 

[Dave 2x]

As usual some great photos Dave. I went back to Yehliu on Sunday hoping to see the Baillon's Crake. I arrived at 8 am on the upper trail where it was showing Saturday but I just missed it and even though I waited untill 10 am it didn't show again. The early bird got the worm and I didn't get the bird.

David

ah but you did get a Common Rosefinch, a bird I haven't seen in Taiwan yet...nice find!!

See you on Saturday...

Cheers

Dave

 

[davidhru]

ah but you did get a Common Rosefinch, a bird I haven't seen in Taiwan yet...nice find!!

I wish I could take credit for the find but it was another birder who first saw it 20 meters south of the big crowd waiting for the Baillon's Crake. Granted a female Common Rosefinch isn't a very flashy bird but only 1 or 2 of the large crowd of photographers waiting for the Crake bothered to come see the Rosefinch even though it's probably not a frequent visitor to Taiwan. I don't know if they were afraid to leave in case the Crake came out or just don't appreciate dull but rare visitors to Taiwan.
Looking forward to Saturday--the seas were certainly calm around Yehliu Sunday.

Davd

 

[SteveMM]

Thanks David, I went today:
Yehliu:
Baillon's Crake was showing well on the top path;
Ruddy kingfisher was showing well on the middle path before you get to the toilet area;

Jinshan:
Dipped on the Japanese Night Heron reported a couple of days ago;
Pied Harrier (female) in the Siberian Crane area - had to wait quite a while to get distant looks.

Will add photos later in the week.

Cheers

Dave

I only found out about those birds on Friday, otherwise I would have had a crack at them during the day Thursday before sailing to Dongyin.

I can have no complaints about Dongyin this time round, though, as it hit a very rich vein of form over the weekend. The highlights were singing male Chinese Leaf Warbler (YES!!!), Citrine Wagtail (3), Chinese Grey Shrike, Swinhoe's Minivet (several), and Von Schrenck's Bittern. All the common migrants were also in, with Phylloscs everywhere island-wide and no shortage of buntings to go at.

I dipped on Japanese Night Heron, Hume's Leaf Warbler, 'Blyth's' Leaf Warbler, and Grey-headed Canary Flycatcher, all of which got reported, but I was well chuffed with my own list regardless!

All of my photos were rubbish, but, hey, I'm not a photographer!

 

[SteveMM]

I wish I could take credit for the find but it was another birder who first saw it 20 meters south of the big crowd waiting for the Baillon's Crake. Granted a female Common Rosefinch isn't a very flashy bird but only 1 or 2 of the large crowd of photographers waiting for the Crake bothered to come see the Rosefinch even though it's probably not a frequent visitor to Taiwan. I don't know if they were afraid to leave in case the Crake came out or just don't appreciate dull but rare visitors to Taiwan.
Looking forward to Saturday--the seas were certainly calm around Yehliu Sunday.

Davd

It's very likely that many among the photographers that visit Yehliu actually have no idea what a Common Rosefinch is (even if you do say its Chinese name right). The birds are almost totally irrelevant there, it's just a nice opportunity to get out for the day and sit around chatting, playing tapes of birdsong, and eating peanuts.

 

[Dave 2x]

It's very likely that many among the photographers that visit Yehliu actually have no idea what a Common Rosefinch is (even if you do say its Chinese name right). The birds are almost totally irrelevant there, it's just a nice opportunity to get out for the day and sit around chatting, playing tapes of birdsong, and eating peanuts.

So true!!!! Saturday was a bit different as everyone ran up and down the path shouting and pushing each other out of the way whilst chasing the poor Kingfisher. I couldn't take it any more and left by 8am.

Congrats on all the great birds in Matsu....love that Citrine Wagtail photo!!!

Cheers

Dave

 

[SteveMM]

So true!!!! Saturday was a bit different as everyone ran up and down the path shouting and pushing each other out of the way whilst chasing the poor Kingfisher. I couldn't take it any more and left by 8am.

Congrats on all the great birds in Matsu....love that Citrine Wagtail photo!!!

Cheers

Dave

I'm not surpised you left! I often miss things at Yehliu because I go on it whilst it's still dark and try to leave before the first bus out of Taipei arrives.

I do recall a lot of pushing and jostling on twitches in the UK (and running and people falling over), and thought it all to be part of the fun. The difference there was that everyone kept a very respectful distance from the bird and there seemed to be a tacit understanding that the bird's safety was of paramount importance. If you didn't share this 'tacit understanding', you could be sure that you would be told about it pretty sharpish and in no uncertain terms!

Nobody played any stupid tapes in the UK either, and I wonder if it is this that has sent them all doolally at Yehliu!

Qi Gu had two Japanese Paradise Flycatchers today, but I was pushed for time and could not hang around for photographs. The best news of the day was a Ruddy-breasted Crake wandering around with a bunch of tiny chicks, so a nest that was right next to the path survived and all the eggs hatched (all gone this morning).