Hualien
Meilun River, Taroko National Park, Mt. Liyushan and Meilunshan parks had a lot to offer, specially in the beetle world. Exploring these places often in company of local birders was a real pleasure.
Where ever we went in the lowlands of Hualien we heard
the calls of Black Bulbuls.
Noisy birds, always chasing each other.
Also the Styan’s Bulbul. Its call sounds like “chocolate!”
The light-vented Bulbul looks much like the Styan’s
but for its white head and the lack of tiny orange dots on the base of the
bill. Apparently there are many mutations now, the original bird facing
extinction some time...
We often went to Meilunshan, a park in the middle of the city, where we found an amazing amount of beetles, in many colors and sizes, all looking very exotic and photographable.
We found 2 dozen on a single tree. The other beetle and ants were found nearby.
Green scarab beetle
I nearly got arrested for taking photos of these Parrotbills when they flew from tree to tree, right into a military area next to the park.
On rainy days we saw many snails, but most days were sunny and huge butterflies would appear from nowhere.
A magnificent Papillion. Blue Peacock?
Big butterflies, these Straight-lined Mapwings are
over 7 cm long
and a Taiwan spotted tiger beetle
Spotted Crow
Grey Treepie
Black-crowned Nightheron at the riverbank
Little Egret with breeding plumes upstream the Meilun river
More insects around the riverbanks. Complete parties of them feasting on the sap of trees.
A Palm King butterfly, a stag beetle and some orange-eyed flies
A longhorn beetle taking a close look
A birding day at Mt. Liyushan produced a pair of Maroon orioles, showing off their red feathers in the green forest. Here the male
A Taiwanese Rock Monkey, watching us from a safe distance, sometimes shaking the tree ferociously.
My first-ever photo of a Black-naped Monarch pair. Male left, female right
Swinhoe’s frog
Wild flowers seen all over Hualien.
Another pretty butterfly: the White Egg Fly
This White Wagtail lived around the harbor where it often stopped on our dock to investigate our Nori and Wakame. Very brave little bird.
The caterpillar looks strange; it seems to have a tumor on its head.
Some tortoise that was dreaming in the sun
Even cicadas have colors. Damselflies sure do
A Tiny Grass Blue, this one not so tiny
I cannot leave out the lizards, they always fascinate me.
Blending in with the garden greens
Popping out of the fog
Hunting for juicy hoppers etc. But how did this one on the left end up with a caterpillar on its nose? It walked the end of its body to the tip of the tail, where it got off.
Haughty and proud, as suits a descendent of the majestic dinosaurs
Looking down the marble rocks in the Taroko Gorge we discovered a Blue Whistling Thrush (left) and Plumbeous Water Redstarts (fem, right) hopping about.
Another White Wagtail, this one living some 1000m higher then our harbor resident
Lunchtime on Mt Liyushan
An exotic looking bee on an equally exotic flowering tree.
One day I hope to name them.
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