A very belated post to share various bird sightings throughout the month of September from various city parks within Jeju City (central north city of Jeju Island). Fall migration had really picked up by the second week of September, and continued to increase as the month progressed. There was a noticeable movement of flycatchers in particular. Black Paradise Flycatchers were seen and heard in noticeable numbers even within city parks. The usual Asian Brown Flycatchers, alongside Dark-sided and Grey-streaked, were more numerous. Other songbirds, like Arctic Warblers, Eastern Crowned Warblers, and Yellow-browed Warblers were almost a daily occurrence in urban green areas.
Along the coastal parks, Egrets and Herons could be seen in higher numbers, as well as a surprise Whiskered Tern found diving for food in a stream right off of a main road. A small number of birds I usually associated with winter here, such as Eurasian Kestrel and Chinese Grosbeak, were also observed.
Out of all the species encountered in these city parks, two standouts were Black Wood Pigeon and Fairy Pitta. Both individuals had fresh plumage, and the gape was still slightly visible on the Pitta’s bill, making me think they were born this year and were dispersing. It’s possible the Black Wood Pigeon came from Sasu Island 사수도 (a small island with restricted access, just east of Chuja Island 추자도), as a breeding population is known to be there. The Fairy Pitta was likely from Jeju, but also possible it could have been from the mainland or elsewhere.
