Tainan: In Search of the Black-Faced Spoonbill

One of things one is supposed to do in Tainan is to see the rare black-faced spoonbill.  The last time we were in Tainan, we took a then fairly newly inaugurated tourist shuttle bus, to see them.  We may or may not have seen them through the lens of the Park Service's very powerful telescope.  We thought we would try again, given our success with pink flamingos in the Camargue.

Since there were no free bikes to be had from our guesthouse, we tried out Tainan's very successful popular bike share service, Tbike.  Without local cell numbers, we couldn't register our prepaid transport card to pay for the bikes.  Very convenient for us they also take credit cards, one credit card per bike, which we now have after our one and only credit card was comprised in Nice last year :(

We rode all day, all over the place, for almost 70km, through wind and rain.  We had to duck in a very leaky bird blind during a downpour.  There were no spoonbills.  When we reached the park telescope, there was 0 spoonbill -- all of the 63 that they counted earlier that day had left.  I was comforted to learn that the worldwide population of the black-faced spoonbill is only ~2250, as supposed to the tens of thousands pink flamingos that frequent the Camargue.

Nonetheless, a little discouraged, we decided to beeline home on Provincial Route 17, a four-lane vehicle road plus scooter lane and bike lane.  When we were almost back to the city, right from my bike, I spotted a spoonbill in a pond by the road!  We were super excited.  It didn't fly away, seemingly oblivious to us, to the buzzing traffic.  As we were watching, another one landed.  We couldn't believe our fortune -- this is 0.1% of the whole population of endangered black faced spoonbill. 

After returning home, upon further research, the birds we saw were the related African Sacred Ibis, not spoonbills.  We'll have to return to Tainan to continue our search.

Up early, we "borrowed" 2 bikes from the T-Bike bike share and set off West to Anping. [The bikes have 3-speeds, front and back lights, fenders, onboard lock, basket, and adjustable-height seats, and can be used for 100 NT, about 3 USD, per day].


Here's the GPS track of our 68 km route.


And after 6 or 7 kms of city traffic we are on the levee of the Anping Bike Way heading north, about to cross a bridge over an inlet.


I took the same shot 7 years ago when the bike path was new.






We stopped by a couple of skipable attractions: mangrove tunnel, and temple.




Then cycled along the Luermen River which once was the most important port channel in Western Taiwan. Now, with the inland sea around it mostly silted up, it is the site of many oyster farms.


Holiday fishing next to an oyster farm.


Oystermen's shack.


Then a rather long stretch to the spoonbill reserve, stopping once for shelter during a rain shower.




I venture out during the shower/squall to take a photo towards the Taiwan Strait.


Riding along the levees.




We reach the Black-Faced Spoonbill Ecology Exhibition Hall viewing center. More rain. Restrooms. Exhibits. A good place to wait out a downpour. No spoonbills. But as we depart there is a rainbow.


It's a long ride back home so we stop for an iced coffee with tapioca pearls - best ever!


For the most part the southbound lanes of Rt 17 have 2 lanes for cars, 1 lane for scooters, 1 lane for bikes, and are separated from the northbound lanes by a median. Very nice for the cyclist! The only downside is that some (a very small number) vehicles will pass slower vehicles on the right. Yikes! Oh, and often there is even a shoulder to the right of the bike lane.


View towards Tainan City Center.


We spot a pair of endangered Black-Faced Spoonbills common African Sacred Ibis. And that appears to be a night heron to the right.




Dinner. First course.