It was a privilege to spend 7 days with Birds Korea Director Dr. Moores this May, and we (he) had some amazing finds and wonderful experiences! In this blog post I want to share with you some of my experiences and what I learned — points that I hope may help you become a better birder.
The Asian Dowitcher Moment
The most memorable experience was driving slowly through the rice fields during light rain. We drove around slowly and stopped every few minutes to scan the fields. Nothing at first — then suddenly: “ASIAN DOWITCHER!” called an excited Dr. Moores. “50 m ahead and just to the left.”
We were in the car, giving us cover, and a most beautiful Asian Dowitcher in full breeding plumage slowly walked towards us!! Engine off, whispering like conspirators, Dr. Moores and I watched as the bird (normally less than 10 sightings in Korea a year) stopped on a raised mound that was 20 meters away and lined up perfectly with the car. What a sight to drink in! Dr. Moores even said it was the most beautiful Asian Dowitcher he had ever seen!! Thousands of photos later we finally moved on — slowly — and what a bit of luck!
Rain, Rarities, and Rigorous Scanning
Ian Davies of eBird was on a 5-day stopover on the island en route back to the US. He and a colleague had rented a car and were zooming around the island, keeping in close contact with us (the more eyes the better). Ian, like Dr. Moores, operates at a whole different level. On Friday, a rain front moved over the island, and for 6 hours all four of us stood in the rain, wind, and cold by the old church, watching and counting storm-tossed birds fly by. While Dr. Moores identified two separate Claudia’s Warblers that day (!!!!!!), Ian was busy scanning the flocks. He photographed every arriving group, listened carefully, and then quickly identified every bird on his camera screen. The goal? To make good counts of all the common migrants passing overhead – and to find that one hidden rarity.
Just before Ian identified 180 Black-winged Godwits, he heard a puzzling call and grabbed a photo of an unidentified bird. (Dr. Moores — did you ever resolve that one?)
On another day we heard that some plovers had been reported near the beach. Dr. Moores took us there and we carefully scoured the area. We found several Kentish Plovers and a few Eurasian Whimbrels, but no sign of the hoped-for birds at first. Just as we were about to head back to the car, we noticed a small pool of water higher up the beach. We slowly walked towards it and were rewarded with a Pacific Golden Plover… and what looked like a Siberian Sand Plover. Dr. Moores noted that the bill looked a little short, but it certainly seemed to fit. Later that day he confirmed there were actually two Tibetan Sand Plovers-— a male and a female, the next day together with a female Siberian Sand Plover! Only the second adequately documented record for Korea. Wow! We put the news out via text to other birders on the island and on eBird, but only a handful of people managed to see them before the pool (and the birds) disappeared two days later. Nothing like being in the right place at the right time. [This is a more detailed log of the event, written by Dr. Moores: https://www.birdskoreablog.org/?p=31682]
The next day we headed to the northern end of the island. While walking back to the car around 11 a.m., Dr. Moores suddenly asked, “Did you see that?” I had missed it, but another birder had caught a glimpse. After some discussion they decided it was probably a Chestnut-winged Cuckoo. We called in reinforcements (Andy and crew) to try for better views of this notoriously shy species. Dr. Moores and Ian Davies moved carefully through the undergrowth, and standing in exactly the right spot, I managed a quarter-second look at a rooster-shaped head with distinctive “sticky-up” crown feathers. Looking at the photos later on eBird (bill shape, size, and those head feathers), I’m 100% certain I saw the bird too. What luck!
Learning to See Every Bird
Another time we were in the rice paddies and Dr. Moores had his scope trained on a bird. With a wink he asked, “Want a look?” I expected a rarity, but it was “just” a sparrow. I learned in that moment that Dr. Moores truly sees beauty in every bird — something I definitely need to practice.
What I learned
Key takeaways for me were:
• Don’t rush identifications. Better to be slow and correct than fast and wrong.
• Study the bird’s overall profile, structure, and behavior first before looking at the contrasts and plumage details.
• Be thorough. Photograph or carefully check every bird in a flock — that’s how the hidden gems are found.
• Learn to appreciate the beauty in common species, not just the rarities.
Thank you, Dr. Moores, for your infinite patience and kind hospitality. I will really try hard to stop myself saying “there is a bird over there on a branch” (DM: WHEEEEERE????) and “That is definitely a Japanese Sparrowhawk” (DM: sighs in Korean). Baengnyeongdo never disappoints. Until next time…
Young Peregrine Falcon scaring the ducks
