Paju Rice fields and Gongneungcheon (stream) on June 6, 2020

Bird news from Dr. Bernhard Seliger (Hanns-Seidel-Foundation, Birds Korea)

An early morning walk along Gongneungcheon stream in Paju and through the rice fields, to the Jayuro near the Odusan observatory brought all kinds of egrets and herons, Mandarin ducks, dozens of Oriental Reed Warblers, Blackfaced Spoonbill, and, nicest of all, a great view (alas, no photo) of a Yellow Bittern. No watercock, but I met a farmer and bird photographer who showed me wonderful photos from a watercock taken the day before. Starting at 5 a.m., there were already some early farmers awake, but at 8 a.m. at the bicycle road to Munsan, there were hundreds of early cyclists. Principally, a good idea, if cycling leads to more attention for the beauty of the landscape. However, at the starting point, in Odo-2-ri, construction for a bridge over Gongneungcheon was in full speed. The bridge is around 400 meters away from another broad, at least 4-laned road (357, Nambukro), which is always empty and scarcely used. But there is no road yet. It will come, though, and since I do not suspect the road will go through the houses of Odo-2-ri, the best guess is it will go directly through the rice-fields, probably heading to Munsan, where already 3-4 roads of that size are going.

Dozens, maybe hundreds of Oriental Reed Warblers Acrocephalus orientalis were vocal in early morning © Bernhard Seliger
Rice fields and egrets (in this picture, there is Great Egret Ardea alba, Intermediate Egret Ardea intermedia, Little Egret Egretta garzetta and Eastern Cattle Egret Bubulcus coromandus to be seen) © Bernhard Seliger
Striated heron Butorides striata © Bernhard Seliger
Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo © Bernhard Seliger
Another Oriental Reed Warbler Acrocephalus orientalis © Bernhard Seliger
Bridge into nowhere – in view of any bridge scarcely used © Bernhard Seliger
Early morning Gongneungcheon – hopefully the beauty of the area can be preserved © Bernhard Seliger

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