Thunderbolts and lightning

Meadow Bunting Emberiza cioides

Meadow Bunting Emberiza cioides

Yellow-throated Bunting Emberiza elegans

Mountain Grass Lizard Takydromus wolteri

Eggs of invasive

Channeled Apple Snail Pomacea canaliculata

Poshest bathroom ever

Leslie scanning for Wallcreepers at Sarabong

Heaven is a place on Earth

May 15, 2023, Mount Halla and Jeju parks

  Went to a forest trail high on the western slopes of Mount Halla, in search of elusive returning breeders. Eurasian (Common) and Lesser Cuckoos were heard, while Varied Tits, Yellow-throated Bunting, White-backed Woodpeckers, Grey-backed Thrush, and Winter Wren were seen. A singing Narcissus Flycatcher confused the hell out of me for a good ten minutes, before I clapped eyeballs on it.

  Barking Roe Deer added a creepy feeling to the quiet woods, but it got creepier. After an hour’s walk, the clouds above the forest went dark. Very dark. For a few ominous minutes, it was dark as night – I couldn’t see two feet in front of me. That’s when the thunder bombs started dropping. The wind frothed up, and the temperature dropped by 10 degrees in a few minutes – I was at ground zero of a very violent thunderstorm, cool. Even through the thick forest cover, a fat, aggressive rain began to lash me to the bone.

  Here’s a funny aside – when I’d arrived at the entrance to the trail, I smooth-talked the office folks into letting me leave my backpack with them. Inside of that backpack: one rain jacket, one rain poncho, and two waterproof bag covers. That left me with exactly zero protection from the elements. Stupid Accuweather.

  As the rain picked up and the hail began, I had visions of my passport dissolving in my camera bag like a foaming Odour Eater. I sprinted down the trail, sliding on mossy rocks and roots in the gloom, then caught sight of a wooden structure in the distance. A shelter! I galloped over, dove in and slid to a huffing stop, right at the feet of a pair of bemused Korean hikers. The hail picked up for a few minutes, then faded back to torrential rain, and more ground shaking thunder. I cowered in the shelter, shivering in my wet gear. I reckon a tuque and neck tube in my camera bag saved me from possible hypothermia, ha ha. After an hour, a lull in the rain allowed me to sprint back to the entrance, and the hourly bus, which I just caught. It was an adventure. ADVENTURE!

  In the afternoon, the two parks in Jeju City (Samseonghyeol and Shinsan) were fairly quiet. My first Oriental Dollarbird of the trip was spotted while being harried by a Eurasian Magpie, and Rufous-tailed Robins were numerous and widespread in the weedy margins.

May 16, 2023, Sarabong, Jeju City

  Went for a morning bimble at a Jeju City oreum park with Leslie. Got good looks at a Meadow Bunting, and bad looks at a flyby Cuckoo sp. A Mountain Grass Lizard sunning itself on a boardwalk was badass. Black-naped Orioles were around. We ended up with about 30 species in the blazing humidity. Was good to bird with the King of Jeju birding again.