Sunday, April 13, 2014

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.

Tuesday, April 8, 2014

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 5th, 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.

Tuesday, April 1, 2014

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