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Taiwan/Singapore Trip 14 June – 30 June 2008 (1 Viewer)

A

A CHAPLIN

Well-known member
I spent two weeks in West-Central Taiwan. The major goal of the trip was to spend time looking for Fairy Pitta in the Huben area of Yunlin County. Fairy Pitta have long been an interest of mine and I wanted to focus on spending quite a bit of time in the Huben/Hushan area. I also visited local temples and other sites around Huben. BFs Mark Bruce and Dr Scott Lin of TESRI took me around Huben over several days. In all, I had several sightings of four individual Fairy Pittas. As it was quite late in the breeding season we had to work very hard to get sightings. The ease of early breeding season sightings had passed and many hours in very hot and humid conditions over a period of nine days were put in to get good sightings. Sadly, the construction of Hushan Dam is taking its toll on the Huben/Hushan IBA and the future of the Fairy Pitta in this important breeding area remains uncertain.


I did two day trips into the mountains to bird at Hsitou Forest and Shanlinhsi Forest. The botanical gardens at the Taiwan Endemic Species Research Institute (TESRI) in Jiji and Sun Moon Lake were also visited. I did a day trip to the City of Tainan to visit the old temples and historical sites of Taiwan’s historical and cultural capital.


I didn’t go all out chasing numbers and trying to tick all the Taiwan endemics on the trip as the focus was to spend time focusing on the Fairy Pittas. I was still able to notch up over sixty species including some of the endemics on the trip.


Taiwan’s montane forests are really lovely. Birding in these mountain forests is lovely and offers a welcome escape from the very hot and humid lowlands.


A list of bird species seen follows (endemics in bold):



  1. Grey Heron Ardea cinerea
  2. Great Egret Ardea alba
  3. Little Egret Egretta garzetta
  4. Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis
  5. Black-crowned Night-Heron Nycticorax nycticorax
  6. Malayan Night-Heron Gorsachius melanolophus
  7. Mallard Anas platyrhynchos
  8. Crested Goshawk Accipiter trivirgatus
  9. Crested Serpent-Eagle Spilornis cheela
  10. Chinese Bamboo-Partridge Bambusicola thoracica
  11. Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus
  12. Red Collared-Dove Streptopelia tranquebarica
  13. Spotted Dove Streptopelia chinensis
  14. Emerald Dove Chalcophaps indica
  15. Rock Pigeon Columba livia
  16. Large Hawk-Cuckoo Cuculus sparverioides
  17. Oriental Cuckoo Cuculus saturatus
  18. House Swift Apus nipalensis
  19. Taiwan BarbetMegalaima nuchalis formerlyBlack Browed Barbet Megalaima oorti nuchalis
  20. Fairy Pitta Pitta nympha
  21. Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica
  22. Pacific Swallow Hirundo tahitica
  23. Striated Swallow Cecropis striolata
  24. White Wagtail Motacilla alba
  25. Collared Finchbill Spizixos semitorques
  26. Light-vented Bulbul Pycnonotus sinensis
  27. Black Bulbul Hypsipetes leucocephalus
  28. Zitting Cisticola Cisticola juncidis
  29. Striated Prinia Prinia crinigera
  30. Yellow-bellied Prinia Prinia flaviventris
  31. Plain Prinia Prinia inornata
  32. Rufous-faced Warbler Abroscopus albogularis
  33. Ferruginous Flycatcher Muscicapa ferruginea
  34. Snowy-browed Flycatcher Ficedula hyperythra
  35. Vivid Niltava Niltava vivida
  36. White-tailed Robin Cinclidium leucurum
  37. Little Forktail Enicurus scouleri
  38. Plumbeous Water Redstart Rhyacornis fuliginosa
  39. Black-naped Blue Monarch Hypothymis azurea
  40. Rusty LaughingthrushGarrulax poecilorhynchus
  41. Steere's Liocichla Liocichla steerii
  42. Taiwan Scimitar-BabblerPomatorhinus musicus formerly Streak-breasted Scimitar Babbler Pomatorhinus ruficollis musicus
  43. Rufous-capped Babbler Stachyris ruficeps
  44. Taiwan BarwingActinodura morrisoniana
  45. Dusky Fulvetta Alcippe brunnea
  46. Taiwan FulvettaAlcippe formosana formerly Grey-cheeked Fulvetta Alcippe morrisonia formosana
  47. White-eared SibiaHeterophasia auricularis
  48. Taiwan YuhinaYuhina brunneiceps
  49. White-bellied Yuhina Yuhina zantholeuca
  50. Eurasian Nuthatch Sitta europaea
  51. Japanese White-eye Zosterops japonicus
  52. Black Drongo Dicrurus macrocercus
  53. Bronzed Drongo Dicrurus aeneus
  54. Grey Treepie Dendrocitta formosa
  55. Eurasian Jay Garrulus glandarius
  56. Large-billed Crow Corvus macrorhynchos
  57. White-vented Myna Acridotheres javanicus
  58. Common Myna Acridotheres tristis
  59. Eurasian Tree Sparrow Passer montanus
  60. White-rumped Munia Lonchura striata
  61. Scaly-breasted Munia Lonchura punctulata
All my thanks go to Mark Bruce and his wife Oscar for My Trip of a Lifetime, especially to Mark for taking the time and having the patience to show me so many beautiful birds and temples in the beautiful country of Taiwan.

Ann :flowers:
 
Wow Ann, what a wonderful trip.

I am so glad you enjoyed it and all those birds you saw brilliant!

Any chance of some pictures?

D
 
Hi Delia,

It was a fabulous trip, the National Parks in Taiwan are beautiful and empty of people (busy at weekends I believe) there was just Mark and I walking around looking and listening to the birds.

Sorry no photos of my own as I am such a lousy photographer Mark was my camera man. I saw the birds and he took the photos for me. He is in Malaya this week and hopes to meet up with Dr Singh (I look forward to reading that report). When he returns I will ask him to post a selection for me I have around 300 on a CD but they are not all birds of course

Ann
 
A nice report Ann - and very helpful to know that the pittas get much harder later in the breeding season.

Still hoping to get to Taiwan again to see the Pittas and the high mountains - my appetite is re-whetted - its so close to Hong Kong!

Cheers
Mike
 
Hi Mike

Thank you, it was unbelieavable walking through empty forests and mountains higher than the clouds, I would love to see more of the country.

I am an avid Fairy fan and to see 4 individuals on one visit was very special to me and the Japanese who were there at the same time kept saying "happy", they could see I was and so were they, a very special moment I will never forget especially as one crossed the road right in front of where we were stood talking about our other sightings.

I have never seen so many brightly coloured birds or species in my life, they made my garden birds look drab like our weather but I love them all.

Ann :D:egghead:
 
Hi Ann,

Great trip. I went last year and loved Taiwan, the people, and the food. Great birds, too though we went too late in the year for the Pittas and our goal were the endemics anyway.
 
Hi Ann,

Pleased to see number 20 on the list ensures that the trip to the east was a success. Looking forward to any photos mark may be able to attach here.

Cheers,
Andrew.
 
Sorry for the delay in getting some photos up. I've been away in Malaysia birding with Dr Manjeet and Jason Tan and only got back late last night.

The Fairy Pittas weren't very cooperative when it came to photos. I've posted a very blurred shot of a jumping pitta. Other shots are Steere's Liocichla, Taiwan Yuhina, White-eared Sibia, and Ferruginous Flycatcher.
 

Attachments

  • 6 21 C jumping Fairy Pitta Huben.JPG
    6 21 C jumping Fairy Pitta Huben.JPG
    197.2 KB · Views: 226
  • 6 17 D Steeres Liocichla Hsitou Forest.jpg
    6 17 D Steeres Liocichla Hsitou Forest.jpg
    138.1 KB · Views: 202
  • Taiwan Yuhina Shanlinhsi Forest.JPG
    Taiwan Yuhina Shanlinhsi Forest.JPG
    141.1 KB · Views: 203
  • White eared Sibia Hsitou Forest.JPG
    White eared Sibia Hsitou Forest.JPG
    149.7 KB · Views: 207
  • Ferruginous Flycatcher female Hsitou Forest.JPG
    Ferruginous Flycatcher female Hsitou Forest.JPG
    164.2 KB · Views: 209
A few more shots: Striated Swallow, Malayan Night Heron, Collared Finchbill, White-vented Myna, and Vivid Niltava.
 

Attachments

  • 6 14 K Striated Swallow Douliou.JPG
    6 14 K Striated Swallow Douliou.JPG
    179.6 KB · Views: 200
  • Malayan Night Heron Jiji.JPG
    Malayan Night Heron Jiji.JPG
    268.3 KB · Views: 190
  • 6 15 X Collared Finchbill Huben.JPG
    6 15 X Collared Finchbill Huben.JPG
    209.8 KB · Views: 226
  • 6 16 Q Light-vented Myna Douliou.JPG
    6 16 Q Light-vented Myna Douliou.JPG
    221.5 KB · Views: 187
  • 6 24 B6 Vivid Niltava male Shanlinhsi Forest.JPG
    6 24 B6 Vivid Niltava male Shanlinhsi Forest.JPG
    239.3 KB · Views: 183
Hi Mark,

Thank you for finding time to post up some photos for me I know you only had a few hours sleep when you got back from Malaysia and were off again.

The Fairy jumped when it saw me looking at it folks, Mark is made of stronger stuff.

Ann
 
Well Ann you have suprised me I never pictured you venturing over to the other side of the World.

It sounds wonderful and I am really pleased that you enjoyed yourself. Must be one of the most in distance BF meets.
 
A CHAPLIN said:
Hi Delia,

It was a fabulous trip, the National Parks in Taiwan are beautiful and empty of people (busy at weekends I believe) there was just Mark and I walking around looking and listening to the birds.

Sorry no photos of my own as I am such a lousy photographer Mark was my camera man. I saw the birds and he took the photos for me. He is in Malaya this week and hopes to meet up with Dr Singh (I look forward to reading that report). When he returns I will ask him to post a selection for me I have around 300 on a CD but they are not all birds of course

Ann
Click to expand...

From what Mark told me you had a real wonderful trip..you had lovely birds seen there...:clap:..i wish i was in Taiwan during you stay there..thanks for sharing the trip report with us..oh by the way Mark went back with all his body parts intact..:-O:-O..i know you were worried..:'D....regards...Manjeet.
 
It was great to finally meet Ann in person. I'll post the Singapore/Malaysia trip report (and the Dr Manjeet report ;)) in a day or two.

Good to hear this whetted a few appetites. Hope to see a few more of you on Ilha Formosa :t:.
 
Last edited:
Thanks for the photographs, such sublime birds and their names are so exotic, I had never heard of such birds as Steere's Liocichla for example! That would confuse a few during a pub chat here. ;)
 
Singapore 28 June - 30 June

Ann's having internet trouble so I'll post our Singapore bird list.

We arrived on the evening of Saturday 28 June. All birds were seen in the Singapore Botanical Gardens with the exception of the Collared Kingfisher (Fort Canning Park) and Changeable Hawk-Eagle (Kranji Military Cemetery).

Singapore Bird List
  1. Striated Heron Butorides striatus
  2. Lesser Whistling Duck Dendrocygna javanica
  3. Brahminy Kite Haliastur Indus
  4. White-bellied Sea Eagle Haliaeetus leucogaster
  5. Crested Goshawk Accipiter trivirgatus
  6. Changeable Hawk Eagle Spizaetus cirrhatus
  7. Red-legged Crake Rallina fasciata
  8. White-breasted Waterhen Amaurornis phoenicurus
  9. Rock Dove Columba livia
  10. Spotted Dove Streptopelia chinensis
  11. Pink-necked Green Pigeon Treron vernans
  12. Blue-rumped Parrot Psittinus cyanurus
  13. Blue-crowned Hanging Parrot Loriculus galgulus
  14. Long-tailed Parakeet Psittacula longicauda
  15. Common Koel Eudynamys scolopacea
  16. Edible-nest Swiftlet Collocalia fuciphaga
  17. Asian Palm Swift Cypsiurus balasiensis
  18. House Swift Apus affinis
  19. Grey-rumped Treeswift Hemiprocne longipennis
  20. Stork-billed Kingfisher Pelargopsis capensis
  21. Collared Kingfisher Halcyon chloris
  22. Blue-throated Bee-EaterMerops viridis
  23. Dollarbird Eurystomus orientalis
  24. Coppersmith Barbet Megalaima haemacephala
  25. Sunda Pygmy Woodpecker Dendrocopos moluccensis
  26. Pacific Swallow Hirundo tahitica
  27. Yellow-vented Bulbul Pycnonotus goiavier
  28. Common Iora Aegithina tiphia
  29. Oriental Magpie Robin Copsychus saularis
  30. Common Tailorbird Orthotomus sutoris
  31. Golden-bellied Gerygone Gerygone sulphurea
  32. Brown-throated Sunbird Anthreptes malacensis
  33. Olive-backed Sunbird Nectarinia jugularis
  34. Crimson Sunbird Aethopyga siparaja
  35. Scaly-breasted Munia Lonchura punctulata
  36. Tree Sparrow Passer montanus
  37. Asian Glossy Starling Aplonis panayensis
  38. Common Myna Acridotheres tristis
  39. Javan Myna Acridotheres javanicus
  40. Hill Myna Gracula religiosa
  41. Black-naped Oriole Oriolus chinensis
  42. House Crow Corvus splendens
  43. Large-billed Crow Corvus macrorhynchos
 
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