{"id":28366,"date":"2024-01-26T14:39:04","date_gmt":"2024-01-26T05:39:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.birdskoreablog.org\/?p=28366"},"modified":"2024-01-31T11:11:20","modified_gmt":"2024-01-31T02:11:20","slug":"various-locations-january-4th-14th","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.birdskoreablog.org\/?p=28366","title":{"rendered":"Various Locations, January 4th-14th"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Bird news from Nial Moores with Calidris Birding led by Nick Upton. Some of the checklists can be found on eBird.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A short recap of some of the birding highlights enjoyed in generally very mild conditions following on from a long autumn with plenty of irruptive taxa \u2013 resulting in a winter with widespread Upland Buzzard<\/strong>, Red Crossbill<\/strong>, rosefinches, Chinese Grosbeaks <\/strong>and Common<\/strong> (and now Arctic) Redpolls<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our group started at Paldang \u2013 with three redpolls <\/strong>overhead and an additional 5-minute wait before the wintering Steller\u2019s Sea Eagle<\/strong> swept in to battle with a White-tailed Eagle<\/strong>. Excellent. Then on to the national arboretum, where we had a fly-over Black Woodpecker<\/strong> as we ate lunch, followed soon after by great views of Eurasian Bullfinches<\/strong> and Pallas\u2019s Rosefinches<\/strong>, latter coming to piles of bird seed. The search for Solitary Snipe<\/strong> is now sadly confined to a very few short stretches of stream, as most of the stream\u2019s length is increasingly disturbed by walkways \u2013 now in parts along both sides.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Steller’s Sea Eagle<\/strong> Haliaeetus pelagicus<\/em> \ucc38\uc218\ub9ac \u00a9 Nial Moores<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Solitary Snipe<\/strong> Gallinago solitaria<\/em> \uccad\ub3c4\uc694 \u00a9 Nial Moores <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Pallas’s Rosefinches<\/strong> Carpodacus roseus<\/em> \uc591\uc9c4\uc774 \u00a9 Nial Moores.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Next up was Cheorwon, assisted by local expert colleagues (including Birds Korea Yeoncheon Director Mr Baek Seung-Kwang and Mr Baek Jong Han), with spectacular views of Red-crowned<\/strong> and White-naped Cranes<\/strong>; our first Baikal Teal<\/strong>; and several landbird specials \u2013 Siberian Accentor<\/strong>, Long-tailed Rosefinch<\/strong>, flocks of Rustic Bunting<\/strong> and white-headed Long-tailed Tits<\/strong>. In the afternoon we moved on to Yeoncheon, where highlights included a handful of Hill Pigeon<\/strong> and most especially four stunning Scaly-sided Merganser<\/strong> freshly scouted for us by Birds Korea Yeoncheon\u2019s Ms Lee Su-Young<\/a>. We then ended the day with a quick visit to the \u201cSpoonbills Project Site\u201d \/ proposed Jeongok Wetland park, where the day finished with several Long-billed Plover<\/strong>, Japanese Wagtail <\/strong>and Meadow Buntings<\/strong>, and with the site overflown by (yet) a(nother) White-tailed Eagle<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Mixed flock \u00a9 Nial Moores<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Globally Vulnerable White-naped Cranes<\/strong> Antigone vipio<\/em> \uc7ac\ub450\ub8e8\ubbf8 \u00a9 Nial Moores<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Globally Vulnerable Red-crowned Cranes<\/strong> Grus japonensis <\/em>\ub450\ub8e8\ubbf8 \u00a9 Nial Moores<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Baikal Teal<\/strong> Sibirionetta formosa<\/em> \uac00\ucc3d\uc624\ub9ac \u00a9 Nial Moores<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The third day started with a walk in hill-forest in search of Hazel Grouse<\/strong> \u2013 a major challenge considering the crunch of ice-crusted snow that covered the track. We heard a couple of birds vocalizing, and saw one (I had views of a male on the ground; others saw the same bird in flight). An additional highlight was three Japanese Grosbeak<\/strong> sitting high up, first picked up by Lee. This is only our second record in Yeoncheon. We then drove all the way to the east coast, ending the day with our first Harlequin Ducks<\/strong> and Glaucous Gulls<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Japanese Grosbeak<\/strong> Eophona personata<\/em> \ud070\ubd80\ub9ac\ubc00\ud654\ubd80\ub9ac \u00a9 Nial Moores<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Wave heights off the Goseong coast remained above 1m, rendering a boat trip too risky to take for a group of this size. In otherwise beautiful weather we instead visited a wintering Chinese Grey Shrike<\/strong> (first found in early December<\/a> by Dr Ha Jungmoon , Dr Bernhard Seliger and Ms Baek Minjae), finding two there; and birded along the coast \u2013 with outstanding highlight a Yellow-billed Loon<\/strong> in Daejin harbour, with additional “support” in the form of a Glaucous-winged Gull<\/strong>, and distant Spectacled Guillemot<\/strong> and Common Murre<\/strong>. In addition, we also found a Harbour Seal<\/strong> (common in the DPRK, rare in the ROK and I think perhaps my first ROK mammal tick in several years?). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Globally Near Threatened Yellow-billed Loon<\/strong> Gavia adamsii<\/em> \ud770\ubd80\ub9ac\uc544\ube44 \u00a9 Nial Moores<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Chinese Grey Shrike<\/strong> Lanius sphenocercus<\/em> \ubb3c\ub54c\uae4c\uce58 \u00a9 Nial Moores<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Harbour Seal <\/strong>Phoca vitulina<\/em> \uc794\uc810\ubc15\uc774\ubb3c\ubc94 \u00a9 Nial Moores<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Day five included a short stop in Gangneung before an icy drive up to the Asian Rosyfinch<\/strong> site \u2013 where 165 were seen in flight and I heard another redpoll<\/strong>. The drive from there to Uljin produced several Brown Dipper<\/strong> along the river \u2013 the only ones seen this trip.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The following morning started in Pohang with a small (and dwindling-in-number) group of Russet Sparrow<\/strong>, and our first Light-vented Bulbuls<\/strong>, White-cheeked Starlings<\/strong> and Blue Rock Thrush<\/strong> of the trip \u2013 marking that distinctive shift in the avifauna found mostly in the milder southeast (and on Jeju). A drive along the river near Gyeongju was less successful than back in late December<\/a>, but was still productive \u2013 with our first Falcated Ducks<\/strong> and flocks of Chinese Grosbeaks<\/strong> and Buff-bellied Pipits<\/strong>. The day ended a little disappointingly \u2013 waiting unsuccessfully for a Relict Gull<\/strong>. However, even then, we found our first Swan Geese<\/strong> and Saunders\u2019s Gull<\/strong> of the trip, along with several Black Kite<\/strong> and Hen Harrier<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Chinese Grosbeak<\/strong> Eophona migratoria<\/em> \ubc00\ud654\ubd80\ub9ac \u00a9 Duncan Dine.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

January 10th<\/sup> was a day of quality \u2013 with only short drives, good weather and some great birds. We started at the Junam reservoirs where the wide diversity of species included 435 White-naped<\/strong> and two Common Cranes<\/strong>, stunning looks at Taiga Bean Geese<\/strong> and views of a distant adult-type Eastern Imperial Eagle<\/strong>. We also enjoyed several Dusky<\/strong> and Naumann\u2019s Thrushes<\/strong> and I had flight views of what was very likely an adult male Red-throated<\/em>\u2026The afternoon was then spent back at the Nakdong, with first a flock of Yellow-bellied Tits<\/strong>, followed by good, sustained looks at an adult and a young Steller\u2019s Sea Eagle<\/strong> and additional quality in the form of a very distant (but still recognizable) second-winter Relict Gull<\/strong> and two Pied Avocet<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Taiga Bean Goose<\/strong> Anser<\/em> (fabalis<\/em>) middendorffii<\/em> \ud070\ubd80\ub9ac\ud070\uae30\ub7ec\uae30 \u00a9 Nial Moores<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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White-naped Cranes<\/strong> \uc7ac\ub450\ub8e8\ubbf8 (with a few Hooded Cranes<\/strong> \ud751\ub450\ub8e8\ubbf8 mixed in), Junam \u00a9 Duncan Dine<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Common Crane<\/strong> Grus grus<\/em> \uac80\uc740\ubaa9\ub450\ub8e8\ubbf8 (on left) and White-naped Cranes<\/strong> \u00a9 Nial Moores<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Steller’s Sea Eagles<\/strong> \ucc38\uc218\ub9ac: adult above, juvenile below \u00a9 Nial Moores<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The next day, we were on the road again, enjoying first good looks at Scaly-sided Merganser<\/strong> and three River Otter<\/strong>, before enjoying the Hooded Crane<\/strong> spectacle at Suncheon Bay (3,200 counted in one scan\u2026). Other species of note there included a Bluethroat<\/strong> (again first spotted by Lee), 3-4 Upland<\/strong> and a single Rough-legged Buzzard<\/strong> and a very skulking Chestnut-eared Bunting<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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River Otter<\/strong> Lutra lutra<\/em> \uc218\ub2ec \u00a9 Nial Moores<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

January 12th<\/sup> was a truly remarkable day \u2013 starting slowly with four Daurian Jackdaw<\/strong>, then a small flock of Red Crossbills<\/strong>, then hundreds of Saunders\u2019s Gulls<\/strong>, fantastic views of a First-winter Relict Gull <\/strong>and peaking with THE Baikal Teal<\/strong> spectacle. In beautifully calm weather, we were able to walk up to the river bank and observe hundreds of thousands as they rested, at closest only 50m or so from the river bank. This was not the time to try to conduct a robust count of the Baikals<\/strong> \u2013 however, a series of quick counts (first in thousands and then in 100,000s) resulted in a coarse estimate of 800,000\u2026.This species, highlighted by the Birds Korea logo, has had a really checkered history \u2013 historically abundant; hunted to near-extinction; building up from a low of 40,000 or less to a high of 1.2 million wintering in the ROK (thanks to tidal flat reclamation which created huge safe rice-field areas); followed by a crash back down to 300,000 or so; followed now by what appears to be another massive explosion in number. In addition to this Korean flock and birds at multiple sites, this winter also saw record-breaking numbers for recent decades in Japan \u2013 with a flock of up to 150,000 in Honshu and of 250,000 (?) reported in Kyushu. How about in China this winter?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Red Crossbill<\/strong> Loxia curvirostra <\/em>\uc194\uc7a3\uc0c8 \u00a9 Duncan Dine<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Globally Vulnerable Saunders’s Gull<\/strong> Chroicocephalus saundersi<\/em> (scientific name soon to changed…)\uac80\uc740\uba38\ub9ac\uac08\ub9e4\uae30 \u00a9 Nial Moores<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Globally Vulnerable Relict Gull<\/strong> Ichthyaetus relictus<\/em> \uace0\ub300\uac08\ub9e4\uae30 \u00a9 Nial Moores <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Baikal Teal<\/strong> \uac00\ucc3d\uc624\ub9ac at the Geum River, January 12th \u00a9 Duncan Dine<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Baikal Teal<\/strong> \uac00\ucc3d\uc624\ub9ac flock \u00a9 Nial Moores<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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The Baikal flock takes flight! \u00a9 Duncan Dine<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n