Day 1: Taipei

We arrive in this world-class Asian city and head to a downtown hotel. If time allows we may visit the Taipei Botanical Gardens and/or a nearby riverside park for some easy birding and photography. Overnight in Taipei.

 

Days 2: Taipei to Dashueshan

The plans for this morning are flexible. If fall migration has been good, we may start the day at one of several hotspots where we might see and photograph Daurian Redstart, Brown Shrike, several species of thrushes, and maybe a few buntings too; more open areas ought to yield wagtails and pipits. Another option is to visit a park north of the city where the spectacular Taiwan Blue Magpie is a regular visitor and occasionally bathes in the stream. We then head south towards the start of the amazing road up to Dashueshan. We spend two nights in a town near the start of the road, which allows convenient access to the lower slopes of the park. Time permitting, we may bird a bit this afternoon along the start of the road, where we may see Collared Finchbill, Black-naped Monarch, Bronzed Drongo, Red Collared-Dove, and other common species.

 

Day 3: Dashueshan (lower slopes)

The Dashuashan area is a veritable birder’s Disneyland, and a favorite haunt of local photographers, who have done an incredible job of making some of Taiwan’s most spectacular endemic birds remarkably tame here. First and foremost among these are the magical pheasants. We’ll start the morning at a regular feeding area for the white-backed Swinhoe’s Pheasant, where we also have a decent chance to get the shy Taiwan Partridge. Fruiting Idesia trees are another phenomenon we hope to encounter, with up to 15 bird species gorging themselves on their photogenic red berries, including the dashing Taiwan Sibia, Taiwan Barbet and ever-perky Taiwan Yuhina. The general birding is great and we will seek out Rusty and Rufous-crowned Laughing-thrushes, Steere’s Liochichla, Taiwan Yellow Tit, and many of the island’s other endemic species here.

 

Day 4: Dashueshan area

The morning is flexible – we may head straight back to Dashueshan, or, if we did well yesterday, we may make a side trip to the beautiful Guguan Valley where the beautiful Chestnut-bellied Tit is often easy to see, along with the deep-blue Taiwan Whistling-Thrush, the water-loving Brown Dipper, and various other species. Later in the day, we’ll check into our cabins in the upper part of Dashueshan, where we spend two nights, then head to the end of the road for our first chance at Taiwan’s other endemic pheasant, the regal Mikado Pheasant, at a known feeding area. White-whiskered Laughingthrushes are bold and very entertaining as they bounce around in the open along the edge of the clearings. At night, we’ll try to photograph the beautiful Red-and-white Giant Flying Squirrels that feed near our lodge, and a night drive should get us views of the odd Serow, an ungulate that looks like a mix between a goat and antelope.

 

Day 5: Dashueshan (upper slopes)

Unless we lucked out yesterday, we’ll spend more time waiting for Mikado Pheasants at known sites before targeting other species of the higher elevations such as the cute, endemic Flamecrest, Colorful Collared Bush-Robin, loud Eurasian Nutcracker, Coal Tit, Yellowish-bellied Bush-Warbler, Taiwan Fulvetta, Taiwan Cupwing, Little Forktail, and others.

 

Day 6: Dashueshan to Changhua

After another morning in Dashueshan we shall head to the coastal wetlands and extensive mudflats of Hanbao. The tides will determine whether we visit these sites this afteroon or the following morning. We ought to be able to see and photograph many wintering shorebirds. Greater and Lesser Sand-plovers, Kentish Plover, Dunlin, Curlew Sandpiper, Red Knot, Sharp-billed Sandpiper, Common Greenshank, Marsh Sandpiper, Common Redshank, Common Ringed Plover, Black-bellied Plover and Pacific Golden Plover should all be about. With luck, Great Knot, Eurasian Curlew, or Bar-tailed Godwit may be found. There may also be some interesting passerines lurking in the scrub including Siberian Rubythroat.

 

Day 7: Changhua to Wushe

This morning, depending on the tides, we may bird the coastline, or head to the center of the island, where we may visit the nearby Ao-Wan-Da forest or Huisun Forest depending on the conditions. Both areas hold broadleaf woodlands, and there we seek to photograph Taiwan Yellow Tit, Chestnut-bellied Tit, and the sensational Taiwan Blue Magpie. The scenery here is also exceptional, and we may have stops for a few landscape photography possibilities. We will spend two nights in Wushe.

 

Day 8: Wuling and Taroko Gorge

Today we travel via the highest road pass in Taiwan giving us more chance at high altitude species like Taiwan Fulvetta, Flamecrest, Collared Bush-Robin, Taiwan Rosefinch, Gray-headed Bullfinch, and Alpine Accentor. Here there are also some great opportunities for scenic shots. Sometimes there is a dusting of snow around which may enliven our photo-ops. After we traverse the pass, we will enjoy Taiwan’s most scenic road which passes through one of Asia’s seven natural wonders, Taroko Gorge. This winding journey through vertical marble cliffs along the side of a deep, steep-sided gorge is not to be missed, and we will make some photographic stops as we progress. We’ll stop for lunch at a site where we should find the endemic Styan’s Bulbul before beginning the long drive back to Wushe Note that road work sometimes closes sections of this road, but there is still plenty to see here even we can’t reach the lower parts of the gorge.

 

Day 9: Wushe to Tainan

Today we travel down Taiwan’s West Coast. We’ll plan our stops based on what we are still seeking, and could spend more time in the mountains, or head to the coastal wetlands early enough to do some birding there. We may pass by an ornate temple where a Collared Scops-Owl roosts in the eves. We’ll spend two nights in a hotel either in Tainan or in a temple outside of the city.

 

Day 10: Southern Taiwan

We’ll spend some or all of today in the incredible wetlands of Augu and Qigu. Once there we will enjoy the stunning spectacle of thousands of wintering shorebirds and waterfowl at this internationally important site for wetland birds. We are likely to find flocks of the endangered Black-faced Spoonbill, several species of ducks, and numerous herons and egrets, which are often close and photogenic. Note: if we were unable to reach Taroko Gorge on day 8, we will likely include a visit to Kenting National Park near the southern tip of the island, which offers another chance at Styan’s Bulbul as well as great scenery.

 

Day 11: Return to Taipei

Our last morning will be spend either in the fantastic coastal wetlands north of Tainan, or at other sites between Tainan and Taipei. Time permitting, we will stop at the Xitou Nature Recreation Area, where the colorful endemic Steere’s Liocicha is surprisingly tame, and where we have a chance at several other great birds like Taiwan Barwing, White-tailed Robin, and Little Forktail. We’ll reach the Taipei airport by 3pm, allowing time to take evening international flights.