Turn off on to the Xikeng trail 西坑林道 from the road to Tongho 桶後

Maroon oriole 朱鸝 Oriolus traillii


Yuhina rump











Chinese ramie 青苧麻 Boehmeria nivea

Turning off of the Tonghou forest Road 桶后林道 in Xiaoyi 孝義, we follow the XiKeng Forest Road 西坑林道 along the A-Yu stream 阿玉溪 southward in the later morning of January 28. After years of disuse and natural catastrophes, many sections of the road bed have washed away. Cars can drive in about two kilometers and motorcyles can go a bit farther to a large slide which wiped out a stream drainage in the 2008 typhoon season. The weather has turned clear and sunny after a week of cold rain. We hear monkeys and see many birds on the trail, including the Maroon Oriole and Barbets. We come across groups of loud Blue Magpies several times. We pass three young Atayal hunters each with a homemade gone who say they are off hunting mountain boar. They told Dan earlier they were looking for muntjac.