The final part of my southern Taiwan trip (2009-10-17)

Doing some internet surfing on Flickr when I came across this picture and chuckled at myself at the caption below "...in BC if you're waiting for the rain to stop before you go out, there's every chance you'd die of old age first." Very true.

I have been putting off writing the last few parts of my southern Taiwan trip, and I think I will continue today (from last month). One of the things that we were there to do was to find some Taiwan Barbet nest cavities, as well as to witness and gather some information about the famous raptor migration occurring during the beginning of autumn. It is a spectacular sighting to see tens of thousands raptors flying and gliding on currents of hot airs rising through the peninsula.

On October 17, we woke up quite early, had simple breakfast, and rode our scooters back to Sheding Nature Park where many bird-watchers and photographers gather to see and capture this phenomenon.

Shortly after leaving the dormitory, we saw a Grey-capped Pygmy Woodpecker (Dendrocopos canicapillus). It was definitely to find a lifer for me, as well as the idea of another cavity-nester sharing the same habitat as our Taiwan Barbet. I wonder if there are direct competitions between the two species in terms of cavity resources.

Later on, we also came across a group of Formosan Rock Macaques which are pretty common in the area.

On the way to the platform of the highest point in the park, we encountered a few more interesting animals/plants.

Plank Root Tree (Heritiera littoralis). From its root system, you can probably guess that this is a species that live near mangroves with fluctuating tides.

Taiwan Giant Cricket (Brachytrupes portentosus) - it was already dead but I uprighted it for a documentation.

A friendly dog belonging to the person in charge of the dormitories.

Candidiopotamon rathbunae with my shoe stopping it from moving for a second. C. rathbunae is a freshwater crab and has the widest distribution in Taiwan. Even though both pincers are about the same size, the left is slightly larger. They are the largest and most fierce freshwater crabs in Taiwan, and they can be found underneath rocks or leaves alongside streams, as well as in muddy holes.

Athyma cama zoroastres.

An unknown species from Family Pompilidae.

Once we arrived at the platform, there were probably tens of photographers and birders there. Even though I can see many birds flying in the sky, there were too unfamiliar for me to identify right away (and plus they were just too fast). I didn't capture any images of the must-see Grey-Faced Buzzard. Instead I got a couple of shots of bird-in-flight (one of the reasons why I would like to own a DSLR) and identified only after I sat down and opened my field guides. Needless to say, they are all lifers for me!

Besra (Accipiter virgatus)

Oriental Honey Buzzard (Pernis ptilorhynchus)

Oriental Honey Buzzard (Pernis ptilorhynchus) - a honey-feeding accipiter. I believe this is a male because it is lighter in color.

After lunch, we headed to the Manzhou Eagle-watching Expo, but it was too far away and by the time we got there, the expo already came to an end.

Near dark, we scootered back towards our dormitory (along the windy waterfront and the dangerous encounter of a bull out-of-nowhere in a dark road) to pack up our luggages and prepare heading to Taipei.

Along the dark roads, we came across a roadkilled Taiwan Green Snake (Cyclophiops major). RIP.

As well as finding a stickbug (Entoria koshungensis) right outside or dorm. So cool! The people that helped me id this believe it is a male.

After dinner, we took a taxi ride to Kaohsiung (about 2 hours). Spend another hour or so in Kaohsiung waiting for the shuttle bus to Taipei. We left Kaohsiung just past midnight, and when we woke up in Taipei, it was almost 6-am (of October 18th, Sunday)! We ate some early breakfast and said good-bye to each other and headed to our own homes - because we have a get-together later that night in a friend's home again.

So early...and so tiring!

That concludes my work-trip to Southern Taiwan which was both memorable and important (to me) at the same time. I miss it so much.

366 days ago (2009-01-29) ...
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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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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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Long awaited post (a.k.a. last post in September 2009)

Sorry for the long waited post. I am just very very busy these days with the paper writing, and stil am.

The draft is more or less complete. So now it's just a lot of deleting, rephrasing, recalculating, rewriting.

A bit of brain exhausted day after day, but it's all part of the learning process and the experiences that I am gaining are just invaluable, especially for my future. So I am taking it all in in good strides.

Sky-watch on September 27, 2009 (Sunday) on the top of my work building after a bit tired after working all day.

I'll be leaving Taiwan in a couple of weeks and heading back to Canada. I don't know which place to call home anymore, maybe both are. If so, then I am one lucky person.
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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...
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Turtles/Tortoise Workshop in Taipei Zoo

This past weekend, my co-workers and I attended a special workshop hosted at Taipei Zoo titled "From the International Cooperation for the Conservation and Reproduction of the Burmese Star Tortoise (Geochelone platynota) - A Discussion of the Links Between In-situ and Ex-situ Conservation Activities for the Endangered Tortoise". Aside from the staff and researchers from Taipei Zoo, other special guests were from: Herpetological Associates, Inc., Kadorrie Farm & Botanic Garden, Behler Chelonian Center, and others.

Entrance sign.

The abstract booklet and other pamphlets that we received.

Mr. Paul Crow from Kadorrie Farm & Botanic Garden giving a presentation on the conservation of the critically endangered Cuora trifasciata in Hong Kong.

My co-workers paying attention to the lecturers.

Besides learning the different types of turtles and tortoises and the steps taken to conserve them, whether In-situ or Ex-situ, I also used the time to visit friends from last year's internship, as well as touring the zoo.

Visiting people at the Wildlife Rescue Center

Animals that I photographed this weekend:

Crab-eating Macaque (Macaca fascicularis)

Black-winged Starling (Sturnus melanopterus)

Sacred Ibis (Threskiornis aethiopicus)

Scarlet Ibis (Eudocimus ruber)

Greater Flamingos (Phoenicopterus ruber)

Back to work tomorrow!

Bac.