Monthly Archives: October 2024

Oct252024

Fall Migration in Jeju City Parks, Late August – September 2024

Bird Sightings

Bird news and photos by Leslie Hurteau.

Fall migration started with a slow trickle of interesting species in late August here in Jeju City. Yellow-rumped Flycatcher, Grey-backed Thrush, and Black Paradise Flycatchers were expected and found. as September began, the parks got birdier, with leaf warblers making an appearance, other flycatcher species, and some other interesting finds like Siberian Blue Robin.

Yellow-rumped Flycatcher Ficedula zanthopygia 흰눈썹황금새, perhaps the most common breeding flycatcher on Jeju. Fairly regular to find from May through to August in forests and up Hallasan. This one was in my local park in late August, on its way to wintering grounds.
Chinese Grosbeak Eophona migratoria 밀화부리, a common bird to find in winter on Jeju. This year some individuals were showing up in my local park by early September.
Grey-backed Thrush Turdus hortulorum 되지빠귀, Sarabong Park had quite a few individuals this past summer.

Groups of Varied Tits began to pop up in areas I haven’t seen them in before. I’m not sure if this is an irruptive year for them (is that possible for this species?), but certainly more noticeable than before. Large-billed Crows, a very common species on Jeju, were also more numerous than I’ve noticed in other years. Is this species doing well for any particular reason? It seemed like many parts of the island had small “gangs” of young individuals, moving through and dispersing. One particularly interesting observation was a group of 20 or so far on the east coast, an area of Jeju where usually Carrion Crow is the only Corvus species regularly seen.

Varied Tit Sittiparus varius 곤줄박이. In early September, many were seen around Jeju in areas I never noticed them before. Is it possible that this is a “good year” for Varied Tits? Do they have irruptive years?
Blue Rock Thrush Monticola solitarius 바다직박구리, a common resident species on Jeju along the coasts and occasionaly inland in developed areas. This species looks particularly beautiful on nice sunny days.
Large-billed Crow Corvus macrorhynchos 큰부리까마귀, there seem to be a large number of them on Jeju since August, noticeably more than previous years.
Pale-legged Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus tenellipes 되솔새, identification confirmed once hearing the distinctive high “ping” call, slightly different than Sakhalin Leaf Warbler’s lower toned “ping”.

Diversity of birds moving through the parks increased later on in September. More leaf warblers, Chinese Grosbeaks, and Blue-and-White Flycatchers. A Black-naped Oriole made a brief appearance in my local park, as well as a Lesser Cuckoo that hung around in the same area for a few days. Large groups of Barn Swallows were still present around the city until around mid-September, and by the end of the month very few individuals were present aside from the occasional small groups seen migrating high over.

Black Paradise Flycatcher Terpsiphone atrocaudata 긴꼬리딱새, perhaps one of Jeju’s most iconic summer visitors. I’ve found them fairly regularly in city parks on Jeju during migration.
Siberian Blue Robin Larvivora cyane 쇠유리새, a somewhat rare find. This species is quite difficult to find usually, and my first time finding one in fall.
Blue-and-white Flycatcher Cyanoptila cyanomelana 큰유리새, another summer breeding flycatcher on Jeju. This species is fairly common to find in city parks in September and October.
Lesser Cuckoo Cuculus poliocephalus 두견이, this individual was in the local park for a few days, but only one time was I able to get great views.
What I assume to be a Common Snipe (Gallinago gallinago 꺅도요), but happy to be wrong on this one!