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.
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| Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica 제비 |
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| Striated Heron Butorides striata 댕기해오라기 |
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| Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola 알락도요 |
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| Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus 쇠물닭 |
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| 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.
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| Asian Stubtail Urosphena squameiceps 숲새 |
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| Asian Brown Flycatcher Muscicapa dauurica 쇠솔딱새 |
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| 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.
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| Blue-and-white Flycatcher Cyanoptila cyanomelana 큰유리새 |
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| 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.
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| Black-tailed Gull Larus crassirostris 괭이갈매기 |
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| Streaked Shearwater Calonectris leucomelas 슴새 |
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| Red-necked Phalarope Phalaropus lobatus 지느러미발도요 |
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| Swinhoe’s Storm Petrel Oceanodroma monorhis 바다제비 |
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