29th November 2013 Wulai

We soon drove the short distance to Wulai where we were greeted by a flock of Taiwan Blue Magpies before birding the hillside above the Ulay Cable Car Station where a large flock of Grey-chinned Minivets and two Mugimaki Flycatchers were the highlight and then the waterfall trail a little further up the valley. Late afternoon drive to Taoyuan where we handed back the car after dark in preparation for our departure next morning.

Grey Heron 1
Little Egret 1
Black-eared Kite 3
Crested Serpent Eagle 3
Crested Goshawk 1
Mountain Hawk Eagle 4
House Swift 10
Taiwan Barbet 1
Grey-chinned Minivet 80
Bronzed Drongo 2
Jay 2
Taiwan Blue Magpie 8 ex.
Grey Treepie 2
Large-billed Crow 2
Varied Tit 1
Pacific Swallow 10
Asian House Martin 2
Chinese Bulbul 15
Himalayan Black Bulbul 15
Grey-cheeked Fulvetta 15
Taiwan Sibia 6
White-bellied Erpornis 4
Eye-browed Thrush 2
Vivid Niltava 1 female
Mugimaki Flycatcher 2 ex.
Tree Sparrow 6
Grey Wagtail 2

Wulai

 

 

Waterfall at Wulai (JFC)

 

 



First-winter Mugimaki Flycatcher at Wulai (top JFC)

 

Male Mugimaki Flycatcher at Wulai

 

 

Grey Wagtail at Wulai (lower JFC)

Grey-chinned Minivets at Wulai

 

Himalayan Black Bulbuls at Wulai (JFC)

Jay at Wulai

 

Male White-tailed Robin at Wulai (JFC)

 

Female Vivid Niltava at Wulai (JFC)

 

Suspension Bridge to the Waterfall Trail at Wulai (JFC)

 

Waterfall Trail at Wulai (JFC)

 

Formosan Rock Macaque along the Waterfall Trail at Wulai (JFC)

Crested Serpent Eagle over Wulai

 

Eye-browed Thrush at Wulai (lower JFC)

 

 Temple at Wulai (JFC)

 

Scooters are still the transport of choice in Taipei (JFC)



28th November 2013 Wushe Km18 and drive to Taroko Gorge

After dawn spent watching the birds leave roost next to our hotel again we had planned on a morning return to Hehuanshan Pass but suffered our first really bad day of weather with thick fog even combined with icy roads and falling snow at the mountain pass. We did enjoy some Siberian winterers at the Km18 car park but thereafter did little birding until reaching the spectacular Taroko Gorge where a Little Forktail was seen and the flock of mainly hybrid Bulbuls located in the town square. In order to find some pure Taiwan Bulbuls we drove c.8km south of Taroko River that proved far enough. We then drove north for c.100km until finding a hotel in a hot springs town.

Chinese Bamboo Partridge h
Eastern Cattle Egret 5
Great White Egret 10
Crested Goshawk 2
Red Turtle Dove 10
Taiwan Barbet 2
Black Drongo 6
Jay 1
Large-billed Crow 4
Pacific Swallow 50 including an albino individual above Taroko gorge
Asian House Martin 10
Black-throated Tit 12
Plain Prinia 1
Chinese Bulbul 25
TAIWAN BULBUL 15
Korean Bush Warbler 1
Yellow-bellied Bush Warbler 2
Rufous-capped Babbler 2
Taiwan Hwamei 2
White-whiskered Laughingthrush 1
Steere's Liocichla 8
Taiwan Fulvetta 4
Taiwan Sibia 2
Taiwan Yuhina 10
Vinous-throated Parrotbill 20
Japanese White-eye 10
Taiwan Whistling Thrush 2
White's Thrush 1 ex.
Eye-browed Thrush 4
Siberian Rubythroat 1
Collared Bush Robin 1 male
Red-flanked Bluetail 1 female
Daurian Redstart 6
Plumbeous Redstart 6
Little Forktail 1 ex.
Blue Rock Thrush 1 male
Tree Sparrow 10
White-rumped Munia 3
Grey Wagtail 2
White Wagtail 2
Olive-backed Pipit 1
Vinaceous Rosefinch 3
Black-faced Bunting 1

 

Vinous-throated Parrotbill at Wushe (JFC)



Taiwan Hwamei at Wushe (JFC)



 

Korean Bush Warbler at Wushe

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

White's Thrush above Wushe (lower ten JFC)

 

Female Red-flanked Bluetail at Km18 (JFC)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Taroko Gorge (JFC)

 

Male Plumbeous Redstart at Taroko Gorge (JFC)

 

Male Amur Wagtail at Taroko Gorge (JFC)

 

Flock of presumed mainly Taiwan x Chinese Bulbul hybrids at Taroko Gorge (JFC)

 

 

 

One of the more convincing Taiwan Bulbuls at Taroko Gorge (lower two JFC)

 

Taiwan Bulbul c.8km south of Taroko River (JFC)

The Taroko River is estimated to mark the boundary of the hybrid swarm, so as with birders before, we travelled c.8km south in an attempt to guarantee seeing pure birds