Taiwan - Birding Reports (1 Viewer)

[Dave 2x]

This weekend I made a trip down to Taichung with one day on Dasyueshan and a bit of time to twitch the Hawfinch.

Overall a successful trip, the mountain was great with perfect weather, active birds and no people! Highlights included:-

Swinhoe's Pheasant (3)
Mikado Pheasant (1)
Taiwan Partridge (3)
Lots of the other endemics
Formosan Reeve's Muntjac
Siberian Weasel
Hawfinch in Taichung

A few photos, more to come:

Formosan Reeve's Muntjac - Dasyueshan
Siberian Weasel - Dasyueshan
Rufous-crowned Laughingthrush - Dasyueshan
Hawfinch - Taichung
Crab-eating Mongoose - Tianliaoyang from previous week

Cheers

Dave

 

[Jeff Hopkins]

Amazing, Dave. Great stuff.

 

[Dave 2x]

Thanks Jeff!

Here's a few more pics from the mountain...

1. Female Taiwan Rosefinch
2. Male Swinhoe's Pheasant
3. Eurasian Nutcracker
4. Eurasian Jay
5. Taiwan Whistling-Thrush

Cheers

Dave

 

[Dave 2x]

A few photos from this last week...

Manchurian Bush-Warbler - Tianliaoyang
Japanese Robin - Yehliu
Rufous-capped Babbler - Tainliaoyang
Fork-tailed Swift - Tianliaoyang

Cheers

Dave

 

[Paul Rhodes]

Super pictures Dave particularly the Robin hope you're keeping well.

 

[Dave 2x]

Super pictures Dave particularly the Robin hope you're keeping well.

Thanks Paul....always good, so you are planning a return visit yet?

Now we are at the peak of migrant activity and places like Matsu, Yehliu and Tianliaoyang are the places to hang out.

Nothing too exciting for me so far but I have had a few birds to keep me interested including Narcissus Flycatcher, Grey-backed Thrush, Yellow Bunting, a Yellow-fronted Canary (obviously escaped/introduced), Tristram's Bunting, Chestnut-cheeked Starling and a beautifully summer plumage male Brambling.

Here's a few pics...

Yellow-fronted Canary - Yehliu
White-rumped Munia - Jinshan
Brambling - Tianliaoyang
Brambling - Tianliaoyang
Yellow-fronted Canary - Yehliu

Cheers

Dave

 

[Dave 2x]

23 to 25 April 2016

I spent this weekend in Dongyin which is one of the Matsu islands in Taiwan, a great place for migrants at this time of the year.

Some of the birds that can be difficult to get in Taiwan included:-
Brown-breasted Flycatcher;
Greater Short-toed Lark;
Barred Cuckoo-Dove;
Black Bittern;
Plaintive Cuckoo;
Citrine Wagtail;
Germain's Swiftlet
Black-capped Kingfisher;
Dollarbird;
Black-winged Cuckooshrike;
Ashy Drongo;
Yellow-breasted Bunting;
Common Rosefinch;
Eurasian Woodcock
Asian Koel;
Hair-crested Drongo;
Daurian Starling;
Sooty Tern;
Aleutian Tern
Pomarine Jaeger;
Parasitic Jaeger

Here's some photos...

1. Brown-breasted Flycatcher
2. Greater Short-toed Lark
3. Plaintive Cuckoo
4. Citrine Wagtail
5. Citrine Wagtail

Cheers

Dave

 

[Dave 2x]

Some more photos...

1. Citrine Wagtail
2. Black Bittern;
3. Chinese Goshawk
4. Chinese Goshawk
5. Yellow-breasted Bunting

 

[Dave 2x]

more photos...

1. Gray-headed Lapwing;
2. Oriental Pratincole
3. Marsh Sandpiper
4. Red-throated Pipit
5. Chinese Pond-Heron

 

[Dave 2x]

and some more photos...

1. Narcissus Flycatcher
2. Richard's Pipit
3. Yellow-breasted Bunting;
4. Gray Wagtail;
5. Citrine Wagtail

 

[Dave 2x]

more...

1. Siberian Stonechat;
2. Brown Shrike;
3. Chestnut Bunting;
4. Chestnut Bunting;
5. Little Bunting

 

[Dave 2x]

Sunday, 1 May 2016

I finally got my Asian Dowitcher in Taiwan. Not sure how I had kept missing this one but finally got it after a tip-off from Richard. Photo taken at Watzuwei in Taipei.

There were also 4 Chinese Egrets present plus a number of Gray-tailed Tattlers.

Cheers

Dave

 

[Paul Rhodes]

Pleased you got the dowitcher Dave and great pictures of the yellow breasted bunting which gives some hope for this fast declining species. Still hoping to get back probably via another far eastern destination !

 

[Dave 2x]

Pleased you got the dowitcher Dave and great pictures of the yellow breasted bunting which gives some hope for this fast declining species. Still hoping to get back probably via another far eastern destination !

Thanks Paul....always nice to finally get a bogey bird!

Saturday 7 May 2016
Made an early morning trip to Tianliaoyang. As temperatures rise here in Taiwan the number of birds reduces and as expected things were a bit slow. Highlights were probably the Fork-tailed Swifts and Oriental Cuckoos.

When I arrived home I received word that there was a Red-billed Chough of all things in a park in Taipei. I quickly rushed down there and got photos but have since discovered it's almost definitely an escaped/released cage bird. Why anyone would want to put a Chough in a cage I don't know.

Sunday 8 May 2016
I started the morning at a small park in Taipei to look for the male Asian Koel that had been reported. The bird's calling quickly gave away it's location.

Next stop was the Botanical Gardens which had Rufous-capped Babbler, White-rumped Shama, Vinous-throated Parrotbill and nesting Taiwan Barbet.

Some photos:

1. Red-billed Chough - Taipei
2. Oriental Cuckoo - Tianliaoyang
3. Asian Koel - Taipei
4. Lesser Coucal - Tianliaoyang
5. Oriental Cuckoo - Tianliaoyang

Cheers

Dave

 

[Dave 2x]

On the 7 May 2016, I photographed a Pipit that looked unusual and one that I could not immediately identify. It turns out it was a Rosy Pipit and if validated a first national record for Taiwan. Thanks for help on the ID Steve!

Here's a few pics...

Cheers

Dave

 

[Dave 2x]

Saturday 14 May 2016

Things are getting pretty slow in the North of Taiwan so I decided to spend this weekend photographing exotics.

First up was a pair of Red-whiskered Bulbuls which are currently nesting a short walk from my apartment. Another exotic in the area was a Chinese Hwamei. Oriental Cuckoos were also active.

Sunday 15 May 2016

This time I made a quick trip to Beitou in Taipei where 4 Cockatoos are presumed to be nesting on a cliff face (3 Sulphur-crested and 1 White Cockatoo). The area is also home to lots of Taiwan Blue Magpies.

One big plus from this weekend is that I will no longer get any "Needs Alerts" regarding Cockatoos from Ebird!

Here's a few pics:

1. Taiwan Blue Magpie with Black Bulbul - Beitou
2. White Cockatoo - Beitou
3. Taiwan Blue Magpie - Beitou
4. Red-whiskered Bulbul - Taipei
5. Chinese Hwamei - Taipei

Cheers

Dave

 

[SteveMM]

On the 7 May 2016, I photographed a Pipit that looked unusual and one that I could not immediately identify. It turns out it was a Rosy Pipit and if validated a first national record for Taiwan. Thanks for help on the ID Steve!

Here's a few pics...

Cheers

Dave

Very jealous of that Rosy Pipit, Dave, as that's a really excellent find. Not sure the same can be said of cockatoos, though!

The only bird news from the south was of a Jacobin Cuckoo in Tainan last week, which I dipped on. I got some decidedly average photos of Himalayan Wood Owl above Alishan at the weekend.

 

[SteveMM]

The Scaly Thrushes at Xi Tou are outrageously confiding if you're bored at the moment, Dave.

 

[birdingaroundtaiwan]

Hi all. I'm back in Taiwan (Kaohsiung) for the next six months, and looking forward to doing plenty of birding once the summer doldrums are over. Dave, Steve, hoping we'll have an opportunity to meet in the field sometime!

Cheers
Dominic
https://domthebirder.com/

 

[birdingaroundtaiwan]

First trip up to Tengjhih last weekend .... it's great to be back! https://domthebirder.com/2016/06/30/taiwan-endemics-at-tengjhih/