2026-04-11: Spring Migration on Udo

 A nice little daytrip to busy Udo on the east coast of Jeju. Usually we try to avoid this island because of how many tourists visit it, but we gave it a shot in nice spring weather and it ended up being very pleasant. Lots of birds around, flowers blooming, and some tasty peanut makgeolli.

Vega Gull

Vega Gull

Eastern Cattle Egret

Chestnut-cheeked Starling

White-cheeked Starling

Red-rumped Swallow

Eurasian Goshawk - not easy to find on Jeju!

Peanut coloured Horse

Pelagic Cormorant seen from the return boat

2026:02-06: Starlings in Jeju City

 Eurasian Starling can be difficult to find in Korea, but for whatever reason they seem to enjoy spending the winter in downtown Jeju City, sometimes just a few individuals, sometimes large groups. This isn't really a recent phenomena either, with records going back at least 15 years at this point. I have been pretty lucky to find them near the bus terminal for the past four winters, and sometimes other starling species are mixed in, such as the locally common White-cheeked and recently-common Red-billed.

Eurasian Starling

Eurasian Starling

White-cheeked Starling

White-cheeked Starling

White-cheeked Starling

2025-11: November in Shinsan Park

 Migration continued on throughout November, and usually around this time of the season some interesting birds can show up. I suppose because Jeju stays warmer than the mainland, so some birds will stick around longer here before moving further south.

Various Starlings began to arrive in the city, as well as thrushes, Red-flanked Bluetails, and a couple Taiga Flycatchers. This was the first time I found a Taiga Flycatcher in Shinsan Park, and funnily enough not too long after this, a Taiga Flycatcher was found all the way in my hometown Vancouver, Canada. Nice coincidence, and lucky birders over there.

Taiga Flycatcher

Possible Black-faced Bunting?

Grey Wagtail

Olive-backed Pipit

Red-billed Starlings

White-cheeked Starling

Rana uenoi

Light-vented Bulbul

2022-06 Yongsu Reservoir

A couple trips to Yongsu in June were quite fruitful, leading to a lifer Pied Avocet, a rare migrant Purple Heron, and a pair of Yellow Bitterns rummaging about in the reeds. I didn't find those bitterns again on a repeat visit later in July, so I'm not sure if they bred or not. The Purple Heron was refound a bit further north along the coast a few weeks later. 

White-shouldered Starlings were found breeding here this year, perhaps the third year in a row. So perhaps they'll slowly colonize parts of Korea as well like the Red-billed Starlings did. Red-billed are resident here and were also found with nests. 

Red-billed Starlings. You can see one poking its head out from the hole, with some nesting material tucked away.

White-shouldered Starling. I didn't put in the effort to monitor them each week this summer, but getting this capture was good enough for me for this year.

Barn Swallow perched on a wire. A very common summer breeder here on Jeju.

Whiskered Terns are rather common to find over Yongsu throughout late spring through to late summer and early fall.

Whiskered Terns are tricky to photograph but I managed a few decent shots.

Yellow Bittern creeping along the water plants.

The same individual perched over the water.

Japanese Bush Warbler right out in the open on a pine tree. It's not very often you get to see one this clearly.

My lifer Pied Avocet, seen only at this time. It was resting with a group of Black-winged Stilts, which coincidently have a similar colour pattern. Coincidence or no?

Cattle Egret perched on the top of trees. A common bird to see around here in summer.

Purple Heron, flying away before I could get better photos. I ended up finding the same individual (or a similar looking one?) a couple weeks later in a nearby area.