Taiwan as I Know It

The white-vented myna is one of the most common birds in Taipei City, but it has been very hard to get close enough to one to take a very clear picture. I took the above picture while on a bicycle ride about five hundred yards before the Keelung River bicycle trail turns into an area flanked by wetlands on both sides.
If you look closely, you can see the white rump (vent) and the white wing flashes. Only when the white-vented myna is in flight can you see that the white on its wings are all along the tips of the wing feathers. In one of the photos below you can see the white tail flash.

In the above-left photo, we see another shot of the bird seen at the top of the page. The white-vented myna at right is in the little park under the MRT line near the Zhishan Station. I had thought that the moving vehicle would have startled him to flight, but, no, he just stood there and watched the car go by. You can see the white tail flash in that photo.

Above, you can see the same white-vented myna that watched the car a moment or so later. Again, if you click to enlarge the photo, you can see the white tail flash.

A few years ago, I found an injured white-vented myna in that same park and took it to a veterinarian who does that kind of work for the Taipei Wild Bird Society. I used a disposable camera to take several photos of it. I believe I had the photos scanned. If I did, and I can find them, I'll post them to this page.
I took the photo below near Hsuang Shi Creek. Dozens of white-vented mynas roost in a tree at twilight.

For more information on the white-vented myna (unfortunately, not much more) click here.

Not counting rest stops and photo op stops, it takes from 30 to 45 minutes to pedal a single-speed touring bike from Shih-lin to Danshui. I took most of these pictures on a late spring day in 2010. The photo at left was taken in July 2010. You can see the sheaves after harvesting.

Above are photos of a little egret I saw about a mile west of Guandu. The photo at right is that same spot at high tide.
Along that stretch of bicycle path, you can see very many little egrets, Oriental ibises, and various species of sea birds. I've posted eight other photos of little egrets seen at this spot, as well as photos of little egrets I've seen elsewhere. (Click here.)

It's hard to believe that this picture was taken only a 20-minute bicycle ride from the 25th largest city in the world. What's more, among nations with populations of a million or more people, Taiwan is the second most densely populated country in the world. It's population density is second only to that of Bangladesh.

The photo on the left is a gray heron. After zooming in as far as my little digital camera would go, I used Photoshop to zoom in further. It was more than 200 yards from me. I rather hurriedly took the blurry photo on the right. I'd never seen a bird like that one before or since, and I've not yet been able to identify it.

As you approach the city of Guandu, the Guandu Temple is the first thing you notice.

Crossing a little bridge, you see fishing boats to the left and the Guandu Temple just ahead.

The photo above is a detail from the Guandu Temple. Below are birds and birds and birds for whom Guandu Temple is both home and a social venue.

People and pigeons gather in the open area across a narrow street from the Guandu Temple. Pigeons, by nature, are cliff-dwelling birds. Since pigeons don't care that there's a difference between cliffs and tall buildings, they proliferate in cities many miles from cliffs.

Leaving the Guandu Temple area, we come to the Guandu Wharf and Ferry. In times past, people wishing to travel between the south and north (a.k.a. left and right) banks of the Danshui River had to travel by ferry. After the Guandu Bridge was built in 1983, the ferry business died out. With the development of the Danshui wetlands and riverbank, the Guandu ferry has enjoyed a renaissance as a tourist attraction.

Beyond the ferry lie the Guandu wetland and the Guandu Bridge.

This is the approach to the Danshui River Mangrove Nature Reserve. In the photo at right is the entrance to a footpath. There, nature lovers can get a little closer to wetlands inhabitants without having to watch out for speeding bicycles or be disturbed by the sounds of bicycles rumbling across the boardwalk.

Here are a map and a set of rules for enjoying the Danshui River Mangrove Nature Reserve. The spot below is a civilized area just before the bicyclist returns to the reserve. The last time I visited the place, the flowers had been removed.

For centuries, Danshui (the name means "fresh water," as opposed to salt water) was a sleepy fishing village. It's no longer a village and it's no longer sleepy. It is, however, much more relaxed than Taipei. Danshui has managed to retain its rusticity even as it was developed to make it a more attractive tourist spot. These pictures were taken on a Saturday. Some weekends, it's more crowded.

A row of traditional fishing boats lie moored—mute testimony to a centuries-old tradition that continues to this day. Only a few steps away, shopkeepers and food-stand operators ply day trippers with sea shells, hand-made items, ice cream, and other items that draw tourists to Danshui.

A fishing village still stands, just across a tidal stream from the rustic shops and stores of the scenic Golden Riverside area. Here is the village at low tide.

Below are different views of the mangrove reserve and mud flats, taken on my way back from Danshui.

Mangroves, mountains, mud flats, grassy slope, river, sky, and cityscape. The city of Bali can be seen from across the Danshui River.

The photos above are a look behind me, towards Danshui. Below are several views of the Guandu Bridge, just ahead of me, as seen from the biking trail.