Igidae, Busan, April 29th and 30th

Bird News from Nial Moores

A slow-moving low pressure system proved the weather forecast wrong, and instead of light shows petering out by mid-morning the 29th was a day of rain, fog, heavy rain and occasional even heavier thundery showers. In a few brief periods when the rain was replaced by (heavy!) drizzle, it was obvious that some birds had arrived, with one small clump of trees holding 3+ Ashy Minivet, three Asian Brown, three or four Narcissus and two Blue-and-white Flycatchers. Of even more note, perhaps, were a pair of nest-building White’s Thrush, three Pacific Reef Egrets together, 40+ Pacific Swift, the re-finding of an aberrantly plumaged Daurian Redstart first seen a week or so ago (now showing some white in the wing, but otherwise an odd mix of female and male type plumage), and the personal first Crested Honey Buzzard and (Eurasian) Whimbrel of the year. Two exceptional highlights for the day and for the mainland of the ROK (although both species have been recorded at Igidae before): a crooning Black Wood Pigeon and 4 (+) Yellow Bunting.

BWP-igidae_2-RS

bw-igidae_RSBlack Wood Pigeon Columba janthina © Nial Moores

DRED-Apr30_RS2

DREd-apr30_RS1Aberrantly-plumaged Daurian Redstart Phoenicurus auroreus (showing mix of female- and male-type plumage) © Nial Moores

yellowbunting_RSYellow Bunting Emberiza sulphurata © Nial Moores

The 30th was largely heavily overcast with occasional  rain spots through the morning, before brightening in the late afternoon. An incomplete survey of most of the best areas between 0710 and 1330 (and again from 1650-1830 in the company of JL) found no sign of yesterday’s Black Wood Pigeon but an excellent spread of migrants, with most notable a new national high count of 8 (+) singing Sakhalin Leaf Warbler. There were an additional four or five birds heard calling that were also suspected to this species rather than Pale-legged. In apparently direct comparison, the “Z-uEEnK” call of Sakhalin appears to be more piping, and frequently given in an excited, unstable series that shows obvious range, including one or two thinner-still notes that sound very similar to the opening note of the song-phrase. In contrast,  the “Zink” call of Pale-legged appears to be sharper, crisper, fuller and more metallic, and to be given more consistently, lacking any obvious similarity to the open song note of Sakhalin.

During the day, other species of note included two Crested Honey Buzzard, 45+ Ashy Minivet, the personal first Grey-tailed Tattler, Eurasian Hobby and Rufous-tailed Robin of the year;  one singing Pale-legged Leaf, 20 singing Eastern Crowned and two singing Yellow-browed Warblers; one Dusky Warbler (rare in Busan); three singing Siberian Blue Robin; a Siberian Rubythroat heard; a minimum eleven Narcissus and seven Blue-and-white Flycatchers; four White’s Thrush;  a dozen or so late Brambling; one Yellow and six Tristram’s Buntings.

It is interesting to note that the high counts of species like Sakhalin Leaf and Eastern Crowned Warblers, Narcissus Flycatcher and Yellow Bunting at Igidae recall the much higher numbers recorded the very same day (and in subsequent days) on the Japanese island of Mishima 180km to the East-Southeast. Mishima is separated from Busan by open sea. Neil Davidson reported on his blog that on April 30th “the high point… came in early afternoon with an amazing congregation of birds, or flocks of birds. Along a 50 metre stretch I estimated there were about 30 singing Eastern Crowned warblers, a few Sakhalin Warblers, 23 Ashy Minivets, 150 Bramblings, 20 Siskin, a lone Japanese Grosbeak, a huge number of White-eyes, three Blue and White Flycatchers, uncountable Narcissus Flycatchers and a Lesser Cuckoo”. Considering too the decent numbers of Narcissus Flycatcher (7), Yellow Bunting (10) and Sakhalin Leaf Warbler (4) recorded a further 300km west-northwest on Eocheong on May 2nd, it seems likely that this single system displaced and dropped migrants across a line at least ~500km west-east.

CrestedHoney_composite_RSCrested Honey Buzzard Pernis ptilorhynchus © Nial Moores

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