An early morning visit to the excellent Continuation Blue Gates Trail 18km above Wushe produced an array of endemics with a Taiwan White-eared Sibia the highlight although a brief encounter with another male Swinhoe's Pheasant was also memorable. We had to return to Wushe where a few species were seen from our room's veranda including wintering Yellow-browed Warbler, Daurian Redstart and Olive-backed Pipit before we booked into the Yellow Hotel at Km4. We then drove to the high-altitude mountain Hehuanshan Pass that was busy with local tourists that were also enjoying the antics of the tame White-whiskered Laughingthrushes and Vinaceous Rosefinches. A patch of woodland just beyond the pass produced our first Flamecrests of the trip.
Swinhoe's Pheasant 1 male ex.
Peregrine 1
Oriental Turtle Dove 2
Taiwan Black-bowed Barbet 1
Grey Treepie 2
Large-billed Crow 2
Pacific Swallow 40
Asian House Martin 3
Black-throated Tit 2
Chinese Bulbul 1
YELLOW-BELLIED BUSH WARBLER 3
Yellow-browed Warbler 1
Taiwan Wren-Babbler h
WHITE-WHISKERED LAUGHINGTHRUSH 15
Steere's Liocichla 9
TAIWAN STREAK-THROATED FULVETTA 3
TAIWAN WHITE-EARED SIBIA 1 ex.
TAIWAN YUHINA 8
FLAMECREST 2 ex.
Taiwan Shortwing h
Daurian Redstart 1 male
Olive-backed Pipit 1
VINACEOUS ROSEFINCH 2 male 2 female ex.
Entrance to the Blue Gates Trail (JFC)
Yellow-bellied Bush-Warbler along the Blue Gates Trail (JFC)
Taiwan Yuhina along the Blue Gates Trail (JFC)
View from Wushe
Steere's Liocichla at Wushe (JFC)
Taroko National Park (JFC)
Covering a large area it plays host to Hehuanshan Pass
Hehuanshan Pass (lower five JFC)
Female Vinaceous Rosefinch at Hehuanshan Pass
White-whiskered Laughingthrush at Hehuanshan Pass
View from Hehuanshan Pass (JFC)
