"Historical post" - Jeju Island, February 2009

Southwest Jeju Island

Pacific Loon Gavia pacifica

White-winged Scoter Melanitta deglandi and Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus

Black-throated Loon Gavia arctica

Far Eastern Skylark Alauda japonica

Kimchi jiggae, good for rewarming frozen innards

Bird News from Mathew Poll and Mike Balfour
Jeju West Coast, February 28, 2009
  At a beach near Moseulpo, a spectacular close view of a Pacific Loon was a treat, and several Black-throated Loons were also spotted. Nearby, a single Red-necked Grebe kept company with a raft of about 50 Great Crested Grebes. Also among the raft was a single female White-winged Scoter. An Osprey sat on rocks near the shore. In a field among old Japanese concrete aircraft hangars, several Far Eastern Skylarks were seen.

Japanese Bush Warbler Cettia diphone

Pacific Reef Egret Egretta sacra

Striated Heron Butorides striata

Common Pheasant Phasianus colchicus

Bull-headed Shrike Lanius bucephalus

Large-billed Crow Corvus macrorhynchos

"The Zissou," while hiking Oh-seung-saeng Oreum in Jeju's early days

Jeju island, February 14, 2009
  Stunning summery weather made for a great day of birding in Seogwipo. In the harbour, 14 Great Crested Grebes drifted together offshore, while two Pacific Reef Egrets hunted for fish in tidal pools using a wing-flapping technique. A single Hawfinch and an Osprey were seen near the harbour.
  Along several streams, about 20 Japanese Bush Warblers were seen and heard in the underbrush. A similar number of Pale Thrush bubbled noisily from paths into the undergrowth at my approach. The Striated Heron remains in its corner of a stream, and appeared to be eating insects from a mossy rock. A Common Pheasant, Common Kingfisher, a pair of Bull-headed Shrikes, several Green Sandpipers, and a White-backed Woodpecker were also seen near the stream. A loosely mixed flock of about 40 Eurasian Siskin and Grey-capped Greenfinch moved through the tops of nearby coniferous trees, while a male Daurian Redstart deftly caught insects over the stream at sunset.

(*Note: This is a “historical post.” Whereas I started birding in Korea in 2005, this blog has only been active since early 2012 - these posts are an attempt to consolidate my early birdventures from the various blogs and websites where they reside, largely from the “Archived Bird News“ section of Birds Korea’s excellent website: http://www.birdskorea.org/Birds/Birdnews/BK-BN-Birdnews-archive.shtml. Find more historical posts by clicking on the "Historical posts" tab at the bottom of this post.
  For this post, most of images are lamentably poor-resolution screensaves, as many of the original photo files were lost in the infamous computer crash of 2011.)