Tuesday 31 March 2015

The Miyako

It's been very warm and spring-like and I cycled to the tributary of the Miyako to see if our wintering birds were still around.


There were quite a few Black-faced Buntings (Aojiアオジ) & Dusky Thrushes (Tsugumiツグミ) still calling and foraging by the stream. Probably they will soon leave for the north.

I heard a very familiar call, which I heard every day when living in Wales.
The Great Spotted Woodpecker (Akageraアカゲラ)!


I knew there were some GS woodpeckers wintering in Chiba but I'd never seen or even heard any around where we live since we moved in. So I just presumed they weren't here, which made me think I just heard what I'd have wanted to hear but there she was!

What a beauty!

From the bush alongside the stream, a couple of Japanese Green Pheasants (Kijiキジ) were making calls and I found one behind a bush.
He made a call, and at the same time beat his wings vigorously - like a courtship dance?
It's hard to see in the pic but his plumage is different from the Ring-necked Pheasants I used to see in the UK, more greenish and no ring around his neck.

In a paddie field, which seemd to have been turned over recently, a lone Little Ringed Plover (Kochidoriコチドリ) was foraging.
 a sign of spring!

Many birds were busy singing including
a male Meadow Bunting (Hoojiroホオジロ)
and refuelling:)

a male Brown-headed Shrike mimicking many other birds - I was tricked!

and I heard Eastern Great Tits, Japanese White-eyes, Japanese Bush Warblers, Brown-eared Bulbuls, Grey Startlings, and even Dusky Thrushes singing as well.

a very pleasant & successful walk in the early morning:)

many carp in the water


Monday 30 March 2015

Birding in Taiwan VIII


Taiwan Hwamei singing





On Taipei Beimen Post Office (臺北北門郵局) - one of the many buildings which were built when Japan occupied Taiwan,
Asian Glossy Starlings (Midori Karasumodokiミドリカラスモドキ) were resting. 

a very busy Longshan Temple (龍山寺)


the end of our superb holiday in taiwan:)

Sunday 29 March 2015

Birding in Taiwan VII

Day 5 Guguan (谷関) & Basianshan (八仙山)

We started our last birding day with Ko-san at 6 in the morning in Guguan.

They were House Swifts (Hime Amatsubameヒメアマツバメ), Pacific Swifts (Amatsubameアマツバメ) & Asian House Martins (Iwatsubameイワツバメ) and more than 30 of them were flying high in the morning sky. 



On a high wall by the side of the road, there was an ideal bush for many birds.

a pair of Collared Finchbills (Kayanoboriカヤノボリ)

a very blurred image of a male Black-naped Monarch (Kuroerihitakiクロエリヒタキ)...

Taiwan Scimitar Babbler (Taiwan Himemaruhashiタイワンヒメマルハシ)

We also saw Grey-capped Woodpecker, Grey-chinned Minivet, White-bellied Erpornis, Thick-billed Crow, Varied Tit, Light-vented Bulbul, Black Bulbul, Japanese White-eye, Brown Dipper, Little Egret, Great Egret, Plumbeous Redstart, Grey Wagtail and White Wagtail just before breakfast. 

When we were checking out our hotel, a pair of Cattle Egrets were standing by the river just outside our hotel window! Ko-san said it was unusal to see them up in the river so they could have stopped there (during the migration?). 


Basianshan Forest Recreation Area (八仙山森林遊楽區)

We were hoping to see Taiwan Blue Magpies again (but no luck!) and but saw the following instead.

Crsted Serpent Eagle (Kammuriwashiカンムリワシ)
Grey Treepie (Taiwan Onagaタイワンオナガ)
Taiwan Barbet (Goshikidoriゴシキドリ) & Black Bulbuls (Kurohiyodoriクロヒヨドリ)
Taiwan Hwamei (Taiwan Gabichoタイワンガビチョウ) 
White-rumped Munia (Koshijiro Kimparaコシジロキンパラ)
  Grey Wagtail (Kisekireiキセキレイ) got a large snack - a dragonfly!
a pond was full of tadpoles
many beautiful butterflies
a lizard

We also saw/heard Eurasian Jay, Grey-cheeked Fulvetta, Daurian Redstart, Dusky Fulvetta.


Saturday 28 March 2015

Birding in Taiwan VI

Day 3&4 Snow Mountain (大雪山) 4


We also saw many woodland birds, most of which are small and agile but I managed to take some pictures of them.

Coal Tit (Higaraヒガラ)
Coal Tits in Taiwan have a big(ish!) crest.
already a busy time for parents!


Green-backed Tit (Kibara Shijukaraキバラシジュウカラ)
Green-backed Tits look very much like the Great Tits we were so used to watching in the UK. The big difference is that Green-backed ones have a white nape.

Black-throated Tit (Zuaka Enagaズアカエナガ)
wish he was closer...

Spotted Nutcracker (Hoshigarasuホシガラス)

The dawn chorus was amazing around our accommodation.

Vivid Niltava(Chabara Oruriチャバラオオルリ)


Scaly Thrush (Toratsugumiトラツグミ)

Snow Mountain is one of the best birding places in Taiwan, we were told, as you have chance to see most of their endemic species/subspecies in a relatively small area. Probably even better with a knowledgeable & experienced guide, like our guide Ko-san.

Our sighting list for Snow Mountain :
Taiwan Hill Partridge (E), Chinese Bamboo Partridge (heard), Swinhoe's Pheasant (E), Mikado Pheasant (E), Oriental Honey Buzzard, Crested Goshawk, Collared Owlet (heard), Grey-chinned Minivet, Spotted Nutcracker (Essp), Thick-billed Crow, Coal Tit (Essp), Green-backed Tit (Essp), Yellow Tit (E), Taiwan Wren-babbler (E), Rufuous-faced Warbler (heard), Yellow-bellied Bush Warbler (Essp), Taiwan Bush Warbler (E), Rufous-capped Babbler (Essp), Dusky Fulvetta (Essp), Grey-cheeked Fulvetta (E), White-whiskered Laughingthrush (E), Steere's Liocichla (E), White-eared Sibia (E), Taiwan Yuhina (E), Flamecrest (E), Eurasian Nuthatch (heard), Taiwan Whistling Thrush (E), Scaly Thrush, White-browed Bush Robin (Essp), Collared Bush Robin (E), Plumbeous Redstart (Essp), White-tailed Robin (Essp), Vivid Niltava (Essp), Red-flanked Bluetail, Fire-breasted Flowerpecker (Essp), Taiwan Rosefinch (E)


Ko-san took us to Dongshi (東勢) in the afternoon and our sighting list there is:
Chinese Bamboo Partridge (heard), Little Egret, Great Egret, Crested Serpent Eagle, Spotted Dove, White-bellied Green Pigeon, House Swift, Taiwan Barbet, Black Drongo, Black-naped Monarch, Collared Finchbill, Light-vented Bulbul, Black Bulbul, Barn Swallow, Pacific Swallow, Striated Swallow, Asian House Martin, Striated Prinia, Dusky Fulvetta, Common Myna, Plumbeous Redstart, White Wagtail, Tree Sparrow