{"id":16702,"date":"2015-09-26T19:24:55","date_gmt":"2015-09-26T10:24:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.birdskoreablog.org\/?p=16702"},"modified":"2015-10-08T21:11:00","modified_gmt":"2015-10-08T12:11:00","slug":"suncheon-august-8th-september-26th","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.birdskoreablog.org\/?p=16702","title":{"rendered":"Suncheon, August 8th – September 26th"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Suncheon Bay\u00a0\u00a9 Matt Poll<\/p><\/div>\n

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Suncheon Bay \u00a9 Matt Poll<\/p><\/div>\n

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Suncheon Bay \u00a9 Matt Poll<\/p><\/div>\n

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Suncheon Bay \u00a9 Matt Poll<\/p><\/div>\n

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Pechora Pipt<\/strong> Anthus gustavi<\/em>\u00a0\u00a9 Matt Poll<\/p><\/div>\n

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White-winged Tern<\/strong> Chlidonias leucopterus<\/em>\u00a0\u00a9 Matt Poll<\/p><\/div>\n

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Broad-billed Sandpiper<\/strong> Limicola falcinellus<\/em>\u00a0\u00a9 Matt Poll<\/p><\/div>\n

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Black-capped Kingfisher<\/strong> Halcyon pileata<\/em>\u00a0\u00a9 Matt Poll<\/p><\/div>\n

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Pied Harrier<\/strong> Circus melanoleucos\u00a0<\/em>\u00a9 Matt Poll<\/p><\/div>\n

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Long-tailed Tit<\/strong> Aegithalos caudatus<\/em>\u00a0\u00a9 Matt Poll<\/p><\/div>\n

Bird News from Matt Poll<\/strong><\/p>\n

It has been incredible to observe the gradual seasonal changes occurring at Suncheon Bay, a stunning and peaceful place at dawn.\u00a0 Unfortunately, at other times it is not so peaceful, with a wide range of disturbances spoiling the tranquility of the habitat used by large numbers of resident birds as well as migrating shorebirds.\u00a0 Picnickers using pedal cars to access quiet areas of the bay often leave behind heaps of garbage, much of which ends up blowing into the bay.\u00a0 On some days, a large (almost four metres long) and noisy remote-controlled crop-dusting helicopter was seen over the rice fields. \u00a0It raced noisily up and down the fields adjacent to the bay, repeatedly putting up flocks of egrets and shorebirds.\u00a0 Additionally, large noisemakers on five-minute timers that produce shotgun-like booms where rice is being harvested have been heard for several weeks in Suncheon\u2019s otherwise sedate rice fields. \u00a0The endless disruptive construction work being done on the seawall finally seems to be tapering down.\u00a0 Unfortunately, the Eurasian Bittern<\/strong> seen on July 10th<\/sup> has not been seen since the heavy construction equipment moved into ‘its’ area shortly after that sighting.\u00a0 I sincerely hope this area adjacent to the eco-park stays closed to the general public.\u00a0 Thanks to the crowds, the well-touristed main park is already fairly unwelcoming to migrating birds.\u00a0 The agricultural areas around it are so vital to migrants, it would be calamitous if they were to be opened up to organized tourism, or developed further.<\/p>\n

On August 8th,<\/sup> several Raccoon Dog<\/strong> pups were spotted near the bay, as well as 50-60 Cattle Egrets<\/strong>.\u00a0 August 26th<\/sup> saw a flyover male Black-winged Stilt<\/strong>, a\u00a0Black-capped Kingfisher<\/strong>, and a Sand Martin<\/strong> mixed in with at least a hundred Barn Swallows<\/strong>.\u00a0 Notable at the bay on September 4th<\/sup> were two young \u2018tigery\u2019 Yellow Bitterns<\/strong>, and a reduction in both Cattle Egret<\/strong> numbers and colouration, with only seven mostly white individuals seen in the rice fields.\u00a0 Several Far Eastern Curlews<\/strong> were observed cleverly feeding on crabs on a small inland path. Another Sand Martin<\/strong> was seen with a 70-strong group of hirundines perched on power lines, mostly Barn Swallows<\/strong> with six Red-rumped<\/strong> mixed in.\u00a0 Two days later near the bay, observations included an Asian Brown Flycatcher<\/strong>, and another clumsy young Yellow Bittern.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The following week, on the 10th<\/sup>, new arrivals at the bay included low double-digit numbers of Red-necked Stint<\/strong>, Common Snipe<\/strong>, White<\/strong>, Grey<\/strong>, and Eastern<\/strong>\u00a0Yellow Wagtail<\/strong>, as well as a Eurasian Hoopoe<\/strong>.\u00a0 Shorebird numbers continued to gradually swell.\u00a0 Only one Cattle Egret<\/strong> remained in a field where dozens had recently fed.\u00a0 The best bird of the day was also the first \u2013 an extremely early Short-eared Owl<\/strong> flushed from a ditch among rice fields just before dawn.\u00a0 Its underparts and side profile were seen well through binoculars as it flushed and flew low along the ditch.\u00a0 A pleasant surprise later in the day was the sight of at least 200 Barn Swallows<\/strong> sagging down power lines right outside my window, with several of them showing a pinkish wash to their underparts.<\/p>\n

On September 15th<\/sup>, dawn at the bay saw a female Black-winged Stilt<\/strong>, two Yellow Bitterns<\/strong>, still decent numbers of Eastern\u00a0Yellow Wagtail<\/strong>, with Common Snipe<\/strong> numbers down to five.\u00a0 The day\u2019s highlight was a juvenile White-winged Tern<\/strong> flying low just above the rice fields, deftly catching insects on the wing, and cavorting with Barn Swallows<\/strong> at times.\u00a0 This was my first time observing the species, and it was a real treat!\u00a0 No renewed sign of the Short-eared Owl on the 17th, and the White-winged Tern appeared to have moved on.\u00a0 The Black-winged Stilt<\/strong>, Red-necked Stints<\/strong>, Eastern<\/strong>\u00a0Yellow Wagtails<\/strong>, and several Common Snipes<\/strong> remain, while several Far Eastern Cisticolas<\/strong> were seen and heard calling from high overhead.\u00a0 Three days later, a confiding Broad-billed Sandpiper<\/strong> was seen.\u00a0 It was sighted again on the 23rd<\/sup>, along with an apparent Pied\u00a0Harrier<\/strong> and Black-winged Stilt<\/strong> still, and a personal first Stejneger\u2019s Stonechat<\/strong> of the fall.<\/p>\n

The morning of the 24th<\/sup> had a notably large congregation of Little<\/strong> and Intermediate Egrets<\/strong> spotted on a small waterway near the bay, totalling perhaps 70 birds.\u00a0 At least 250 Barn Swallows<\/strong> and several Red-rumped Swallows<\/strong> were seen intensely feeding where reeds give way to mudflats, presumably preparing for their long flight south. An Arctic Warbler<\/strong> seemed out of place on the seawall, flitting nervously through the scrub.<\/p>\n

The morning also produced a memorable encounter with a bird I had seen only once previously.\u00a0 On the way out of the rice fields, a pipit flushed from the path in front of my motorcycle.\u00a0 I quickly shut down, coasted to a stop, and hunched behind the handlebars.\u00a0 To my delight, the bird, a cracking Pechora Pipit<\/strong>, walked along the ditch straight towards me, and I was able to observe it from very close range for several minutes.\u00a0 An incredible birding moment. \u00a0Not much different on the 26th<\/sup>, with best being a Eurasian Wryneck<\/strong>.\u00a0 Shorebirds were represented by at least one hundred Black-tailed Godwits<\/strong>, and smaller numbers of Common Greenshank<\/strong>, Spotted Redshank<\/strong>, Red-necked Stint<\/strong>, Eurasian<\/strong> and Far Eastern Curlew<\/strong>, Whimbrel<\/strong>, Common Snipe<\/strong>, Terek Sandpiper<\/strong>, Pacific Golden Plover<\/strong>, Dunlin<\/strong>, Marsh Sandpiper<\/strong>, and the lingering Black-winged Stilt<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Away from the Bay, a weekend trip to Dolsan-do on August 29-30th<\/sup> had several highlights – good flight views of a Grey Nightjar<\/strong>, seven Grey-streaked Flycatcher<\/strong>, a frustratingly quick look at a plain \u2018olivey\u2019 flycatcher (perhaps a female Blue-and-white?), eight Red-rumped Swallows<\/strong> still nesting in a small coastal town, and three Eastern Crowned Warblers<\/strong>.\u00a0 On September 8th<\/sup>, a female Yellow-rumped Flycatcher<\/strong> was spotted in a small \u2018nursery\u2019 woods next to a reservoir near Suncheon.\u00a0 Young Black-naped Orioles<\/strong>, Brown-eared Bulbuls<\/strong>, Azure-winged<\/strong> and Eurasian Magpies<\/strong> tested their wings under the watchful eye of several perched adult birds nearby.<\/p>\n

Northwest of Suncheon on September 19th, aside from a band of confiding Long-tailed Tits<\/strong>, a lone Grey-backed Thrush<\/strong> was seen skulking in a tiny remnant of what was a lush quiet valley just three months ago.\u00a0 It has since sadly been reduced to a clear-cut moonscape, the wood sold for lumber by a land-owner that lives in Seoul.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Bird News from Matt Poll It has been incredible to observe the gradual seasonal changes occurring at Suncheon Bay, a stunning and peaceful place at dawn.\u00a0 Unfortunately, at other times it is not so peaceful, with a wide range of … read more<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":16708,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[139],"class_list":["post-16702","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bird-sightings","tag-suncheon-bay"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.birdskoreablog.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16702","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.birdskoreablog.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.birdskoreablog.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.birdskoreablog.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.birdskoreablog.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=16702"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/www.birdskoreablog.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16702\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16785,"href":"https:\/\/www.birdskoreablog.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16702\/revisions\/16785"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.birdskoreablog.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/16708"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.birdskoreablog.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=16702"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.birdskoreablog.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=16702"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.birdskoreablog.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=16702"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}