Socheong Island, May 8, 2019

Blue-and-white Flycatcher Cyanoptila cyanomelana

male Yellow-rumped Flycatcher Ficedula zanthopygia

female Yellow-rumped Flycatcher Ficedula zanthopygia

male Mugimaki Flycatcher  Ficedula mugimaki 

female Mugimaki Flycatcher  Ficedula mugimaki

Taiga Flycatcher Ficedula albicilla

Radde’s Warbler Phylloscopus schwarzi

Radde’s Warbler Phylloscopus schwarzi

Siberian Blue Robin Larvivora cyane

Eastern Great Tit Parus minor
(the bird first caught my attention because of the greenish wash through
 the belly...which turned out to be cast from the foliage below. It's also banded.) 

Daecheong-do

Socheong's sleepy main village

The sleepier second village 

  There is still stuff from Gageo I’ve got to post, but that can wait. I’ve been on beguiling Socheong Island for a few days now. It’s uncomfortably close to North Korea, and the local garrison of grinning military lads have a habit of testing their weapons at dusk – starting with rifles and heavy machine-guns, and ending with what sounds like small artillery and miniguns. So that’s had me biting my nails at night, heh heh. Guess you gotta let ‘em know you’re still keen to have a go.

   On all days (May 8-10), I’ve noticed: loads of Rufous-tailed Robins; not much in the way of pipit or wagtail variety; plenty of Eyebrowed and Grey-backed Thrushes; a good number of Yellow-browed and Tristram’s Buntings; and a lot of Mugimaki and Yellow-rumped Flycatchers (but no Narcissus, which is to be expected). There are also a dozen Taiga flycatchers around the island (well-counted) – have there been similar high counts in the past?

   The 4+ hour ferry from Incheon to Seocheong Island started early, and so did many of the passengers. Many rather unwisely scoffed back their greasy, spicy package-tour breakfasts, then washed it all down with the ubiquitous Korean white lighting: soju. Less than an hour out of Incheon, the seas angered. Pretty soon, the place looked like Jonestown, with ill Koreans splayed out everywhere, some weeping. I, on the other hand, was feeling smug and lovely, having popped my sweet sweet Korean Dramamine before boarding. The boat was packed so I didn’t get a window seat, which sucked, but oh well.

   I hit the ground running on Socheong, going on exploratory walks around town in all directions, droning round the hills trying to figure out how the island was put together.

   To my dismay and horror, pheckin phyllos were dripping from every leaf. I managed to pick through a lot of them, but I’ll admit I have a ways to go with phylloscopus warblers. There were a goodly number of Dusky Warblers around, with several Radde’s Warblers mixed in to make it interesting. Pallas’s Leaf Warblers were also present in most leafy spots.

   The day ended with 50 species…no shorebirds and almost no swallows. I was thrilled to find Chestnut-flanked White-eyes in many hilly spots, a species I had long hoped to reconnect with after getting brief looks many years ago. I call them “Chesties.” What? What?

   At the end of the day, I glimpsed what I describe as a scaled-down, inaccurate White’s Thrush. The next day, I would discover what it was, and…it’s a good’un!