Despite Jeju being surrounded by water, it really doesn't have much extensive mudflat, so shorebird numbers are never in the huge numbers you see on the mainland of Korea. However, Jeju more than makes up for it in diversity, with nearly every shorebird possible including a few that have only been recorded in Korea a handful of times.
One bird I also look for on the coast during migration is Little Stint. It felt near mythical, sifting through the countless Red-necked Stints that pass by every season without ever finding a definitive one. I even dipped on one that was spotted last summer at Pyoseon, which was well documented.
Well, I got lucky this time. During a very windy but sunny early May morning on the east coast I was sifting through the shorebirds and saw one stint that perked my interest.
It had some faint braces on the back - check.
It had a slightly thinner and pointed bill - check.
It had a very rusty rufous colouration consistantly over the back - check.
It had no red on the chin... double check!
I had finally found a Little Stint, in full breeding plumage. Of course I ran it by local experts to make sure, and yes of course it was a Little Stint. I only wish I was able to get better photos and spend more time with it, but I wasn't 100% certain at the time and a local horserider was doing laps on the beach, constantly flushing the birds. That and the wind... well I wasn't having it. Looking forward to the next encounter with this little guy.
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| Little Stint |
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| Little Stint |
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| Little Stint |
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| Little Stint |
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| Little Stint - note the nice comparison with the Red-necked Stint on the upper right. |
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| Pacific Golden Plover |
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| Black-bellied Plover |
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| Little Ringed Plover |
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| Terek Sandpiper |
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| Sharp-tailed Sandpiper |
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| Broad-billed Sandpiper |
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