Bird News from Mike Friel
I went early to a temple site and within minutes, at 7:25am, the first Ruddy Kingfisher I have seen in Korea wheeled up to an overhanging branch nearby, as if to check out the intruder. He sloped off downstream and immediately I saw an Asian Brown Flycatcher perched high in a tree. Very soon after, a Common Kingfisher appeared by the stream in the same location, but didn’t stay long. Things settled down after this, though there was abundant bird-life, including a passing Chinese Sparrowhawk, Pale Thrushes, Japanese Pygmy Woodpeckers and a juvenile White-backed Woodpecker. I left after two and a half hours, seeing an Asian Stubtail as I was about to move off, as well as some colourful Dark-spotted Frogs (Rana nigromaculata). No more Ruddy Kingfishers (no calling even), but one can’t ask for too much!
