Bird News from Nial Moores with Dr Bernhard Seliger and Dr Choi Hyun-Ah of the Hanns Seidel Foundation
Birding highlights of this Birds Korea-Hanns Seidel Foundation marine bird survey of the Korean inner border/ Daejin-Geojin coast included seven (!) species of alcid, one of which was either a fairly standard-looking Little Auk or an odd-looking Least Auklet; huge numbers of loons, including two Yellow-billeds; an all-dark shearwater (tentatively identified as a Short-tailed); and huge numbers of gulls, including two Glaucous-winged and at least one Caspian-type.
Most abundant species among the >36,000 birds counted were Common Gull (13,200), Arctic Loon (5,500), Slaty-backed Gull (4,350), Pelagic Cormorant (3,900), Rhinoceros Auklet (2,500), Ancient Murrelet (2,400) and Pacific Loon (1,000). Additional records of note included a decent count of 240 American Scoter, three Brunnich’s and two Common Murres, eight Spectacled Guillemot, five Long-billed Murrelet, single Cinereous Vulture, two White-tailed Eagle, a half-dozen Naumann’s Thrush (one of which looked to have substantial Dusky Thrush influence) and at least three Siberian Accentor.
American Scoter Melanitta americana © Nial Moores
Yellow-billed Loon Gavia adamsii © Bernhard Seliger
Mixed gull flock containing several thousand Common Gull Larus canus flock off Daejin (the excellent January Pension is the red-roofed white building in the background) © Nial Moores
Caspian-type gull Larus cachinnans-type on right with Vega and Slaty-backed Gulls © Nial Moores. On land, the bird had long, very thin looking yellowish-grey legs. The bird was not seen in flight, however.
Glaucous-winged Gull Larus glaucescens © Nial Moores
Brunnich’s Murre Uria lomvia © Bernhard Seliger
Common Murre Uria aalge © Bernhard Seliger
Rhinoceros Auklet Cerorhinca monocerata © Bernhard Seliger
Naumann’s ThrushTurdus naumanni (apparently with some Dusky Thrush Turdus eunomus influence) © Nial Moores