A great start to the day with a flock of Taiwan Blue Magpies seen taking moths from the lights of the Huisun Forest Station at dawn when a Malayan Night Heron flew past us that soon landed and commenced feeding on one of the lawns. A check of a nearby area produced a decent mixed flock comprised of Minivets, Drongos, Tits, Fulvettas and a Yellow-browed Warbler and another lawn played host to another photogenic Malayan Night Heron. We then drove to Wushe where the first two places we tried for accommodation suggested everything was fully booked. However, a friendly local made a few phone calls and told us to follow him. A large room with a veranda overlooking the cultivated valley was available so we booked-in. Beidongyeshan Experimental Tea Planatation had been inaccessible for a couple of years due to landslides having taken out the road but we were pleased to find the road reopen although crossing the dirt stretches across the landslides were only just passable by car. We walked the excellent forest track to Beidongyeshan, that whilst generally was very quiet, produced our first Black-throated Tits and Steere's Liocichlas before a White's Thrush was found feeding on the track but even that was eclipsed by a showy male White-tailed Robin doing likewise. However, the best was saved to last, when 2 male and a female Swinhoe's Pheasant were seen just prior to dusk. Once dubbed the most beautiful bird in the world it was easy to understand why.
SWINHOE'S PHEASANT 2 males, 1 female ex.
Malayan Night Heron 2 ex.
Eastern Cattle Egret 6
Common Sandpiper 1
Spotted Dove 2
Taiwan Black-browed Barbet 1
Grey-chinned Minivet 6
Bronzed Drongo 8
Taiwan Blue Magpie 7 ex.
Grey Treepie 4
Large-billed Crow 3
Green-backed Tit 1
Pacific Swallow c.20
Black-throated Tit 3
Chinese Bulbul 3
Himalayan Black Bulbul 20
Yellow-browed Warbler 1
STEERE'S LIOCICHLA 3
Grey-cheeked Fulvetta 15
White's Thrush 1 ex.
Daurian Redstart 1 female
White-tailed Robin 1 male ex.
Tree Sparrow 6
Taiwan Blue Magpies at Huisun Forest Station (JFC)
Having spent all the previous afternoon looking for the species it was quite a surprise for this to be the first species of the day as soon after dawn a flock were seen hunting for moths attracted to the lights of the accommodation at Huisun Forest Station. Being 50% larger than Magpie it is a sizeable as well as spectacular endemic species of Taiwan.
Malayan Night Heron at Huisun
Whilst watching the Taiwan Blue Magpies a Malayan Night Heron chose to fly past us that fortunately soon landed and allowed close approach...
...having previously only obtained flushed flight views from the forest stream along Trail 6 at Khao Yai, Thailand it is surprising how confiding they proved on open lawns in Taiwan
Adult Malayan Night Heron at Huisun (upper four JFC)
We weren't prepared for the curious swaying of their necks, as if almost snake-like, they were mesmerising their prey. A great species at times reminding us of Kagu.
Grey Treepie at Huisun
This endemic subspecies lacks the white rump of the coastal Chinese form.
Bronzed Drongo at Huisun
This obliging individual passed through the forest surrounding the accommodation accompanying a roving mixed flock of Grey-cheeked Fulvettas and Grey-chinned Minivets. By mimicking the calls of Accipiters they frighten other flock members into dropping their prey whereupon they swoop upon the discarded food.
(JFC)
Common Sailor Butterfly at Huisun (JFC)
Views from the lookout at the end of the road at Huisun (JFC)
Probably best we hadn't seen this rest area prior to booking our accommodation!
Taiwan Blue Magpie at Huisun (JFC)
seen at the entrance just as we were leaving Huisun it proved a fitting finale to our brief visit to this superb reserve
Temple between Huisun and Wushe (lower JFC)
Beidongyeshan Gates (JFC)
Today we walked from the road to just beyond these gates, but on our subsequent visit, we parked just outside these gates and walked to the tea plantation
Today we walked from the road to just beyond these gates, but on our subsequent visit, we parked just outside these gates and walked to the tea plantation
White's Thrush at Beidongyeshan
Despite their large size the cryptic plumage of this sought-after Zoothera make them hard to see when feeding amongst the leaf litter. Three forms are currently recognised as occurring on Taiwan but pigeonholing them to form is probably not possible in the field.
