2024-12-14: Seogwipo

 An afternoon was spent in Seogwipo, with a brief stop at Saeseom Park and Cheonjiyeon area. It was quite windy so bird activity was somewhat low. However, a couple birds smaller than Barn Swallows were seen flying around up around the edge of a forested hill. A closer look with the binoculars revealed them to be Asian House Martins. Quite unusual for mid December on Jeju, as these are usually passage migrants in spring and fall. A short time later a larger group flew in, with up to 25 individuals counted at one point. And within about 20 minutes or so they all flew off to the east out of sight.

Later on I heard from another birder that they were seen in the same spot around the same time last year, 2023-12-17. Also further research showed that there are some that overwinter in nearby Kyushu in Japan. With Ryukyu Minivets becoming more regular on Jeju in winter, I wonder if this is another species adjusting to warming climates.

2024-10: Yanbian, Jilin, China

We took a trip up to Yanbian, the Korean autonomous region in Jilin, China, to see the famous Baekdusan and surrounding area. It was a really beautiful visit, with a lot of similar scenery as mainland Korea. Some nice birds were seen, including Chinese Nuthatchs and Willow Tits, which seemed to be somewhat common around Baekdusan. Would love to return in a different season to see more of the nature.

eBird trip report here: https://ebird.org/tripreport/284162

Heaven Lake at the top of Baekdusan. We were lucky with the weather as often it's not visible.

A map of the National Park.

Another view of the crater lake, this time from the north peak.

Eurasian Nuthatch Sitta europaea

Eurasian Jay Garrulus glandarius

Long-tailed Tit Aegithalos caudatus caudatus, the white-headed subspecies was the most common one seen.

Chinese Nuthatch Sitta villosa

Willow Tit Poecile montanus

Brown Dipper Cinclus pallasii

Siberian Chipmunk Eutamias sibiricus

Alpine Accentor Prunella collaris

Pallas' Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus proregulus

Azure-winged Magpie Cyanopica cyanus

Ring-necked Pheasant Phasianus colchicus

Sakhalin Toad Bufo sachalinensis

Siberian Roe Deer Capreolus pygargus

Dybowski's Frog Rana dybowskii

2024-09-19: Jeju City

 Fall migration has really begun in full swing now, with a nice turnover each day in my local patch Shinsan Park in Jeju City. Blue-and-white Flycatchers are moving through, as are a few leaf warblers, Asian Brown Flycatchers, and Grey Streaked Flycatchers. Best highlight was an immature Cuculus species, what I'm assuming is a Lesser based on a few features. It flew in around the stream area, and caught a caterpillar. It hung around for a couple days afterwards.

Another highlight was a Striated Heron, seen briefly on a rainy morning in the stream area. No photos unfortunately, but seen well in the binocs.

Blue-and-white Flycatcher. Nice blue coming in on the wings!

Brown-eared Bulbul having a wash in the fountain.

Immature Lesser Cuckoo. I'm guessing Indian Cuckoo is excluded due to some of the red present on the feathers.

2024-07-29~31: Southcoast Summer Birding: Goheung

 Part two of a two part blogpost about exploring the south central mainland.

Goheung was the next stop, and it proved to have a very nice selection of habitat. Goheung is very interesting in that it has a strong mix of island and mainland feel. A small somewhat isolated area with a lot of ricefields and heavily forested mountains, nearly completely surrounded by coast. 

A quick survey around the landscape was done via car, and then a visit to Goheung Lake in the northwest. While some concrete was present in the farm fields and along some stream edges, other areas were still very natural and had a lot of “birding potential”. Rice fields and reedbeds once again were filled with Oriental Reed Warblers, Barn Swallows, Grey Herons, Eurasian Tree Sparrows, and a few early migrant shorebirds, such as Wood Sandpipers.

Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica 제비

Striated Heron Butorides striata 댕기해오라기

Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola 알락도요

Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus 쇠물닭

Oriental Reed Warbler Acrocephalus orientalis 개개비

Next was a visit to Geogeumdo, a small island southwest of Goheung connected via bridge. Higher up in the forested hills here proved to be very interesting and a bit busier. The Geogeumdo Natural Recreational Forest was quite birdy higher up on the trails, with Asian Stubtail, Eastern Crowned Warbler, and various woodpeckers actively foraging.

Asian Stubtail Urosphena squameiceps 숲새

Asian Brown Flycatcher Muscicapa dauurica 쇠솔딱새

Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker Yungipicus kizuki 쇠딱다구리

In this same area, an Ashy Minivet was heard calling. The distinctive trilling was slower than the similar Ryukyu Minivet. Unfortunately, despite some brief playback, the minivet was unable to be relocated. Shortly after, while driving along a nearby mountain road, another Ashy Minivet was found, this time seen well, perched on an electric wire. It flew off fairly quickly, but not before making note of the physical features: slender body with long tail, shorter bill, white underparts, grey upper parts, and a grey nape and head, with a white forehead.

Next, some time was spent birding a temple in a forested mountain on “mainland” Goheung. Here plenty more summer breeders were found, such as Daurian Redstart, Blue-and-white Flycatcher, Japanese Bush Warbler, and a strange sounding bird which ended up being a Eurasian Jay doing their usual varied vocalisations.

Blue-and-white Flycatcher Cyanoptila cyanomelana 큰유리새

Eurasian Jay Garrulus glandarius 어치

The trip concluded with a ferry ride back to Jeju from Goheung, which provided a different birding opportunity. Highlights included large groups of Streaked Shearwaters and Red-necked Phalaropes close to the inner islands, two possible Common Terns feeding and passing by, and many Swinhoe’s Storm-Petrels which continued in relatively high abundance until reaching Jeju City.

Black-tailed Gull Larus crassirostris 괭이갈매기

Streaked Shearwater Calonectris leucomelas 슴새

Red-necked Phalarope Phalaropus lobatus 지느러미발도요

Swinhoe’s Storm Petrel Oceanodroma monorhis 바다제비

2024-07-28+29: Southcoast Summer Birding: Suncheon

 

Part one of a two part blogpost about exploring the south central mainland.

The southcoast of Korea is a very interesting place from a birders perspective. Unlike the east coast of the country, the south is much like the west, with the geography mainly composed of islands and peninsulas. This sort of geography seems to give the impression that it would be good for migrants, and perhaps vagrants, as they would prefer to land on bits of land jetting out into the sea, rather than far into the mainland. Also, this whole area is quite diverse with ricefields, forested mountains, and freshwater streams and rivers, all leading to beautiful mudflats. Despite all of this promise, aside from Suncheon, it’s not exactly a popular area for birdwatching (perhaps due to being a large distance from Seoul, where most of the people in the country live?). Curious from having read a few previous summer birding reports from the region, and wanting a break from Jeju, we took a trip to Suncheon and Goheung at the end of July.

Black-tailed Gull Larus crassirostris 괭이갈매기

Vinous-throated Parrotbill Sinosuthera webbiana 붉은머리오목눈이

Suncheon is famous among birdwatchers in Korea for being a top crane watching site in winter. Summer, on the other hand, is not visited often despite the potential hiding away in rice fields and forested mountains. Along the coast, many groups of Black-tailed Gulls were returning from their summer breeding grounds, as well as small numbers of shorebirds such as Terek Sandpipers, Common Greenshanks, and Curlews refueling for their long journey to their wintering grounds.

Black-crowned Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax 해오라기

Common Kingfisher Alcedo atthis 물총새

The reedbeds were alive with Oriental Reed Warblers, Vinous-throated Parrotbills (a species completely absent on Jeju), and the ocassional Zitting Cisticola. Egrets, Grey Herons, Striated Herons, and Black-crowned Night Herons were also present in the fields. Barn Swallows and Red-rumped Swallows were seen flying above the fields and along the coasts. Admittedly, one of my primary target species was the Greater Painted Snipe, known to have bred in Suncheon rice fields in past years, but unfortunately none were located. Should they be around (which seems likely given the quality of habitat), breeding has likely been finished and individuals or family groups were probably hiding very well as they foraged in reedbeds and fields that have grown quite high by mid-summer.

Oriental Reed Warbler Acrocephalus orientalis 개개비

White-cheeked Starling Spodiopsar cineraceus 찌르레기

Long-toed Stint Calidris subminuta 종달도요

Some time was spent traversing the general coast of Suncheon bay. No signs of the any Chestnut-cheeked Starlings, which were known to breed in this area previously. But many egrets and Black-tailed Gulls along the mudflats. A steep forested hill was explored briefly, with Grey-backed Thrush, White’s Thrush, and Daurian Redstarts spotted, as well as Long-tailed Tits, Warbling White-eyes, and a fantastic Grey-headed Woodpecker.

Grey-headed Woodpecker Picus canus 청딱다구리

Daurian Redstart Phoenicurus auroreus 딱새

Red-rumped Swallow Cecropis daurica 귀제비

Black-tailed Gull Larus crassirostris 괭이갈매기