Tajongdae, April 8

Birds News by Jason Loghry

It was a beautiful clear-skied morning. There was very little wind. Dozens of Eastern Great Tits were singing and calling from the trees. Scattered near the park entrance were 5 Pale Thrushes fossicking through the leaf litter. I sat and watched but as people began to pour in, I quickly searched out a quiet undisturbed patch. I made it to the gully and near the stream I found a Japanese Robin. This was only the second time for me to see this species (was also my target species for the day), so it was very exciting. I sat quietly and watched it move curiously and cautiously up and down the stream bed. A flurry of birds were about. Most were more tits and some Yellow-throated Buntings. In the distance on a stone, sat a flycatcher, a personal first of the season. It was an Asian Brown Flycatcher. I lost sight of the Japanese Robin, but then a Winter Wren suddenly took the stage. Up the gully was a Black-faced Bunting feeding near the stream. It was a personata, and gorgeous. Just above it in a tree was warbler. It was distant, so I placed my scope on it. At that moment, a group of visitors noisily scurried near the tree and the bird was flushed. Not to be bothered, I shrugged my shoulders and smiled at the morning. It was a lovely day.

I did my rounds throughout Taejongdae. The wind picked up in the afternoon. I noticed 3 Eurasian Sparrowhawks circling above me. I came across some Japanese White-eyes, and more tits. Near the seaside were many Black-tailed Gulls and a few Black-headed Gulls. I saw a pair of Eurasian Spoonbills in flight following the southern coastline. At the distant lighthouse there was a line of about 200+ Loons.

As the wind became very strong, I headed back to the gully. Walking along the stream I found a Tristram’s Bunting feeding. Birds around me suddenly flew up and a Eurasian Sparrowhawk perched up on a tree above the me. Putting the scope on it I saw that it had a Black-faced Bunting, personata. Could it have been the same bird I had seen just a few hours earlier? Leaving the gully I passed a stunning Grey-backed Thrush feeding in the leaves. On the way out of the park I spotted a White’s Thrush, an Eastern Buzzard, and 3 Black Kites.

Pale Thrush Turdus pallidus. Digiscoped Image © Jason Loghry

2 comments on “Tajongdae, April 8

    • Thanks Tim. I went back yesterday, but I didn’t see any Black-faced Buntings. Heard an Eastern-crowned Warbler and saw 5 Grey-faced Buzzards though ! Too wet to get any film.

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