Bird news from Matt Poll
- Streaked Shearwater Calonectris leucomelas; one seen from the ferry
- Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica; two groups of roughly 10 seen heading towards Jeju
- Red-necked Phalarope Phalaropus fulicarius; 11 from the ferry between Mara and Gapa
- Black-tailed Gull Larus crassirostris
- Pacific Swift Apus Pacificus
- Eurasian Magpie Pica pica
- Great Tit Parus major
- Far Eastern Skylark Alauda japonica
- Barn Swallow Hirundo Rustica
- Japanese Bush Warbler Horornis diphone
- Japanese White-eye Zosterops japonicus
- Pale Thrush Turdus pallidus
- Brown-headed Thrush Turdus chrysolaus; several skulking in the woods
- Dusky Thrush Turdus eunomus
- Red-flanked Bluetail Tarsiger cyanurus; at least 20, mostly females
- Stejneger’s Stonechat Saxicola stejnegeri; numbers up to almost a dozen
- Blue Rock Thrush Monticola solitarius
- White Wagtail Motacilla alba
- Buff-bellied Pipit Anthus rubescens
- Brambling Fringilla montifringilla; the most numerous migrant on Mara, over 40 seen
- Grey-capped Greenfinch Chloris sinica
- Yellow-throated Bunting Emberiza elegans
Back on southwestern Jeju, I encountered groups of 12-20 Red-flanked Bluetails at 4 different patches of coastal woods. There were more males in the mix compared to Mara, and they were all feeding on sunny paths at forest edges. Also notable on ‘mainland Jeju, one Japanese Quail, and a group of shorebirds made up of nine Kentish Plover, two Dunlin, and one Red-necked Stint. Nearby, another Brown-headed Thrush was heard, and aWhite’s Thrush and personata Black-faced Bunting were seen.
On Saturday April 5th, in spite of a full day of birding in the hills, the most notable birds were encountered before I got out of bed – two groups of Ashy Minivets flew past my window during the early morning, heading towards Halla Mountain.
