Bird News from Nial Moores
Two interesting afternoons were spent checking inshore waters off eastern Busan, from Cheongsapo to Taejongdae, with several birding highlights including a Brown Booby and more than 500 Rhinoceros Auklet counted.
On 16th, overnight rain continued through much of the morning, giving way to overcast and rain spots in the late afternoon, with winds (occasionally Force 3-4) from the east or northeast. Between 12:45 and 14:00, a total of 277 loons (mostly Pacific, with smaller numbers of Arctic and Red-throated and one probable Yellow-billed) and 46 Rhinoceros Auklet were counted flying south past Cheongsapo, often in response to passing ships. A further 35+ Rhinoceros Auklet remained on the water, along with 10+ Ancient Murrelet, 50+ Great Crested Grebe and 30 loons.
Moving south to the southern tip of Taejongdae (a direct distance of 16km southwest from Cheongsapo), a single scan of the sea found a minimum 434 Rhinoceros Auklet, 67 Ancient Murrelet and 290 loons sitting on the sea, and no evidence of any movement further south into the Korean Strait. Additional birds of note at Taejongdae included a Bohemian Waxwing heard (my personal first of the winter), and an extremely confiding Brown-eared Bulbul that attracted a group of interested passers-by. The outstanding highlight, however, was an adult Brown Booby flying northwest (towards Igidae?). Even at perhaps 1-2km range, use of a stunning Swarovski scope confirmed this was an adult male, with a very clean brown and white pattern on the underparts, and a strong blue “face” and base to an otherwise strikingly pale bill. Unfortunately, conditions were not good enough even for record shots. This is only my second personal record of Brown Booby in Busan – and probably the first mid-winter record nationally. However, I once saw a flock of 40+ on the outer seawall of Fukuoka’s Hakata Bay either at the very end of December 1999 or more likely in early January 2004, only 200km south of Busan, so it seems likely that they occur rather more regularly than the few Korean records suggest, including in mid-winter.
Island off Taejongdae: marking the border of the East Sea and the Korean Strait © Nial Moores
Brown-eared Bulbul Hypsipetes amaurotis “twitch”© Nial Moores
On the 17th, conditions were mild and largely sunny, with winds from the west. The woodland at Igidae seemed very quiet, with best only two Siberian Accentor, small numbers of Brambling and Eurasian Siskin, and large numbers of singing Varied and Eastern Great Tits. Only small numbers of loons (c. 60) and alcids remained (especially when compared with the 12th and 16th), with 20 Rhinoceros Auklet and 15 or so Ancient Murrelet. A prolonged search of the harbor walls and island failed to re-find the booby, but did result in finding a single Pacific Reef Egret and 400+ (mostly) Temminck’s Cormorant counted at roost.
Varied Tit Sittiparus varius © Nial Moores
Temminck’s Cormorant Phalacrocorax capillatus roost (Oryuk Islets) © Nial Moores