Taejongdae, Busan, May 7

Bird News from Dominic Le Croissette

Last night’s drizzle and mist failed to produce much in the way of migrants at Taejongdae today, however the visit was made more than worthwhile by a surprise encounter with Taejongdae’s best bird of the spring – Japanese Night Heron. This bird frequented the upper (concreted) part of the gully, and was first encountered standing in full view on the gully bank, before it flushed and disappeared into the forest. On my return visit to the gully a couple of hours later, I saved it from certain death at the claws of a stalking cat when I flushed it again in the top part of the gully. It flew up and perched in a tree, giving excellent views before once again flying into the forest. Other than this first-class rarity, there was little of note in the area, with much reduced numbers of Pale Thrush and only single Asian Brown Flycatcher, Eastern Crowned Warbler and Tristram’s Bunting of note.