I secured permission to visit another part of National Taiwan University’s property - Meifeng (2,200m elevation) before lunchtime. This is an excellent place to stay - has all the advantages of nearby Chingjing but few of the negatives. Well managed - meaning most visitors have to follow a fixed package itinerary, foreign birders sometimes are given ‘special permissions’.
As well as the ‘normal’ stuff (many Sibia, Yuhinia etc), birds seen included 1 Fire-breasted Flowerpecker, 2 beautiful Collared Bush-robin (see below), 1 Island Thrush (a 5-star rarity for me - and most people) on a fruit tree down in front of the accommodation block, 1 Vivid Niltavia, 1 Red-flanked Bluetail (also quite rare for me), 1 Siberian Redthroat, 1 White’s Thrush - in heavy shade - not possible to see variety (another 5-star rarity) September Edit: putting a question mark next to this - may have been misidentified, 5 Black-faced Bunting, 3 Brown-headed Bulfinch, 2 Strong-footed Bush Warbler (aka Brown-flanked), 1 Yellow-bellied Bush Warbler (heard well, badly seen), 5 Barwing, 5+ Liocichlas. Nearby saw a Large-billed Crow.
Did not see, but apparently around: Tawny Owl, White-tailed Robin, and Pygmy Wren-babbler, Grey-headed Bullfinch.
On the way out of Wushe towards Chingjing, 2 White-bellied Erponis were spotted, surprised not to see them elsewhere this trip.
If unable to get access to Meifeng (either to stay in their nice hotel, or for a day of birding) then explore the farm road 200 meters down the road at almost the 15 km mark, near a sign for Meifeng. A sharp right turn (if coming from Chingjing direction). On this trail I found Green-backed Tit and Taiwan Tit.
Also the short, south-facing, hiking trail to Sangjiao Peak near the sign in Chinese for Tsuifeng (翠峰) altitude 2,309 meters, at the 16.5km mark.
New Birds Meifeng, Nantou County.
White-bellied Yuhina (Erpornis) Yuhina zantholeuca
Red-flanked (Orange-flanked) Bluetail (Bush-robin) Tarsiger cyanurus
Fire-breasted Flowerpecker Dicaeum ignipectum "Endemic subspecies (D. i. formosum)"
Collared Bush-Robin Tarsiger johnstoniae Endemic species
Island Thrush Turdus poliocephalus "Endemic subspecies (T. p. niveiceps)"
Vivid Niltava Niltava vivida "Endemic subspecies (N. v. vivida)"
Red-flanked Bluetail Tarsiger cyanurus
Siberian Rubythroat Luscinia calliope
Scaly (White’s) Thrush Zoothera dauma Needs confirmation.
Brown Bullfinch Pyrrhula nipalensis "Endemic subspecies (P. n. uchidae)"
Brownish-flanked (Strong-footed) Bush-Warbler Cettia fortipes "Taiwan Endemic Subspecies (C. f. robustipes)"
Yellow-bellied Bush-Warbler Cettia acanthizoides "Endemic subspecies (C. a. concolor)"
Taiwan Barwing Actinodura morrisoniana Endemic species
Steere's Liocichla Liocichla steerii Endemic species
Green-backed Tit Parus monticolus "Endemic subspecies (P. m. insperatus)"
Yellow (Taiwan) Tit Macholophus holsti Endemic species and Genus
Taiwan Yuhina Yuhina brunneiceps Endemic species
