Fantastic Formosa
- Matt
- 1 day ago
- 21 min read
Mid-April I left home and flew to Auckland to spend a few days with mate and fellow Wrybill and Heritage guide, Dave Howes, before we travelled to Taiwan for two weeks of birding. For a change, we would be the clients being guided!
I was hoping to grab myself a New Zealand tick in the far north of New Zealand before that. I have seen plenty of Barn Owls in my time and even had a pair breed near to where we lived in Kent in the UK. Their stronghold in New Zealand is in the far north of the country, a long way from my home at Stewart Island.
However, Cyclone Vaianu had other ideas. The day after I arrived in the so called ‘winterless north’ northern parts of New Zealand was battered by destructive winds and heavy rain. And we were going to look for owls!
Instead, Dave and I birded locally for the next couple of days dodging the weather! We were pretty successful: Australasian Bittern, Fairy Tern, Arctic Skua, North Island Saddleback, New Zealand Pipit, Whitehead, Pacific Reef Heron, Banded Rail, were all seen well. I even grabbed a year tick in the shape of a Laughing Kookaburra - I had missed this large, introduced kingfisher on my February Wrybill tour – and like the Barn Owls, they are more common north of Auckland.
After three nights of awesome hospitality from Dave and Judy, Dave and I headed to Auckland airport to meet up with mates Sav Saville (co-owner of Wrybill Birding Tours https://wrybill-tours.com) and Richard Fenner (a British birder living in New Zealand) for our 9:30am flight to Taipei, the capital of Taiwan. Taiwan was a new birding destination for all of us. I had spent four hours in Taipei airport a few years back, but that was at night so I didn’t see a single bird!
Geographically Taiwan is a large island that sits south of China, with the Philippines to the south and Japan to the east. Its former name is Formosa, which Portuguese sailors bestowed on it, which means Beautiful Island. This name was used into the 20th Century.
I was up bright an early for our first morning in Taiwan – excited to be in a new country and hear new and unusual bird songs. Dave and I decided to head out for pre-breakfast birding before our tour officially began, but at the hotel reception the fifth and final member of our team had just arrived - Mandy Talpas, founder, owner & lead guide of Hawaii Bird Tours https://hawaiibirdtours.com She was shattered! I gave her my room key so she could have a shower before starting the tour and Dave and I continued with our morning birding along the canal outside the hotel.
First up was Eurasian Tree Sparrows, which seem to be common in most Asian cities. Sitting on the wire next to the Sparrows was a pair of Black Drongos. Then our first endemic which was Swinhoe’s White-eyes. On the canal itself were Black-crowned Night Herons, Grey and White Wagtails along with the peeping call of Common Sandpipers, and Pacific Swallows hawking over the water.
Brown Shrike and the splendid looking Grey Treepies called from nearby trees, Black and Light-vented Bulbuls were seen. The splendid looking Black-collared Starlings were joined by Common and Crested Mynas and an Oriental Magpie Robin called from a lamp post.
Little Egrets flew over nearby buildings, Oriental Turtle Doves were picked out from the more common Spotted Doves, and Red Collared Doves were more common than expected. After an hour of birding we headed back to the hotel for breakfast.
The five of us guides-turned-clients had all birded with each other before in PNG and New Zealand. We were using a local company called ‘Taiwan Bird Guide’ https://taiwanbirdguide.com and our local guide Jian-Long Wu, or Wu as he preferred to be called. Wu was a major contributor to the excellent field guide, ‘The Birds of Taiwan’ and is a translator by profession – his English was excellent. We were in good hands – he had also birded in America, Europe and New Zealand. Completing our team of seven, was Mr Hong, our driver. He had a keen eye and was a good bird photographer.
The first day of our ten-day birding adventure began slowly, birding en route as we headed south. In the car park of old harbour we got Oriental Skylark, Richards Pipit, and Eastern Yellow Wagtail. On a nearby shell bank were Great Knots, Terek Sandpipers and Common Kingfisher. At our next stop Plain and Yellow-bellied Prina’s sang from bush tops and a couple of Zitting Cisticola’s buzzed around above the tall grass. The tide was high and waders were added to our list in large numbers. I have always had an affection for waders. Starting my birding in Kent in the south-east of England, I would spend many happy hours on the North Kent marshes watching the waders in front of the hides and ID-ing the subtle differences between species. With waders you do tend to get prolonged views of them, but just the sheer numbers here in Taiwan took it to a new level.
Dapingding didn’t disappoint: Grey Plovers, Pacific Golden Plovers, Lesser and Greater Sand Plovers, Kentish Plovers. Terek Sandpipers, Grey-tailed Tattlers, Common Greenshank, tiny Red-necked Stints in dapper breeding plumage, and our first Grey-throated Martins hawked over the water.
Our next stop was a bit mind blowing really. We were in the district of Dayuan on the outskirts of Taoyuan City parked next to some paddy fields in an urban setting. The fields were filled with birds. Black-winged Stilts, Pacific Golden Plovers, a pair of Greater Painted Snipe (stunning female!), Common Snipe, Marsh Sandpiper, Wood Sandpiper, Common Greenshank, Sharp-tailed Sandpipers, Curlew Sandpiper, and at least half a dozen Long-toed Stints.
Around the corner was a pair of Ruddy-breasted Crakes, a pair of Red-throated Pipits put in appearance, and not forgetting the Chestnut and Scaly breasted Munia’s. We saw a pair of Glossy Ibis (a bit of a rarity in these parts) but the most amazing sight was local photographers training thousands of dollars’ worth of gear on the Glossy Ibis!
At Bade Danan Forest Park we got our first Malayan Night Heron, the endemic Taiwan Barbet, and Black-naped Monarch and Arctic Warbler. At lunch just outside the park we enjoyed a fantastic meal and struggled with chopsticks – or was that just me?!
We arrived early afternoon at the Shimen Reservoir/Nanyuan Park, a personal highlight for me, and found a few Taiwan Blue-Magpies. These stunning endemic birds sat on the tops of trees – it was great to see them but the light was awful for photos. A bit later they moved and showed very well so we all grabbed images of these stunning birds. The magpie’s cousins, Oriental Magpies, were also seen as well as Grey Treepies. A Large Billed Crow flew over and another Arctic Warbler flicked around the tree canopy. Our final stop of the day got us a distant Chinese Egret, a few more waders, and our first Whimbrel of the trip.
The next day at Dasyuesham we walked around farmland - new birds came thick and fast - House Swift, our first Grey-chinned Minivet (what a stunning-coloured bird), Bronzed Drongos took the place of Black Drongos, Collared Finchbill’s gave themselves up and a Plain Flowerpecker buzzed above our heads. After some searching we found two sought-after endemics – the smart looking Taiwan Scimitar Babbler and the shy Taiwan Hwamei. Raptors above, Oriental Honey-buzzard and Crested Serpent Eagle, and in nearby bush our first White-bellied Erpornis. What a cool looking bird!
At Hengliu Creek we walked around for an hour and half and grabbed our first looks at Taiwan Bamboo Partridges, Rufous-faced Warbler, Rufous-capped Babbler, Morrinson’s Fulvetta, White-eared Sibia, and the stunning Plumbeous Redstart. This small loop walk crisscrossed a river in native forest and gave us a taste of the lush mountain forests that lay ahead of us.
Back at the van we spied our first Swinhoe’s Pheasant, a female that walked away from us under the cover of the trees. After lunch, we headed up into the mountains of Dasyueshan. This part of Taiwan surprised me the most. How lush, green and high the forests were. At this elevation the birds changed also. We left behind the Babblers and found our first flock of Taiwan Yuhina which looked like Crested Tits. The star of this stop was the stunning male Swinhoe’s Pheasant, with his overall blue plumage, white back and tail, and red facial skin and wattles. Further on we found Green-backed and Black-throated Tits.
At our mountain top lodge, after dinner we walked around and found Muntjac deer, and Red and White giant flying Squirrel, which as its name is rather large!
5:30am the next morning, I was waiting outside the lodge and spotted around a dozen Rufous-crowned Laughingthrushes busily hopping around the low canopy. Fortunately, everyone appeared in time to get onto them. The next couple of hours we walked the trails surrounding the lodge and found the vocal Taiwan Liocihia, Eurasian Nuthatch, the striking Taiwan Vivid Niltava, a gorgeous White-tailed Robin, a single Snowy-browed Flycatcher (which would be the only sighting of this trip) and just before breakfast, our first Taiwan Whistling-Thrush in the car park.
After breakfast we drove up to the Dasyue Mountain Forest Recreation Area for the day. New birds were all around us. White-whiskered Laughingthrush, a bird I hoped we would see but I wasn’t expecting them to be so plentiful and approachable. Other great birds included Collared Bush-Robin, Flamecrest (looking like a Firecrest), the crazy-sounding Yellowish-bellied Bush Warbler (that sounded like a kettle steaming out of control), Taiwan Yellow Tit, Fire-breasted Flowerpecker and Asian House-Martins were all new to the list and we had great looks at Formosan Rock Macaques.
We also saw Coal Tits. Unlike the birds I had seen before, these birds had little crests - very cute looking. The star of the show was a pheasant. Not any old pheasant but a male and female Mikado Pheasant. When the bird makes the cover of a field guide you know it’s a top endemic and these birds did not disappoint.
Next morning a 6am walk down the road from the lodge proved rewarding: Ashy Wood-Pigeon, Eurasian Jay, another White-tailed Robin and Green-backed Tit were seen along with a flock of Taiwan Yuhina. After breakfast we drove down to the valley, stopping along the way for new birds. At a little waterfall there was a pair of Little Forktails. These little humbug-coloured birds had only just arrived at this location. We received a tip off about a small group of super shy Taiwan Partridge further down the road, and with a bit of searching we found three of these birds walking around the forest floor. We hit the jackpot again at our next stop with a pair Chestnut-bellied Tits at a nest site, while another Taiwan Partridge walked around below us.
Then into the lowlands and the small Taichung city, we birded from a large swing bridge. From the bridge we saw a pair of Mandarin Ducks – arguably one the most stunning looking ducks. Further down river was a pair of Brown Dippers. Also seen was: Black-crowned Night Heron, Little Egret, Swinhoe’s White-Eye, Collared Finchbill, and another Plumbeous Redstart.
We picked out our first Black Eagle, enroute to Nantou-Puli Dizang Temple. Walking around the stunning grounds we saw more Malayan Night-Herons, Crested Goshhawk with a fresh kill, Eastern Red-Rumped Swallows whizzing overhead, and Javan Myna strolling on the nearby rooftops. A White-rumped Shama sang from a garden - unfortunately this bird is a popular choice with the cage bird trade because of its wonderful singing. More Grey Treepies were seen as Wu searched for a jaw dropping Maroon Oriole. Wow what a stunner! The day ended with a stroll around our hotel grounds and after dinner we found a Northern Boobook. A fitting end to an awesome day’s birding.
Early next morning Mr Hong drove us high into the mountains of Taroko National Park. At a busy car park we were surprised to see White-whiskered Laughingthrushes hopping around. At a less busy car park we picked up Alpine Accentor singing from a nearby rock. It was clear but cool crisp day. A sheltered track kept us out of the worst of the cold wind and was where we encountered our first Eurasian Wren of the trip, plus Collared Bush-Robins and a large flock of feeding Asian House Martins. We were surprised at how easy it was to see Yellowish-bellied Bush Warbler which had been tricky to see earlier at a lower elevation.
On our wish list was the endemic Taiwan Rosefinch and the Taiwan Bullfinch. First, we spotted a female Rosefinch in her brown plumage, and then a beautiful male, feeding on the path. He flew up to a bush which allowed some nice photo opportunities. Taiwan Bullfinch failed to appear, but we found more Taiwan Yuhina, another Flamecrest, and Coal Tit.
Leaving the mountains we headed back to our hotel and briefly saw another endemic, a Black-necklaced Scimitar-babbler. I say ‘we’. Only Richard and I saw it. This would become the bogey bird for the rest of the group!
After lunch we headed to the lowlands of the coast to the small coastal town of Fangyuan which overlooked the Taiwan Strait. With a dropping tide waders were back on the menu: Pacific Golden Plover, Lesser and Greater Sand Plovers, Eurasian Whimbrel, Terek Sandpipers, Grey-Tailed Tattlers, Common Redshanks, Red Knots, Curlew Sandpipers, and Red Stints. It wasn’t all waders. Gull-billed Terns were joined by tiny Little Terns, Black-crowned Night Herons, Little, Medium, and Great White Egrets, and Eastern Red-rumped Swallows hawked overhead.
At a brief stop at the Putian Temple in Fangyua, we saw our first Asian Glossy. For a bit of a Taiwan twitch (more of a photo shoot really) Wu took us to the first breeding site in Taiwan of the super rare Oriental Stork. It was building a nest on a huge power pylon and we saw two adults and three (largish) chicks. The Taiwanese photographers were out in force, pointing their huge lenses skywards towards the nest. While watching the Storks, I heard a familiar harsh call and found a pair of Grey-capped Pygmy Woodpeckers calling from a nearby bush.
Near our Douliu City hotel that evening, we picked out several Savanna Nightjars flying around above the city streets.
It was an early start the next morning for our only chance to see Fairy Pitta. We arrived at the site early - first impressions were that it didn’t seem very wild or birdy! We met a local guide who played a call and got a response. The Fairy Pitta showed very well eventually, after a bit of hide and seek. As the pitta posed in the open, my new R5 Canon camera froze and would not focus on the bird. With a bit of help from Dave and Mandy (who have the same camera) the problem was resolved but the pitta had turned back into a skulking pitta! I shouldn’t complain - I got great views of the bird and in fairness, this trip was the first time I’d used my new camera.
Other great birds seen that day were a pair of Taiwan Bamboo Partridges, Chinese Sparrowhawks, Black and Bronzed Drongos, Dusky Fulvetta, Taiwan Scimitar Babblers and White-rumped Munia. After seeing the pitta what else is there to do but go to the Pitta café and celebrate with caffeine.
At Budai Wetland Park, wildfowl, waterbirds and waders became the main focus. Our first migrant ducks were spotted: Northern Shoveler and Eurasian Wigeon, Eurasian Coots and Little Grebes were plentiful, plus a good selection of waders: Black-winged Stilts, Pied Avocets, Pacific Golden Plovers, Kentish Plovers, Black-tailed Godwits, Common Sandpipers, Marsh Sandpipers, Common Redshank and Greenshank, Sharp-tailed Sandpipers and Red-necked Stints.
Herons were represented by Yellow Bitterns, Black-crowned Night Herons, Grey Herons, and Little, Medium and Great White Egrets. I won’t forget the amazing spectacle of 1000 Whiskered Terns and 100 Black-faced Spoonbills. On the overhead wires three flavours of swallow sat side by side; Pacific, Barn and Eastern Red-rumped, and a pair of White-breasted Waterhens ran across the path in front of us.
Still within Budai Wetland but at a different site we saw more waders in the shape of Greater and Lesser Sand Plovers (some in stunning breeding plumage), Broad-billed Sandpipers (new for the list), plus some colourful Curlew Sandpipers and a lone Dunlin.
Terns got a shot in the arm: Whiskered were joined by Gull-billed, Little, Caspian and a single Common Tern. A lone Eurasian Spoonbill was spotted amongst the Black-faced Spoonbills and as we walked back to the van we saw a single Chestnut-tailed Starling flying around the car park.
A stroll towards the beach after lunch rewarded us with a Dusky Warbler, Plain Prinias and a Chinese Egret that was a lot closer than the first bird we had seen. We also saw a couple of Great Crested Terns flying over.
At Shanzijiao Canal and surrounding wetlands yet more waders joined the list. These included Grey Plover, Wood Sandpipers and lot more Curlew and Broad-billed Sandpipers, a pair of snoozing Grey-tailed Tattlers in amongst the Terek Sandpipers, and a Black-faced Bunting put in a brief appearance.
Driving through local farmland we saw a pair of Ring-necked Pheasants, Grey-throated Martins, a Black-winged Kite, Black-collared Starlings and Eastern Yellow Wagtails.
A roadside stop was fruitful with plenty more of the same wader species. Every stretch of water seemed to be teeming with birds. We added a couple of female Northern Pintails and a single Black-headed Gull to the list plus a large breeding colony of Little Terns, and more Coots and Moorhens.
We headed back into the mountains for the next two nights. Arguably our best day in the field was at Yushan National Park. It seemed to click that every bird we wanted, we found - and we all got onto the bird.
First new bird of the day was a Taiwan Fulvetta, followed by Taiwan Bush Robin and Taiwan Barwing – both these birds I had missed a couple of days earlier. A Flamecrest showed very well, a Taiwan Shortwing eventually gave its self up, and a small flock of Brown Bullfinches landed (we hoped they were Taiwan Bullfinches) but no, they were Brown Bullfinches – a tick is a tick!
Also seen: a pair of Ferruginous Flycatchers - those big black eyes and smokey orange breast - Taiwan Yuhina, Taiwan Vivid Niltava, Collared Bush Robin, Grey-chinned Minivets, Green-backed and Coal Tits, and another drop dead gorgeous male Mikado Pheasant.
We heard a Taiwan Cupwing calling (a much sought-after bird in Taiwan). This is a tiny sculling ground dwelling bird and we knew it was going to be a tough ask! Scanning the forest floor as the calls moved left to right and back again. Then a little closer and it stopped. Dave swore at it under his breath, but loud enough to hear it, and with that the Cupwing hopped into clear view! It got even closer and called in plain view for the next 10 minutes!
We all grabbed shots and Sav even got a video. The most shocked was Wu, who had never seen a Taiwan Cupwing give its self up so well. After thousands of images taken between us the Cupwing melted back into the undergrowth. On a high, we walked further up the trail and found another Taiwan Rosefinch, Eurasian Wren and a very smart male Collared Bush Robin.
Wu heard a small party of Taiwan Bullfinches feeding on some berries hanging over the path. Happy with our morning’s birding we headed back down to the van. At the car park we had great looks at a showy Taiwan Bush Warbler and Black-throated Tits. A couple of Large-billed Crows flew over and a troop of Formosan Rock Macaques watched us eat our lunch.
After lunch we took a lower track, we found a feeding flock of small birds which included Coal tits, more Black-throated Tits, Taiwan and Morrisons Fulvetta’s, Taiwan Yuhina, Tawain Bush Robin, another Collared Bush Robin, and White-whiskered Laughingthrushes. Amongst the hustle and bustle of flicking small birds, I picked out a golden head and then another … soon we were all looking at least six Golden Parrotbills - another hoped-for bird was seen.
At the small village of Alishan, an overgrown paddock seemed to be alive with birds. We found our first Striped Prina (our third Prina species of the trip) and another Black Eagle flew over the village. A Black-naped Monarch was busy tending to a nest site, Collared Finchbills squabbled in the low vegetation, and White Wagtails flew across. The trees at the back of the paddock were a firm favourite with Black- and Light-vented Bulbuls swapping places a few times and were joined by Taiwan Barbet and a pair of Taiwan Scimitar Babblers which also enjoyed the lofty position. All the while Swinhoe’s White-eyes and Eastern Red-rumped Swallows flew across the paddock.
Wu suggested we try again for the endemic Taiwan Black-necklaced Simitar Babbler, a bird that only Richard and I had seen at the first attempt. Along a quiet road we saw Eurasian Jay and plenty of White-eared Sibia. We heard the babbler calling. It sounded close but disappeared just after I had a glimpse of it. We gave up on the babbler but not before seeing Rufous-capped Babbler, White-tailed Robin, a pair of Taiwan Liocichla and the beautiful Common Windmill Butterfly. To seal an incredible day in the field we all saw the endemic Rusty Laughingthrush in the last hours of daylight – we’d seen eleven new species, including a few species which normally can be very difficult to see.
From our forest accommodation in the tiny village of Guanghua, the next morning we strolled the sleepy lanes. Locals tended to their veggie gardens and amazingly we added another couple new species to our bulging Taiwan list, in the shape of a pair Russet Sparrows and a pair of White-bellied Green-Pigeons.
En route to the lowlands during a brief stop we saw another pair of White-bellied Green-Pigeons, another Maroon Oriole, Black Eagle, and Eurasian Nuthatch. At a roadside pond we saw 17 Pheasant-tailed Jacanas and 4 Wood Sandpipers. In a ploughed field we added at least 10 Oriental Pratincoles, along with an Oriental Skylark to the list. At a small woodland surrounded by farmland we saw a pair of Garganey (the drake looking very dapper) plus more Pheasant-tailed Jacanas and Greater Painted Snipe.
At a small park near Xinliao village a pair of Black Kites flew over and a pair of showy Grey-capped Pygmy Woodpeckers showed well. Sav and I spotted a large Cuckoo-shrike and Wu was suddenly very animated, especially when the bird flew to another tree. It was joined by a second bird. Everyone got good looks at the pair of Oriental Cuckoo-Shrikes (a very rare breeding bird in Taiwan) and it was a new Taiwanese bird for Wu! It’s not often that a guide gets a new bird! As guides ourselves, we were pleased that Wu had grabbed a tick.
As with the Wrybill trips in New Zealand that we guide for, lunch is often eaten on the go. We did this in Taiwan too, but one particular lunch was memorable for the wrong reason! We’d all eaten red beans in shaved ice.
An hour later we stopped at small pond just north of Hengchun Township to search for our first endemic Styan’s Bulbul. I spotted one immediately, sitting on overhead wire with a couple of Red Collared Doves. We found another 10 individuals. I wasn’t feeling that great but carried on birding as it was a fantastic spot. 30 Chinese Sparrowhawks flew over. Plain Prina and Oriental Reed Warblers sang from the reed beds. Brown Shrike, Common Kingfisher, Black-faced Bunting, Oriental Pratincoles, plus around 400 plus Cattle Egrets flew over to roost. We saw our first White-shouldered Starlings - 6 in total – which flew and landed on a small bush. Checking through the flock we found 4 Chestnut-cheeked Starlings, a single Chestnut-tailed Starling, and then the real bonus was a single Daurian Starling. Awesome! But I wasn’t feeling awesome at all. I left the group and threw up over a small wall. And then threw up again.
In our fancy hotel I walked straight into my room and I threw up again. And then diarrhoea. This went on until I felt completely empty. I showered and went straight to bed. Not the best end to this great day’s birding!
After a deep sleep, I farted, and nothing! This was a good sign! I had another shower to wake myself up and was in the lobby before anyone else. I felt empty and fragile – but hungry. Whatever had triggered my sickness was obviously out of my system - and quickly - which was a relief!
Today we left the mainland for a small island to the southeast of Taiwan called Lanyu. Our busy ferry left the small harbour of Houbihu at 7am. Birds seen from the ferry during the 2-hour crossing were waders on migration, Ruddy Turnstones, and Pacific Golden Plovers. We also saw Little Whiskered and Great Crested Terns, Eastern Wagtails, a few unidentified pipits flying back towards the mainland, plus a steady stream of Cattle and Little Egrets heading towards land. Out in the open water part of the crossing we saw a lone Wedge-tailed Shearwater, a couple of Streaked Shearwaters, and a few flying fish. As we approached the island we spotted a few Pacific Reef Herons.
We only had 24 hours there to see as many species as possible once on the Island of Lanyu. Just outside of the harbour of Kaiyuan get got our first Brown-headed Bulbul (a bird that we all had seen in Japan) but their stronghold is in Taiwan.
The island of Lanyu is known as the Orchid Island but I would rename it to the Butterfly Island. In a lovely piece of forest we walk down into a valley to find butterflies of every colour floating by. A Lowland White-eye played hide and seek - I missed out on seeing it. We heard a call and spotted a pair of sought-after Black Paradise Flycatchers, the male with his striking long tail and blue eye-ring (a recent split from the Japanese Paradise Flycatcher). We also saw our first Philippine Cuckoo Dove. We left and headed along the coastal road where we saw a couple of colourful Blue Rock Thrushes.
Then into a bit of coastal forest to search for a roosting owl. We heard them but no sighting. I did however find a pair of Whistling Green Pigeons which were new for our Taiwan list. We were slowly finding the Lanyu birds.
We stopped at a nice little café by the sea which had a western style menu - my fragile but improving stomach enjoyed the chicken and chips! In the bushes next to the café we saw at least five Lowland White-eyes feeding and on the foreshore outside the café were more Reef Herons and Little Terns.
Wu tried a couple more sites for roosting owls but without success. We returned to the coastal forest we had been to earlier and then Dave spotted a roosting Ryukyu Scops-Owl! Bingo – we had an amazing view of this tiny owl sitting out in the open. This bird has a tiny range, on small islands around Taiwan and Southern Japan and Northern Philippines. We filled our boots with photos, before leaving the bird in peace.
We had a relaxing afternoon back at our guest house - the wind was picking up so we sank a few beers and watched migration in full swing - over a thousand Chinese Sparrowhawks flew over coming in off the sea. Amongst them was a lone Grey-faced Buzzard and Japanese Sparrowhawk.
The next morning, we were catching the early ferry back to the mainland. On the drive to the harbour we spotted a roosting Peregrine Falcon and a few more Blue Rock Thrushes.
The ferry crossing was quiet with only a pair of Red-necked Phalaropes new for the list, plus another pair of Wedge-tailed Shearwaters. Back on the mainland as we were getting into the van we spotted a Grey-streaked Flycatcher in the car park along with half a dozen Styan’s Bulbuls, and a Crested Goshawk flying over.
After lunch we stopped at Longluan Lake. Another new bird joined the list in the shape of a drake Tufted Duck. Also seen was a couple of Eastern Spot-billed Ducks, Eurasian Moorhen, Coot, Black-winged Stilts, Grey Herons, Little and Cattle Egrets, another pair of Styan’s Bulbuls, and Plain Prina sang from the bushes.
At a very nice park in Linhousihlin Forest we watched open mouthed at family of three young and an adult Collared Scops-owl at point blank range! Great looks at Grey-capped Pygmy Woodpeckers, Brown Shrike and two very showy Taiwan Hwamei. As we were further north the Styan’s Bulbuls were replaced with Light-vented Bulbuls.
Our final birding spot of the tour with Wu and Mr Hong was in some farmland just outside the railway station in Tainan. We had no luck seeing a Watercock, but we did find Greater Painted Snipe, House Swift, Wood and Common Sandpipers, Zitting Cisticola, Black-winged Kite, Pacific and Eastern Red-rumped Swallows, Chestnut-tailed and Asian Glossy Starlings.
Wu had been an absolute legend of a local guide - I hope and like to think he had enjoyed the trip as much as we had. Mr Hong was an excellent driver - getting the jokes and always asking if we were okay. We said our goodbyes and caught the bullet train back to Taipei which only took an hour and half, sometimes reaching over 300km per hour!
Back in the big city of Taipei we checked in at the hotel, dumped our bags and walked around the corner in heavy rain to a local bar and restaurant. Needless to say, the next few hours we drank and laughed and revisited stories from the amazing ten days we had just spent birding.
The next morning my alarm went off at 5am and I squeezed in some pre-breakfast birding along the canal that Dave and I had birded at the start of our Taiwan adventure. I saw Black-crowned Night Herons, Common Kingfishers, White-breasted Waterhens, White and Grey Wagtails. Grey Treepies and Swinhoe’s White-eyes. These were new birds for me a few days ago.
I joined the others for breakfast before we all went our separate ways. Mandy flew out first back to Hawaii and Sav, Richard, Dave and I caught the early evening flight direct to Auckland. We then said our goodbyes and I caught another three flights to get home to Stewart Island/Rakiura.
Within a few days of being home I spotted at least four Eastern Cattle Egrets hanging around the township - a sure sign of winter!
A few facts and figures about this amazing trip to Taiwan:
Firstly, I would recommend Taiwan as a country to visit - for birding it was excellent. The people were friendly and always helpful. The food was good, but maybe try to avoid the shaved ice!!
The Portuguese sailors were right to call the island Formosa, it certainly is a Beautiful Island.
Our group saw over 215 Species on this 10-day trip, (according to Wu the average number of birds typically seen on this tour would be around 180). Not everyone in the group had seen all those birds, but we all had seen over 200 species individually and none of us counted heard birds.
We saw 31 of the 32 endemic species (we missed out on the Island Thrush).
It was too late in the year to see the Chinese Tern or Spoon-billed Sandpiper, but birding mid-April was the opportune time for all species.
We saw Little Forktail and Fairy Pitta within days of them arriving. The timing of our trip was planned to gain as many species as possible, including endemic and migrants. With the Forktail in particular, we had driven past the location a day earlier and a local photographer said he had been there all day and not seen the bird. A day later we had a pair there.
This trip was the first time using my brand-new Canon R5 Mark II and the RF 100-500 lens. Once or twice it threw me a curve ball but with Dave and Mandy’s advice I got through those moments. Overall I love the eye-tracking, speed and weight.
I loved birding in the mountains of Taiwan. I was so happy to see Mikado and Swinhoe’s Pheasants, the Taiwan Cupwing, Collared Bush Robin. The White-whiskered Laughing thrush was another firm favourite.
Waders, I have always had a soft spot for waders and I was blown away with the varied species of wader we encountered and the number of varieties - we saw an incredible 30 species of wader!
When I returned to New Zealand I had a month at home and then Jules and travelled to New Zealand’s capital city of Wellington for a long weekend. We spent some time at Te Papa Museum, which I personally had not visited for more than 20 years, went to a show and on the Sunday I visited Zealandia for the first time. This urban reserve was a highlight where I gained views of South Island Takahe, North Island Robin, Saddleback, Stitchbird, Rifleman and Brown Teal, and some very showy Kaka! It was nice to walk around practising with my new camera.
Life at Stewart Island during midwinter has been quiet which is been nice. The four Eastern Cattle Egrets have gone down to two, hanging around the township. Less exciting is the Canada Goose that has taken residence at the golf course!
My diary is filling up for the 2026, 2027 and 2028 seasons.
Thanks for reading!
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