October 9-10
Sapshi Island (off Daecheon)
Robin Newlin with Im Kwang Wan, Jo Seong Sik, Kwon Chan Soo and, leading members of the Sa Sa I Bird Club, Kim Seok Min.
From Sapshido looking toward the mainland at dawn
Wind and the threat of rain led to a cancelled morning Weyeon boat; our group instead took the much shorter afternoon trip out to Sapshido—a first for all. The island is close to the mainland but has excellent habitat between and around the many pensions and minbaks: a reservoir with some natural edges, several ponds, fresh water reed areas, wet overgrown fields, abandoned rice fields, small pine and hard woods, a few small hills and some lovely beaches.
Amur Falcon
We arrived with only a couple of hours of light left. Relatively few birds in evidence: highlights were an Amur Falcon, a very briefly singing (and just as briefly seen) probable Styann’s Grasshopper Warbler, a Chestnut-cheeked Starling, a few Yellow-browed Warblers, a few Black-faced Buntings, a Bull-headed Shrike, a Great Spotted Woodpecker, several Eurasian Jays, small groups of Oriental Greenfinches, a dozen Spot-billed Ducks, three Mallards and a Little Grebe.
Oriental Honey Buzzard
Oriental Honey Buzzard
Saturday morning (cancelled first boat) was equally quiet, bird-wise; but as the day developed and the clouds increased and on-and-off-rain and thunderstorms began, a noticeable movement of raptors, especially Amur Falcons: a conservative 32 for the day. Also, a few Goshawks and Eurasian Sparrowhawks, several Grey-faced Buzzards, about a dozen Honey Buzzards, a few Far-Eastern Buzzards, a couple of Kestrels and a single Peregrine. The rain brought in a conservative 200 Barn Swallows, a few Red-rumped Swallows, a Sand Martin and perhaps three different Asian House Martins. Shortly before our evening return boat, a Greater Spotted Eagle made a middle-distance appearance. A few Olive-backed Pipits seemed to be freshly arriving off the sea.
Greater Spotted Eagle