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) ...
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Loving Life

After a serious discussion with a work friend on Friday, a lot of thoughts were suppose to enter my mind. But instead of overthinking and overworrying, I channeled that drive into coming to work on the weekend and fixing my problems. A lot of work, perhaps, but I am willing to do what is right.

Today, before arrive at work, a group of weekend photographers was just outside the botanical garden photographing the Taiwan Barbets (the one that my co-workers were trying to catch on Thursday but came back empty-handed).

Crossing over the sidewalk, I noticed chirping of the Japanese White-eyes (Zosterops japonicus). Looking closely, I noticed that one of them was a fledgling and its parents were feeding it.

Japanese White-eye fledgling.

After working for the entire (Saturday and Sun)day (and resting a little bit along the way), I had completed what I set out to do. Calling it a day, I decided to head up to the rooftop and just relax.

Watching the sunset.

Marveling over the crescent Moon

Enjoying the wind

And loving life.
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Found fledglings and Sparrow taking a dirt bath

The second fledgling that we were observing last week had finally fledged. Unfortunately, it (being the last one to leave the nest) couldn't fly too well and landed in the Lotus Pond soon after. A worker in the garden saw it and rescued it immediately, so we were able to measure and leg-band this little fella.

I am not sure why, but this pretty little bird was extremely calm when we were measuring it and is such a good sport.

Besides the caught new fledgling, another nest (outside the botanical garden) also had new fledglings. And their fates seem much more dangerous than the one above, especially right beside a busy street. Yikes.

If you look closely (at the left photo), you can see the barbet near the base of the tree.

In the afternoon, it was my shift again at observing the nests (currently feeding one chick). While barbet-watching, a group of Eurasian Tree Sparrows came close to us and was feeding on the little insects in the grasses.

Besides eating, an interesting individual took a dirt bath right in front of us, and it was a delightful sight to see!

You never seen a bird bathing in the dirt before?

Lastly, while maintaining the botanical garden, a worker found a unknown nestling on the ground and gave it to us to care. It was such a small creature, about the size of a cookie only.

We hope we can take good care of it.
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Photos of the day - Animals in TBG

Yawn. Everyday is so fulfilling (and so tiring) with examining the cavity nests and helping out with the behaviour obervations.

I'll just post some of my better shots of the day today. Have a great weekend, everyone!

Muller's Barbet (Megalaima nuchalis)

Swinhoe's Japalura (Japalura swinhonis)

Common Kingfisher (Alcedo atthis)

Nesting Japanese White-eye (Zosterops japonicus)

Green Pond Frog (Rana plancyi)

Black Bulbul (Hypsipetes madagascariensis)
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First day volunteering at Taipei Botanical Garden (TBG)

Well, I reported for (volunteer) work at Taipei Botanical Garden (TBG) today. The garden is owned by the Forestry Bureau of Taiwan's Council of Agriculture, and it is more like a rboretum than just a garden. Anyways, I will be working under the Forest Conservation Division, and the research topic that I will be assisting is the observations of the nesting behaviours of Muller's Barbet (Megalaima nuchalis).

I will get to the subject of this (and the many to come) post. But first, here're some two bird species that are easily observed in the garden.

Black-crowned Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax). Even though this animal is found worldwide, even back in Vancouver, this bird was quite active in the morning, scratching its head, preening the feathers, and moving around. Much more active (and closer) than the secretive ones in Canada.

Common Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus). Another worldwide species and found all over Taiwan.

Now, onto the star of today's post - Muller's Barbet! M. nuchalis is the only species in the family Capitonidae in Taiwan, and it is an endemic species here. They are found in low- to mid-elevations, and they are primary cavity-nesting birds, i.e. they excavate their own nest cavities. Only one study done in 1990 focused on this particular species, therefore, the information and results obtained from this research is very valuable. The objective of this study is to record behaviours during the mating season, as well as the relationship between nests and host trees. Besides the adminstrative stuff to get over with when I arrived, I also spent a good chunk of today's time practicing and observing one particular pair of barbets incubating their eggs.

Most of the times, we looked up to where the nest hole is and see if there are any movements. The gender difference between the father and mother is quite difficult to tell since they are not sexual dimorphic. The only known difference (known when copulation positions are recorded and studied carefully) is that the male has a shiny black beak, while the lower-half of the female's beak is duller and grayer.

Male, I think.

Most of the times, we just stared up at the circular empty hole. Things get excited when the parent bird poked its head out of the hole and wondered when its substitute is going to arrive. I only got shots of them poking their head out of the hole. Hopefully, I will get some shots of the birds leaving and entering the nest, as well as the parent bird feeding the fledglings when they hatch.

Female, I think. In Chinese, they are translated literally as the "Five-colored Barbet" as they are very colorful.

After work, a co-worker wanted to collect some nests of the Japanese White-eye (since he believe the nests are long gone and abandoned. In the first nest, we saw one dead fledgling. We did not cause its death as it was already dry and dead for a while, which was strange since my friend saw the parent bird feeding it during a few days ago.

On the second nest site, we "accidently" removed a nest still holding three fledglings. My friend says he will take them and rear them until they are old enough to fly and hunt for food.

What a day! Hope tomorrow will be even better!
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Some of the common wildlife in Taiwan

For the most part of my morning yesterday, I spent time watching out for wildlife in my grandmother's backyard. Not too much, but I came across a jumping spider and a buttefly belonging to the Lycaenidae. I think it may be a Jamides alecto dromicus, but I am not totally sure.

A very common bird in the backyward is the Eurasian Tree Sparrow (Passer montanus), seen in the top picture below. The sparrow, together with the Japanese White-eye (Zosterops japonicus) - middle picture, and the Chinese Bulbul (Pycnonotus sinensis) - bottom picture, are known as the "Big Three" in Taiwan due to their abundance all over the island.

My grandaunt keeps a pair of Common Mynas (Acridotheres tristis) as pets, which are quite popular in Taiwan because of the bird's intelligence and its ability to learn and micmic sounds.

In the afternoon, I biked around the village looking for more wildlife. Sadly, it was around time of schools finishing - causing traffic nightmares as I try to maneuver around cars and motorcycles. Nevertheless, in the empty elementary school, I saw a Red-collared Dove (Streptopelia tranquebarica) - left, and a White-vented Myna (Acridotheres grandis) - right.

I also saw a young Chinese Bulbul which I almost couldn't recognize due to its lack of the white patch on the head.

Overall, it was a great birding day since this was the first time that I paid attention to birds when coming back to Taiwan. All lifers for me!

Not common nor a wild animal, but this is my family pet, Xiao Hey (literally means Little Black in Chinese). Such a sneaky but wonderful dog!