WYKE BIRDING: TAIWAN - 17th February

Monday, 22 February 2016

TAIWAN - 17th February

A few hours wandering around in the rain around Tienhsiang first thing produced a few more new birds including a smart TAIWAN BARBET with a flock of White-eared Sibias, a couple each of WHITE-BELLIED ERPORNIS and BRONZED DRONGO with a big, colourful flock of Grey-chinned Minivets and a noisy flock of LIGHT-VENTED BULBULS (showing a range of head patterns, maybe due to hybridisation with the endemic Styan’s Bulbul).

Other birds included a Yellow-browed Warbler, a pair of Grey-capped Woodpeckers, a smart male Daurian Redstart and more Plumbeous Redstarts, Taiwan Yuhina, Taiwan Whistling-Thrush, Green-backed Tits, Amur and Grey Wagtails, Large-billed Crows and Formosan Macaques wandering around the quiet town.

We then drove a little bit higher up to a ringing site in the mountains; there was a good mixed species flock around the accommodation when we arrived which included good numbers of really smart BLACK-THROATED TITS, a couple of equally smart YELLOW TITS and a RUFOUS-FACED WARBLER in amongst lots of Minivets, Yuhinas and Fulvettas. As we walked up to the ringing site there were flocks of WHITE-RUMPED MUNIAS and VINOUS-THROATED PARROTBILLS.

The ringing site was a large cleared area of steep hillside which was being farmed and it proved to be awesome for wintering birds including 2 SIBERIAN RUBYTHROATS – a female seen in the field and a stonking adult male which we trapped, a few DUSKY THRUSHES and PALE THRUSHES, large flocks of BLACK-FACED BUNTINGS with a few Little Buntings mixed in, several Olive-backed Pipits in with small flocks of Tree Pipits, several Daurian Redstarts (including a smart male we trapped) and a pair of Oriental Turtle Doves.

Other birds trapped through the afternoon included 2 brilliant COLLARED OWLETS - like funky, really aggressive Pygmy Owls! (one of which was a re-trap from 2014, apparently the first ever year to year re-trap!) Taiwan Yuhinas, Vinous-throated Parrotbills (c100 were present on site), Rufous-capped Babbler and Steere’s Liocichlas while also seen were three TAIWAN BAMBOO-PARTRIDGES and a couple of LESSER COUCALS.