Tag Archives: goeje

Goseong, Geoje and Uiryeong, June 29 – 30

Bird News from Jason Loghry and Mike Friel

Starting out early on Saturday from near Jinju, we went to the Goseong Ruddy Kingfisher site, where it had recently been seen by MF. There was no sign of it this time, but we saw a Northern Boobook, which moved about warily in the treetops.

We then went on to Geoje Island in search of Fairy Pitta. We spotted a handsome male Tiger Shrike in a treetop near the coast; on looking closer, we saw it was sitting with a juvenile, which later flew away. We checked out two possible Fairy Pitta sites to no avail, but at the second there was a pair of nesting Black Paradise Flycatchers known to JL. We observed them both as they passed surreptitiously back and forth. On our return to Jinju, we paused at a small river and watched a Striated Heron deftly catch two fish in a single lunge; it proceeded to swallow them one after the other.

On Sunday, we went back to the Goseong site, and this time heard the Ruddy Kingfisher calling, though it remained unseen. Driving over the ridge at this site, we started to descend a well-wooded valley road. From the car we heard a Black Paradise Flycatcher calling, and soon after a male displayed at the roadside for several minutes, clearly defending a nearby nest. We closely observed a singing male Blue-and-white Flycatcher at the same spot, along with brief views of a juvenile.

From there we went on to Uiryeong to see another Northern Boobook known to MF. This required a steep climb, but we were rewarded with excellent views, as this individual was much more confiding than the one in Goseong and posed proudly in the treetops.

Butorides striatusStriated Heron Butorides striatus, © Mike Friel

Cyanoptila cyanomelanaBlue and White Flycatcher Cyanoptila cyanomelana, © Mike Friel

Lanius tigrinusadult and juvenile Tiger Shrike Lanius tigrinus, © Mike Friel

Ninox japonicaNorthern Boobook Ninox japonica, © Mike Friel