Tag Archives: western osprey

Hado-ri Wetland, Jeju Island, November 6th

An overcast day but luckily no rain, Hado-ri Wetland on the east coast of Jeju Island was quite productive and showed that winter is already on its way. Nearly every regular Korean winter duck species was present, aside from Baikal Teal and Shelducks. And there was even a surprise rarity, a male Ferruginous Duck coasting about with Eastern Spot-bills and Mallards. The overall feeling was the wetland was filling in for winter, and a revisit later in November may yield even more if last winter’s visit is any indication.

A wide variety of ducks and waterfowl were in the wetland, mostly congregating around the reeds likely due to the strong winds at the time. © Leslie Hurteau

A list of the different duck species present:

Mallard, Eurasian Wigeon, Eastern Spot-billed Duck, Falcated Duck, Eurasian Teal, Gadwall, Common Pochard, Tufted Duck, Greater Scaup, Common Goldeneye, and Ferruginous Duck

Falcated Duck Mareca falcata 청머리오리 (bottom centre), Mallard Anas platyrhynchos 청둥오리 (top centre) , and Eastern Spot-billed Duck Anas zonorhyncha 흰뺨검둥오리 © Leslie Hurteau
Eurasian Wigeon Mareca penelope 홍머리오리 with a group of Eurasian Coots and Common Pochard © Leslie Hurteau
Ferruginous Duck Aythya nyroca 적갈색흰죽지 © Leslie Hurteau

Other species included Eurasian Coots, Eurasian Moorhens, Little Grebes, Eurasian and Black-faced Spoonbills, Kentish Plovers, and plenty of Great Egrets and Grey Herons. A large group of approximately 80 cormorants were seen flying around, which were found mostly to be Great Cormorants after scrutinizing their features and tips from friends, with some Temminck’s Cormorants mixed in, too. Perhaps the Great Cormorants were a large group that were on the move, as they seemed to stick in a big group.

Black-faced Spoonbill Platalea minor 저어새 doing an alright job at disguising itself as a duck. © Leslie Hurteau
Eurasian Coot Fulica atra 물닭 © Leslie Hurteau
Great Egret Ardea alba 중대백로 © Leslie Hurteau
Black-faced Spoonbills (Platalea minor 저어새) resting on some rocks with a group of Great Cormorants (Phalacrocorax carbo 민물가마우지) and Temminck’s Cormorants (Phalacrocorax capillatus 가마우지) © Leslie Hurteau

As it was quite windy, passerines weren’t too easy to find, with the regular Blue-rock Thrush, Light-vented and Brown-eared Bulbuls (the former being a Jeju regular and growing in population), and Daruian Redstarts. A Greater Spotted Eagle was seen a couple weeks prior but unfortunately was nowhere to be seen. On the upside, a pair of Osprey filled in the gap and put on a show, diving for fish and soaring above, as well as a male Eurasian Sparrowhawk stealthily swooping over the reeds and within the forest.

Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrinus 흰물떼새 © Leslie Hurteau
Western Osprey Pandion haliaetus 물수리, two individuals seen soaring and feeding on fish caught in the wetland. © Leslie Hurteau
Eurasian Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus 새매 © Leslie Hurteau