Paldang, December 22

Bird News from Robin Newlin

A somewhat belated report posted from the USA (!) about an early morning visit to the north Han River at Paldang: observations are from a very limited viewing point just upriver from Paldang Station, made even more limited by the use of a camouflage cloth blind …
Once light strengthened enough to see more than silhouettes, it was apparent that the overall numbers were smaller than past visits: a few Goldeneyes and Great Crested Grebes, a shore-hugging flock of 8 Little Grebes, a distant pair of Smews, a heard-only Japanese Wagtail, and scattered Spot-billed Ducks and Mallards. Downstream, 3 Scaly-sided Mergansers: I waited in vain for them to float within range, but one did fly by mid-river and northward.

little grebe AP9F1347

Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis ©Robin Newlin

scaly AP9F1266

Scaly-sided Merganser Mergus squamatus ©Robin Newlin

By 9:40 I was already on the subway platform, waiting on a train: an adult Steller’s Sea Eagle flew by, backed by thickly wooded mountains–a welcome parting sight.

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