{"id":26684,"date":"2023-01-31T20:02:44","date_gmt":"2023-01-31T11:02:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.birdskoreablog.org\/?p=26684"},"modified":"2023-01-31T20:02:47","modified_gmt":"2023-01-31T11:02:47","slug":"various-locations-january-3rd-26th-2023","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.birdskoreablog.org\/?p=26684","title":{"rendered":"Various Locations, January 3rd-26th, 2023"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Some belated birdwatching tour highlights from Dr Nial Moores (with all images below digiscoped and copyright of Nial Moores and Birds Korea – as I have yet to receive any of the much better images from either group!).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Nakdong Estuary…<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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I first bird-guided back in the 1990s (initially in Japan and then once in Hong Kong); and still occasionally guide to help support our organisation’s conservation work here in the ROK. Between January 4th and 26th<\/sup>, I therefore co-led two back-to-back tours for Calidris Birding Tours<\/a> with Nick Upton, effectively conducting two 11-day circuits around much of the ROK, visiting many sites which sadly have been or are currently under threat of further extensive degradation (more on that in a separate post). The first tour group was comprised of birders from the UK and the USA, with the second tour group all from the USA, as it was organized by and was also co-led by Michael Carmody of Legacy Tours<\/a>.\u00a0 \u00a0Together, we found a total of c. 176 bird species, including as in previous tours all of the main winter \u201ctargets\u201d (i.e.., Scaly-sided Merganser<\/strong>, Red-crowned<\/strong>, White-naped<\/strong> and Hooded Cranes<\/strong>, Steller\u2019s Sea Eagle<\/strong>, Solitary Snipe<\/strong>, Relict Gull<\/strong> and Asian Rosy Finch<\/strong> etc.).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Four species of crane together…Junam.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Asian Rosyfinches<\/strong> Leucosticte arctoa<\/em> \uac08\uc0c9\uc591\uc9c4\uc774 “enjoying” the sunshine, in temperatures close to -20C, with brisk winds…<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Falcated Duck<\/strong> Mareca falcata<\/em> \uccad\uba38\ub9ac\uc624\ub9ac, Nakdong Estuary<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Daurian Redstart<\/strong> Phoenicurus auroreus<\/em> \ub531\uc0c8, Cheorwon<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Yellow-throated Bunting <\/strong>Emberiza elegans<\/em> \ub178\ub791\ud131\uba67\uc0c8, Seoul<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The weather was quite variable, with some exceptionally mild conditions in the first half of January, followed by snow (which we largely missed) and then severe cold for several days (most especially 23rd<\/sup>-25th<\/sup>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This quick review lists some of the more notable bird records in the ROK context, during these two tours to many of the mainland\u2019s premier birding sites: with single visits to the CCZ in Cheorwon and the CCZ in Yeoncheon Imjin River Biosphere Reserve, the Hantan River, Gangneung, Namhansanseong, Gojan \/ Song Do tidal flat and Seosan lake A; and repeat visits, spaced more or less two weeks apart, to the National Arboretum; the Imjin River in Yeoncheon and the Han River at Paldang; the Hwaseong Wetlands; the Geum Estuary; Suncheon Bay; Junam Reservoir; the Nakdong Estuary (once, with an additional pre-tour visit on 3rd) and parkland-type habitats in Busan, including Gadeok do during the second visit; the Guryongpo Peninsula; the east coast, up to Daejin Harbour in the far north-east; the \u201cAsian Rosy-finch mountain\u201d; and the Southeast River, for close-up views of Scaly-sided Mergansers <\/strong>and Mandarin Ducks<\/strong>. Unfortunately, we were not in Gangneung the day of the Pallas\u2019s Sandgrouse (perhaps only the second national record, and the first since 1908!), and we did not have time to twitch the eastern Great Bustard in Cheorwon (approximately the fourth national record this century). Selected observations follow:<\/p>\n\n\n\n