Taiwan part 3, BLUE!

BLUE!

At noon I rested in a small hotspring hotel, recommended by a friendly police officer who was riding a bike with a birding book in his pocket. Here many birds hung around. This was close to where I'd seen my first Taiwan Blue Magpie and now there were many more! I counted 6 or 7. They had built a nest in a tree nearby. I didn't rest much, but took many photos. Here they come:

  

 

Taiwan part 2 still looking for blue

Still looking for blue

Two days later I went back to Wulai. I took another trail and got quite lucky. Before I headed towards the forest there was a Taiwan Blue Magpie, sitting on the side of the road, in front of the police box, directing traffic. Now, that's blue!

In the forest barbets, bulbuls and laughing thrushes were heard, as well as treepies and warblers in the thick greenery. Many trees bore fruit and others were blooming.

 

What are these flowers? Hibiscus? I had never seen them before. 

Once the path returned to the river I started to see more birds

A Taiwan Whistling Thrush looking for its mate from a riverside building.

A Plumbeous Water Redstart fanning its tail.

A pair of Grey-chinned Minivets came down from the canopy. Here the male, bright orange. The female is bright yellow.

Magpies! More to follow

Taiwan part 1, Looking for blue

Looking for blue.

On this trip I asked a birding pal to join me on the first day to the Wulai district, a mountainous area close to Taipei city, with a beautiful landscape of broadleaf forests and gorges with sparkling clear rivers. The first birds we saw were Water Redstart and Whistling Thrush, hustling around the banks.

  

Plumbeous Water Redstart male and female

The Taiwan Whistling Thrush was sitting quietly for several minutes, undisturbed by our presence.

    

We hiked to the Neidong waterfall were a Little Forktail flew in.

Fresh water shrimp

On the way we saw many small birds like Grey-cheeked Fulvelttas, White-bellied Erpornis (Yuhinas) and Plain Flowerpeckers in the foliage, moving too fast for me to photograph. I had never see Taiwan Blue Magpies and hoped to see some. We heard their call numerous times and finally saw them flying in the distance.

a skink on the side of the road  

Rhododendrons named after this place: Wulai

Old houses amongst hot spring hotels line the river at Wulai town.



Ainoshima's stray cats

鳥がない時猫は楽し

Many eye infections and several broken limbs, but all fat tummies and straight tails

  

Living among the fishermen in the village the life of these stray cats is not that bad.

  

Winner of the beauty contest

The lady at the ferry terminal introduced a very friendly stray she named KOEKIE!

Memories of our own old KOEKIE flooded back.

  

Koekie came onboard in 1993, sailed with us from New Zealand to Fukuoka in 1994-1995 and died in a traffic accident in 2002.

今日の勉強　猫　＝　cat

                犬　＝　dog

One sunny afternoon in March

お久し振りでミソサザエちゃんを会いました
ミヤマホオジロも見に来ました
シジュウカラが梅を好きみたいです

ミソサザエ　= Winter Wren

ミヤマホオジロ　= Yellow-throated Bunting

しじゅうから　= Great Tit

 

wakame diver in Hakata Bay

ホシハジロ，　Common Pochard

イソヒヨドリ，　Blue Rock Thrush

  

マミチャジナイ，　Eyebrowed Thrush

日の勉強　久し振り = hisashiburi