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.
