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A Report from birdtours.co.uk

SE China, Taiwan, Singapore and S peninsular Malaysia, May 15-June 3, 2009,

Remco Hofland

How to see Chinese Crested Tern, Cabot’s Tragopan & Spoon-billed Sandpiper in SE China and Railbabler in peninsular Malaysia

Visited sites (chronologically): Chongming island (north of Shanghai), Wuyuan, Wuyishan mtn, Shan Yu Tan (“Eel Beach”), part of Min river delta (north of Fuzhou), Sen Lin Gong Yuan (mountain in Fuzhou), Wen Wu Sha (marsh in Fuzhou)(all SE China); Anmashan, Hue San Forest Reserve, Peitungyenshan (incl Continuation and Blue Gate trails), Huben, Kenting, Long Luan Lake, Shuangliou National Forest Recreation Area, Alishan, Peitungyenshan (all Taiwan); Pulau Ubin (Singapore) and Panti forest (SE peninsular Malaysia).

Participants

Hemme Batjes, Remco Hofland (report) and Peter Maaskant from The Netherlands.

INTRODUCTION

Peter Maaskant and I (Remco Hofland) had been deliberating on a trip to SE China for several years, targeting some endemic and rare beauties such as Reed Parrotbill, Cabot’s Tragopan and Courtois’s Laughingthrush. When it became clear that there was also a good possibility for seeing the critically endangered Chinese Crested Tern from the SE Chinese mainland (see http://johnjemi.blogspot.com/search/label/Birding%20China%20Fujian), we seized the opportunity. We decided to combine SE China with Taiwan, a beautiful island with a number of endemics, incl several laughingthrushes, two pheasants, a sibia, a barwing and a liocichla (my favourites).

The trip was centered around SE China and Taiwan, but fortunately I managed to convince my fellow travellers to finish the trip with a visit to Panti Forest, having heard it is one of the best sites in the world for my most-wanted lifer Malaysian Railbabbler. And indeed it is: the species proved quite common and several were seen and heard well. To our pleasant surprise, the forest held a lot of other interesting birds – at least we were quite surprised by the number of species and individuals.

Highlights (chronologically) incl Reed Parrotbill, Chinese Hwamei, Courtois’s Laughingthrush, 16 Cabot’s Tragopan, Silver Pheasant, 9 Chinese Crested Tern and Spoon-billed Sandpiper (China);  Steere’s Liocichla, Rufous-crowned, Rusty and White-whiskered Laughingthrush, Taiwan Barwing, Himalayan Wood Owl, Yellow Tit, Taiwan Blue Magpie, Swinhoe’s and Mikado Pheasant, Malayan Night Heron, Fairy Pitta, Taiwan Hwamei, Taiwan Bamboo-Partridge (Taiwan); Crested Partridge, Wrinkled Hornbill, Railbabbler, Cinnamon-rumped Trogon, Jambu Fruit-Dove (Malaysia).

Trip Totals: We recorded 193 birds in 6.5 days SE China, incl 8 [HO]; 99 birds in 7 days Taiwan, incl 6 [HO] and 2 ferals; added 16 birds to the triplist in 2 days Singapore and recorded 103 birds in 2 days in Panti, peninsular Malaysia, incl 6 [HO]. I saw a total of c. 45 lifers, bringing my life-list to c. 3925, excl HO.

Birds not seen

As always the partridges proved tricky, and so we missed Rickett’s (White-necklaced) Hill-Partridge at Wuyishan (China) and Taiwan Hill-Partridge (Taiwan). The other bird we missed was Black-necklaced Scimitar-babbler (an endemic split from Spot-breasted Scimitar-babbler) in Taiwan. All three were heard on several occasions. At Panti (Malaysia), PM saw Buffy Fish Owl, White-necked Babbler and Rufous-tailed Shama & HB saw Black-and-white Bulbul, all of which would have been lifers for me.

Acknowledgements

Thanks to Simon Cockayne, Martin Kennewell and Ding Li from Singapore, for their advice on Panti, and to Morten Strange, Matthias Fehlow, Susan Myers, Rob Hutchinson and James Eaton (from BirdtourAsia) who responded to my RFI re Railbabbler / Panti Forest on the [OB] list. John & Jemi Holmes gave valuable advice on the SE Chinese sites (and publish about them regularly on their website: http://johnjemi.blogspot.com/).

Visa

Only required for China for Dutch residents.

Money

Total cost of the trip was c. € 2,500 each (with more than half spent on flights). This breaks up in:
€ 840               intercontinental flights (Amsterdam -> Shanghai & Kuala Lumpur -> Amsterdam)
€ 480               3 local flights (Fuzhou -> Hong Kong; HK -> Taipei & Taipei -> Singapore)
€ 700               expenses in China (incl 3 guides)
€ 350               expenses in Taiwan
€ 150               expenses in Singapore & Malaysia

Air travel arrangements

The Netherlands to China: KLM flight from Amsterdam to Shanghai, departing late afternoon and arrival early morning (€ 838 incl return from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia);
China to Taiwan: Dragonair flight from Fuzhou to Hong Kong (1576 RMB, c. € 160) and onwards from Hong Kong to Taipei (Taiwan) with Cathay Pacific (2551 HKD, c. € 230);  
Taiwan to Singapore: JetStar flight from Taipei to Singapore (4413 TWD, c. € 90);
Malaysia to the Netherlands: KLM Kuala Lumpur to Amsterdam. All air travel was booked before the trip, through the internet.

Other travel arrangements

Travel between Shanghai and Chongming Island and on site was by taxis, arranged by guide Astro Zhang Lin and included in the price.

From Shanghai we took the evening bus to Wuyuan, dep 7.40 pm, arr 1 am, which was also arranged by guide Astro Zhang Lin (and included in his price, see Guides).

From Wuyishan town we took the evening train to Fuzhou, dep 6.15 pm, arr midnight. Guide Laolin helped us purchase (soft sleeper) tickets upon dropping us at Wuyishan train station.

In Taiwan we rented a saloon car at VIP Rental Cars from downtown Taipei: c. 1 hr into town by airport coach, reachable at vipcar@vipcar.com.tw or +886 (0)22713 1111), recommended by Björn Anderson (see http://www.club300.se/Files/TravelReports/Taiwan&HongKong05-BA.pdf). As noticed by other travellers, there are very few car rental companies at Taipei Airport and those who are present only offer the basic car insurance. Both Hemme and Peter drove, without any problems. It is best to prebook the rental car, so it can be brought to the airport, saving valuable time.

Literature

Books taken on the trip were

The only article taken (twice) was

Useful tripreports include:

Huanggang Shan (Wuyishan), Sept 2007, by John & Jemi Holmes
(http://www.travellingbirder.com/tripreports/reports/2007_09_Wuyishan_JJH.pdf)

Wuyuan, April 2004, by Björn Anderson
(http://www.club300.se/Files/TravelReports/Wuyuan,%20Jiangxi,%20China,%20April%202004.pdf)

Jiangxi, Fujian, and northern Guangdong, April 2004, by Mike Kilburn
(http://www.surfbirds.com/trip_report.php?id=611)

Wuyishan, June 2001, by Graham Talbot
(http://www.surfbirds.com/Trip%20Reports/wuyishanjune01.html)

Taiwan, May 2005, by Björn Anderson
(http://www.club300.se/Files/TravelReports/Taiwan&HongKong05-BA.pdf)

Taiwan, Febr-Apr 2008, by Sander Bot
(http://www.travellingbirder.com/tripreports/view_birding_tripreport.php?id=336)

Taiwan, Jan 2005, by Gruff Dodd
(http://www.birdtours.co.uk/tripreports/taiwan/taiwan8/Taiwan-jan-05.htm)

Important websites

www.shanghaibirdingtour.com
http://johnjemi.blogspot.com/
http://www.birdingintaiwan.org/

Guides

For our visit to Chongming island, north of Shanghai, we used the services of Astro Zhang Lin [www.shanghaibirdingtour.com; zhanglinastro@163.com, zhanglinas@hotmail.com; mobile phone 13764195979]. He speaks English well and responds to email quickly, therefore we asked him to plan the whole SE China leg of the trip for us. Primarily targeting Wuyuan (Courtois’s Laughingthrush), Wuyishan (Cabot’s Tragopan) and Fuzhou (Chinese Crested Tern), our best option was to fly to Shanghai, which harbors another one of our most-wanted SE China endemics: Reed Parrotbill. Zhang Lin suggested we visit Chongming island, an island located in the Yangtse river delta two hours north of Shanghai Pudong airport (incl an hour by ferry) that also has breeding Japanese Swamp Warbler and migrants during the appropriate season. As it turned out, we had an enjoyable afternoon and morning at Chongming island, easily seeing dozens of Reed Parrotbills, 6 Japanese Swamp Warblers and a number of migrants incl an extremely late male Siberian Blue Robin and sev Phylloscopus warblers and Muscicapa flycatchers. The late afternoon before catching the bus to Wuyuan was spent in a Shanghai park looking for migrants.

Zhang Lin charged us c. € 150 each (3 persons) for almost two days, incl all transportation in the Shanghai area, hotel and meals, the cost of the evening bus from Shanghai to Wuyuan and the arrangement of our SE China trip.

Lin Jiang-sheng (“Laolin”) [mobile 0086-13807001872; only Chinese] is the guide most familiar with the Wuyuan and Wuyishan areas (he also guides the Poyang Hu area in winter and for that I hired him before, in Jan 2005 – see http://www.birdtours.co.uk/tripreports/china/China-8/China-winter-2005.htm). Although he is most experienced and extremely sharp-eyed, hiring him has some disadvantages. First of all, he does not speak any English. This does not help when one is enquiring into the route or a specific bird. Secondly, he seemed reluctant to leave his car while we were birding Wuyishan, even though we birded a dead-end road on which we were the only people throughout the day. So, while we were roadside-birding he followed us from time to time. Although we are perfectly capable of finding our own birds, he did have recordings of birds we didn’t have, most noticeably Rickett’s Hill-Partridge (that we heard fairly close to the road on one occasion, when we would have stood a chance of taping it in) and Grey-sided Scimitar-Babbler (which we heard occasionally but not when Laolin was near; subsequently we didn’t see it at Wuyishan). As Laolin is also a photographer, he seemed more inclined to park somewhere, tape and photograph, than actually trying to find us the birds that we still lacked. Lastly, he charges 1300 RMB (c. € 120) per day for guiding and transportation (he drives his own 4WD). This excludes the Wuyishan entrance fee of 300 RMB per foreigner per day, as well as accommodation and meals. Mind that, since Laolin lives in Nanchang, he also charges one extra day for driving up and down to Wuyishan.

As both Astro Zhang Lin (of Shanghai) and Lin Chen (of Fuzhou) both speak English well, can be reached by email and are also familiar with the areas around Wuyuan and Wuyishan, you may want to use them in the future. However, if you do want to get hold of Laolin, this can most easily be arranged through either Astro Zhang Lin or Lin Chen (who know him personally and can contact him for you), or professor He Fen-Qi, who is knowledgeable on the Courtois’s Laughingthrush. I have reached prof. He Fen-Qi in the past at cn_0707@hotmail.com.

Lin Chen [a.k.a. "Forest Morning"] [chinesecrestedtern@qq.com, buguy@163.com] guided us around Fuzhou, Fujian province. The reason for us to visit Fuzhou was Shan Yu Tan (“Eel Beach”), part of the Min river delta an hour north of Fuzhou where, roughly between May 1st and October 1st, one has a good chance of seeing the critically endangered Chinese Crested Tern. The tidal area that the terns frequent also holds good numbers of waders, and up to 20 Spoon-billed Sandpipers winter, roughly between October 1st and May 1st. We were fortunate enough to find 9 (displaying and mating) Chinese Crested Terns and a summer-plumaged Spoon-billed Sandpiper (on May 21st!), along with other goodies like Black-faced Spoonbill (usually seen in winter only), White-faced Plover Charadrius dealbatus (see http://www.thaibirding.com/ornithology/lostplover.htm), Slaty-backed and Black-tailed Gull, Great Crested and Gull-billed Tern, Far Eastern Curlew and Grey-tailed Tattler. For more information on this area, see http://johnjemi.blogspot.com/search/label/Birding%20China%20Fujian.

Lin Chen charged the three of us a total of 2,000 RMB for the entrance fees, transportation and his guiding; with an additional 600 RMB for two nights’ accommodation and all meals (this comes down to c. € 90 for each of us for 2 days birding – and great views of superb species!). He has a good 30 wide-angle Nikon scope so one does not have to bring its own.

In the afternoon of May 21st Lin Chen took us to Sen Lin Gong Yuan, a mountain in the southern part of Fuzhou, where we stumbled upon the previously-missed Grey-sided Scimitar-babbler, along with Fork-tailed Sunbird and Chestnut-collared Yuhina (a split from Striated Yuhina). Small numbers of Rickett’s Hill-Partridge also occur here, but are rarely seen.

Our last morning in Fuzhou, on our way to the airport, was spent at Wen Wu Sha, a small marshy area with a few ponds and ditches that is especially good in winter and during migration. About a dozen Oriental White Storks wintered here in 2008/2009, and buntings favour the place during winter/migration.

All three guides are good birders with local knowledge of sites, birds and sounds and are therefore recommended.

BRIEF ITINERARY (incl best birds & mammals)

Fri May 15        Early evening departure Amsterdam airport

Sat May 16       Morning arrival Shanghai airport; transfer to Chongming: Reed Parrotbill

Sun May 17      Birding Chongming: Japanese Swamp Warbler; evening bus to Wuyuan, arrival past midnight

Mon May 18     Birding around Wuyuan: Courtois’s & Masked Laughingthrush, Chinese Hwamei, Pied Falconet; drive to Wuyishan mountain

Tue May 19                  All day birding Wuyishan: Cabot’s Tragopan (15), Silver Pheasant, Hartert’s (Blyth’s) Leaf Warbler, Dusky Fulvetta, Chestnut-collared Yuhina

Wed May 20     Morning birding Wuyishan: Cabot’s Tragopan (1); transfer to Wuyishan town; evening train to Fuzhou, arrival at midnight

Thu May 21      Drive to Jin Feng; 3 hrs sleep; half-hr transfer to Shan Yu Tan (Min river beach): Chinese Crested Tern, Spoon-billed Sandpiper, White-faced Plover, Black-faced Spoonbill, Black-tailed Gull; transfer to Sen Lin Gong Yuan mountain: Grey-sided Scimitar Babbler, Chestnut-collared Yuhina, Fork-tailed Sunbird

Fri May 22        Morning visit to Wen Wu Sha marsh and beach; flight Fuzhou -> Hong Kong; flight Hong Kong -> Taipei; pick up rental car in city center; drive to Sanyi

Sat May 23       Drive to Anmashan: Taiwan Shortwing, Collared & White-browed Bush Robin, Taiwan Bush Warbler, Rufous-crowned Laughingthrush, Steere’s Liocichla, Taiwan Wren Babbler, Taiwan Barwing, White-eared Sibia, Taiwan Yuhina; evening trip HB & PM: Brown Wood Owl

Sun May 24      All day birding Anmashan: Flamecrest, Rusty & White-whiskered Laughingthrush, Yellow Tit, Owston’s (Grey-headed) Bullfinch, Taiwan Macaque; evening trip: Himalayan Wood Owl, Chinese Ferret-Badger, Masked Palm Civet, Red-and-white Giant Flying Squirrel

Mon May 25     Early morning Anmashan: Taiwan Fulvetta; drive to Hue San: Taiwan Blue Magpie; drive to Peitungyenshan: Swinhoe’s Pheasant

Tue May 26      Birding Continuation and Blue Gate Trails: Yellow Tit, Brown Bullfinch, Taiwan Shortwing; late morning drive to Huben: Fairy Pitta, Malayan Night Heron, Taiwan Scimitar Babbler

Wed May 27     Early morning Huben: Fairy Pitta; late morning drive to Kenting, arrival 2 pm: Styan’s Bulbul; Long Luan lake: Taiwan Hwamei; drive to Shuangliou forest, where dipped Taiwan Green Pigeon (but saw beautiful endemic Euphaea formosa damselfly); 4-hr drive to Alishan mountain, arrival 11 pm

Thu May 28      Morning birding Alishan: Mikado and Swinhoe’s Pheasant, Taiwan Whistling Thrush, Owston’s (Grey-headed) Bullfinch; drive to Hue San: Taiwan Blue Magpie, Malayan Night Heron, Varied Tit; evening drive to Wushe

Fri May 29        Morning birding Peitungyenshan: dipped Taiwan Hill Partridge; drive to Taipei; flight Taipei -> Singapore

Sat May 30       Unscheduled relaxing day in Singapore with local friend Mark; visit birdpark

Sun May 31      Unscheduled relaxing day in Singapore; visit Pulau Ubin island; evening ferry to east coast Malaysia; taxi to Kota Tinggi

Mon June 1      All day birding Panti forest: Malaysian Railbabbler, Crested Partridge, Wrinkled Hornbill, Malaysian Eared Nightjar, Jambu Fruit Dove, Malayan Horseshoe Bat

Tue June 2                   All day birding Panti forest: Diard’s, Scarlet-rumped & Cinnamon-rumped Trogon, Banded Broadbill, White-handed Gibbon. Torrential rains in evening, everyone soaked through

Wed June 3     HB & PM morning birding Panti forest; RH stayed in hotel (wet shoes); afternoon 4-hr taxi drive to Kuala Lumpur airport; late evening flight to Amsterdam

Thu June 4       Early morning arrival Amsterdam airport

DAY-TO-DAY ACCOUNT:

Fri May 15

Departure Schiphol Amsterdam Airport at 5.30 pm for the 12-hr flight to Shanghai. Barely made it onto the flight as it was overbooked, but Peter’s KLM Gold Card helped me get on it.

Sat May 16                                        Reed Parrotbill

Arrival Shanghai Pudong Airport at 9.45 am. As it was the early days of the swine (Mexican) flu (H1N1; a disease not killing many but nevertheless - especially Asian - countries were taking many precautions for), we were parked at the buffer where medical teams, dressed in ‘moonsuits’, came on board to check everyone’s temperature by a hand scanner that was aimed at everyone’s forehead for a couple of secs. This caused a 20-min delay. At 10.45 am we were greeted by Zhang Lin and his girlfriend Li Jing, and by taxivan we drove to the ferry departure point (about 1 hr drive over Shanghai highways). Temp was a pleasant 26 C, with some wind and a rather hazy view. Quick noodle lunch while waiting for the ferry to depart. During the 1.5 hr ferry ride to Chongming island (12.50-2.20 pm), crossing the mouth of the Yangtse River, a Black-crowned Night-Heron and a few migrating summer-plumaged Whiskered and White-winged Terns were all we saw. Upon arrival we took two taxis to the north of the island, where we located a number of Reed Parrotbills fairly quickly. At the end of the afternoon we drove to a village on the eastern end of the island, where we checked in to our hotel and then birded until 7 pm. 

Sun May 17                                       Japanese Swamp Warbler

Afther 30 hrs without sleep a meagre 6 hrs was all I got: therefore wide awake at 2.45 am. Dawn at 5 am; birded the village alone between 5.15 and 5.30 (two trip exclusive migrating White-throated Needletails flying north) and between 5.30 and 8 am with Zhang Lin, Peter and Hemme. We walked trails through vegetable gardens and light forest, located walking distance from the hotel. This area must be great for migrating birds in the proper season and although we were late in the season, we still saw beautiful singing Manchurian Bush-Warblers, along with migrant Arctic Warblers (singing!) and Asian Brown, Dark-sided and Grey-streaked Flycatchers. During the walk we encountered a number of Chinese birders-biology students. Breakfast in the village. Thereafter drove to the reserve at the eastern end of the island, where about 6 singing Japanese Swamp Warblers were quite easily found in large stands of introduced ‘American grass’ – their songflights we recognised from a distance, and upon walking over we got good, albeit somewhat skulky views of the birds feeding low or occasionally perched atop the grass stems. Besides a number of Reed Parrotbills and Zitting Cisticolas (their song slightly different from their European counterparts), surprises here consisted of a late migrant male Siberian Blue Robin perched on the dyke (a lifer for Li Jing) and a confiding flock of summer-plumaged Sharp-tailed Sandpipers. Birded the reserve between 9.30 and 11.30, had lunch at Chongming town at 12.30 and took the 1.30 pm fast ferry across to Shanghai (arriving 2.30 pm). Taxi into town, dropped bags at bus station (30 Y for all) and then birded the crowded Shanghai botanical gardens near the bus station from 4-5 pm (Azure-winged Magpies). Dinner near bus station from 5.15-7 pm. At 7.40 pm, took evening bus to Wuyuan and although the driver lost the way in Shanghai, we nevertheless arrived at Wuyuan at 1.05 am.

Mon May 18                                       Courtois’s Laughingthrush

Upon arrival at Wuyuan, we were awaited by professor He Fen-Qi and our guide Lin Jiangsheng (a.k.a. Laolin). The professor, fluent in English, explained that we would stay at Wuyuan this one night, transferring to Wuyishan the next day. In bed by 2 am, I got up at 5.15 and walked around town by myself for over half an hour. The hotel was located next to a beautiful river, its steep sides bordered by big stands of beautiful old trees. Apart from a fly-by Grey-headed Lapwing, I saw a pair of Red-billed Starling (a lifer for Hemme that we would see more of).

On departure, apart from the three of us, Laolin was also accompanied by two ladies, none of whom spoke any English. After a quick roadside breakfast in town (6 am), we drove to a beautiful old grove located almost next to a highway, where we heard Courtois’s (Blue-crowned) Laughingthrushes upon entering. Within 15 minutes we’d had a close encounter with a flock 20-birds strong, singing melodiously.

Hereafter we drove to a small village, where we had prolonged views of a pair of Pied Falconets, catching butterflies from the top of a dead tree. Excellent views were had from a rooftop restaurant, where we also took our lunch. After dropping off the two Chinese ladies at our Wuyuan hotel, we drove to a second (roadside) site for Courtois’s Laughingthrush, where we dipped, and afterwards to a third site, Haikou, where we failed to find Swinhoe’s (Brown-rumped) Minivet but saw another 7 Courtois’s Laughingthrushes. Between 3.30 and 9 pm we drove to Wuyishan; rain fell for the last few hours of the drive. Checked into very basic accommodation near the northern end of  Wuyishan mountain reserve: this is probably the Huanggang Shan area mentioned in Birding South-east China (see Literature).

Tue May 19                                       Cabot’s Tragopan, Silver Pheasant

Up at 5.15 am, departed at 6. Short drive to the start of a gated unsurfaced dead-end road up. Birded this road, on which we were the only people throughout the day, by car and on foot. Within half an hour we’d seen our first (of a total of 15) Cabot’s Tragopans: a male and two females feeding in trees at eyelevel, c. 7m from the car. Sev males (of a total of 8) were seen on and along the road, giving great views. Other good birds included a male and female Silver Pheasant, Barred Cuckoo-Dove, Great Barbet, Speckled Piculet, Grey-chinned Minivet, Chestnut Bulbul, Chestnut-bellied Rock Thrush, Slaty-backed Forktail, Small Niltava, Streak-breasted Scimitar Babbler, Dusky Fulvetta, Hartert’s (Blyth’s) Leaf, Kloss’s (White-tailed) Leaf, Bianchi’s, Alström’s (Plain-tailed), White-spectacled, Chestnut-crowned and Rufous-faced Warbler; Rickett’s Hill Partridge, White-browed Shortwing, Greater Necklaced Laughingthrush, Grey-sided Scimitar Babbler and Pygmy Wren Babbler were heard only. Late afternoon rain drove us back to our accommodation, where we had dinner at 6.20 pm.

Wed May 20                                      Cabot’s Tragopan

Rain all night and most of the day (until 3.30 pm), with regular heavy rain. Birded the same road as the previous day but this time we only saw a single (male) Cabot’s Tragopan. Drove to the top of the mountain this time, a 25-km stretch. Here, heavy fog took over from rain. At noon we left the mountain driving south towards Wuyishan town. The river we followed through the reserve, had changed into a furiously-flowing one. We understood Laolin as that there would be other areas to go birding along the way, but although we encountered roadside patches of good-looking forest, he was not inclined to stop anywhere. Lunch at a small roadside restaurant. A brief stop not far north of Wuyishan town produced a lifer for PM: Fork-tailed Sunbird.

In Wuyishan, Laolin dropped us off at the train station, where he purchased soft sleeper tickets for the 6.14 service to Fuzhou (283 RMB for 3). We paid Laolin a total amount of 9500 RMB (c. € 950) for our 3 day trip, incl all expenses and the train tickets. The train departed with half an hour delay; complimentary noodles were provided on board. We arrived at Fuzhou station at midnight, half an hour earlier than expected.

Thu May 21                Chinese Crested Tern, Spoon-billed Sandpiper, White-faced Plover

Fuzhou was warm, even at night (c. 23º C). At the station, we were welcomed by Lin Chen, our guide for the next two days. He suggested we drive straight to Jin Feng, the village near the Min river delta, to check into a local hotel. We agreed and while he collected his scope, we had a meal at a downtown McDonald’s. After an hour’s drive we checked into Chang Le Guohui Hotel in Jin Feng village (c. € 20 per double room), where we attempted sleeping at 2.30 am…

Up at 5.45 am, left hotel at 6.30 for a 10-min taxi ride, followed by a 10-min boat ride through a wide reed-fringed canal, followed by a two-min walk over sand dunes onto a beach overlooking the sea and a distant sand bank full of terns and waders. With high tide at 8 am, we were soon looking at our first Chinese Crested Terns, of which we saw a total 9, incl 3 pairs displaying and mating. Views were distant but good through the scope (see videos on www.surfbirds.com). [One could walk/wade closer, especially with low tide.]

Between 7 and 11, we enjoyed the sunshine, along with a late summer-plumaged Spoon-billed Sandpiper, displaying White-faced Plover, Broad-billed & Terek Sandpipers, Black-faced Spoonbill, Far Eastern Curlew, Black-tailed & Slaty-backed Gull, Grey-tailed Tattler & Red-necked Stint.

We returned in a smaller boat, as low tide had diminished the canal through which we arrived. Lunch opposite the hotel, with the afternoon spent birding at forested mountain next to Fuzhou, Sen Lin Gong Yuan. Given a choice btw different types of food, we chose a downtown PizzaHut for dinner, followed by a 1-hr drive back to the hotel.

Fri May 22

Breakfast at 6.45, 1 hr birding at nearby marsh, Wen Wu Sha, before continuing to the airport. Our 11.20 am Dragonair flight to Hong Kong was delayed by an hour, probably because of the ‘Mexican flu’ checks. Arrived Hong Kong 2.30 pm, where we were easily transferred to an earlier flight to Taipei, at no extra cost, by CathayPacific (departed 3.55 pm instead of the booked 7.55 pm); arrived at Taipei at 5.30 pm. Experienced difficulty in finding a rental car service at Taipei airport, especially one covering full insurance – the same problem Björn Anderson describes in his Taiwan tripreport (see Literature). In the end, we phoned VIP Rental Cars in downtown Taipei (see Björn’s tripreport for contact details) and lost a lot of time taking a bus into town to get a rental car, a Toyota Vios. [This can be avoided by booking in advance, so that the car is delivered at the airport.]

Another McDonald’s dinner in Taipei, shopping at 7-11 (both near VIP Rental Cars). At 9.30 pm, drove out of Taipei and over the western highway south to Sanyi, where we checked into Hotel 101 (c. € 135 for a double and a single room).

Sat May 23                            Rufous-crowned Laughingthrush, Taiwan Barwing

Drove from Sanyi to Dongshih and onwards to Anmashan, arriving 10.15 am. Paid the 400 TD entry fee and started birding in fine sunny wheather near and at track 210 at 10.30 am. Connected with White-eared Sibia, Rufous-crowned Laughingthrush, Steere’s Liocichla, Taiwan Barwing, Taiwan Bush-Warbler, Taiwan Wren-Babbler and Reeves’s Muntjac. Skipped lunch.

Accidentally met with Singapore-based British birders Martin Kennewell and Simon Cockayne, who were staking out a Swinhoe’s Pheasant at kmp 23. Drove up to kmp 43 to book accommodation for the next two nights; paid 6000 TD (c. € 130) for our first and 3600 TD (c. € 80) for our second night (for 3 people, incl breakfast and dinner). Dipped Mikado Pheasant at kmp 47 stake-out in late afternoon.

Sun May 24                           Rusty Laughingthrush, Yellow Tit, Chinese Tawny Owl

Up at 5, back at kmp 47 at 5.20 am. Again, no Mikado. Did most of our birding btw kmp 22 and 24, adding White-whiskered Laughingthrush, Johnston’s Robin, Flamecrest, White-browed Robin, Rusty Laughingthrush, Yellow Tit. Driving down to Dongshih, we passed kmp 8 but dipped on Taiwan Hwamei. Shopping and lunch at Dongshih. Drove back up in heavy rain, with a lot of uncoming traffic heading back home. Dipped Mikado again in evening.

Mon May 25                           Taiwan Blue Magpie, Swinhoe’s Pheasant

After dipping Mikado again (were on site from 5.15 – 6.45) we birded the top of the mountain, said our goodbyes to Martin & Simon and drove to Hue San Forest Recreation Area, where we, despite the ‘heat of the day’ (26 C) we easily saw Taiwan Blue Magpies (and many butterflies). Drove onwards to Puli, Wushe and Lishan, where entered the ‘bad road’ towards Peitungfengshan. After 4 kms, at 3.30 pm, it became so bad that we parked the car and walked the remaining 6 km to the start of the forested trail. Despite an overcast sky and some fog we had a pleasant walk during which we saw a beautiful male Swinhoe’s Pheasant. Just prior to dusk we were back at the road, where we hitched a ride from a truck back to our parked car.

At 7.15 pm, checked into “Touch your heart”, a lovely homestay (3000 TD for 3 incl breakfast and dinner) c. 1 km up from Wushe and had a great dinner.

Tue May 26                            Taiwan Shortwing, Fairy Pitta, Malayan Night-Heron

Slept late (until 6 am) and had a leasurely breakfast overlooking a deep valley and forested mountain tops as far as the eye could see. Btw 8.45 and 10.30 birded yesterday’s ‘bad road’ (dipped Taiwan Hwamei, it was heard only), Continuation Trail (Yellow Tit, Taiwan Shortwing, Brown Bullfinch) and Blue Gate Trail (birdy but nothing out of the ordinary).

Btw 10.30 and 1 pm we drove to Linnei and on to Huben, using the new ‘Freeway 6’ from Puli to Caotun (that was not shown on any map we had). At Huben we parked at the Fairy Pitta hide, where it was hot and full of Japanese photographers. We briefly visited a nearby temple. It took until 6 pm before we saw a male Fairy Pitta. Checked into the Grand Earl Hotel in Douliou (3000 TD, c. € 70 for a triple room).

Wed May 27                          Taiwan Hwamei, Styan’s Bulbul

Back at Huben site at 5.40 where we saw another Fairy Pitta. Walked the forested trails behind a nearby temple for sev hours, in the rain, without seeing much. Spent btw 11 am and 2 pm driving south towards Kenting, to try for Taiwan Hwamei at Long Luan Lake, a site recommended by Sander Bot. We indeed saw it easily here, along with the Styan’s Bulbul. Afterwards, drove to the southern tip of the island, a beautiful and touristy area. A brief late afternoon visit (5-6 pm) to the Shuangliou National Forest Recreation Area did not produce the hoped-for Whistling (Taiwan) Green Pigeon. It actually closed at 5pm but the caretaker let us in anyway. Slight drizzle here. Hereafter, started the long drive to Alishan where, despite a dinnerstop, we arrive at 10.50 pm. At a local hotel we paid 2000 TD for a triple room.

Thu May 28                           Taiwan Bamboo-Partridge, Mikao Pheasant, Varied Tit

Up at 4 am, drove off at 4.30. From Alishan we first drove 30 kms over the “18” and later the “21” – we drove the best pheasant area up twice and down once before, at 6.15 am, we saw three males close to the road, feeding and incidentally displaying/jumping up. Surprisingly, they stayed on site for 20 mins, until the first car passed. After a nice breakfast back at Alishan, we went back up the mountain, where we birded until 12.15 – when rain and fog set in. Hereafter, drove north again, towards Hue San Forest Reserve, where arrived 3.15 pm. Found the wanted Varied Tit, as well as confiding Malayan Night-Herons (see videos at www.surfbirds.com) and Taiwan Blue Magpies. Btw 5 and 6 pm, drove to Wushe and checked into “Touch your heart” homestay again.

Fri May 29

Same deal as on the 26th: leisurely breakfast; followed by a stiff walk to Peitungfengshan, btw 7.30 and 12.30. Fine weather but again a rather quiet forest; no partridges or pheasants. Drove to Taipei airport in afternoon, where arrived 4.30 pm. Departed for Singapore at 7.10 pm, arriving 11.30 pm. Taxi to Rhu Cross, where our friend Mark lived; stayed there for an unscheduled two relaxing days.

Sat May 30

“Birded” Singapore’s Birdpark. Enjoyed Rhu Cross’s swimmingpool. Exceelnt Thai dinner at Geylang road.

Sun May 31

Took taxi to change and a ferry to Pulau Ubin. Went mountainbiking with Mark, adding a few tripbirds such as Collared Kingfisher and Oriental Pied Hornbill. Photogrpahed a few large lizards and dragonflies. An afternoon dip in Rhu Cross’s swimmingpool and early dinner there. 6 pm ferry from Changi Ferry Terminal to a mangrove area in SE Malaysia. Upon arrival, at dusk, 6.45 pm, there were no taxis but one was phoned in that arrived at 7.30. It took an hour to arrive in Kota Tinggi (18 MR, c. € 18), where we checked in the Hotel Seri Kota (55 MR for a double and 40 MR for a single room). The

Mon June 1                Railbabbler, Crested Partridge, Wrinkled Hornbill, Jambu Fruit-Dove

The ordered taxi wasn’t there at 6.30 so we finally found one at 7 am. A fine way to start a day for one’s most-wanted bird! Birded Panti Forest 7.30 am – 2 pm and 4 - 8 pm. Today, bagged lifers Railbabbler, Crested Partridge, Wrinkled Hornbill and Chestnut-bellied Malkoha in the morning, and Jambu Fruit-Dove and Fluffy-backed Tit-Babbler in the afternoon. Decided against continuing to Fraser’s Hill or Taman Negara for just two days, favouring a prolonged stay at this very birdy site!

Tue June 2                            Cinnamon-rumped Trogon, Grey-headed Babbler

Birded Panti Forest 7 – 12 am and 3 – 8.15 pm. Torrential rains started at 6.30 pm so we got completely soaked – it also cut short our intended owling session. Booked an extra room to be able to dry all our clothes before having to pack them for the return journey. Today, saw lifers Cinnamon-rumped Trogon and Grey-headed Babbler, another Railbabbler and a pair of Crested Partridges, as well as white-handed Gibbons and Dusky Langurs.

Wed June 3

HB and PM birded Panti until 2 pm, while I stayed at the hotel – my shoes were totally soaked through! At 3 pm, took a taxi to Kuala Lumpur airport, a 4-hr drive (350 MR). Spent the evening in KLM Premium Lounge (again thanks to Peter’s Gold Card) and left on the KLM flight for Amsterdam at 11.05 pm.

Thu June 4

Arrived Amsterdam Schiphol airport in the morning.

SITES VISITED

South-East CHINA

Chongming island, just north of Shanghai

This large island is situated in the Yangtse River mouth north of Shanghai. Apart from sev villages and many agricultural fields, it also holds some vegetable gardens, large reedbeds and patches of ‘American grass’ – all of which are good for birding, especially during migration periods. Its specialties are Reed Parrotbill (resident) and Japanese Swamp Warbler (breeding bird), but the gardens will hold large numbers of migrants, such as Phylloscopus warblers, thrushes and buntings during migration. Migrants we found were beautifully summer-plumaged Sharp-tailed Sandpipers, a very late Siberian Blue Robin and sev Arctic Warblers, along with the resident Manchurian Bush-Warbler.

Wuyuan area

In the countryside close to this beautiful town, remnant patches of old ‘grove’ forest hold the last remaining (4?) colonies of the critically endangered Courtois’s (Blue-crowned) Laughingthrush (split from Yellow-throated). Other specialties of this area include Pied Falconet, Swinhoe’s (Brown-rumped) Minivet and Elliott’s Pheasant, while it is also a good site to see Mandarin Duck. With a guide, the laughingthrush and falconet are easily seen, while most visiting birders also see the minivet.

Huanggang Shan, Jianxi (northern part of Wuyishan mountain reserve)

Wuyishan, a beautiful forested mountain area is (one of) the largest forested areas in (SE) China, and therefore holds many good birds. The main attraction is the Chinese endemic Cabot’s Tragopan, the only in its genus that is creamy instead of red. Other specialties on the mountain incl Elliott’s and Silver Pheasant, the endemic White-necklaced Hill-Partridge, Grey-sided Scimitar-Babbler (another Chinese endemic, split from Spot-breasted Scimitar-Babbler) and Short-tailed Parrotbill; according to literature, the Red-tailed Laughingthrush should also occur, but I do not know of any recent records. Hartert's Leaf Warbler (split from Blyth's Leaf Warbler) is another endemic found in this area, along with many other typical Chinese mountain birds such as Speckled Piculet, White-crowned & Slaty-backed Forktail, Chestnut Bulbul & Small Niltava.

You may need a guide to secure access to Huanggang Shan, a quiet ascending dead-end road where Cabot’s Tragopan is especially common – we saw 15 on our first morning!

Shan Yu Tan, Min river delta, Fuzhou

Shan Yu Tan, meaning “Eel Beach” is a bay, about 10 km long, north of Fuzhou city and situated about 30 kms west of the Taiwan-owned Matsu islands, one of only two breeding sites of the critically endangered Chinese Crested Terns. Shan Yu Tan also happens to be a wintering site for the critically endangered Spoon-billed Sandpiper and the endangered Black-faced Spoonbill, with occasional occurrences of the vulnerable Relict and Saunders’s Gulls. It also is one of the few known breeding sites of the localised White-faced Plover.

Sen Lin Gong Yuan, Fuzhou

This mountain is situated at the edge of Fuzhou city; well-maintained steps lead up to a few shrines and a great view on top. It holds some nice SE Chinese specialties, such as the endemic White-necklaced Hill-Partridge (rarely seen), Grey-sided Scimitar-Babbler (that we previously missed at Wuyishan), Chestnut Bulbul, Masked Laughingthrush, Chestnut-collared Yuhina & Fork-tailed Sunbird (see videos at www.surfbirds.com). We also added trip-exclusive Large Woodshrike, Common Tailorbird, Himalayan Black Bulbul, Orange-bellied Leafbird, as well as a selection of other, more common birds such as Streak-breasted Scimitar Babbler, Red-billed Blue Magpie and Grey Treepie. Chinese Bamboo-Partridge, White-breasted Waterhen, Collared Owlet & Great Barbet were heard only.

Wen Wu Sha, Fuzhou

This small marsh is found not far from Fuzhou airport. Our guide Lin Chen took us there to kill some time before taking our onward flight. It is said to be good during migration periods and in winter, when Oriental White Stork winters in small numbers.

TAIWAN

Anmashan (best sites in brackets)

This great mountain, northeast of Dongshih, is closest to Taipei, is easily reached by rental car, has good accommodation, sev trails and most of the Taiwanese mountain endemics. A good site description is found in Gruff Dodd’s report, repeated in Björn Anderson’s (see Literature). In 2.5 days, we saw Chinese Tawny Owl ssp yamadae (kmp 47.1), Taiwan Shortwing (track 210), White-browed (Bush) Robin (kmp 46.8), Johnston’s (Collared Bush) Robin, Flamecrest (kmp 49-50), Taiwan Bush-Warbler (track 210), Strong-footed (=Brownish-flanked) Bush-Warbler (kmp 9.8), Rufous-crowned (track 210), Rusty (kmp 36.4, 43) and White-whiskered Laughingthrush, Steere’s (Taiwan) Liocichla, Taiwan Wren-Babbler (track 210), Taiwan Barwing (track 210), Taiwan Fulvetta (kmp 50), White-eared Sibia, Taiwan Yuhina and Yellow Tit (kmp 23, 37). As well as Chinese Ferret-Badger, Taiwan Macaque, Masked Palm Civet, Reeves’s Muntjac and Red-and-white Giant Flying Squirrel.

A good site for (usually, a confiding male) Mikado Pheasant is kmp 47, but we dipped repeatedly. Likewise Swinhoe’s Pheasant (kmp 23), Formosan Whistling-Thrush (kmp 22.5), Island Thrush (kmp 23-24), Little Forktail (kmp 41.5), White-backed Woodpecker (kmp 43, behind restaurant) and White’s Thrush (around accommodation at kmp 43). We were told of these stake-outs by British Singaporese birder Martin Kennewell, whom we met with at the mountain.

Just after the park gates (where a fee has to be paid), a trail is found called “210”. We however mainly birded the track that leaves the road on the left, which is sealed with a gate (that one can bypass however) – this is “track 210” in this report.

Mind that it is a popular mountain that sees many (daytime) visitors over weekends and holidays. When visiting during these times, book accommodation ahead and know that the many cars driving up the mountain will hinder roadside birding. Few visitors and/or cars are found, however, above the accommodation at kmp 43.

Hue San Forest Reserve

Probably the best site for Taiwan Blue Magpie; we saw it easily both near the parking lot and around the picknick area inside the park – which is also an easy site for Malayan Night Heron, as sev were feeding on the meadow, out in the open. Here we also saw our only Varied Tits.

Blue Gate and Continuation Trails (near Wushe)

See Sander Bot’s report for a detailed site description.

Peitungfengshan (near Wushe)

See Sander Bot’s report for a detailed site description. Because of a lot of water on the access road, on both visits (once late afternoon, once in the morning) we had to park the car and walk the remaining c. 6 km to the start of the trail. This is probably the best place for the endemic Taiwan Hill Partridge, that we heard but did not see, and for Swinhoe’s Pheasant (we saw 1 male, where Sander Bot saw 7!). The forest is relatively quiet with other birds, although we did see White-tailed Robin, Rufous-crowned Laughingthrush and Yellow Tit. Once, we saw 3 White-bellied Green Pigeons and Little Forktail along the road.

Huben

This town in western Taiwan is surrounded by bamboo-covered hillsides that are good for Fairy Pitta. A small hide is erected in a territory, but apparently these birds are taped out – as we experienced ourselves (many photographers waited at the hide, in vain). After spending sev hours on site, we eventually had two sightings, of birds quietly feeding (at the opposite side of the road past the hide). Other birds here included our first Malayan Night Heron, walking on the road!, and sev Taiwan Scmitar-Babblers.

Long Luan Lake

See Sander Bot’s report for a detailed description of this site in S Taiwan. He noted it as the best site for Taiwan Hwamei, and indeed we found it here easily, along with Styan’s Bulbul at nearby towns.

Shuangliou National Forest Recreation Area

We paid a brief late afternoon visit to this forested mountain park, in a futile attempt to catch up with Whistling (Taiwan) Green Pigeon. Our best record was that of the beautiful, endemic damselfly Euphaea formosa.

Yushan National Park, Alishan

See Sander Bot’s report for a detailed site description. On our single morning here, we saw a pair of Taiwan Bamboo-Partridge (at Kuanshan picknick parking, 1900m, near kmp 130), Formosan Whistling-Thrush (kmp 131), 3 male Mikado Pheasant, for 20 mins (kmp 140.5), Swinhoe’s Pheasant crossing the road (kmp 137, male at 7 am and female at 8.35 am), Golden Parrotbill and Owston’s Bullfinch.

MALAYSIA

Panti Forest: easiest site for Railbabbler

Panti Forest is most easily visited from Kota Tinggi, c. 20 kms away. Kota Tinggi is a largish town in SE peninsular Malaysia, with sev hotels and restaurants and easy access to taxis in case you’re not on self-drive (like us). We stayed at Hotel Seri Kota, which cost 55 ringgit for a double and 40 ringgit for a single room (c. 6 EUR each) and ate at the Chinese place across the street or at Pizza Hut behind the hotel. We used taxis to get to Panti and back early morning and late afternoon; these cost the equivalent of c. 6 US$ one-way.

Panti Forest is most easily reached from Singapore, either by taking the ferry from near Changi airport in Singapore to Malaysia (1 hr) and a taxi to Kota Tinggi (1 hr); or by taxi through Johor (apparently this also takes 2 hrs). From Kuala Lumpur Kota Tinggi is a 4-hr drive, of which 3 hrs on a good highway. The taxi from Kota Tinggi to KL International Airport cost us 350 ringgit (c. € 70).

From Kota Tinggi, follow the provincial road “3” towards Mersing. At kmp 270 the Ridge Trail (a.k.a. 270-trail, we didn’t bird here apart from 10 mins one afternoon) starts on your left. Continuing along the “3”, the Bunker Trail (which is actually a driveable unsurfaced but good-quality road) starts to your left, right after two large concrete tomb-like structures on either side of the road; this is at c. kmp 267.5. Panti is signposted. After entering on the Bunker Trail, there’s a visitor’s centre on your right (closed during our visit) and soon after, a large pond with a wooden pagoda-like structure (hereafter called pagoda). We mainly started walking from here. C. 80m past the pagoda, a tiny trail starts left, which apparently is the Elephant Trail – it has a Giant Pitta that is very occasionally seen (though not by us). About 3 kms into the Bunker Trail few small streams cross underneath the road, though these are hardly visible from a moving car. All along the Bunker Trail small trails enter the forest on either side, but access to the forest is quite easy anywhere, as there is little undergrowth.

Most babblers and some specialties were seen in the forest near the streams (i.e. few km’s into the Bunker Trail), though many goodies (such as Railbabbler, Crested Partridge, Wrinkled Hornbill, Cinnamon-rumped, Diard's and Scarlet-rumped Trogon) were seen in the forest on either side less than 500m into the Bunker Trail from the pagoda.

Legend

UTV’s = untickable views
HO = heard only
ad = adult
imm = immature
sev = several
N = flying north
btw = between
mtn = mountain

Good birds (i.e. endemics, local or endangered birds, such as Cabot's Tragopan) are highlighted.

Recorded birds SE China, May 16-May 22, 2009

1.   [HO] Rickett's (White-necklaced) Hill-partridge - Arborophila gingica: heard on several occasions on both days at Huanggang Shan, Wuyishan
2.   [HO] Chinese Bamboo-Partridge - Bambusicola thoracica: 2 heard in roadside scrub btw Wuyishan mtn and town, 1 heard at Sen Lin Gong Yuan mtn in Fuzhou
3.   Cabot's Tragopan - Tragopan caboti: 8 males, 7 females (some showing red in the face, so possibly imm males) at Huanggang Shan, Wuyishan (May 19); 1 male in the rain (May 20)
4.   Silver Pheasant - Lophura nycthemera: a male and a female at Wuyishan (May 19)
5.   Common Pheasant - Phasianus colchicus: 4 males and 1 female flushed, with more HO, Chongming; 2 males fighting, seen from the road near Wuyuan
6.   Mandarin Duck - Aix galericulata: 3 males, 1 female and 1 pair at two sites near Wuyuan
7.   Chinese Spot-billed Duck - Anas (poecilorhyncha) zonorhyncha: 2 Chongming, 2 Wuyuan, 2 Shan Yu Tan, 6 Wen Wu Sha
8.   Little Grebe - Tachybaptus ruficollis poggei: 10+ Chongming, 2 Wuyuan, 2 Wen Wu Sha
9.   Black-faced Spoonbill – Platalea minor: 1 late individual at Shan Yu Tan
10.  Yellow Bittern - Ixobrychus sinensis: singles on both dates on Chongming
11.  Black Bittern - Dupetor flavicollis: 2 Wuyuan area
12.  Black-crowned Night Heron - Nycticorax n. nycticorax: 1 ad N over Yangtse river mouth, 55+ Chongming, ad Wuyuan, 10+ Wen Wu Sha
13.  Chinese Pond-Heron - Ardeola bacchus: 10 Chongming (May 17), 20+ Wuyuan, 1 btw Wuyishan mtn and town, 1 Shan Yu Tan, 1 Sen Lin Gong Yuan, 10+ Wen Wu Sha
14.  (Eastern) Cattle Egret - Bubulcus (ibis) coromandus: 20+ Chongming, 10+ Wuyuan, 1 Shan Yu Tan, 20+ Wen Wu Sha
15.  Grey Heron - Ardea cinerea ssp: 2 Chongming, 2 Wen Wu Sha
16.  Purple Heron - Ardea purpurea manilensis: 5 Chongming
17.  Great Egret - Ardea alba: 6 Wuyuan, 1 Shan Yu Tan, 2 Wen Wu Sha
18.  Intermediate Egret - Mesophoyx intermedia: 1 Chongming
19.  Little Egret - Egretta garzetta: 20+ Chongming, 15+ Wuyuan, 30+ Shan Yu Tan, 20+ Wen Wu Sha
20.  Pied Falconet - Microhierax melanoleucus: 1 pair in the Wuyuan area
       [UTVs] Amur Falcon - Falco amurensis: 1 distant male Hobby/Red-footed Falcon near Wuyuan was this species according to Laolin
21.  Northern Hobby - Falco subbuteo: 1 Wuyuan
22.  Peregrine – Falco peregrinus: 1 female Shan Yu Tan
23.  Black Baza – Aviceda leuphotes: 5 near Wuyuan
24.  Chinese Sparrowhawk - Accipiter soloensis: 3 males in groves around Wuyuan
25.  Besra - Accipiter virgatus: 2 near Wuyuan
26.  Grey-faced Buzzard - Butastur indicus: 3 over Chongming
27.  Brown Crake – Amaurornis akool coccineipes: 2 in a small roadside pond near Wuyuan
28.  White-breasted Waterhen - Amaurornis phoenicurus: 1 seen, 3 heard near the hotel on Chongming; 2 Shan Yu Tan, 2 HO Sen Lin Gong Yuan, 2 Wen Wu Sha
29.  Common Moorhen - Gallinula chloropus: 5 Chongming
30.  Eurasian Coot – Fulica atra: 2 Chongming
31.  Black-winged Stilt – Himantopus himantopus: 6 Chongming
32.  Grey-headed Lapwing - Vanellus cinereus: 1 over the river in Wuyuan town, with 2 and 1 near Wuyuan
33.  Kentish Plover – Charadrius alexandrinus nihonensis: 20+ Shan Yu Tan, 5 Wen Wu Sha
34.  White-faced Plover – Charadrius dealbatus: 1 displaying pair Shan Yu Tan
35.  Lesser Sand Plover – Charadrius mongolicus: 1+ Shan Yu Tan, 2 Wen Wu Sha
36.  Greater Sand Plover – Charadrius leschenaultia: 25+ Shan Yu Tan
37.  Grey (Black-bellied) Plover – Pluvialis squatarola: 6 Shan Yu Tan
38.  Swinhoe’s/Pintail (“Swintail”) Snipe – Gallinago megala/stenura: 1 flushed twice from a roadside pond, Chongming
39.  Black-tailed Godwit – Limosa limosa melanuroides: 1 Chongming
40.  Whimbrel – Numenius phaeopus: 1 Chongming
41.  Far Eastern Curlew – Numenius madagascariensis: 7 Shan Yu Tan
42.  Common Redshank - Tringa tetanus: 10 Shan Yu Tan
43.  Common Greenshank - Tringa nebularia: 3 Chongming, 20+ Shan Yu Tan
44.  Grey-tailed Tattler – Tringa brevipes: 40+ Shan Yu Tan, 1 Wen Wu Sha
45.  Terek Sandpiper - Xenus cinereus: 50+ Shan Yu Tan
46.  Common Sandpiper - Actitis hypoleucos: 10+ Chongming, 2 Wen Wu Sha
47.  Ruddy Turnstone – Arenaria interpres: 10+ Shan Yu Tan
48.  Sanderling – Calidris alba: 25+ Shan Yu Tan, 2 Wen Wu Sha
49.  Red-necked Stint - Calidris ruficollis: 70+ Shan Yu Tan
50.  Sharp-tailed Sandpiper – Calidris acuminata: 30+ Chongming
51.  Curlew Sandpiper - Calidris ferruginea: 1 Shan Yu Tan
52.  Dunlin - Calidris alpina: 1 Shan Yu Tan
53.  Spoon-billed Sandpiper – Eurynorhynchus pygmeus: 1 summer-plumaged Shan Yu Tan
54.  Broad-billed Sandpiper – Limicola falcinellus sibirica: 3 Shan Yu Tan
55.  Black-tailed Gull – Larus crassirostris: 1 ad, 2 imm Shan Yu Tan
56.  Slaty-backed Gull – Larus schistisagus: 1 ad Shan Yu Tan
57.  Chinese Crested Tern - Thalasseus bernsteini: 9 Shan Yu Tan (incl 3 displaying and mating pairs). Bad disgiscoped video and cropped pix are found on surfbirds.com.
58.  Great Crested Tern – Thalasseus bergii: 120 Shan Yu Tan
59.  Common Tern – Sterna hirundo ssp: 12 Shan Yu Tan
60.  Little Tern - Sternula albifrons sinensis: 7 Shan Yu Tan, 13 Wen Wu Sha
61.  Gull-billed Tern – Gelochelidon nilotica affinis: 6 Shan Yu Tan
62.  Whiskered Tern - Chlidonias hybrida: up to 4 per Yangtse river crossing, Chongming
63.  White-winged Tern - Chlidonias leucopterus: 25 Chongming
64.  Oriental Turtle Dove - Streptopelia o. orientalis: 2 near Wuyuan, 5 Wuyishan
65.  Red Collared Dove - Streptopelia tranquebarica humilis: 5 Wen Wu Sha
66.  Spotted Dove - Streptopelia c. chinensis: common at Chongming, Wuyuan and Jin Feng
67.  Barred Cuckoo Dove - Macropygia unchall minor: 6 Wuyishan
68.  Large Hawk Cuckoo - Cuculus sparverioides: 2 near Wuyuan, with more HO at Wuyuan, Wuyishan, Shan Yu Tan and Wen Wu Sha
69.  [HO] Indian Cuckoo - Cuculus micropterus: 1 near Wuyuan
70.  Lesser Cuckoo - Cuculus poliocephalus: 3 Wuyishan
71.  Eurasian Cuckoo - Cuculus canorus: 4 Chongming
72.  Common Koel - Eudynamys scolopacea: 1 Shan Yu Tan
73.  [HO] Great Coucal – Centropus sinensis: 1 Shan Yu Tan
74.  Lesser Coucal - Centropus bengalensis: 1 male Chongming
75.  [HO] Collared Owlet - Glaucidium brodiei: singles at Wuyishan and Sen Lin Gong Yuan
76.  Asian Barred Owlet - Glaucidium cuculoides: 1 seen and 1 HO Wuyishan
77.  Grey Nightjar - Caprimulgus indicus: 1 in flight, hunting at dusk over the canal near the hotel, Chongming
78.  White-throated Needletail – Hirundapus caudacutus: 2 N over the hotel in early morning, Chongming
79.  House Swift - Apus nipalensis: 5 Wuyuan
80.  Common Kingfisher - Alcedo atthis: 1 Wuyuan, 2 btw Wuyishan mtn and the town
81.  White-throated Kingfisher - Halcyon smyrnensis: 2 near Wuyuan
82.  Crested Kingfisher - Megaceryle lugubris: 2 near the Pied Falconet-site, Wuyuan area
83.  Pied Kingfisher - Ceryle rudis: 1 Wuyuan, 3 btw Wuyishan mtn and the town, 1 Wen Wu Sha
84.  Blue-throated Bee-eater - Merops viridis: 10+ Wuyuan area
85.  Dollarbird - Eurystomus orientalis: 6+ Wuyuan area
86.  Eurasian Hoopoe - Upupa epops: 3 Shan Yu Tan, 2 Wen Wu Sha
87.  Great Barbet - Megalaima virens: 2 Wuyuan, 4 Wuyishan, 6 HO Sen Lin Gong Yuan
88.  Speckled Piculet - Picumnus innominatus: 1 Wuyishan
89.  Great Spotted Woodpecker - Dendrocopos major: 5 Wuyuan area
90.  Swinhoe’s/Ashy Minivet – Pericrocotus cantonensis/divaricatus: 1 in flight high over a known site for the former, near Wuyuan [RH]
91.  Grey-chinned Minivet - Pericrocotus solaris: 10+ Wuyishan, 1 pair Sen Lin Gong Yuan
92.  Large Woodshrike - Tephrodornis virgatus latouchei: 1 pair Sen Lin Gong Yuan
93.  Sand Martin - Riparia riparia: 30+ Chongming
94.  Barn Swallow - Hirundo rustica: 20+ Chongming, fairly common Wuyuan and Fuzhou areas, 1 Wuyishan town
95.  Red-rumped Swallow - Cecropis daurica: 1 Chongming, fairly common Wuyuan area
96.  Asian House-Martin - Delichon dasypus: 40+ Wuyishan
97.  Oriental Skylark – Alauda gulgula coelivox: 3 in songflight, Chongming
98.  Common Tailorbird – Orthotomus sutorius longicauda: 5 Sen Lin Gong Yuan [PM]
99.  Collared Finchbill - Spizixos s. semitorques: 10+ Wuyuan area, 1 btw Wuyishan mtn and town, 1 Sen Lin Gong Yuan
100.   Brown-breasted Bulbul - Pycnonotus xanthorrhous andersoni: 3 near Pied Falconet site, near Wuyuan
101.   Light-vented (Chinese) Bulbul - Pycnonotus s. sinensis: fairly common in all areas visited, with the exception of the higher part of Wuyishan mtn
102.   Mountain Bulbul - Ixos mcclellandii holtii: 20+ Wuyishan, 4 Sen Lin Gong Yuan
103.   Chestnut Bulbul - Hemixos castanonotus canipennis: 8+ Wuyishan, 1 Sen Lin Gong Yuan
104.   Himalayan Black Bulbul - Hypsipetes l. leucocephalus: 1 Sen Lin Gong Yuan
105.   Orange-bellied Leafbird - Chloropsis hardwickii: 1 pair and 1 male Sen Lin Gong Yuan
106.   Chestnut-bellied Rock Thrush - Monticola rufiventris: single male and female, Wuyishan
107.   Blue Whistling Thrush - Myophonus caeruleus: 2 Wuyuan area, 3 daily Wuyishan, 1 Sen Lin Gong Yuan
108.   Eurasian Blackbird - Turdus merula: 4 Chongming, fairly common in Shanghai park near bus station, few lower part of Wuyishan, 1 Sen Lin Gong Yuan
109.   [HO] White-browed Shortwing - Brachypteryx montana sinensis: 3 daily Wuyishan
110.   Siberian Blue Robin - Luscinia cyane bochaiensis: 1 male (late migrant), on the dyke at the ‘American grass’ / Japanese Swamp Warbler site, Chongming
111.   Oriental Magpie Robin - Copsychus saularis: 1 in Shanghai park near bus station, 3 Wuyishan, 1 Shan Yu Tan
112.   Plumbeous Water Redstart - Rhyacornis fuliginosus: 4 Wuyuan area, 10+ Wuyishan
113.   White-crowned Forktail – Enicurusleschenaulti sinensis: 1 Wuyishan
114.   Slaty-backed Forktail - Enicurus schistaceus: 1 Wuyishan
115.   Siberian Stonechat - Saxicola maurus: 1 male btw Wuyishan mtn and town
116.   Grey-streaked Flycatcher - Muscicapa griseisticta: 5 in the (vegetable) garden complex near the hotel, Chongming
117.   Dark-sided Flycatcher - Muscicapa s. sibirica: 1 in the (vegetable) garden complex near the hotel, Chongming; 2 in Shanghai park near bus station
118.   Asian Brown Flycatcher - Muscicapa d. dauurica: 1 in the (vegetable) garden complex near the hotel, Chongming
119.   Small Niltava - Niltava macgrigoriae: 3 males, 2 females Wuyishan
120.   Zitting Cisticola - Cisticola juncidis tinnabulans: common Chongming, Shan Yu Tan & Wen Wu Sha
121.   Yellow-bellied Prinia - Prinia flaviventris sonitans: 3 Wuyuan area, 1 Shan Yu Tan, 1 HO Wen Wu Sha
122.   Plain Prinia - Prinia inornata extensicauda: fairly common Chongming, Shan Yu Tan, Wen Wu Sha
123.   Manchurian Bush Warbler - Cettia diphone canturians: 3 seen, 16+ HO Chongming
124.   Brownish-flanked Bush Warbler - Cettia fortipes: 3 seen, 5 HO Wuyishan
125.   Yellowish-bellied Bush Warbler - Cettia acanthizoides: 2 Wuyishan
126.   Black-browed Reed Warbler - Acrocephalus bistrigiceps: bad views of 2 mainly in flight, also heard singing, at ‘American grass’ / Japanese Swamp Warbler site, Chongming
127.   Oriental Reed Warbler - Acrocephalus orientalis: very common Chongming (100+ seen)
128.   Arctic Warbler - Phylloscopus borealis: 6+ (also singing) in the (vegetable) garden complex near the hotel, Chongming
129.   Greenish Warbler – Phylloscopus trochiloides: 1 in the (vegetable) garden complex near the hotel, Chongming
130.   Yellow-browed Warbler - Phylloscopus inornatus: 2 in the (vegetable) garden complex near the hotel, Chongming
131.   Hartert's (Blyth's) Leaf Warbler - Phylloscopus goodsoni fokiensis: 30+ Wuyishan
132.   Kloss's (White-tailed) Leaf Warbler - Phylloscopus davisoni: 6+ Wuyishan
133.   Bianchi's Warbler - Seicercus valentine: 1 seen, 2 HO Wuyishan
134.   Alström's (Plain-tailed) Warbler - Seicercus soror: 20+ Wuyishan
135.   White-spectacled Warbler - Seicercus affinis: 1 seen, 1 HO Wuyishan
136.   Chestnut-crowned Warbler - Seicercus castaniceps: 10+ Wuyishan
137.   Rufous-faced Warbler - Abroscopus albogularis: 1 in stand of bamboo, at Courtois’s Laugher grove near Wuyuan, 3 Wuyishan
138.   Japanese Swamp Warbler - Megalurus pryeri: 6 in songflight and seen well, skulking while feeding, with 3 more HO, Chongming
139.   Masked Laughingthrush - Garrulax perspicillatus: 2 and 4 at two sites near Wuyuan, 1 Sen Lin Gong Yuan
140.   [HO] Greater Necklaced Laughingthrush - Garrulax pectoralis: 3 Wuyishan
141.   Courtois's Laughingthrush - Dryonastes courtoisi: 20+ seen, with 3 HO at an old grove next to the highway, half an hour’s drive from Wuyuan; with another 7 at Haikou
142.   Chinese Hwamei - Leucodioptron canorus: 2 seen, 2 more HO near Wuyuan
143.   White-browed Laughingthrush - Pterorhinus sannio: 5 seen, 2 more HO near Wuyuan, 1 btw Wuyishan mtn and town
144.   Grey-sided Scimitar Babbler - Pomatorhinus swinhoei: up to 4 heard daily Wuyishan; 2 seen well (upon whistling their song), 5 more HO Sen Lin Gong Yuan in Fuzhou
145.   Streak-breasted Scimitar Babbler - Pomatorhinus ruficollis: 2 near Wuyuan, 5 seen, 1 HO Wuyishan, 2 btw Wuyishan mtn and town, 4 Sen Lin Gong Yuan
146.   [HO] Pygmy Wren Babbler - Pnoepyga pusilla: 3 Wuyishan
147.   Rufous-capped Babbler - Stachyridopsis ruficeps: single pairs at Wuyishan and Sen Lin Gong Yuan
148.   Red-billed Leiothrix - Leiothrix lutea: fairly common Wuyishan
149.   White-browed Shrike Babbler - Pteruthius flaviscapis: 4 Wuyishan
150.   Grey-hooded Fulvetta - Fulvetta cinereiceps: 10+ Wuyishan
151.   Dusky Fulvetta - Schoeniparus brunnea: 1 Wuyishan
152.   Grey-cheeked Fulvetta - Alcippe morrisonia: 10+ Wuyishan, 1 pair Sen Lin Gong Yuan
153.   Chestnut-collared Yuhina - Staphida castaniceps: 100+ Wuyishan, 6 Sen Lin Gong Yuan
154.   Black-chinned Yuhina - Yuhina nigrimenta: 15+ Wuyishan
155.   White-bellied Erpornis - Erpornis zantholeuca: 1 Wuyishan
156.   Vinous-throated Parrotbill - Paradoxornis webbianus: 10+ daily at Chongming, 5 in Shanghai park near bus station, 10+ on one date at Wuyishan
157.   Reed Parrotbill - Paradoxornis heudei: 15 on the first, 5 on the second day at Chongming
158.   (Southern) Great Tit - Parus (major) commixtus: 1 HO Chongming, 3 in Shanghai park near bus station, 10+ Wuyishan
159.   Yellow-cheeked Tit - Periparus spilonotus rex: 8 Wuyishan
160.   Coal Tit - Periparus ater kuatunensis: 12 Wuyishan
161.   Yellow-browed Tit - Sylviparus m. modestus: 8 Wuyishan
162.   Black-throated Tit - Aegithalos c. concinnus: 3 Wuyishan, 30+ Sen Lin Gong Yuan
163.   Chestnut-vented Nuthatch - Sitta nagaensis: 3 Wuyishan
164.   Fire-breasted Flowerpecker - Dicaeum i. ignipectum: 3 Wuyishan
165.   Fork-tailed Sunbird – Aethopyga christinae latouchii: single male and female, with 2 HO, btw Wuyishan mtn and town; 3 pairs Sen Lin Gong Yuan
166.   White Wagtail - Motacilla alba leucopsis: 6 Chongming, 2 Wuyuan, 2 Wuyishan, 1 Shan Yu Tan, 1 Wen Wu Sha
167.   Yellow Wagtail – Motacilla flava ssp: a total of 35 over Chongming
168.   Grey Wagtail - Motacilla cinerea: 1 Wuyishan
169.   Siberian Water Pipit – Anthus japonicus: 1 overhead, Chongming (also heard calling)
170.   Rosy Pipit - Anthus roseatus: 5 top of Wuyishan mtn
171.   Japanese White-eye - Zosterops japonicus: 1 Wuyishan
172.   Tiger Shrike - Lanius tigrinus: 1 near Wuyuan
173.   Brown Shrike - Lanius cristatus: 1 near Wuyuan, 1 btw Wuyishan mtn and town
174.   Long-tailed Shrike - Lanius schach: 15+ daily Chongming, 3 Wuyuan area, 3 Shan Yu Tan
175.   Black-naped Oriole - Oriolus chinensis: 1 HO Chongming, 1 Wuyishan
176.   Black Drongo - Dicrurus macrocercus: singles near Wuyuan and Wuyishan
177.   Ashy Drongo - Dicrurus leucophaeus: 10+ around Wuyuan
178.   Eurasian Jay - Garrulus glandarius ssp: 15+ around Wuyuan
179.   Azure-winged Magpie – Cyanopica cyanus swinhoei: 10 in Shanghai park near bus station
180.   Red-billed Blue Magpie - Urocissa e. erythrorhyncha: 20+ around Wuyuan, singles Wuyishan, 2 Sen Lin Gong Yuan
181.   Grey Treepie - Dendrocitta formosae sinica: 1 Sen Lin Gong Yuan
182.   Eurasian Magpie - Pica pica: 5 Chongming, 1 Wen Wu Sha
183.   Red-billed Starling - Sturnus sericeus: fairly common around Wuyuan
184.   White-cheeked Starling - Sturnus cineraceus: 14 Chongming
185.   Black-collared Starling - Sturnus nigricollis: 6 around Wuyuan, 3 btw Wuyishan mtn and town
186.   Crested Myna - Acridotheres cristatellus: fairly common in all areas visited, with the exception of the higher part of Wuyishan mtn
187.   Russet Sparrow - Passer rutilans: 1 singing roadside male near Wuyuan (see video on surfbirds.com)
188.   Eurasian Tree Sparrow - Passer montanus: fairly common in all areas visited, with the exception of the higher part of Wuyishan mtn
189.   White-rumped Munia - Lonchura striata: 5 in Shanghai park near bus station, 10 Wuyishan
190.   Scaly-breasted Munia - Lonchura punctulata: 6 btw Wuyishan mtn and town
191.   Chinese Grosbeak – Eophona migratoria: 1 male in Shanghai park near bus station
192.   Grey-capped Greenfinch - Carduelis sinica: 10 Chongming, 10 Shan Yu Tan
193.   Meadow Bunting – Emberiza cioides (castaneiceps?): 1 male on a stony hilltop near Wuyuan

Mammals recorded in SE China

Tibetan Macaque Macaca thibetana: 3 seen, 2 HO Wuyishan
Chinese Bamboo Rat Rhizomys sinensis: 1 Wuyishan [RH]. Found upon seeing some roadside bamboo moving in a strange way. A large rotund grey rat came out of its burrow, gnawed off a bunch of bamboo stems and disappeared back into the burrow, after which it pulled in the bamboo stems (which was the only action HB and PM saw, unfortunately).
“striped squirrel”: 1 Wuyishan, 5 Sen Lin Gong Yuan
Variable Squirrel: 5 Sen Lin Gong Yuan
“small red squirrel”: 2 at old grove near Wuyuan
“rat”: 1 Sen Lin Gong Yuan

Dragonfly recorded in SE China

Orthetrum triangular: Sen Lin Gong Yuan, Fuzhou

Triplist Taiwan, May 22-May 29, 2009
One of the biggest surprises in Taiwan is that it has no Phylloscopus wood warblers, normally an abundant avian constituent in varied rich coniferous and broadleafed forest.

1. Little Egret - Egretta garzetta: 1 roadside, 50+ Long Luan, 1 Hue San, 30+ Peitungyenshan
2. Great Egret - Casmerodius a. albus: 1 Peitungyenshan
3. Eastern Cattle Egret - Bubulcus (ibis) coromandus: few at the base of Anmashan
4. Chinese Pond Heron - Ardeola bacchus: 1 Huben, 15 Long Luan
5. Black-crowned Night Heron - Nycticorax nycticorax: 5 Long Luan
6. Malayan Night Heron - Gorsachius melanolophus: 1 Huben, 1 Shuangliou, 4 Hue San
7. Oriental Honey Buzzard - Pernis ptilorhyncus: 1 Huben
8. Crested Serpent Eagle - Spilornis cheela hoya: 1 Peitungyenshan, 2 Huben
9. Crested Goshawk - Accipiter trivirgatus formosae: 1 displaying btw Peitungyenshan and Huben, 1 Huben
10. Black Eagle - Ictinaetus m. malayensis: 1 Anmashan, 1 Peitungyenshan
11. [HO] Taiwan Hill Partridge - Arborophila crudigularis: singles HO at Anmashan, Huben, Hue San and Peitungyenshan
12. Taiwan Bamboo Partridge - Bambusicola sonorivox: 1 pair feeding roadside at Kuanshan picknick place (1900m, near kmp 130), Alishan
13. Swinhoe's Pheasant - Lophura swinhoii: 1 male Peitungyenshan, 1 male and 1 female crossing the road at Alishan
14. Mikado Pheasant - Syrmaticus mikado: 1 HO, with utv’s of a male flying over the road, Anmashan; prolonged views of 3 males feeding in the roadside, Alishan (see videos on www.surfbirds.com)
15. Barred Buttonquail – Turnix suscitator: 3 Peitungyenshan [PM]
16. Ashy Wood Pigeon - Columba pulchricollis: 1 HO and utv’s of 3 in flight Anmashan, 3 Alishan, 1 Hue San
17. Spotted Dove - Streptopelia chinensis formosana: few at lower parts of Anmashan, Hue San, Peitungyenshan, Long Luan
18. Red Collared Dove - Streptopelia tranquebarica: 1 Huben, fairly common Long Luan
19. White-bellied Green Pigeon - Treron sieboldii sororius: 1 male and 2 females perched, along the road to Peitungyenshan (25 May)
20. [HO] Large Hawk Cuckoo - Cuculus sparverioides: singles Anmashan and Peitungyenshan
21. [HO] Himalayan Cuckoo - Cuculus saturatus: singles at slightly lower altitude than the former; at Anmashan, Huben, Alishan
22. [HO] Oriental Cuckoo - Cuculus optatus: singles Anmashan and Peitungyenshan
23. [HO] Mountain Scops Owl - Otus spilocephalus hambroecki: 1 at night near Anmashan accommodation (24 May)[HB, PM]
24. Brown Wood Owl - Strix leptogrammica caligata: 1 at night near Anmashan accommodation (24 May)[HB, PM]
25. Chinese Tawny (Himalayan Wood) Owl - Strix nivicola yamadae: 1 at night on wire over valley, kmp 47.1, Anmashan (25 May)
26. Collared Owlet - Glaucidium brodiei pardalotum: 1 seen Anmashan halfway the mountain; HO Anmashan (daily) and Blue Gate trail, Peitungyenshan
27. Savanna Nightjar - Caprimulgus affinis stictomus: 2 HO Huben, 1 seen hawking next to the highway between Hue San and Alishan
28. Pacific Swift - Apus pacificus kanoi: 2 Shuangliou
29. House Swift - Apus nipalensis kuntzi: 30+ btw the western highway and Anmashan
30. Common Kingfisher - Alcedo atthis bengalensis: 1 male Shuangliou
31. Taiwan (Black-browed) Barbet - Megalaima (oorti) nuchalis: 2 seen daily Anmashan; 2 Blue Gate; 10 Long Luan. 2 HO daily (incl Huben) with 10 HO at Long Luan but none at Alishan.
32. Grey-capped Woodpecker - Dendrocopos canicapillus kaleensis: 2 Huben
33. Fairy Pitta - Pitta nympha: singles in the afternoon of May 26 and the morning of May 27, near (but not from) the hide at Huben. Up to 5 HO from/in the surrounding hillsides. All of May 26, sev Japanese photographers were found in the hide, endlessly playing tape…
34. Barn Swallow - Hirundo rustica ssp: few seen on most days
35. Pacific Swallow - Hirundo tahitica namiyei: few seen on most days
36. Striated Swallow - Cecropis s. striolata: few at Hue San and Huben
37. Asian House-Martin - Delichon dasypus nigrimentale: sev Anmashan, Alishan and Hue San
38. White Wagtail - Motacilla alba (leucopsis): 2 males Hue San; (lugens) 1 male Peitungfengshan
39. Grey-chinned Minivet - Pericrocotus solaris griseogularis: single pairs Anmashan, Blue Gate, Alishan, with 3 pairs Hue San and a male Peitungfengshan
40. Collared Finchbill - Spizixos semitorques cinereicapillus: fairly common on the lower parts of Anmashan and at Huben
41. Chinese (Light-vented) Bulbul - Pycnonotus sinensis formosae: sev seen daily, incl in the Kenting area (where released birds are said to threaten the purity of endemic Styan’s Bulbul)
42. Styan's Bulbul - Pycnonotus taivanus: 20+ Long Luan incl surrounding villages
43. Himalayan Black Bulbul - Hypsipetes leucocephalus nigerrimus: 1 Blue Gate, 4+ Huben, few Shuangliou & Peitungfengshan
44. Winter Wren - Troglodytes troglodytes taivanus: 1 Alishan
45. Taiwan Whistling Thrush - Myophonus insularis: 1 in flight, crossing the road, Alishan [RH, PM]
46. Taiwan Shortwing - Brachypteryx (montana) goodfellowi: 1 male track 210, Anmashan; 1 male, 3 HO Blue Gate; 1 female Alishan. Quite distinct from White-browed Shortwing, of which it used to be/is a subspecies.
47. White-browed (Bush) Robin – Luscinia (indica) formosana (aka Tarsiger indicus): 1 female kmp 46.8 Anmashan. Quite distinct from mainland populations.
48. Johnston’s Robin (Collared Bush Robin) - Luscinia (Tarsiger) johnstoniae: 10+ Anmashan, 2 Blue Gate, 25+ Alishan. Found in higher parts of mountainous areas.
49. Plumbeous Water Redstart - Rhyacornis fuliginosus affinis: 1 juv Anmashan, 2 Hue San, 1 female Alishan
50. White-tailed Robin - Myiomela leucura montium: up to 6 daily Anmashan; 3 seen, 10 HO Hue San; 2 seen, 3 HO Blue Gate, 2 HO Alishan; 3 males, 1 female, 17 HO Peitungfengshan
51. Little Forktail - Enicurus scouleri: 1 juv Hue San; 1 kmp 7, Peitungfengshan
52. Ferruginous Flycatcher - Muscicapa ferruginea: 1 Blue Gate
53. Snowy-browed Flycatcher - Ficedula hyperythra innexa: 1 male, track 210 Anmashan
54. Vivid Niltava - Niltava v. vivida: up to 8 daily Anmashan; 3 Blue Gate; 3+ Alishan; 1 HO Peitungfengshan
55. Black-naped Monarch - Hypothymis azurea oberholseri: 10+ Huben, 1 Shuangliou, 1 Hue San
56. Flamecrest - Regulus goodfellowi: up to 10, kmp 47 and higher, Anmashan
57. Plain Prinia - Prinia inornata flavirostris: 1 Hue San, 1 HO btw Wushe & Blue Gate
58. Brownish-flanked Bush Warbler - Cettia fortipes robustipes: 1 seen, 2 HO, kmp 9.8 Anmashan; 1 HO Alishan. No difference heard in song or call compared to mainland Chinese populations (from memory, RH).
59. Yellowish-bellied Bush Warbler           - Cettia acanthizoides concolor: 1 Anmashan, 3 Hue San, 8 Alishan
60. Taiwan Bush Warbler - Bradypterus alishanensis: 1 taped out well at the first large alluvial fan, 2 HO, track 210, Anmashan. See video on www.surfbirds.com. 1 HO Hue San; 1 seen, 3 HO Alishan
61. Rufous-faced Warbler - Abroscopus albogularis fulvifacies: 1, track 210, with 10+ in roadside flocks, Anmashan; 3 Alishan
62. Rufous-crowned Laughingthrush - Garrulax ruficeps: flocks of 15+ and 7, track 210 (May 23), and 10+ (May 24), Anmashan; 10 (May 25) and 18 (May 29) Peitungfengshan
63. Rusty Laughingthrush - Dryonastes poecilorhynchus: 1 pair, kmp 36.4 Anmashan; 10 (May 25) and 7 (May 29) Peitungfengshan
64. Taiwan Hwamei - Garrulax taewanum: 1 HO on two dates, kmp 8-10 Anmashan; 2 Long Luan parking
65. White-whiskered Laughingthrush - Trochalopteron morrisonianus: 10+ daily, higher parts of Anmashan; 20+ Alishan
66. Steere's (Taiwan) Liocichla - Liocichla steerii: common in all forested mountainous areas, i.e. 15+ seen, 20 HO daily Anmashan and 30+ seen Hue San
67. [HO] Black-necklaced Scimitar Babbler - Pomatorhinus erythrocnemis: 1 daily Anmashan, 3 Huben, song HO Hue San. We came closest to seeing one when one was persistently calling below our Wushe accommodation, but it didn’t show. Playback would have helped.
68. Taiwan Scimitar Babbler - Pomatorhinus musicus: 4 Huben, 1 HO Hue San
69. Taiwan Wren Babbler - Pnoepyga formosana: 2 seen, 1 HO track 210, Anmashan. Its song differs significantly from that of both Pygmy and Scaly-breasted Wren Babbler.
70. Rufous-capped Babbler - Stachyridopsis ruficeps praecognita: 10+ Anmashan, 8 Hue San, 15+ Blue Gate, 2 Shuangliou, 2 Alishan, 2 Peitungfengshan
71. Taiwan Barwing - Actinodura morrisoniana: flocks of 4 and 2, track 210, with 2 at kmp 23, Anmashan; 1 Blue Gate
72. Taiwan Fulvetta - Fulvetta formosana: 10, kmp 47 and up, Anmashan; 20+ Alishan
73. Dusky Fulvetta - Schoeniparus b. brunnea: 1 Huben [PM]
74. Grey-cheeked Fulvetta - Alcippe m. morrisonia: 15+ Anmashan, 5+ Blue Gate, 5 Huben, 10 Peitungfengshan
75. White-eared Sibia - Malacias auricularis: common in all forested mountainous areas, i.e. 30+ seen, many HO daily Anmashan
76. Taiwan Yuhina - Yuhina brunneiceps: common in all forested mountainous areas, i.e. 50+ seen daily Anmashan
77. White-bellied Erpornis - Erpornis zantholeuca griseiloris: 2 Huben
78. Vinous-throated Parrotbill - Paradoxornis webbianus bulomachus: 4 Hue San
79. Golden Parrotbill - Paradoxornis verreauxi morrisonianus: 5 Alishan
80. Green-backed Tit - Parus monticolus insperatus: 3 daily Anmashan, 1 Blue Gate, 2 Shuangliou, 3 Alishan, 1 singing Peitungfengshan
81. Coal Tit - Periparus ater ptilosus: 1 Hue San, 5 Alishan
82. Yellow Tit - Periparus holsti: 5, kmp 23, with 2, 2 and 4 further down (May 24) Anmashan; 1 male Peitungfengshan; 1 Continuation Trail; 3 Blue Gate Trail. See videos on www.surfbirds.com. Arguably the most difficult-to-find endemic on Anmashan (with the unobtrusive Taiwan Barwing).
83. (Taiwan) Varied Tit - Poecile varius castaneoventris: 2 seen, 20 HO, around the large meadowy picknick area, Hue San
84. Black-throated Tit - Aegithalos c. concinnus: fairly common in all forested mountainous areas, i.e. 10+ seen daily Anmashan, 30+ Blue Gate, 20+ Alishan
85. Eurasian Nuthatch - Sitta europaea sinensis: few seen daily in all forested mountainous areas, i.e. up to 4 Anmashan, 2 Peitungfengshan, singles Blue Gate and Alishan
86. Fire-breasted Flowerpecker - Dicaeum ignipectus: single males Anmashan, 2 Blue Gate, 2 males Alishan, 4 Hue San 
87. Japanese White-eye - Zosterops japonicus simplex: 10+ Blue Gate, 5 Huben, 5+ Hue San, 3 Peitungfengshan
88. Maroon Oriole - Oriolus traillii ardens: 1 male entrance parking lot Hue San, 1 HO Peitungfengshan, 2 HO Huben
89. Black Drongo - Dicrurus macrocercus harterti: 10 Huben, 2 btw Wushe and Peitungfengshan
90. Bronzed Drongo - Dicrurus aeneus braunianus: 4 Anmashan, 3+ Hue San
91. Eurasian Jay - Garrulus glandarius taivanus: singles anmashan and Hue San
92. Taiwan Blue Magpie - Urocissa caerulea: 6-8 entrance parking lot Hue San (May 25), 1 HO Shuangliou, 6 around the large meadowy picknick area, Hue San (May 28)
93. Grey Treepie - Dendrocitta f. formosae: up to 3 Hue San, 10+ Huben or Long Luan (can’t tell which from my notes), 2 Shuangliou
94. Large-billed Crow - Corvus macrorhynchos colonorum: 1 seen, 1 HO Anmashan, 2 Hue San, 1 HO Blue Gate, 4 Alishan, 1 HO Peitungfengshan
[FER] Common Myna - Acridotheres tristis: 1 Long Luan
[FER] Javan (White-vented) Myna - Acridotheres javanicus: 10+ btw the western highway and Anmashan, common near Long Luan
95. Eurasian Tree Sparrow - Passer m. montanus: fairly common
96. White-rumped Munia - Lonchura striata swinhoei: 2 Hue San
97. Vinaceous Rosefinch - Carpodacus vinaceus formosanus: 1 male kmp 47, with two pairs higher up, Anmashan
98. Brown Bullfinch - Pyrrhula nipalensis uchidai: 1 pair Continuation Trail
99. Owston’s (Grey-headed) Bullfinch - Pyrrhula (erythaca) owstoni: 11, kmp 22.7, Anmashan; 3 males, 1 female Alishan (see great videos on www.surfbirds.com)

Mammals recorded in Taiwan

Formosan Rock (Taiwan) Macaque Macaca cyclopis: groups of c. 10 on two dates, Anmashan; 20+ Alishan; 1 Peitungfengshan
Chinese Ferret Badger Melogale moschata: 1 at night, running over the road for c. 20 secs, Anmashan. Definitely the mammal highlight of Taiwan!
Masked Palm Civet Paguma larvata: 1 at night, Anmashan
Reeves’s Muntjac Muntiacus reevesi: 1 near the first large alluvial fan, track 210, Anmashan
Red-and-white Giant Flying Squirrel Petaurista alborufus: 1 on the nights of May 23 and 24, with 4 more heard on the latter, Anmashan
Pallas’s Squirrel Callosciurus erythraeus: up to 3 daily in all forested mountainous areas visited
Maritime Striped Squirrel Tamiops maritimus: 2+ Anmashan
Taiwan Field Mouse Apodemus semotus: 1 possible, Anmashan at night (a tiny grey mouse)

Dragonflies recorded in Taiwan

Euphaea formosa: sev Shuangliou
Orthetrum melania: Huben

Recorded birds Singapore, May 29-May 31, 2009

1.   Oriental Pied Hornbill – Anthracoceros albirostris: 1 pair Pulau Ubin
2.   White-breasted Kingfisher – Halcyon smyrnensis: 2 Pulau Ubin
3.   Collared Kingfisher - Todirhamphus chloris: 2 quay Pulau Ubin
4.   Asian Koel – Eudynamys scolopacea: 1 male and 1 female birdpark
5.   Lesser Coucal – Centropus bengalensis: 3 Pulau Ubin
6.   Germain’s Swiftlet - Collocalia germani: 200+ Pulau Ubin
[FER][HO] Spotted Dove – Streptopelia chinensis: few Pulau Ubin
7.   White-breasted Waterhen - Amaurornis phoenicurus: 1 birdpark
8.   Little Tern - Sterna albifrons: 1 Pulau Ubin
9.   Brahminy Kite – Haliastur indus: 2 Rhu Cross, 4 Pulau Ubin
10.  White-bellied Sea-Eagle – Halaeetus leucogaster: 1 Rhu Cross, 1 pair Pulau Ubin
11.  Grey Heron – Ardea cinerea: 37 Pulau Ubin
12.  Great Egret – Casmerodius albus: 1 Pulau Ubin
13.  Black-crowned Night Heron – Nycticorax nycticorax: 10+ birdpark
14.  Striated Heron – Butorides striatus: 1 quay Pulau Ubin
[FER]    House Crow – Corvus splendens: 2 Rhu Cross
15.  Black-naped Oriole – Oriolus chinensis: 1 Pulau Ubin
16.  White-rumped Shama – Copsychus malabaricus: 2 Pulau Ubin
17.  Asian Glossy Starling - Aplonis panayensis: 5 males, 2 females quay Pulau Ubin
[FER]    Javan Myna – Acridotheres javanicus: sev Pulau Ubin
18.  Pacific Swallow – Hirundo tahitica: sev Rhu Cross, Pulau Ubin
19.  Yellow-vented Bulbul – Pycnonotus goiavier: 1 Pulau Ubin
20.  Olive-winged Bulbul – Pycnonotus plumosus: 2 Pulau Ubin
21.  Yellow-bellied Prinia – Prinia flaviventris: few Pulau Ubin
22.  [HO] Common Tailorbird – Orthotomus sutorius: sev Pulau Ubin
23.  Dark-necked Tailorbird - Orthotomus atrogularis: sev Pulau Ubin
24.  Copper-throated Sunbird – Nectarinia calcostetha: 6 Pulau Ubin
25.  Olive-backed Sunbird - Nectarinia jugularis: sev Rhu Cross, birdpark, Pulau Ubin
[FER]    Streaked Weaver – Ploceus manyar: 3 males Pulau Ubin
26.  Scaly-breasted Munia - Lonchura punctulata: few Pulau Ubin
27.  Chestnut Munia - Lonchura atricapilla: 2 ad, 1 juv Pulau Ubin

Dragonfly recorded at Singapore

Orthetrum sabina: Pulau Ubin
Rhyothemis phyllis phyllis: Pulau Ubin

Recorded birds Panti Forest, Malaysia, June 1-June 3, 2009

1.   Crested Partridge - Rollulus rouloul: sev pairs seen, 1 pair as it whirred across the Bunker Trail [RH], with 1 pair walking nervously through the forest near a large treefall [RH]: I had to split my attention between the pair and a Railbabbler that also walked past; and UTV’s of at least two pairs by PM.
2.   Rufous Piculet - Sasia abnormis: 1 along the Bunker Trail, feeding on a grass stem. A poor video of it is found on www.surfbirds.com.
3.   White-bellied Woodpecker – Dryocopos javensis: 1 pair along the Bunker Trail.
4.   Crimson-winged Woodpecker - Picus puniceus: common, usually 5+ seen daily.
5.   Orange-backed Woodpecker - Reinwardtipicus validus: 1 pair seen by PM and HB.
6.   Buff-rumped Woodpecker - Meiglyptes tristis: just one [HB]
7.   Buff-necked Woodpecker - Meiglyptes tukki: one associating with babblers [PM]
8.   Red-crowned Barbet - Megalaima rafflesii: common, multiples seen daily
9.   [HO] Blue-eared Barbet - Megalaima australis: while we did not pay special attention to heard barbets, this one we heard for sure.
10.  Brown Barbet - Calorhamphus fuliginosus: a flock of 5 and a couple of singles, mostly at fruiting trees.
11.  Black Hornbill - Anthracoceros malayanus: a pair with a juvenile, along the Bunker Trail not far from the first stream [RH]
12.  Rhinoceros Hornbill - Buceros rhinoceros: one [HB]
13.  Bushy-crested Hornbill - Anorrhinus galeritus: one flying past [HB]
14.  Wrinkled Hornbill - Aceros corrugatus: one male repeatedly seen very well, on two mornings, as it flew and landed close to the roadside (= Bunker Trail), less than 1 km from the visitor’s centre. One of the highlights of the trip, as it was unexpected and beautiful.
15.  Diard’s Trogon - Harpactes diardii: regularly heard, with single male and female seen.
16.  Cinnamon-rumped Trogon - Harpactes orrhophaeus: whistled in and female seen well, male less so [RH], two pairs in a territorial dispute (possibly triggered by taping) seen well by [PM].
17.  Scarlet-rumped Trogon - Harpactes duvaucelii: 2 males seen, more heard [RH]
18.  Red-bearded Bee-eater - Nyctyornis amictus: 1 male along the Bunker Trail [PM]
19.  Blue-throated Bee-eater - Merops viridis: few
20.  Rufous-backed Kingfisher - Ceyx rufidorsa: two and one along a trail following one of the streams [PM)
21.  [HO] Banded Kingfisher - Lacedo pulchella: two different individuals heard. My speaker failed, so I stood little chance of seeing them [RH]
22.  White-throated Kingfisher - Halcyon smyrnensis: few seen btw Kota Tinggi and Panti
23.  [HO] Rufous-collared Kingfisher - Actenoides concretus: one individual heard next to a pond along the Bunker Trail (not far from the first stream). Did respond to tape by approaching, but wouldn’t fly into view.
24.  Indian Cuckoo - Cuculus micropterus: frequently heard, one seen over the Bunker Trail [RH]
25.  [HO] Plaintive Cuckoo - Cacomantis merulinus: two heard
26.  [HO] Drongo Cuckoo - Surniculus lugubris: one heard [RH]
27.  Black-bellied Malkoha - Phaenicophaeus diardi: one seen [PM]
28.  Chestnut-bellied Malkoha - Phaenicophaeus sumatranus: one seen at the clearing next to the first pond.
29.  Raffles’s Malkoha - Phaenicophaeus chlorophaeus: 1 female [HB]
30.  Chestnut-breasted Malkoha - Phaenicophaeus curvirostris: 3 seen [HB]
31.  [HO] Greater Coucal - Centropus sinensis: one heard near the ‘pagoda’ pond
[UTVs] Blue-rumped Parrot - Psittinus cyanurus: one flying over the Bunker Trail, calling, was most probably this species.
32.  Germain’s Swiftlet - Collocalia germaini: few at Panti, very common over Kota Tinggi
33.  House Swift - Apus nipalensis: few over Kota Tinggi
34.  Grey-rumped Treeswift - Hemiprocne longipennis: 2 hawking over the Bunker Trail [RH]
35.  Whiskered Treeswift - Hemiprocne comata: 2 perched near the start of the Bunker Trail [HB, PM]
36.  Buffy Fish Owl - Ketupa ketupa: 1 flushed from near one of the streams [PM]
37.  Malaysian Eared-Nightjar - Eurostopodus temminckii: 2 in flight, more heard, near the first pond [RH], at dusk
38.  Jambu Fruit-Dove - Ptilinopus jambu: 1 seen well, perched in the subcanopy of a fruiting tree not far from the first stream. Three similar-sized small doves that flew out of the tree most probably were of the same species.
39.  Little Green Pigeon - Treron olax: one female perched atop a dead tree in the rain.
40.  Spotted Dove - Streptopelia chinensis: few roadside
41.  Emerald Dove - Chalcophaps indica: five seen on three dates
42.  Crested Serpent-Eagle - Spilornis cheela: 1 [PM], HO by RH
(  ) unidentified Hawk-Eagle - Spizaetus sp: 1 in flight [PM]
43.  Black-thighed Falconet - Microhierax fringillarius: 1 perched along the Bunker Trail [PM]
44.  Purple Heron - Ardea purpurea: 3 over the highway close to KLIA
45.  Banded Broadbill - Eurylaimus javanicus: 1 seen [RH and HB], repeatedly heard. Possibly, Black-and-yellow Broadbill was also heard.
46.  Asian Fairy-Bluebird - Irena puella: fairly common
47.  Greater Green Leafbird - Chloropsis sonnerati: 2 [PM]
48.  Blue-winged Leafbird - Chloropsis cochinchinensis: 4 seen
49.  Crow-billed Drongo - Dicrurus annectans: two on one date [RH]
50.  Greater Racket-tailed Drongo - Dicrurus paradiseus: 3+ seen daily, many lacking one or both tail streamers
[UTVs] Large-billed Crow - Corvus macrorhynchos: sev over the ferry arrival parking lot and one over Panti appeared to be of this species (they didn’t call)
51.  (Malaysian) Rail-babbler - Eupetes macrocerus: quite common, as it was seen well by everyone, in different locations, and heard repeatedly. Remarkably, they (only) called from c. 9.30 am well into the afternoon. Responded to tape and whistling fairly well, though not always coming in close enough for viewing. Our first morning (taxi late, couldn’t find the forest at first, speaker didn’t work) I just walked into the forest in an area that looked suitable, whistled the song and my most-wanted lifer almost immediately responded and then got quiet. Just as I was contemplating on what to do, I heard the soft contact calls barely audible on the Scharringa SE Asia DVD and when I focused on the origin, one walked into view and could be followed for c. 40 secs. A wonderful bird and equally good views! In two days at Panti, I saw two birds very well and heard another 6+. According to Simon Cockayne and Martin Kennewell from Singapore, the singing activity of the birds could have been triggered by recent rains – one of which we experienced on our second night at Panti.
52.  Dark-throated Oriole - Oriolus xanthonotus: two singles
53.  Black-naped Oriole - Oriolus chinensis: one perched, two in flight
54.  Common Iora - Aegithina tiphia: two small flocks [PM and HB]
55.  Green Iora - Aegithina viridissima: few on one date [PM]
56.  Scarlet Minivet - Pericrocotus flammeus: one pair [RH]
57.  Rufous-winged Philentoma - Philentoma pyrhopterum: a pair [RH] and a single [PM] along the Bunker Trail
58.  Oriental Magpie-Robin - Copsychus saularis: one at the forest edge
59.  White-rumped Shama - Copsychus malabaricus: fairly common
60.  Rufous-tailed Shama - Trichixos pyrropyga: 1 [PM]
61.  White-crowned Forktail - Enicurus leschenaultia: 1 [PM]
62.  Asian Glossy Starling - Aplonis panayensis: few Kota Tinggi
63.  Common Myna - Acridotheres tristis: fairly common in urban areas
64.  Hill Myna - Gracula religiosa: sev sightings, mostly of pairs
65.  Black-headed Bulbul - Pycnonotus atriceps: fairly common
66.  Grey-bellied Bulbul - Pycnonotus cyaniventris: few seen
67.  Olive-winged Bulbul - Pycnonotus plumosus: fairly common
68.  Cream-vented Bulbul - Pycnonotus simplex: common
69.  Red-eyed Bulbul - Pycnonotus brunneus: fairly common
70.  Spectacled Bulbul - Pycnonotus erythropthalmos: few seen
71.  Black-and-white Bulbul – Pycnonotus melanoleucos: one male over the Bunker Trail [HB]
72.  Grey-cheeked Bulbul - Alophoixus bres: few seen
73.  Yellow-bellied Bulbul - Alophoixus phaeocephalus: few seen
74.  Hairy-backed Bulbul - Tricholestes criniger: fairly common
75.  Common Tailorbird - Orthotomus sutorius: two seen
76.  Dark-necked Tailorbird - Orthotomus atrogularis: one at ferry arrival (all), one at Panti [PM]
77.  Rufous-tailed Tailorbird - Orthotomus sericeus: singles seen
78.  Everett’s White-Eye - Zosterops everetti: few seen, mostly pairs
79.  White-chested Babbler - Trichastoma rostratum: few seen
80.  Abbott’s Babbler - Malacocincla abbotti: 1 pair [PM]
81.  Short-tailed Babbler - Malacocincla malaccensis: 1 [PM]
82.  Black-capped Babbler - Pellorneum capistratum: 1 [PM]
83.  Moustached Babbler - Malacopteron magnirostre: singles
84.  Sooty-capped Babbler - Malacopteron affine: few seen [RH]
85.  Scaly-crowned Babbler - Malacopteron cinereum: 2 [HB]
86.  Rufous-crowned Babbler - Malacopteron magnum: few seen
87.  Grey-headed Babbler - Stachyris poliocephala: few seen
88.  White-necked Babbler - Stachyris leucotis: 1 came in upon taping Railbabbler [PM]
89.  Chestnut-rumped Babbler - Stachyris maculata: fairly common
90.  Chestnut-winged Babbler - Stachyris erythroptera: few seen
91.  Striped Tit-Babbler - Macronous gularis: common, by voice mostly
92.  Fluffy-backed Tit-Babbler - Macronous ptilosus: fairly common
93.  White-bellied Erpornis - Erpornis zantholeuca: few singles, one feeding two fledglings
94.  Yellow-breasted Flowerpecker - Prionochilus maculates: fairly common
95.  Crimson-breasted Flowerpecker - Prionochilus percussus: two males
96.  Yellow-vented Flowerpecker - Dicaeum chrysorrheum: few singles, mostly low along the Bunker Trail
97.  Orange-bellied Flowerpecker - Dicaeum trigonostigma: fairly common
98.  Brown-throated Sunbird - Anthreptes malacensis: one male [HB]
99.  Purple-naped Sunbird - Hypogramma hypogrammicum: 1 female [RH]
100.   Purple-throated Sunbird - Nectarinia sperata: one male [PM]
101.   Little Spiderhunter - Arachnothera longirostris: two singles, of which 1 along the Ridge Trail
[UTVs] Spectacled/Yellow-eared Spiderhunter - Arachnothera flavigaster/chrysogenys: 1 seen well, but distant, along the Bunker Trail, was either Spectacled Spiderhunter Arachnothera flavigaster or Yellow-eared A. chrysogenys. My first impression was that of a barbet, with a thick and straight-looking bill, so I think it was Spectacled.
102.   Grey-breasted Spiderhunter - Arachnothera affinis: 1 [PM]

Recorded mammals at Panti

White-handed Gibbon Hylobates lar: heard many times every day; 1 small group of c. 7 seen well inside the forest.
Banded Langur Presbytis femoralis: 1 small group at Panti was rather shy; as they fled, one holding a baby fell down for c. 10m but managed to break the fall lower down and continued away from the Bunker Trail.
Stub-tailed Macaque Macaca nemestrina: 1 small group at Panti
Crab-eating Macaque Macaca fascicularis: 1 group at Panti, sev more roadside
Squirrel sp: sev of a larger species seen daily
Slender Squirrel Sundasciurus tennuis: 1 pair
Three-striped Ground Squirrel Lariscus insignis: only 1 seen
Binturong Arctictis binturong: 1 dead, roadkill, btw Kota Tinggi and Panti Forest, along “3”.
Eurasian Wild Pig Sus scrofa: presence noted by feeding marks alongside the Panti streams.
Malayan Horseshoe Bat Rhinolophus malayanus: See video on www.surfbirds.com. A pair hanging from a thin branch at eye-level. One of those things discovered when standing quietly in a forest waiting for a bird. Interestingly, only one hung from the branch, the other one hung from its mate (?).

Dragonfly recorded at Panti Forest, Malaysia

Neurothemis fulvia: Panti Forest

Oegstgeest, June 09 (& Nov 10)
Remco Hofland
The Netherlands

Oegstgeest
cutia2005@yahoo.co.uk

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