Removing Nest Logs

Last time this year, I learned about the banded woolly bear. This time I am learning about barbets in Taiwan. How interesting is that!?

I saw a Brown Shrike again while visiting my friends doing their noise research in the morning.

Today my supervisor presented the preliminary results of our data to the fellow researchers in our division and we received several interesting comments and suggestions.

Afterwards, my co-workers and I headed to the botanical garden to remove some of the nest logs that we attached to the trees in TBG. They attached these nest logs before the breeding season hoping to attract some barbets able to excavate nest cavities in these nest logs (as it was proven successful elsewhere in Taiwan by a man interested in conserving the barbets). However, after one breeding season, there was not a single nest cavity excavated (except for a very small attempt at the start of the season). I believe there are enough live trees in TBG to be used as nest trees so the barbets do not bother on nesting in these nest logs. It feels wonderful to be outside again doing hard work.

Tree number 1.

Removing the wires and nails.

Me on the ladder photographing the conditions of the logs, as well as the attaching wires and nails.

Very little rust on the attachments after six months.

However, fungi did well on these dead logs.

Tree number two.

Scaling the height and planning.

Up we go.

Nest logs removed.

Remember the Grey-streaked Flycatcher mentioned in the earlier posts? Well, after removing the logs, I saw a group of photographer nearby and guess what they were photographing? The flycatchers!

Hooray!

Well, aren't you glad to see me.

After work today, my friends and I went to a special screening of "Julie & Julia", which I thought was a good movie, especially for food enthusiasts.

What a fulfilling day. Sadly, I am leaving in 12 days.

365 days ago (2008-10-12) ...
.

Japanese White-eye and other wildlife in TBG

Exactly one year ago, I was being interviewed for an internship at Fisheries Canada. Now, I am currently in the final weeks of my extended internship at Taiwan Forestry Research Institute. Both governmental organizations, two different countries, and deals with very different things. Funny how things played out in life.

There has been sightings of migrating Grey-streaked Flycatcher in Taipei Botanical Garden this week. So, I have been keeping an eye out for this potential lifer during my walks across the garden in the morning. Sadly, I still have not yet being able to find it yet.

Instead, I was photographing other wildlife that I came across.

Turtle

Japanese White-eye enjoying some sweets.

Grey Treepie cracking loudly on top of tree.

In the office today, I was calculating the hourly differences between male and female barbets in nestling feeding and nest cleaning, as well as editing my abstract.

In the afternoon, I headed up to the roof to photograph the setting sun and orange sky.

Orangy sky in Taipei.

Have a great weekend, everyone! I know I will...

365 days ago (2008-10-09) ...
.

Brown Shrike in TBG!

Wow, I finally have photos to share!

I found my friends this morning doing their regular Wednesday research when one of them told me that he saw Brown Shrikes today. Brown Shrike (Lanius cristatus lucionensis) is a migratory species that is commonly found in Taiwan during the winter. Like other shrikes, they are territorial and likes to perch on posts keeping watch of their territory. However, using this particular habit, there had been many illegal catchings in Taiwan where hunters fashioned a trapper on top of a perching stick so that they can be captured and be sold as food. Thankfully, this practice is completely banned, but I am sure it still takes place in more rural areas.

Brown Shrike (Lanius cristatus lucionensis)

Relax Mr. Shrike, you're safe here in TBG.

In the afternoon, there was a presentation for all the volunteers that assisted us with our Taiwan Barbet in TBG during the breeding season. The presentation was about our findings, results and key discussion that I worked hard on these last couple of months. It was also a sad moment for me to say hello and good-bye to all the elderly volunteers whom I have become friends with but probably won't see again before I leave for Canada. Thank you all!
.

Nighttime Taipei Botanical Garden (TBG)

After leaving work and walking through the botanical garden in the evening, I decided to take some pictures of Taipei Botanical Garden (TBG) in the nighttime using long exposures (~8 seconds).

I didn't have a tripod with me, so I just put the camera on my bag and timed the shutter before properly positioning the camera. Pretty impressive results, I must say.

Look forward to more experimentations with the night photography from now on since I am leaving work later and later....Sigh.

PS - I wonder where I can find some rocks to flip over tomorrow at work...
.

Pretty Flowers and Grass Lizards in TBG

Today, while I was photographing these pretty flowers opening along the pathways in TBG, I spotted something squirming in the bushes.

It was a Formosan Grass Lizard! A very small one too, just a little over 10-cm.

But then I saw another lizard.

It was a larger one with green sides. It came to the smaller, browner one and stayed there for about 20 seconds before the other one crawled away.

Photographing the green Formosan Grass Lizard.

What an handsome animal!

I am not sure if I had mentioned this before or not (because I am having trouble searching it in my older posts), but many weeks ago, one of the Taiwan Barbet's resting cavity had been taken over by ants. Well, my friend today helped me identified it to be Crematogaster rogenhoferi fabricans, a common ant in homes. Pretty cool, I think.
.

Hungry Black-crowned Night Heron looking for breakfast

Counting the days on the calendar, I realized that I will be leaving Taiwan in 53 days. A very sad small number I guess, although I had already stayed for 120 days.

Feeling gloomy aside, this Black-crowned Night Heron brightened my day a bit this morning by showing up.

Looking for food.

Changing to a new spot.

Looking around.


And looking ahead.

Still no fishes to be found? Time to change to another location again.

Let see if standing on top of the vegetation will give me a better view.

Nope. How about the fishes hiding underneath the vegetation?

I think I might go hungry this morning.

.

Pray and wish

Before arriving at work yesterday, I visited my co-workers who were conducting their weekly survey on bird assemblage and noise levels in TBG.

A beautiful Plumeria rubra flower falling on the ground.

Tree squirrels feasting on the ripe pomelos still on the tree. Some squirrels even dug their heads into the fruit and enjoy the fruity flesh inside. Yum!

Yesterday was the mid-month of the seventh month of the Lunar Calendar. The seventh month is known as the Spirit Month where spirits from the purgatory are free to wonder to the human world, and we have to provide food for them to wish them well and safe travels going back. There are also prohibitions among elders to avoid going to dangerous places such as in the mountains or to the ocean or rivers, as the mountain and water spirits (i.e. people who passed away in these areas) will drag you to purgatory with them. Researchers who deal with animals (wild or lab) also pray and thank the animals that gave up their souls for the greater good of science. Quite an honorable tradition, I think.

We provided lots of snacks and food to thank the spirits.

Burning paper money and lighting incenses.

In the end, it was time to enjoy the food.
.

End of August

Took a couple of photos of the nature of TBG before I went to work today.

Sleepy duck

Water Lily

Black-crowned Night Heron through the lily leaves.

Took this shot while having a break in the office. Good-bye August!
.