Birdathon News from Jason Loghry

Eocheong Island, May 4 (14:20) – May 5 (14:20)

Fortunately, this year’s Birdathon  stretched through a short holiday season, allowing me to have a few days on Eocheong Island. It was my first time in two years entering the Birdathon as an individual. It was a different experience to be only on foot, certainly a new aspect of the race I thoroughly enjoyed. The weather was good and the island seemed quite birdy from day one. I feel very satisfied with the results, 93 species. I even picked up a few lifers (4)! Here are my results:

1. Cinnamon Bittern Ixobrychus cinnamomeus  (1)
2. Striated Heron Butorides striata (1, including 3 seen from the ferry)
3. Chinese Pond Heron Ardeola bacchus (2, male and female)
4. Eastern Cattle Egret Bubulcus coromandus (7)
5. Grey Heron Ardea cinerea (5)
6. Great Egret Ardea alba (1)
7. Intermediate Egret Egretta intermedia (3)
8. Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo (4)
9. Northern Goshawk Accipiter gentilis (1)
10. Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus (3)
11. Common Snipe Gallinago gallinago (1)
12. Pintail Snipe Gallinago stenura (1)
13. Common Greenshank Tringa nebularia (2)
14. Green Sandpiper Tringa ochropus (1)
15. Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola (4)
16. Grey-tailed Tattler Tringa brevipes (1)
17. Terek Sandpiper Xenus cinereus (1)
18. Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos (1)
19. Dunlin Calidris alpina (1)
20. Black-tailed Gull Larus crassirostris (several)
21. Mongolian Gull Larus mongolicus
22. Oriental Turtle Dove Streptopelia orientalis (5)
23. Indian Cuckoo Cuculus micropterus
24. Oriental Cuckoo Cuculus optatus
25. Oriental Scops Owl Otus sunia
26. Pacific Swift Apus pacificus (2)
27. Common Kingfisher Alcedo atthis (5)
28. Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus (1)
29. Bull-headed Shrike Lanius bucephalus (1)
30. Brown Shrike Lanius cristatus (2, including lucionensis)
31. Black-naped Oriole Oriolus chinensis (11)
32. Japanese Waxwing Bombycilla japonica (3)
33. Brown-eared Bulbul Hypsipetes amaurotis
34. Sand Martin Riparia riparia (1)
35. Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica (60+)
36. Red-rumped Swallow Cecropis daurica (120+)
37. Japanese Bush Warbler Horornis diphone
38. Korean Bush Warbler Horornis borealis
39. Asian Stubtail Urosphena squameiceps
40. Dusky Warbler Phylloscopus fuscatus (3, arrival of several on May 6)
41. Radde’s Warbler Phylloscopus schwarzi (2)
42. Pallas’s Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus proregulus (1)
43. Yellow-browed Warbler Phylloscopus inornatus (50+)
44. Hume’s Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus humei (1)
45. Pale-legged Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus tenellipes
46. Eastern Crowned Warbler Phylloscopus coronatus (5)
47. Oriental Reed Warbler Acrocephalus orientalis (2)
48. Eurasian Wren Troglodytes troglodytes (1)
49. Red-billed Starling Spodiopsar sericeus (3)
50. White-cheeked Starling Spodiopsar cineraceus (2)
51. Chestnut-cheeked Starling Agropsar philippensis (3)
52. White-shouldered Starling Sturnia sinensis (1)
53. Daurian Starling Agropsar sturninus (3)
54. White’s Thrush Zoothera aurea (3+)
55. Grey-backed Thrush Turdus hortulorum
56. Grey Thrush Turdus cardis (several, mostly females observed)
57. Eyebrowed Thrush Turdus obscurus (flock of 60+)
58. Pale Thrush Turdus pallidus (several)
59. Brown-headed Thrush Turdus chrysolaus (5)
60. Dusky Thrush Turdus eunomus (1 observed, 2 in flight)
61. Grey-streaked Flycatcher Muscicapa griseisticta (3)
62. Dark-sided Flycatcher Muscicapa sibirica (1)
63. Asian Brown Flycatcher Muscicapa latirostris (3+)
64. Blue and White Flycatcher Cyanoptila cyanomelana (many including intermedia and nominate subsp.)
65. Siberian Blue Robin Larvivora cyane (4)
66. Rufous-tailed Robin Larvivora sibilans (several singing, 2 seen)
67. Bluethroat Luscinia svecica (4)
68. Siberian Rubythroat Calliope calliope (2)
69. Red-flanked Bluetail Tarsiger cyanurus (5+)
70. Yellow-rumped Flycatcher Ficedula zanthopygia (4+)
71. Narcissus Flycatcher Ficedula narcissina (10+)
72. Mugimaki Flycatcher Ficedula mugimaki (2)
73. Taiga Flycatcher Ficedula albicilla (5)
74. Daurian Redstart Phoenicurus auroreus (3)
75. Blue Rock Thrush Monticola solitarius (5, including pandoo)
76. Stejneger’s Stonechat Saxicola stejnegeri (20+)
77. Northern Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe (1)
78. Eastern Yellow Wagtail Motacilla tschutschensis (including taivana , macronyx, and nominate subsp.)
79. Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea
80. White Wagtail Motacilla alba
81. Japanese Wagtail Motacilla grandis (1)
82. Richard’s Pipit Anthus richardi (5)
83. Olive-backed Pipit Anthus hodgsoni (45+)
84. Buff-bellied Pipit Anthus rubescens (3)
85. Brambling Coelebs montifringilla (10+)
86. Chinese Grosbeak Eophona migratoria (6)
87. Eurasian Siskin Spinus spinus (3)
88. Tristram’s Bunting Emberiza tristrami (12)
89. Little Bunting Emberiza pusilla (70+)
90. Yellow-throated Bunting Emberiza elegans (2)
91. Yellow-breasted Bunting Emberiza aureola (2)
92. Black-faced Bunting Emberiza spodocephala (100+)
93. Yellow-browed Bunting Emberiza chrysophrys (10)

Common Kingfisher Alcedo atthis, © Jason Loghry

 

Japanese Waxwing Bombycilla japonica, © Jason Loghry

 

Yellow-browed Warbler Phylloscopus inornatus, © Jason Loghry

 

Pale-legged Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus tenellipes, © Jason Loghry

 

Daurian Starling Agropsar sturninus, © Jason Loghry

 

Grey-backed Thrush Turdus hortulorum, © Jason Loghry

 

Blue-and-white Flycatcher Cyanoptila cyanomelana, © Jason Loghry

 

Siberian Blue Robin Luscinia cyane, © Jason Loghry

 

Rufous-tailed Robin Luscinia sibilans, © Jason Loghry

 

Bluethroat Luscinia svecica, © Jason Loghry

 

Bluethroat Luscinia svecica, © Jason Loghry

 

Yellow-rumped Flycatcher Ficedula zanthopygia, © Jason Loghry

 

Narcissus Flycatcher Ficedula narcissina, © Jason Loghry

 

Narcissus Flycatcher Ficedula narcissina, © Jason Loghry

 

Taiga Flycatcher Ficedula albicilla, © Jason Loghry

 

Northern Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe, © Jason Loghry

 

Northern Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe, © Jason Loghry

 

Olive-backed Pipit Anthus hodgsoni, © Jason Loghry

 

Olive-backed Pipit Anthus hodgsoni, © Jason Loghry

 

Yellow-browed Bunting Emberiza chrysophrys, © Jason Loghry

Other species observed after or before my Birdathon period include Streaked Shearwater (2) on the ferry ride to the island in, Japanese and Chestnut-flanked Whiteeye (20+), Pallas’s Reed Bunting (3+), Chestnut-eared Bunting (2+), and Chestnut Bunting (3+). There were also Siberian Thrush and Red-throated Pipit reported on the island. On the last day at Eocheongdo, we had a small arrival of Black-naped Orioles, several Dusky Warbler, grosbeak including Japanese Grosbeak, a Sharp-tailed Sandpiper seen by Mr. Patrick Blake and Mr Chae Seung Hoon, that I missed most likely because of a perched Peregrine Falcon, and a Yellow Bunting observed in the morning by Mr. Kim Ohjin.

All together we observed over 100 species in four days. It was easily one of the best trips I’ve ever had at the island. Thanks to everyone who joined, it was amazing. I’m very much looking forward to next year’s Birdathon! Happy birding !

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