2 Aug
CX 564 (0810-1000) -> 機場捷運 - 台北車站 -> 度小月台北忠孝店 ->
神旺大飯店 (忠孝敦化站 3) -> 一禾堂面包 -> 國父紀念館 ->
台北101 / 鼎泰豐 / 誠品 / 信義百貨 -> 臨江街夜市 (信義安和站 4)
3 Aug
永和豆漿大王 ->
台北植物園 Taipei Botanical Garden (小南門站 Xiaonanmen MRT station 3) ->
中正紀念堂 -> 鴨肉扁 / 西門町 (西門站 1) -> 東區地下街 -> 上引水產 (行天宮站 3) ->
台北地下街 -> 大潤發 / 忠孝Sogo
4 Aug
羅東 -> 太平山 Taiping Shan / 翠峰湖 Cueifong Lake -> 爭鮮 -> 饒河夜市 (松山站 1)
5 Aug
扶旺號 -> 淡水老街 (淡水站 1) -> 林口三井 outlet Mitsui Outlet Park(林口站 1) -> 台北 101 -> 寧夏夜市 (雙連站 1)
6 Aug
大安森林公園 Daan Forest Park (大安森林公園站 Daan Forest Park MRT station 4) ->
神旺大飯店 -> 爭鮮 -> 台北車站 -> 桃園機場 -> CX 531 (2000-2155)
The trip:
2 Aug
this was our second time to try the A350, a modern plane. (the first time we were flying to Singapore in last Apr, an overnight flight)
enjoyed the Avengers 3 again, a great movie from Marvel Studio of their 10-year plan. What are we going to do in the next 10 years?
we only got a bread on plane, so needed to have lunch when we arrived immediately, in 度小月. Wing Tung and I tried to visit the one in HK once but full booked that time
small oysters are always better than HK in Taiwan
revisited this bakery again, Tung loves the bread here and tried many last time
especially this one, still tasted good
and needed a drink in the hot summer day
Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall
anothe view of Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall
a squirrel feeding busily
after a short visit, we moved to the Taipei 101
Oriental Turtle Dove under 101, first bird photo of this trip
dinner in Din Tai Fung, my favorite restaurant in Taiwan, taste better (and cheaper) than in HK
my favorite chicken!
the crab is also edible
we didn't try this one, just thought the chickens were cute
Love the Ibis. Never forget why do we love, who do we love. Remember who all this was for.
101, very japanese style
a interesting shop we 'discovered' last time, selling many stuff include fossil!
Trilobites
keichousaurus, a triassic aquatic reptile
egg shells of elephant bird
dinosaur arm
some dinosaurs' eggs fossil and shark teeth
model of more aquatic reptile
cute dog, from the other shop
there are many night markets in Taiwan, we planned to visit one by one each night
fried chicken is a must in night market
drink made by lemon and Ficus pumila var. awkeotsang 檸檬愛玉, famous and also recommended by Tung
and restaurant for noodle
noodle in Taiwan style ended the first food day
3 Aug
the first breakfast in Taiwan this time
soybean milk with omelette
Taipei Botanical Garden is the first 'tourist spot', allowed us to do some birding
summer in Taiwan is as boring as HK, but the Malayan Night Heron here is the friendliest in the world
can you spot the night heron?
the first time Tung ticked this species also in Taiwan, but not in Botanical Garden
when we visited the Botanical Garden last time, it was raining heavily, only managed to see the juvenile night heron
this time, only one adult was found here, may be still nesting?
Malayan Night Heron, a successful colonizer in urban Taiwan
Malayan Night heron - a close up, the long bluish crest help separating the similar Japanese Night Heron,
as here
last time when we saw the Taiwan Barbet, it was very far to take a shot under rain
this time, the weather was much better, and there were many Taiwan Barbets nearby but only one could be seen
still a good view when comparing last time, I also saw very close birds before knowing Wing Tung in Taiwan, they are very common
Japanese White-eye - fifi
a juvenile Common Moorhen in the lake
there were many Common Moorhen in Taiwan as well
Common Moorhen with waterlily
cold tea, Japans' are better I think
a short walk from Botanical Garden, we arrived Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall
a famous tourist spot, and many Asian Glossy Starling nesting here
together with ibis
again, Malayan Night Heron, there were one juvenile and one adult with ring here
the night heron were absolutely fearless
juvenile Malayan Night Heron
probably a first year bird which was born this spring
adult, which was ringed
a close up of this individual, the facial skin was more bluish
Grey Treepie, and endemic subspecies, under post breeding molting
time to lunch, goose
this restaurant 鴨肉扁 is also famous here
milk-tea after lunch
Ximending, again we didn't visit in detail last time because of rain
this was a relaxing trip, back to hotel to take a short rest when no birding, eating or shopping
many shops can be visited in the underground street just down below our hotel
Bugu, a chicken and Kuboo, a penguin
Bugu is really cute and I wish to buy one to Tung
this looked like fighting
afternoon tea in this famous fish market and sushi shop, we also visited last time, and Tung ticked her first Malayan Night Heron nearby
you can choose to eat inside or outside. Sushi is fresher and more delicious inside but more expensive. We tried dinner there last time so we just bought our stuff and eat outside this time.
not bad, but still Japan's better
we didn't go to night market this night because of heavy rain, just shopping around mall or in underground street. This one is cute so we bought one too, got the budgerigar.
Taiwan Blue Magpie, and Yellow Tit
tea again
more food before sleep
again!
oyster omelette to finish day two, the same restaurant we went in the food court near hotel
4 Aug
this was the only full-birding day and it is very easy to take bus from Taipei to Yilan to meet Hunter
after meeting Hunter, we saw the first lifer on the way to Taiping Shan - Striated Swallow, the heavier streaking, larger size and slower flight help separating Red-rumped Swallow
Mountain Hawk Eagle, missed in Taiwan last time
Crested Serpent Eagle, note the wing shape is different to hawk eagle
Grey-cheeked Fulvetta, a Taiwan endemic
Oriental Honey Buzzard, this one showing quite obvious white window
Cueifong Lake
the water level was a bit low this year. In this lake, there is a long staying White-tailed Eagle, sadly we didn't see the eagle this time.
but we saw Taiwan Fulvetta, an endemic lifer
trees with red leaves in Taiping Shan
autumn is coming
Taiwan Rosefinch, a distant male
rain came after seeing the rosefinch, we waited till the rain stopped. And birds started coming out again,. Another lifer of this trip - Taiwan Bush Warbler
this bush warbler was very friendly, only in breeding season
even it was late in season, but this bird chose to display itself
we could even record its song by iPhone
Taiwan Yuhina
Steere's Liocichla, busy feeding youngs
Steere's Liocichla
Ferruginous Flycatcher, a summer visitor in Taiwan
much cooler in Taiping Shan than Taipei city
we went to look for Taiwan Bamboo Partridge but still failed, try again next time then. We still got one more raptor anyway - Besra
dinner time after a whole day birding
this sushi shop locates just opposite to our hotel and opens 24 hours, Wing Tung and I went there last time at 2am!
dessert
we passed Bugu again and again
night market tonight, where the Siberian Crane also visited (the metro station nearby)
owl of the trip
octopus!
this one is new (?) and quite good
oyster omelette costed 60 TWD
delicious
and need a healthier drink to end the night
we chose number 43
not bad to me, maybe I am used to love the bitter taste
5 Aug
breakfast time, basically a shopping and sightseeing day
this one was better
walking along the coast was relaxing too, in Tamsui
ibis, and a Greater Crested Tern flew by
mega sized ice cream in hot summer day
old street, shops selling souvenirs, where we didn't go last time
shopping time in outlet
lunch is rather easier and more Japanese style
my set
the best tea in this trip
this trip is only about food...
again
could not resist the chicken
and fried chicken
also fried mushroom
we also bought some mango to eat in hotel and back to HK
revisited another night market we went last time, but too full to eat, just bought a cup of lemon and Ficus pumila var. awkeotsang 檸檬愛玉 again (a long name in english?)
6 Aug
final morning this trip, spent some time in Daan Forest Park, a place where we haven't been to before, there were many Cattle Egret nearby
funniest encounter, this baby thought I was its Dad because I was wearing a white shirt
followed me, my kid
ibis with the baby
also many Malayan Night Heron as usual in Taiwan
this Malayan gave me a feel of Japanese Night Heron (think too much)
more Malayan Night Heron in different lighting
they were all busy feeding in the park, crestless in this angle
crested in this angle
one of the juvenile
two adults with one juvenile, a family?
Black Bulbul
unlike Botanical Garden, the Taiwan Barbet here were more showy
a bright individual
a duller individual
you can hear the voice everywhere in the park
Taiwan Barbet, a very common endemic
Taiwan Barbet, I love the green
Singing Barbet
Taiwan Barbet
last species in the park, Crested Goshawk, three juveniles were seen and two ringed birds were born in the park this season, while the remaining one dispersed from other places. Crested Goshawk is like Malayan Night Heron, a very successful urban colonizer in Taiwan.
juvenile Crested Goshawk - last bird photo of the trip. This juvenile tried to attack a juvenile Black-crowned Night Heron, gave us a superb view after the fail attempt.
still early when leaving the park, so just back to hotel and have my breakfast before check out - a reddish banana
lunch after check out, the same sushi shop
new sushi, urchin with swordfish
and old bread
many shops and restaurants around the Taipei Station, last shopping and eating
Platostoma palustre drink 仙草茶
chicken!
we took the Taoyuen Metro back to the airport, faster than the bus, and you can charge the phone by wireless charger
last milk tea, airport limited!
a wooden Fifi model (also Collared Bush Robin, Ruddy Kingfisher and Taiwan Blue Magpie)
time to back to HK, a B777 when we going back
our home
The bird list of this non-birding trip (following HBW):
Rock Dove Columba livia
Ashy Wood Pigeon Columba pulchricollis
- 2 seen in flight in Taipingshan
Oriental Turtle Dove Streptopelia orientalis orii
Red Turtle Dove Streptopelia tranquebarica humilis
Eastern Spotted Dove Spilopelia chinensis chinensis
House Swift Apus nipalensis kuntzi
Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus chloropus
African Sacred Ibis Threskiornis aethiopicus
- 1 in Tamsui
Malayan Night Heron Gorsachius melanolophus melanolophus
Black-crowned Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax nycticorax
Eastern Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis coromandus
Little Egret Egretta garzetta garzetta
Little Ringed Plover Charadrius dubius curonicus
Greater Crested Tern Thalasseus bergii cristatus
- 1 in Tamsui
Oriental Honey Buzzard Pernis ptilorhynchus orientalis
- 1 in Taiping Shan
Crested Serpent Eagle Spilornis cheela hoya
- 1 in Taiping Shan
Mountain Hawk Eagle Nisaetus nipalensis nipalensis
- 1 in Taiping Shan
Crested Goshawk Accipiter trivirgatus formosae
Besra Accipiter virgatus fuscipectus
Taiwan Barbet Psilopogon nuchalis
White-bellied Erpornis Erpornis zantholeuca tyrannulus
Grey-chinned Minivet Pericrocotus solaris griseogularis
Black Drongo Dicrurus macrocercus harterti
Bronzed Drongo Dicrurus aeneus braunianus
Long-tailed Shrike Lanius schach schach
Grey Treepie Dendrocitta formosae formosae
Taiwan Blue Magpie Urocissa caerulea
Common Magpie Pica pica serica
Chestnut-bellied Tit Sittiparus castaneoventris
Green-backed Tit Parus monticolus insperatus
Taiwan Cupwing Pnoepyga formosana
- heard only in Taipingshan (again and again)
Taiwan Grasshopper Warbler Locustella alishanensis
Asian House Martin Delichon dasypus nigrimentale
Striated Swallow Cecropis daurica striolata
Pacific Swallow Hirundo javanica namiyei
Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica gutturalis
Black Bulbul Hypsipetes leucocephalus nigerrimus
Light-vented Bulbul Pycnonotus sinensis formosae
Rufous-faced Warbler Abroscopus albogularis fulvifacies
- heard only in Taipingshan
Brownish-flanked Bush Warbler Horornis fortipes robustipes
- 1 seen well in Taiping Shan but I identified as Yellow-bellied Bush... the Taiwan subspecies of Brownish-flanked Bush Warbler shows much yellowish underpart than HK bird
Taiwan Fulvetta Fulvetta formosana
- 2 in Taiping Shan
Taiwan Yuhina Yuhina brunneiceps
Japanese White-eye Zosterops japonicus simplex
Rufous-capped Babbler Cyanoderma ruficeps praecognitum
Dusky Fulvetta Schoeniparus brunneus brunneus
- heard only in Taipingshan (missed the view again!)
Morrison's Fulvetta Alcippe morrisonia
White-whiskered Laughingthrush Trochalopteron morrisonianum
White-eared Sibia Heterophasia auricularis
- heard only in Taipingshan (didn't really try to look for a view)
Steere's Liocichla Liocichla steerii
Black-collared Starling Gracupica nigricollis
Common Myna Acridotheres tristis tristis
Javan Myna Acridotheres javanicus
Asian Glossy Starling Aplonis panayensis
Oriental Magpie Robin Copsychus saularis
Ferruginous Flycatcher Muscicapa ferruginea
Small Vivid Niltava Niltava vivida
Taiwan Shortwing Brachypteryx goodfellowi
- heard only in Taipingshan (heard only as usual)
White-tailed Robin Myiomela leucura montium
Eurasian Tree Sparrow Passer montanus saturatus
White Wagtail Motacilla alba
Taiwan Rosefinch Carpodacus formosanus
we will return to clear the endemics...
