Jeju: Mara-do April 11, Seogwipo April 12-23, 2014

Blue-and-white Flycatcher Cyanoptila cyanomelana

Narcissus Flycatcher Ficedula narcissina

Grey Thrush (Japanese Thrush) Turdus cardis

'Mandarin Muscovy'

Jeju: Mara-do April 11, Seogwipo, April 12-23

Mara-do

1.    Black-tailed Gull Larus crassirostris

2.    Ancient Murrelet Synthliboramphus antiquus; two from the ferry

3.    Pacific Swift Apus Pacificus

4.    Eurasian Magpie Pica pica

5.    Great Tit Parus major

6.    Far Eastern Skylark Alauda japonica; several remain

7.    Barn Swallow Hirundo Rustica

8.    Japanese Bush Warbler Horornis diphone

9.    Japanese White-eye Zosterops japonicus

10.   White’s Thrush Zoothera aurea; one remains in the woods

11.   Grey Thush Turdus cardis; two males in the woods, one female on the rocks

12.   Pale Thrush Turdus pallidus

13.   Brown-headed Thrush Turdus chrysolaus; three in the woods

14.   Red-flanked Bluetail Tarsiger cyanurus; still a dozen females

15.   Stejneger’s Stonechat Saxicola stejnegeri

16.   Blue Rock Thrush Monticola solitarius

17.   Eurasian Tree Sparrow Passer montanus

18.   White Wagtail Motacilla alba

19.   Olive-backed Pipit Anthus hodgsoni; two on the rocks

20.   Grey-capped Greenfinch Chloris sinica

21.   Yellow-throated Bunting Emberiza elegans

Seogwipo, April 12-13

  Seogwipo’s parks are buzzing with flycatchers! Cracking male Narcissus Flycatchers were spotted in two riverside parks, with six seen in total. Blue-and-white (5), Asian Brown (3), and Dark-sided (1) Flycatchers were also seen gorging themselves on insects. Also notable in these parks was a freshly-marked Eastern Crowned Warbler, and a Striated Heron on a familiar patch of stream (where I’ve seen Striated Herons overwintering in the past, but not this past winter). A presumably escaped Muscovy Duck was also seen here, with a head and bill structure strongly recalling a Mandarin Duck.

  In my neighbourhood, small groups of Ashy Minivets have been heard twice more in the past week, with a single bird spotted circling aimlessly around the area for several days.

Mara-do and southwest coast, Jeju, April 6

Red-flanked Bluetail Bluetail Tarsiger cyanurus - they were EVERYWHERE on Sunday

Mara-do

1.     Streaked Shearwater Calonectris leucomelas; one seen from         the ferry

2.     Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica; two groups of roughly 10 seen heading towards Jeju

3.     Red-necked Phalarope Phalaropus fulicarius; 11 from the ferry between Mara and Gapa

4.     Black-tailed Gull Larus crassirostris

5.     Pacific Swift Apus Pacificus

6.     Eurasian Magpie Pica pica

7.     Great Tit Parus major

8.     Far Eastern Skylark Alauda japonica

9.     Barn Swallow Hirundo Rustica

10.   Japanese Bush Warbler Horornis diphone

11.   Japanese White-eye Zosterops japonicus

12.   Pale Thrush Turdus pallidus

13.   Brown-headed Thrush Turdus chrysolaus; several skulking in the woods

14.   Dusky Thrush Turdus eunomus

15.   Red-flanked Bluetail Tarsiger cyanurus; at least 20, mostly females

16.   Stejneger’s Stonechat Saxicola stejnegeri; numbers up to almost a dozen

17.   Blue Rock Thrush Monticola solitarius

18.   White Wagtail Motacilla alba

19.   Buff-bellied Pipit Anthus rubescens

20.   Brambling Fringilla montifringilla; the most numerous migrant on Mara, over 40 seen

21.   Grey-capped Greenfinch Chloris sinica

22.   Yellow-throated Bunting Emberiza elegans

  Back on southwestern Jeju, I encountered groups of 12-20 Red-flanked Bluetails at 4 different patches of coastal woods. There were more males in the mix compared to Mara, and they were all feeding on sunny paths at forest edges. Also notable on ‘mainland Jeju', one Japanese Quail, and a group of shorebirds made up of nine Kentish Plover, two Dunlin, and one Red-necked Stint. Nearby, another Brown-headed Thrush was heard, and a White’s Thrush and personata Black-faced Bunting were seen.

On Saturday April 5^th, in spite of a full day of birding in the hills, the most notable birds were encountered before I got out of bed - two groups of Ashy Minivets flew past my window during the early morning, heading towards Halla Mountain.

Mara-do, Jeju, March 30, 2014

Mara-do

Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica

Rough seas

On a blustery day filled with low scudding clouds and rough seas, there was some interesting movement and turnover on Mara-do. Although most birds were perhaps sheltering from the winds, and despite the fact that I only had an hour on the island, there were some birds about. The feeling was decidedly different from the previous week, with winter birds clearing out, and more migrants and breeders moving through.

  Notable on Jeju’s nearby mainland were several Garganey mixed in with Spot-billed Duck and Eurasian Teal. Also, Barn Swallows have returned in force.

1.     Black-crowned Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax; presumably the same three individuals from last weekend

2.     Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus; one prowling the rocks where tired migrants often shelter

3.     Eurasian Woodcock Scolopax rusticola; one flushed silently in front of me, flying straight and low – noticeably larger than snipes, with large ‘kestrel-colored’ rump very evident

4.     Black-tailed Gull Larus crassirostris

5.     Pacific Swift Apus Pacificus; at least 30 engaged in aerial ballet low over the island

6.     Eurasian Magpie Pica pica

7.     Great Tit Parus major

8.     Far Eastern Skylark Alauda japonica

9.     Barn Swallow Hirundo Rustica

10.   Japanese Bush Warbler Horornis diphone

11.   Japanese White-eye Zosterops japonicus

12.   White-cheeked Starling Spodiopsar cineraceus

13.   White’s Thrush Zoothera Aurea; one spotted in the woods with a Pale Thrush

14.   Pale Thrush Turdus pallidus

15.   Stejneger’s Stonechat Saxicola stejnegeri; one in a grassy field

16.   Daurian Redstart Phoenicurus auroreus 

17.   White Wagtail Motacilla alba

18.   Hawfinch Coccothraustes Coccothraustes; one seen on the rocks

19.   Grey-capped Greenfinch Chloris sinica

20.   Yellow-throated Bunting Emberiza elegans