We went to Taiwan in June. Is June the optimal time to visit Taiwan? Well, not particularly, at least not from a birdwatching perspective. I’m not saying June is a bad time to visit because Taiwan is a fantastic destination no matter the season, but no migrants are present and the spring breeding season is just about over. We were aware of that, but Taiwan is a safe country (at least for now, and let’s hope it stays that way without any provocative actions from China). We wanted to visit now though just in case China decides to make good on their promise to “reunite” with Taiwan by 2027. I don’t know the political ins and out of what that entails or if that’s even broadly welcomed by the Taiwanese people so I won’t pretend that I do, and I want to approach the topic of Taiwan’s political status with sensitivity and respect for differing viewpoints, but I do imagine most people in Taiwan might be less than pleased to have a dictator at the helm. (I think if I were Taiwanese I would much prefer to remain a sovereign nation.) Anyway, there may or may not be a few growing pains associated with a potentially unwanted takeover like that. We thought visiting now before any of that happens would be a good idea. Of course, it’s uncertain if that will happen at all, but we wanted to be prepared, just in case. Plus Taiwan is developed, and certainly has great hospitals if anything were to happen to Roger.
Taiwan, for everyone who wants that freebee refresher, is a mountainous island nation situated in the East China Sea, located North of the Philippines, and you guessed it, East of China. At 35,883 sq. km (13,855 sq. mi.), the oval-shaped island is approximate in size to the Netherlands or to the U.S. states of Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut combined. A large mountain range, reaching elevations of nearly 4000m (14,123ft), runs vertically through the island and plays a significant role in the high level of endemism that Taiwan is known for. While the coastal areas attract migrating birds, our focus was primarily on exploring the mountainous regions. Taipei, the capital city of Taiwan, is located in the northern part of the country, almost at sea level. Even on hot and humid days, when temperatures can exceed 90°F (32°C) along the coast, the mountainous areas offer cool and comfortable weather, accompanied by breathtaking scenic vistas.
We started our trip up in the mountains at Daxueshan (Dasyueshan) National Forest Recreation Area, and it was especially nice because we spent three nights here! However, one thing we were not prepared for was the sheer number of Taiwanese tourists also visiting the area. As we drove up the mountain road, it was astonishing to see just how many people were pulled over on the side of the road setting up their tents and camping gear. There’s nothing quite like camping between a busy, winding road and the downward slope of the mountain with only a few feet in between the two. These makeshift “campsites” were so narrow that I wouldn’t think anyone would want to spend time there but believe me when I say there wasn’t a free space anywhere along the entrance road! Every conceivable space wide enough that a car could park was filled. We had visited on the tail end of the Dragon Boat Festival, one of the major Chinese holidays, and the start of summer vacation season which would explain the unusual crowds. I can totally understand the desire to escape the city and immerse oneself in nature, but I do regret not capturing any photos of those makeshift campsites!”
I have to be forthcoming with everyone: our first international trip as a family of three was not exactly a budget one. Instead of opting for camping or the cheapest accommodations available, we chose more convenient locations, preferably ones that were clean enough for Roger to crawl around in. Traveling with a 9-month-old meant bringing along a lot of necessary gear like a portable crib, portable highchair, diapers, and various other items. It was essential to have enough space for our baby to move around comfortably and a clean environment for that purpose was highly appreciated. Despite sleeping in a comfortable cabin on an extremely comfortable bed inside of Daxueshan, I felt like on this trip, at least during the beginning, I got even less sleep than I would on a typical budget birding adventure. After several nights of severe baby jet lag, we were happy if we could manage around even 4 hours of (interrupted) sleep at night. It was during a quick Google session on how to alleviate jet lag in a baby, that we accidentally stumbled across the internet’s opinion on the best age to travel with a child. We had never thought to look this up before but according to the internet it is best to avoid travelling with an infant from 9 months through 18 months. Oops. Roger was 9 months old, so the challenges were compounded by his newfound independence and desire to move about freely. He was also getting his first (and second) tooth and may have contracted a small cold on the plane. We didn’t know if the excess crying at night was due to sickness, pain, jet lag, or some combination of the three. Eventually though, he sorted out the new daylight hours and was back on his regular sleeping through the night schedule. What does the internet know anyway?!
We had several birds to see at the lower elevations at Daxueshan and some up at the higher elevations and so we spent time walking in the forest at the various elevations and overall our time was a huge success. Along the lower portions of the road we tracked down Brownish-flanked Bush Warbler, Taiwan Hwamei, Swinhoe’s Pheasant, and Dusky Fulvetta. Higher up, our targets included Mikado Pheasant, Taiwan Shortwing, Taiwan Cupwing, Taiwan Bullfinch, and Taiwan Rosefinch amongst others. Roger loved riding around in the carrier and we definitely got our steps in! One does not need to be looking for partridges or pheasants to enjoy walking these woods. The vistas of mountains are beautiful but the mossy covered trees and boulders are a sight of their own.
The biggest highlight from our time at Daxueshan: We had Himalayan Owl literally on a branch above our head so close to the cabin that we were staying in that I literally ticked my life Himalayan Owl barefoot. If I kept a “barefoot bird list” I think this would be a very good bird to have on that list!
Our biggest dip: We never saw a male Mikado Pheasant! Some people come and have an experience where they are singing, calling, and prancing around as obvious as can be. That was not the case during our trip! We only saw a single female. (Luckily she danced around at our feet!)
Here’s a few other photos:
This birding occurred June 2023.
Here’s one eBird checklist if you want to check it out: Here
You are ab amazing Mom and Wife to do all this with your husband. Ross is blessed for sure! Please share more pictures of Roger, Grandma is missing him.