Bird News from Bernhard Seliger
While much degraded and suffering from the perennial noise of the Dongbukansondoro highway, for birders living and working in central Seoul it is a blessing to have places like Chungrangcheon. Monday 26, a walk from Oksu Station to the old stone bridge East of Eunbong Station brought the following results. The rather low numbers of ducks tend to increase strongly in colder weather, when other places are frozen.
Mandarin Duck – 200+
Gadwall – 20+
Mallard – 160+
Eastern Spot-billed Duck – 10
Northern Shoveler – 300+
Northern Pintail – 250+
Eurasian Teal – 8
Common Pochard – 200+
Tufted Duck – 200+
Common Merganser – 7
Little Grebe – 20+
Great Crested Grebe – 20+
Grey Heron – 30+
Little Egret – 3
Great Cormorant – 300+ (They liked to roost on the steal construction under the large highway bridges).
White-tailed Eagle – (One taking his time to circle around the area before disappearing along the Han River.)
Eurasian Coot – 300+
Common Gull – 10
Oriental Turtle Dove – 7
Eurasian Magpie – 25+
Marsh Tit – 7
Eastern Great Tit – 10+
Brown-eared Bulbul – 2
Vinous-throated Parrotbill – 100+
Daurian Redstart – 2
Eurasian Tree Sparrow – 100+
Mandarin Duck Aix galericulata, Eurasian Teal Anas crecca, Gadwall Anas strepera, Common Pochard Aythya ferina and Grey Heron Ardea cinerea © Bernhard Seliger
Mandarin Duck © Bernhard Seliger
Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis © Bernhard Seliger
Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo roosting on the steel rails underneath the main bridge © Bernhard Seliger
Adult White-tailed Eagle Haliaeetus albicilla © Bernhard Seliger
Daurian Redstart Phoenicurus auroreus © Bernhard Seliger
Vinous-throated Parrotbill Sinosuthera webbiana © Bernhard Seliger
Overview of Chungrangcheon wild bird protected area © Bernhard Seliger
Chungrangcheon migratory bird protection area: high rise buildings, bridges – and fortunately birds © Bernhard Seliger