Bird News from Nial Moores with Jeon Shi-Jin, Kim Hyangee and Park Jinju
A check of part of the Nakdong Estuary ahead of next week’s visit by a team from Cornell’s lab of ornithology found surprisingly good numbers of shorebirds, the vast majority of which were in juvenile plumage – with neat plumage fringes illuminated beautifully in excellent autumnal light. Although much disturbance was caused from time to time by raptors (most especially two Peregrine Falcon and two or more Common Kestrel), most of the birds were very well-settled most of the time. The highlight was two juvenile Spoon-billed Sandpiper in one scan among 1500+ Red-necked Stint (almost all of which were also juveniles, showing a tremendous range in plumage from dull to super-bright and Little Stint-like, with a few also sporting strikingly long bills), along with c. 220 Sanderling, 70 Dunlin, 10+ Broad-billed Sandpiper and 10+ Mongolian Plover. Two Far Eastern Curlew, single Great Knot, Sharp-tailed Sandpiper and Curlew Sandpiper (latter also in juvenile plumage) were further species of note.
Main shorebird roost on open beach, outer Nakdong Estuary, © Nial Moores
Second roost, in an elevated area, in among vegetation and human footprints, outer Nakdong Estuary, © Nial Moores
Red-necked Stints Calidris ruficollis roosting in a human footprint, outer Nakdong Estuary, © Nial Moores
Spoon-billed Sandpiper Eurynorhynchus pygmeus, © Nial Moores
Spoon-billed Sandpiper Eurynorhynchus pygmeus, © Nial Moores
Red-necked Stint Calidris ruficollis, © Nial Moores
Red-necked Stint Calidris ruficollis, © Nial Moores
Sanderling Calidris alba, © Nial Moores
Sanderling Calidris alba, © Nial Moores
Broad-billed Sandpiper Limicola falcinellus, © Nial Moores
Mongolian Plover Charadrius mongolus, © Nial Moores
Curlew Sandpiper Calidris ferruginea, © Nial Moores
Curlew Sandpiper Calidris ferruginea, © Nial Moores