Winter is upon us and a flock of winter migratory birds has again stopped over on Penghu Island. On Nov. 1, six large ducks appeared at the Penghu Chenggong Reservoir and flocked on the water for a leisurely swim and to hunt for food. A bird watcher, surnamed Lee, who discovered the birds, informed the Wild Bird Society of Penghu, who verified the birds as rare migratory “bean geese.” Because bean geese are naturally wary, the society has called upon the public not to disturb their ecological environment and to admire the birds from a distance.
According to the literature, bean geese are classified as a rare winter migratory bird. The male and female are identical in appearance, and they are naturally wary and predisposed to living in wide-open spaces. They remain alert with their necks outstretched while feeding on grass and seedlings and emit a dull honking sound.
Although bean geese are a type of large duck, they differ from normal geese in that they are innately wary and become agitated easily. If their resting environment is not large enough, they will not dare to linger; therefore they are rarely seen in Penghu and Taiwan in general. It is thought that the birds have appeared in Penghu Chenggong Reservoir this time due to the high level of rainfall this year. With the reservoir’s water level full-to-brimming, the surface area of the lake is comparatively large, which also makes it easy for the birds to hunt for food. This is why the bean geese chose the reservoir as their temporary stopover point, which has provided a feast for the eyes of bird watchers.
(Liberty Times, Translated by Edward Jones)
Photo: Courtesy of Chou Lee-chao
照片：周麗炤提供
時序入冬。又有大批冬候鳥過境澎湖，十一月一日澎湖成功水庫出現六隻大鴨，成群結隊在水面上悠游覓食，發現的李姓鳥友通報澎湖縣野鳥學會，證實為稀有過境鳥「寒林豆雁」。由於其生性機警，鳥會呼籲勿打擾其生態，遠距欣賞就好。
根據文獻記載，「寒林豆雁」屬稀有冬候鳥，雌雄同型，生性機警，以家族型態生活在開闊陸域環境，連覓食草類、秧苗時都會引頸警戒，還會發出深沉的喇叭聲。
雖然寒林豆雁是大型鴨子，跟一般看到的鵝一樣大，但因為生性機警，易受驚擾，所以如果棲息環境範圍不夠大，不太敢停下來，因此較少出現在台灣和澎湖，此次現身澎湖成功水庫，猜測與今年雨量豐沛，成功水庫儲水滿水位，因此湖面相當廣闊，同時容易覓食，才會選擇在成功水庫做為短暫休息點，讓鳥友們大飽眼福。
（自由時報記者劉禹慶）
A: It’s a pity that I can’t go to Australian pop diva Kylie Minogue’s concert. B: Why not? A: Hit Japanese singer Kenshi Yonezu is staging two shows at the Taipei Arena this weekend, and I already bought tickets long ago. B: Wow, isn’t he one of the most popular Japanese singers in recent years? A: And Yonezu’s megahit “Lemon” topped the Billboard Japan Hot 100’s year-end chart in 2018 and 2019 consecutively. A: 我不能去澳洲歌后凱莉米諾的演唱會真可惜。 B: 為什麼？ A: 日本人氣歌手米津玄師週末將在小巨蛋熱唱兩場，我早早就買票啦。 B: 哇他可是日本近年來最紅的歌手之一。 A: 米津的神曲《Lemon》甚至還在2018、2019年連續稱霸告示牌日本單曲榜年度冠軍！ (By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times／台北時報張迪)
A: Australian pop diva Kylie Minogue is set to visit Taiwan for the third time on Saturday. B: I remember that her Taipei concerts in 2008 and 2011 caused a sensation, and I love her megahit “Can’t Get You Out of My Head.” A: This will be her first time performing in the southern city of Kaohsiung. B: Many music critics praise Kylie’s show as “a must-see in your lifetime.” A: Let’s go to Kaohsiung this weekend. A: 澳洲歌后凱莉米諾週六即將三度訪台。 B: 她曾在2008、2011年兩度在台北開唱都造成大轟動，我超愛她的神曲《Can’t Get You Out of My Head》。 A: 這次可是她首度唱進南台灣的高雄呢。 B: 許多樂評家說她的演唱會是「此生必看」！ A: 那我們週末去高雄吧。 （By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times／台北時報張迪）
The Lemon Festival is a fun annual celebration in Menton, France. This festival began in 1934 and honors the region’s exceptional lemons. __1__ in February during the lemon season, the festival features beautiful floats and sculptures covered with dazzling lemons and oranges. These citrus creations are on display in the bright sunshine throughout the day, while at night, they are lit up and turn the town into a __2__ spectacle. The festival’s origins can be traced back to the late 19th century, when Menton was a major lemon producer. __3__, hotels would decorate their spaces with lemons and oranges
中國海關總署突然發布通知，指台灣輸入的釋迦及蓮霧檢出介殼蟲「大洋臀紋粉蚧」，決定暫停輸入。 In September 2021, China’s customs administration announced that it would suspend imports of sweetsop and jambu from Taiwan, citing discoveries of Planococcus minor, a type of mealybug. 蓮霧 (jambu/champoo, Syzygium samarangense) ，又名洋蒲桃，是桃金孃科熱帶水果，原產於印尼和馬來西亞，在星、馬稱作水蓊，中、港、澳稱作天桃。 蓮霧學名中的種小名 samarangense，係因模式標本採自印尼的Semarang (三寶瓏) 而得名。 蓮霧馬來語稱為 jambu air，第二個字 air讀作 /?a??(r)/，是水的意思，荷蘭人從印尼引進台灣，台語音譯為蓮霧 ian-b?。 以往蓮霧常見譯為 wax apple，聽起來好像素描靜物用的蠟製水果 (Wax Fruit)，曾有人問美國朋友要不要吃蓮霧? Care for a wax apple? 對方回一句：Why not a real one? 近來美國市場流行泰語的講法 champoo。蓮霧果實長得像鈴鐺，因此又稱為 bell-fruit。 Syzygium samarangense is a tropical fruit in the family Myrtaceae, native to the Greater Sunda Islands and the Malay Peninsula. Common names in English include champoo, jambu, bell fruit, rose apple, Java apple, and wax apple. In Taiwan, the dark red cultivars are nicknamed “Black
RSS