Wantan trail 灣潭古道 explore

The Asian giant hornet 大虎頭蜂 (dà hǔ tóu fēng) Vespa mandarinia colloquially known as the yak-killer hornet, is the world's largest hornet, native to temperate and tropical Eastern Asia. They prefer to live in low mountains and forests while almost completely avoiding plains and high altitude climates. V. mandarinia creates nests by digging, co-opting pre-existing tunnels dug by rodents, or occupying spaces near rotted pine roots. It feeds primarily on larger insects and honey from honey bee colonies.
The stinger of the Asian giant hornet is about 6 mm long, and injects an especially potent venom that contains, like many bee and wasp venoms, a cytolytic peptide (specifically, a mastoparan) that can damage tissue by stimulating phospholipase action.
The venom contains a neurotoxin called mandaratoxin, a single-chain polypeptide with a molecular weight around 20 kD, which can be lethal even to people who are not allergic if the dose is sufficient (i.e., if multiple stings are received; a single wasp cannot inject a lethal dose). However, if the victim is allergic to the venom, this greatly increases the risk of death. Each year in Japan, the human death toll caused by Asian giant hornet stings is around 30 to 40.

The Wantan trail 灣潭古道 in the Kuolai 闊瀨 area between Pinglin 坪林 and Shuangshi 雙溪．

abandoned traditional farmhouse

Little Egret Egretta garzetta 小白鷺 see maybe four individuals perched and in flight
Great Egret Egretta alba 大白鷺 see one standing in water at edge of river
Gray Heron Ardea cinerea 蒼鷺 see one standing in water at edge of river
Crested Goshawk Accipiter trivirgatus 鳳頭蒼鷹 see one flying by with white vent feather puffed out
Bamboo Partridge ?? could have been several small Swinhoe Pheasants
Swinhoe's Pheasant Lophura swinhoii 藍腹鷴 see a hen with two chicks on the road, a hen with two or three chicks on the trail, and find a dead female in the campground near the river edge
Common Kingfisher Alcedo atthis 普通翠鳥 see one female (with bright-red lower mandible) perched on limb over water
Brown Shrike ?? possibly heard one in small agricultural area
Brown Dipper ?? possibly heard on in riverbed
Streak-breasted Scimitar Babbler Pomatorhinus ruficollis 小彎嘴 see two different family groups
Gould's Fulvetta Alcippe brunnea 頭烏線 see a pair in brush near stream next to old farmhouse
Gray-cheeked Fulvetta Alcippe morrisonia 繡眼畫眉 run into several flocks of these
Taiwan Blue Magpie Urocissa caerulea 台灣藍鵲 see one family group moving between the ground or in water and overhanging tree at edge of river
Grey Treepie Dendrocitta formosae 樹鵲 hear one small group of these calling
Striped racer/Beauty snake Elaphe taeniura
Formosan Jewelwing Matrona cyanoptera 白痣珈蟌 (with the white spot in the wing indicating ♀) Euphea formosa 短腹幽蟌 an endemic species