Having arrived with Cathay Pacific late evening via a brief stopover in Hong Kong we had taken the free shuttle minibus to Taoyuan Hotel where jetlag prevented getting much sleep. At dawn, collected JFC a welcome coffee and breakfast roll from the first of many Seven Eleven stores and VIP car rental soon dropped our Nissan Lavina. Despite the satnav initially directing us north to Taipei we were soon safely on our way south on freeways carving through the conurbation of Taiwan's west coast, before crossing a mountain pass where a Indian Black Eagle glided alongside the road and arriving at the scenic Huisun Forest Station at 1.30pm where we soon negotiated our accommodation at the forest station and birded until dusk at c.5pm. Our initial impressions were that the forest seemed very quiet but covering a variety of locations along the road cutting through the reserve produced a vocal Varied Tit of the distinctive Taiwanese form, whilst nearby, two Taiwan Black-browed Barbets were found feeding in a small fruiting tree and a forest trail near a small waterfall produced our first roving flock of Fulvettas. However, our main quarry - Taiwan Blue Magpie - was proving elusive, but whilst checking the river at the entrance gate, the forest guard there told us he regularly saw them at dusk where four eventually duly obliged although the light was failing and the views were briefer than we would have liked. A dusk drive back to the forest station and evening curry in the communal canteen was enlivened by two Taiwan Whistling Thrushes watched feeding in the car headlights.
Grey Heron 1
Great White Egret 1
Indian Black Eagle 1
Spotted Dove 2
House Swift 15
TAIWAN BLACK-BROWED BARBET 2 ex.
Jay 1
TAIWAN BLUE MAGPIE 4 ex.
Grey Treepie 4
Taiwan Varied Tit 1
Pacific Swallow 12
Himalayan Black Bulbul 30
Grey-cheeked Fulvetta 10
White-bellied Erpornis 2
TAIWAN WHISTLING THRUSH 2
Plumbeous Redstart 2
Brown Dipper 1
Tree Sparrow 50
Grey Wagtail 2
Amur Wagtail 2
Entrance to Huisun Forest Reserve
RJF recommended Taiwan as a destination and then provided us with much helpful advice and resources for planning our trip at such short notice over just a matter of days for which we are very grateful. Taiwan proved a delight having the flavour of an authentic southeast Asian destination combined with good roads, friendly and helpful locals and some excellent forest reserves often with their own accommodation. We managed to see fourteen of the fifteen endemic species recognised in the OBC's Birding Asia Number 2 (2004) with just Taiwan Bush Warbler evading us. We also enjoyed a good number of wintering 'Sibes' with the views obtained of a number of White's Thrushes being particularly special.
Huisun Forest Reserve (JFC)
Great Mormon Swallowtail at Huisun (JFC)
Common Sailor Butterfly at Huisun (JFC)
Taiwan Varied Tit Poecile (varius) castaneoventris at Huisun
Brazil (2009) states that within Varied Tit three species may be involved of which castaneoventris is one being much smaller than Japanese Varied Tit with a pure white face and nape patch, its upperparts dark blue-grey and its underparts completely deep chestnut.
Another Taiwan Varied Tit Poecile (varius) castaneoventris at Huisun the following morning (JFC)
Japanese Varied Tit P.v. varius on Hegura-jima, Japan in October 2012 for comparison
Taiwan Black-browed Barbet Megalaima nuchalis at Huisun (lower two JFC)
Often placed within Black-browed Barbet M. oorti as in HBW, Collar (2004) was inclined to accord nuchalis specific status and it was split by Collar, N. J. 2006. A taxonomic reappraisal of the Black-browed Barbet Megalaima oorti. Forktail: 170-173 and that is the treatment followed by Brazil (2009).
Male Amur Wagtail M.a. leucopsis at Huisun (JFC)
A very striking form and it is easy to appreciate that those fortunate to see the male that made a surprise appearance in the UK rated it as highly as the Great Spotted Cuckoo in Sussex or the Belted Kingfisher in Aberdeenshire at the same time
Grey-cheeked Fulvetta Alcippe morrisonia morrisonia at Huisun (JFC)
The common Fulvetta of Taiwan we encountered them on twelve dates often proving a common component of roving mixed species flocks.
Damselfly sp. at Huisun (JFC)
Taiwan Blue Magpie at Huisun (JFC)
As this endemic species does not occur at the most-visited birding sites in Taiwan the arrival of four to roost in trees behind the entrance gate proved the highlight of our day
