Birding at Daan Forest Park
We’re back in Taipei for the last leg of the Taiwan trip. This time, I’m going to be birding at Daan Forest Park.
From the outside, the park looked like any other urban park. But the pond inside the park is truly a sight to behold.
There were hundreds of Black-crowned Night Herons and Eastern Cattle Egrets roosting or nesting on the trees around the pond.
The Common Moorhen can also be seen at the pond. This one was gracefully gliding it’s way across the water.
As for the rest of the park, common species typical to urban parks can be seen. For starters, a pair of Black-collared Starlings were spotted foraging on the grass. This one caught a yummy earthworm for brunch.
And then of course there is the Taiwan Barbet which had been ubiquitous throughout the trip. This one was photographed excavating the tree trunk for nesting.
Next, I saw a Grey Wagtail busy preening itself on the ground.
I have seen eBird records of the Manchurian Bush Warbler (lifer) here so I made it a point to check the bamboo groves scattered around the park. With some luck, I managed to spot one on my first try.
Finally, the last tick added to my life list is the White-bellied Green Pigeon.
And that’s a wrap for my Taiwan vacation. A total of 61 species was sighted throughout the trip with 23 new species. Unfortunately I missed out on the Taiwan Blue Magpie which I really wanted to see. That will have to wait for another trip.
eBird checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S317698245
The Salaryman Birder 
Leave a comment