I am back...in Canada!

Sorry for not posting in such a long time, but my life was too full for me to post in the last couple of weeks, especially with me coming back from my work trip in southern Taiwan, saying good-byes to all of my friends in Taipei, packing to go back to central Taiwan, saying good-byes again to all of my family members, packing again to come back to Vancouver (via Japan), etc etc. Ahhh!

Well, I am finally back in Canada again. My plans? To finish up writing my paper, meet up with friends, go back to school and talk to professors about my paper and grad school, and whatever happens along the way.

This summer, I learned that planning is just a guideline, not something written in stone. Who would had thought that I ended up assisting a bird research project (instead of helping with a moth survey, which never happened, by the way), writing a paper, staying in Taiwan for an extended two more months, and meeting such wonderful people. I am so grateful!

I'll post some photos when I have time, but now I'm heading to sleep.

365 days ago (2008-10-24) ...
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Announcement

Just like this time last year in Canada, today's weather in Taipei was gray and gloomy, and I was inside the office all day trying to finish my paper.

Before my work terminates, I will be going to southern Taiwan for a work trip. I shall be away from Taipei and blogging from tomorrow (Thursday) to Sunday. So I wish an early happy weekend to everybody.

Ciao!

Edit: Thought I post a photo of me enjoying the beautiful southern weather during the trip! Fantastic! More to come in other posts!

365 days ago (2008-10-14) ...
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Dinner with Zoo Friends

Office work all day today, so I don't have anything of interest to share. Although in the evening, I did catch up with old co-workers/friends (from Taipei Zoo) and had Thai-styled dinner together. It was a great time seeing old friends before I leave for Canada in 11 days, and what a happy time we had this evening. Lots of laughter and good memories.

Edit: I wonder if the accipiter I saw last year was a Red-tailed Hawk....

365 days ago (2008-10-13) ...
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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) ...
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Day Trip to Taichung

Today I went to Taichung with a couple of good friends to visit an art exhibit by one of the friend's elementary school friend. The art gallery was a real gem hidden in the crowded rural street market, and the exhibit was wonderful with fantastic large paintings of simple outside scenes.

No photographing inside the gallery, so I only took a photo of the outside poster.

Afterwards we went to National Museum of Natural Science in Taichung City, and coincidentally we arrived on the last day of the Darwin 200 exhibit. Being biologists, the three of us were very excited to be fortunate enough to catch this exhibit.


The museum is well-known for its permanent exhibit of "Age of Dinosaurs", which I visited everytime I was there when I was young.

The newer part of the museum is the indoor Botanical Garden. Sadly, we only had enough time to see the Darwin display in the main building before closing time. So we took photos of the garden from the outside only.

I can only imagine how fantastic the inside must be!

HUGE butterfly!

Closing time...

Another wonderful day today with close friends and happy memories.

365 days ago (2008-10-11) ...
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Happy Taiwan Day & Sad Farewell Party

Today is Taiwan National Day (10/10), and my supervisor invited me and fellow co-workers and friends to her house for a party.

Dahu Park MRT Station

Dahu Park

My co-workers and I met at the MRT station first and strolled around in Dahu Park before we headed to the host's home.

Little Egret with an injured leg.

There were some fishermen in the fishing area. Near the fishermen were Intermediate and Little Egrets waiting for get little fishes that the fishermen do not want.

Intermediate Egret


Intermediate Egret preparing to take off when we got too close.

Afterwards, we walked to our supervisor's home, where we had a great feast and wonderful time together. They even presented me with a surprise gift. After a wonderful lunch and a satisfied belly, we hiked to a mountain trail behind the house and headed towards a waterfall promised to be a wonderful scenic view. And indeed it was.

Liyu Mountain

Pretty little stream along the trail


While crossing the (above) bridge, we saw a Formosan Gossamerwing.

Large banana flower!

Loyal dog guarding its owner's home.

Preparing to go into the mountain.




What a beautiful habitat!

The beautiful (unnamed) waterfall as promised! I think I will call it Waterfall of Good Memories!

365 Days ago (2008-10-10) ...
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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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My Messy Desk

I had no time to go outside to take photographs today, so I took photos of my messy office desk during lunchtime.

Toucans, Barbets and Honeyguides by Lester Short and Jennifer Horne. This book has practically become my bible during my research since the amount of researches on barbets (especially Asian Barbets) are surprisingly very very limited!

Piles and piles of paper and books on my desk.

The main purpose of today's post? To link the post of what I blogged one year ago.

365 days ago (2008-10-08) ...
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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!
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Thoughts on the One-Year Anniversary

One year and 267 posts later, I am currently at a different part of the world (than last year) and continuing to write blogs. What an amazing experience all this has been. This blog has become an important part of my life, especially in recording and documenting the nature that I see when out, not to mention all the good blogger friends that I had made and learned from. Thank you all!

Currently my life is a bit more stable now, with the draft more or less finished. So it's just a lot of editing right now. However, all that will change when I return back to Canada in 18 days, where I will try to communicate with my supervisor overseas via e-mail or telephone or something, and try to get the paper submitted and re-edited. Then I will try to find work, grad school, and so forth, and try to get my life stable once again.

This summer has been an wonderful experience, I made a lot of good, life-time friends, and I'm quite sad about leaving them. But I'm sure that we will meet and see each other again in the future.

Anyways, I should get to work soon. Just want to thank everyone who visits this blog and thank the people supporting me. Thank you.

365 days ago (2008-10-06) Part 1 ...
365 days ago (2008-10-06) Part 2 ...
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