Bird News from Nial Moores
Three wet (!) days counting birds in and around Daejin/ Goseong as part of research with the Hanns Seidel Foundation in very unseasonal weather (mild, with high of 10-12C and heavy rain through much of 11th and 12th and from 11:30 AM on the 13th, greatly affecting visibility and count effort). On 13th, the first few hours were windless, dry and with good visibility, allowing for better counts and some time to check the headland at Geojin where typical winter visitors included Naumann’s Thrush (1-2), a dozen Coal Tit and 30+ eastern Goldcrest, 5+ Siberian Accentor, 15 Hawfinch and 40+ Eurasian Siskin.
Most notable species/ numbers recorded during this weather-limited survey work, largely focused on counting birds moving along the coast for two hours in the morning and one hour in the evening, included:
Brant Goose 흑기러기. Nine north on the 12th and four north on the 13th.
Asiatic White-winged Scoter (“Siberian Scoter”) 검둥오리사촌. A few along the coast on the 11th, with 16 moving south on the morning of the 12th and 311 south on the morning of the 13th.
Asiatic White-winged Scoter Melanitta deglandi stejnegeri, in flight and feeding with American Scoter © Nial Moores
Long-tailed Duck 바다꿩. Between four and eight. One male south and one female north on the 12th; four together (three males and a female) south in the morning of the 13th, and in the afternoon, two males separately seen flying north.
Short-tailed Shearwater 쇠부리슴새. An all-dark shearwater seen at some distance feeding athletically on the 11th seemed closest in structure to this species.
Black-legged Kittiwake 세가락갈매기. Fifty resting on the water on the 12th; and at least four juveniles seen with 20+ adults moving south on the 13th.
Black-legged Kittiwake Rissa tridactyla pollicaris © Nial Moores
Glaucous Gull 흰갈매기. Four or five present.
Spectacled Guillemot 흰눈썹바다오리. Five on the 13th.
Ancient Murrelet 바다쇠오리. Seventy-six counted moving south on the 13th.
Rhinoceros Auklet 흰수염바다오리. Four south on the 13th.
Short-eared Owl 쇠부엉이. One watched coming in off the sea on the 12th.
Peregrine Falcon 매. One small adult and a very large brownish-backed juvenile (japonensis).
Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus japonensis © Nial Moores
Japanese Waxwing 홍여새. One adult male on the 13th.
Japanese Bush Warbler 섬휘파람새. One heard calling in the 13th.
Long-tailed Tit 오목눈이. Several white-headed birds (and zero hybrid types) in among flocks of magnus.
Phylloscopus sp. On the 13th, a clean-looking, fairly delicate looking phylloscopus warbler was seen for twenty seconds or so, just before rain became even heavier. Details were insufficient to make an ID, and the bird could not be re-found despite a two-hour search. It had a single wing-bar and some yellowish wash on the throat and breast; an “open” facial expression with a bill held a little “proud”; a not especially strong bill; and darkish (pink-brown?) legs. It looked closest to a Two-barred Warbler, but with a single narrow wing-bar… Another possibility might be Japanese Leaf Warbler.
Eurasian Nuthatch 동고비. Apparently much more widespread and numerous than in usual winters (after seeing many apparently migrating south in Primorye in late September, might some of these be migrants from rather further north?). Several were feeding on a tree that was COVERED in insects, in a mixed flock that contained several Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker, Goldcrest, Eastern Great Tit and Coal Tit (see images below).
Eurasian Nuthatch Sitta europaea amurensis © Nial Moores
Coal Tit Periparus ater ater © Nial Moores
And finally,
Red-billed Starling붉은부리찌르레기. A flock of sixteen in Daejin.