Igidae, Busan, November 17, 2012

Good spot for a picnic

Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis

adult winter Black-headed Gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus

juvenile Black-headed Gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus

male Daurian Redstart Phoenicurus auroreus

female Daurian Redstart Phoenicurus auroreus

Blue Rock Thrush Monticola solitarius

Warbling (Japanese) White-eye Zosterops japonicus

Goldcrest Regulus regulus

Grey-capped Greenfinch Chloris sinica

Eurasian bullfinch Pyrrhula pyrrhula 

Bipalium (Hammerhead Worm) Bipalium kewense

Bipalium (Hammerhead Worm) Bipalium kewense

  I woke up very early a couple of weeks ago to check out Igidae - it was 5am on a dark, rainy and cold Saturday morning - the kind of situation that makes one wonder if birders really are touched in the head. Anyway, the rain finally tapered off as the sun rose over this forested bit of land jutting into the sea, and it actually turned into a great, crisp autumn day to go birding.  
  Things started well as I dipped on a Long-tailed Shrike that had been hanging out near some apartments. My favourite bird of the day ended up being a worm! I spotted several 'hammerhead worm' (Bipalium) working the trails in the early morning. These flatworms feed on snails and earthworms, and have the ability to regenerate into two worms if cut in half. Very cool.
  Overall it was a day filled with small birds, and I got some great long looks at Goldcrests and Eurasian Bullfinch, among others. I was hoping to spot something crazy like a Yellow-bellied Tit, but it wasn't meant to be.
  In other news, a Brown Booby was spotted at a major touristy beach in Busan. It looked pretty disheveled in the picture. Looking at the range maps for this bird, I have to wonder why it isn't spotted (noticed?) more regularly along Korea's southern coast.