22 | April | 2015 | Birds Korea Blog

Bird News from Nial Moores

Four days were spent (April 14^th, 16^th, 20^th and 21^st) with the aim of assessing turnover of migrants through this mainland site. Of greatest note was a small arrival of Sakhalin Leaf Warbler on 20^th and 21^st (with a national high day count of 5+ on both dates).

On 14^th, weather was fair with southwesterly winds after 5-6 days of persistent north-easterlies; on 16^th, light winds, and starting thinly overcast with rain showers by evening; on 20^th,rain all day (following rain all day on 19^th, with light, occasionally moderate, easterly winds veering southwest and southerly for a time then backing northeast again); and on 21^st, largely clear with light south-westerlies. The rain on 19^th and 20^th was from a slow-moving low pressure system that passed more or less through the Korean Strait, displacing several Japan-bound migrants.

In addition to large numbers of Vinous-throated Parrotbill (probably 300+ throughout this period still), single Pacific Reef Egret on a couple of dates and 2-4 Black Kites daily, species of note included:

Streaked Shearwater Calonectris leucomelas. Two on 20^th.
Western Osprey Pandion haliaetus. One on 16^th.
Grey-faced Buzzard Butastur indicus. One on 21^st.
Oriental Cuckoo Cuculus optatus. One on 21^st.
Oriental Scops Owl Otus sunia. One on 14^th; three on 16^th; and one on 20^th.
Common Kingfisher Alcedo atthis. One on 16^th is the personal first record of this species at Igidae.
Ashy Minivet Pericrocotus divaricatus. After one on 7^th, four on 14^th; nine on 20^th; and nine on 21^st.
Japanese Waxwing Bombycilla japonica. After five on 10^th, 20+ on 14^th; 17 on 16^th; 65 on 20^th; and 20 on 21^st.
Korean Bush Warbler Horornis borealis. After the first heard on 3^rd, none on 14^th; four on 16^th; one on 20^th; and one on 21^st.
Asian Stubtail Urosphena squameiceps. Four on 14^th; 21 on 16^th; eight on 20^th; and 17 on 21^st.
Pallas’s Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus proregulus. One (probable) was heard on 16^th.
Yellow-browed Warbler Phylloscopus inornatus. Usually fairly scarce in Busan. None on 14^th; four on 16^th; four on 20^th; and seven on 21^st.
Pale-legged Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus tenellipes. The following are counts of birds heard singing: None on 14^th; 5+ on 16th; two on 20^th; and four on 21^st. A further five or so birds were heard calling on 20^th and 21^st, some of which were suspected to be this species.
Sakhalin Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus borealoides. The following are counts of birds heard singing: One on 16^th, five on 20^th, and five on 21^st. Three of the birds on 21^st were in an area not covered on the 20^th. This appears to be a national high day-count. Two or more birds heard calling (but not singing) were also suspected to be this species on both 20^th and 21st. Busan seems to be fairly reliable for this species during this period, being recorded here too on April 17^th and / or 18^th 2013 and 2014.
Eastern Crowned Warbler Phylloscopus coronatus. The personal first of the year was one here on April 7^th. Five on 14^th; 19 on 16^th; six on 20^th; and 13 on 21^st.
White’s Thrush Zoothera aurea. Three on 16^th; one on 20^th; and one on 21^st.
Grey-backed Thrush Turdus hortulorum. One possible on 14^th; 27 on 16^th; five on 20^th; and four on 21^st. This species is usually fairly scarce in Busan (and rare in Japan). The surprisingly high peak on the 16^th presumably was comprised largely of Korean-breeders, as this species peaked in number on Eocheong on April 26^th (2011) and Socheong on April 29^th(2010), with these later peaks perhaps associated with birds breeding towards the north of its range.
Grey Thrush Turdus cardis. Six on 14^th, two on 16th; one on 20^th and 2+ on 21^st.
Pale Thrush Turdus pallidus. Twenty on 14^th, rising to 151 on 16^th and falling back to 78 on the 20^th and 81 on the 21^st.
Brown-headed Thrush Turdus chrysolaus. One female on 16^th was the only one seen well enough to confirm; several others heard on 16^th and 20^th were likely of this species.
Dusky Thrush Turdus eunomus. Four on the 16^th and one on 20^th (this species is seldom recorded at this site).
Asian Brown Flycatcher Muscicapa latirostris. Four on 16^th were the only ones found.
Blue-and-white Flycatcher Cyanoptila cyanomelana. None on 14^th; four on 16^th; 15 on 20^th; and 19 on 21^st. All of the males were of the nominate subspecies (which breeds in Japan), apart from two intermedia (which breeds on the Asian mainland including Korea) on 21^st. One or two females were very warm-toned; others colder-grey; and at least two birds (see below) that initially looked female-like showed asymmetric male-blue patches and are therefore presumed to be Second Calendar-year males.
Siberian Blue Robin Larvivora cyane. One or two on 16^th (including a well-seen adult male); and two in song on 20^th.
Japanese Robin Larvivora akahige. One was heard in song on 14^th; a female was seen well on 16^th; and one probable was glimpsed briefly in the rain on 20^th.
Siberian Rubythroat Calliope calliope. One male on 14^th was the only record.
Red-flanked Bluetail Tarsiger cyanurus. One on 14^th; 38 on 16^th; five on 20^th; and four on 21^st. In 2010, the peak count of this species on Socheong Island in far northwestern ROK was on April 17^th.
Narcissus Flycatcher Ficedula narcissina. Two males on the 14^th were the personal first of the year; rising to six on 16^th; eleven on 20^th (including two females); and falling back to eight on 21^st (all males), with several in song.
Stejneger’s Stonechat Saxicola stejnegeri. None on 14^th; six on 16^th; three on 20^th; and one on 21^st.
Red-throated Pipit Anthus cervinus. This species appears to be rather scarce in Busan. One on 14^th was a first personal record of this species in Igidae, with a second on 20^th.
Red Crossbill Loxia curvirostra. One on 16^th.
Eurasian Siskin Spinus spinus. Although there were at least 280 here on April 7^th, numbers were much lower during the week under review with c.10 on 14^th; 55 on 16^th; 30 on 20^th; and 11 on 21^st.
Tristram’s Bunting Emberiza tristrami. None on 14^th; 12 on 16^th; ten on 20^th; and probably six on 21^st.