Daily Archives: 09/05/2016

May 5-6, Eocheong

Bird News from Robin Newlin

My last one-and-a-half days on the island:

Friday May 5. Expected rain did not arrive, but fog began to roll in by mid morning. The morning boat nevertheless came and went, carrying away some birders and replacing them with a small crowd of bunting-seekers. That bird showed well, as did many of the birds of previous days. A Hawfinch was perhaps new (or newly seen), associating at times with the Chinese Grosbeaks. I glimpsed a Black-capped Kingfisher from the boardwalk and photographed a Common Kingfisher (a female this time) at a favorite perch. By the afternoon, the fog was quite dense, and there seemed to be little in the way of arrivals.

bk rh bunting AP9F2313

Red-headed Bunting Emberiza bruniceps ©Robin Newlin

bk yellow buntingAP9F1992

Yellow Bunting Emberiza sulphurata ©Robin Newlin

bk 2nd kingfisher AP9F1790               Common Kingfisher Alcedo atthis ©Robin Newlin

bk 2nd kingfisher AP9F1793

Common Kingfisher Alcedo atthis ©Robin Newlin

Somewhat surprisingly, the fog had quite disappeared by the morning of May 6. There was a Grey-backed Thrush behind the post office at dawn, and the Black Drongos had moved down into the village area. The Red-headed Bunting still showed, along with several Yellow-breasted, a Yellow, and a Chestnut-eared Bunting. At the boardwalk, a Eurasian Sparrowhawk, the usual Yellow-browed and Dusky Warblers, and then a mild surprise: the Paradise Flycatcher (of yet-undetermined species) reappeared after a day of no sightings, this time closer to the village (at the island’s perhaps largest tree).

bk yb bunting AP9F2254

Yellow-breasted Bunting Emberiza aureola ©Robin Newlin

bk ch ear buntingAP9F2508                Chestnut-eared Bunting Emberiza fucata ©Robin Newlin

bk yellow bunting AP9F2336               Yellow Bunting Emberiza sulphurata ©Robin Newlin

bk rh bunting AP9F2590

Red-headed Bunting Emberiza bruniceps ©Robin Newlin (This bird is not                          singing, despite appearances: I think it was trying to re-orient a swallowed seed.)

bk femfly AP9F2420

Paradise Flycatcher sp. ©Robin Newlin

bk femfly AP9F2457               Paradise Flycatcher sp. ©Robin Newlin

bk fem fly AP9F2450               Paradise Flycatcher sp. ©Robin Newlin