Taiwan Spring Birding 7th to 19th May 2019 (12 days) Trip Report Swinhoe’s Pheasant, Dasyueshan Road by Paul Matson Tour Leaders: Richard Foster & Erik Forsyth Compiled by Tour Leader, Erik Forsyth Top 5 Birds as voted by the participants: 1) Fairy Pitta 2) White-whiskered Laughingthrush 3) Swinhoe’s Pheasant 4) Mikado Pheasant 5) Cinnamon Bittern/Pheasant-tailed Jacana Rockjumper Birding Tours View more tours to Taiwan Trip Report – RBL Taiwan - Spring Birding 2019 2 Tour Summary We began our tour of the green island in the vibrant city of Taipei, where a few walks around the botanical garden produced more than a couple of great birds, including endemic species and subspecies. Best of all were Taiwan Barbet and Taiwan Scimitar Babbler, and Light-vented and Black Bulbuls, as well as the stunning White-rumped Shama with its beautiful song. The star of the non-endemics was the Malayan Night Heron, which was very approachable. In the afternoon, we visited the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Park, where we added Black-collared and Asian Glossy Starlings, and Javan and Common Myna’s, and then adding a further three Malayan Night Heron. The following day, we began our journey south and into the foothills around the Shihmen Reservoir. The weather held off just long enough for us to see most of our targets. First to fall was a small family flock of beautifully plumaged Taiwan Blue Magpies, which we watched at length, and shortly afterwards, the Taiwan Whistling Thrush appeared. We also recorded Red-rumped and Barn Swallows, and several Taiwan Barbets. For the second half of the day, we found ourselves birding the lower slopes of the Dasyueshan Road. We were enjoying great close looks along the side of the road at the shy Taiwan Partridge, when suddenly, a male Swinhoe's Pheasant walked out of the forest and across the road in front of a stunned group…Wow! Later, a pair of pheasants and a young male bird were also seen. Further along the road, after quite an effort scanning down a bank into heavy foliage, we found the shy and retiring Black-necklaced Scimitar Babbler. A nearby flock produced Taiwan Yuhina, Grey-cheeked Fulvetta, the scarce and mobile Rufous-crowned Laughingthrush, colorful Steere’s Liocichla, and White-eared Sibia, as well as gaudy plumaged Grey-chinned Minivets. A happy group of birders headed to the hotel for a welcome dinner. The elusive Black-necklaced Scimitar Babbler, Shihmen Reservoir, by Paul Matson Rockjumper Birding Tours View more tours to Taiwan Trip Report – RBL Taiwan - Spring Birding 2019 3 The following morning saw us traveling up the Dasyueshan Road to higher elevations. As expected, at higher elevations, we encountered a mixture of mist, sun, and rain on both visits, though birding was seldom hampered. We came away with superb views of just about everything we looked for, including the much sought-after Mikado Pheasant near the summit carpark. Initially, three birds were seen, a male and two females, and Erik saw three chicks before they hid in the bush. Other highlights included Rusty, Rufous-crowned and confiding White-whiskered Laughingthrush, White-tailed Robin, and Steere’s Liocichla, Rufous-faced Warbler, and the splendid Flamecrest. We also enjoyed a picnic lunch and some wonderful scenery. On our second full day in the area, we found ourselves around the small town of Guguan, where it didn't take long for us to pick up a Chestnut-bellied (Varied) Tit, as well as a White-bellied Erpornis and a Black-naped Monarch. When the sun came out after three days of rain, several raptors soared, including Crested Serpent Eagle, Crested Honey Buzzard and excellent close looks at perched and displaying Crested Goshawks. In the afternoon we found Oriental Cuckoo, Grey-streaked Flycatcher, Bronzed Drongo, Taiwan Hwamei, Brown Shrike, and a Brownish-flanked Bush Warbler gave excellent looks to all. A calling Taiwan Bamboo Partridge was only seen by two of us. Taiwan Partridge, Dasyueshan Road by Paul Matson On our final morning here, we headed back up to the summit of the Dasyueshan Road, where the sunshine appeared. Here we connected with the smart Yellow Tit, a beautiful male Taiwan Rosefinch and further good views of Rusty Laughingthrush, Collared Bush Robin and Taiwan Fulvetta. A pair of stunning Mikado Pheasant were in the same area as the day before, and after a bit of work, we found Spotted Nutcracker, Yellow-bellied Bush Warbler and Taiwan Wren-Babbler – Paul Matson’s 4000th world bird! After lunch, we loaded up and headed to Budai on the south-west coast. Budai is a very large area consisting of fishponds, canals, rivers and an estuary, ideal for migrant and resident waders, and ducks. Rockjumper Birding Tours View more tours to Taiwan Trip Report – RBL Taiwan - Spring Birding 2019 4 We arrived at Budai late in the afternoon, where a quick stop yielded several Black-winged Kite hovering over fields, Black-winged Stilt, a few Oriental Pratincole and, Wood and Sharp-tailed Sandpipers, a lone Long-toed Stint and several large groups of Whiskered Terns heading to a roosting site. Early the following morning, full of excitement, we birded the mudflats around Budai. Here, we added many new species to the list, including some highly sought-after species. Foremost among them was Black-faced Spoonbill; a very rare and endangered species which is slowly recovering due to good conservation of wetlands, especially in Taiwan. Visiting several ponds and the estuary, we found good numbers of Broad-billed, Curlew, Terek, Marsh and Sharp-tailed Sandpipers, Grey-tailed Tattler, Greater and Lesser Sand Plovers, Great and Red Knots, Pied Avocet, Black-winged Stilt, Red-necked Stint, and Ruddy Turnstone, all of which were in stunning breeding attire. Additionally, we saw Caspian, Whiskered, White-winged, Common and Little Terns. Best of all was a late migrant Saunders’s Gull and six smart breeding plumaged Spotted Redshanks and a Far Eastern Curlew near the estuary. We also visited the local Pheasant-tailed Jacana reserve, where we enjoyed great close-ups of this superb bird, followed shortly by equally good scope looks at some Oriental Pratincoles, Eastern Yellow Wagtails and Oriental Skylarks. A nearby canal gave us fabulous scope looks at two pairs of Greater Painted-snipe, much to Bob and Barbara’s delight. The following morning, before breakfast, we headed out from the hotel on foot and walked along the river. Many House Swifts and Pacific and Striated Swallows hunted insets low overhead. Within minutes we had found our target bird: the range restricted Styan’s Bulbul, and it was rather commonly seen in this dry area. Careful scanning produced Little Ringed Plover along the nearby river. Later in the morning, a visit to the Long Luan Nature Reserve was productive. We added Western Osprey, Eurasian Coot, and Purple Heron before it was time to board our bus for Kenting, and the ferry to Lanyu Island. Malayan Night Heron, Taipei Botanical Gardens by Paul Matson Rockjumper Birding Tours View more tours to Taiwan Trip Report – RBL Taiwan - Spring Birding 2019 5 The ferry ride itself, provided us with good views of Black-naped Terns and a handful of Bulwer's Petrels; while landfall swiftly saw us getting all our targets with no trouble at all. First to fall was Brown-eared Bulbul, followed shortly by Lowland White-eye, Whistling Green Pigeon, a Ryukyu Scops Owl that was located as it was calling during the day, Pacific Swift, Philippine Cuckoo-Dove, Blue Rock Thrush and a pair of the beautiful Japanese Paradise Flycatcher were much admired. Breakfast at the hotel produced a fly by Pacific Reef Heron, and a confiding White-breasted Waterhen strolled in the garden nearby, while a short excursion to the forest edge turned up a few of the same birds as the previous day, as well as a fine Lesser Coucal, which sat up calling in a grassland. The return ferry ride, by contrast, turned up nothing new. In the afternoon, we visited a wetland reserve at Depeng Bay, where we enjoyed fine views of several Yellow Bitterns, Black-winged Stilt, and Oriental Reed Warbler. We arrived at our scenic hotel in the late afternoon and then, enjoyed a remarkable meal. An evening owling session revealed a Collared Scops Owl, perched low down on an overhanging branch, as well as a distant calling Mountain Scops Owl. The next morning, we visited a nearby farming area with fruiting trees. The best birds were a stunning Maroon Oriole, several White-bellied Green Pigeons, and a close calling Taiwan Bamboo Partridge was much appreciated by all. After lunch, we met up with Mr. Pitta, who promptly led us into the forest, and it didn't take too long for us all to enjoy fantastic views of an adult Fairy Pitta flying to an open branch with a mouthful of bugs. We enjoyed great looks, and after a couple of minutes it flew to an undisclosed nest on a rocky slope. Afterwards, we visited the Fairy Pitta cafe, where we had a pleasant hour buying gifts and sipping on lemonade before a visit to a nearby temple, which gave us our second Collared Scops Owl of the trip, and to experience a little more of the cultural goings-on in Taiwan. Taiwan Bamboo Partridge by Paul Matson Rockjumper Birding Tours View more tours to Taiwan Trip Report – RBL Taiwan - Spring Birding 2019 6 Another 7-Eleven sit-down was much enjoyed for a break from the humidity thereafter, and then we made our way into the mountains to Wushe. The following morning, we had a full day up the mountains in Taroko National Park, and up at the Hehuan Pass area.