Daily Archives: 15/10/2016

Baekryeong Island, October 10-14

Bird News from Nial Moores

On the 10th, a poor ferry crossing for birds, with only three Streaked Shearwater and a single Pomarine Skua as highlights, while on the land best were single Amur Falcon and Common Starling.

amur2_7984Amur Falcon Falco amurensis © Nial Moores

On the 11th, a tardy White-throated Needletail (also seen on the 12th), three Amur Falcon, two Hume’s Leaf Warbler, single Pallas’s Rosefinch and Dusky Thrush and 6-8 Yellow-bellied Tit were highlights.

rs-yellowbelliedtit-8036Yellow-bellied Tit Pardaliparus venustulus © Nial Moores

On the 12th, in moderate north-easterlies, best were a single Bluethroat and Pine Bunting, with only small numbers of more expected species (e.g. only two Pallas’s Leaf and four Dusky Warblers and single Siberian Rubythroat and Stejneger’s Stonechat).

rs-stejnegersstonechat_08107Stejneger’s Stonechat Saxicola stejnegeri © Nial Moores

On the 13th, with light westerlies and occasional heavy overcast, two Japanese Quail, single Yellow-breasted Bunting, two exceptionally early Grey Bunting (heard only) and a Little Owl were the most notable species.

rs-yellowbreastedbunting8116Yellow-breasted Bunting Emberiza aureola © Nial Moores

rs-littleowl-08156Little Owl Athene noctua © Nial Moores

On the 14th, in warm weather (reaching 18C) and with light southwesterlies, a decent passage of raptors was noted in the southwest of the island with e.g. 35 Northern Goshawk, 31 Eastern Buzzard, four Black Kite, and three each of Crested Honey Buzzard, Amur Falcon and Eurasian Sparrowhawk counted moving seaward in only 75 minutes. Other highlights during the day included a single group of 17 Amur Falcon and one or two Black Stork (the first seen from the moving bus in Taekaul Ri at 9:45; the second, same or different, seen in Junghwadong 6.5km to the southwest at 11:15).

rs-blackstork8174Black Stork Ciconia nigra © Nial Moores

(All images taken with a handheld compact sony digital camera and a truly superb Swarovski scope)