Eurasian Wren - November 6, 2012

Eurasian Wren Troglodytes troglodytes dauricus

Eurasian Wren Troglodytes troglodytes dauricus

Eurasian Wren Troglodytes troglodytes dauricus

Eurasian Wren Troglodytes troglodytes dauricus - Ilsan, February 2008

  I discovered at least eight of these rotund little birds today on a refreshing walk through a windy river valley this afternoon. Always a fun bird to watch as they zip around the forest floor like rodents. Their call is similar to that of a Japanese/Korean Bush Warbler, only 'wetter'. These winter migrants (a small number apparently stay year-round in Korea, but I've only ever seen them in winter - hence the clever former name 'Winter Wren') were quite confiding as they chased each other around the stream-beds. Scuffling over prime territory maybe?
  I also spotted some Goldcrests today, which is always a good thing.

Geoje lately

Green Sandpiper Tringa ochropus with Long-billed Plover Charadrius placidus

Eastern Buzzard Buteo japonicus

Common Kestrel Falco tinnunculus

female White Wagtail Motacilla alba

male White Wagtail Motacilla alba

Great Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos major

White-backed Woodpecker Dendrocopos leucotos

Vinous-throated Parrotbill Sinosuthera webbiana

male Daurian Redstart Phoenicurus auroreus

female Daurian Redstart Phoenicurus auroreus

Yellow-browed Warbler Phylloscopus inornatus

Varied Tit Sittiparus varius

Eurasian Siskin Spinus spinus

Korean Water Deer Hydropotes inermis

 Here are some of the birds and critters I have spotted on Geoje over the past few weeks. The Eastern Buzzards I've been seeing lately have largely had rufous throats. Something I have also noticed is that I only see Long-billed Plovers in the winter here, but they are supposed to be resident. Perhaps they are undertaking some kind of small-scale seasonal migration within the country?

Junam Reservoir - November 3, 2012

Geese over Junam

Pants covered in tokebis ('goblins')

Eastern Buzzard Buteo japonicus with Eurasian Magpie Pica pica

Eastern Buzzard Buteo japonicus

Eastern Buzzard Buteo japonicus

Northern Goshawk Accipiter gentilis

White-naped Cranes Grus vipio

White-naped Crane Grus vipio

  The weather is getting crisp these days, and it's definitely starting to feel like winter, bird-wise. My buddy JP and I headed up to Junam bright and early on Saturday to see what was about.
  Unfortunately we didn't run into the Eastern Water Rail that was spotted there recently, but the reservoir didn't disappoint. On the ride out we spotted a feeding Eastern Buzzard getting harassed in turn by another buzzard, a Hobby, and a Magpie.
  On the reservoir there were at least 500 Bean and Greater White-fronted Goose, and a lone Lesser White-fronted Goose. Three White-naped Cranes were a treat, even at a distance. Other birds of note for the day were several Hoopoes, some Far Eastern Skylarks, as well as a mystery owl we heard but didn't manage to spot.

Nomura's Jellyfish wooing a plastic bag

So uh...are you from around here or what?

   These massive jellyfish have been spreading into Korean waters in greater numbers in recent years. This one was the size of a beer fridge, at least. It was floating alongside a plastic bag for about 20 minutes. No word on how that relationship turned out for the jellyfish.

Feisty Tiger Keelback, and other snakes

Tiger Keelback Rhabdophis tigrinus

Tiger Keelback Rhabdophis tigrinus

Tiger Keelback Rhabdophis tigrinus

Tiger Keelback Rhabdophis tigrinus

  Snakewatching is my second favourite outdoor activity after birdwatching. I came across this feisty Tiger Keelback at dusk yesterday at the 'tail-end' of a 10-hour birdathon. It was good to see a live one - usually I see them when they're flat on the road. This one was very aggressive, and when I approached it to get some pics it reared up at me with its hood flattened out, cobra-style. Its body raised up quite a bit and it just stood there until I backed off. Very cool.

  In other snake news, I spotted a bright green snake dash into some bushes a couple of weeks ago. It was much quicker than the snakes I normally encounter, and I've never seen a solidly-coloured bright green snake in Korea, so this one has me scratching my head.

Unfortunately this is usually how I find Tiger Keelbacks

Sadly, a freshly dead and gorgeous Dione Ratsnake Elaphe dione

Ussuri Mamushi Pitviper Gloydius blomhoffi, frogwatching

Tiny Dione Ratsnake roadkill

I thought it was a worm at first

Grey Bunting!

Grey Bunting habitat

Grey Bunting Emberiza variabilis

  This is a definitely a 'Wow!' bird, even if it looks like your average LBJ (and no, it's not a female Black-faced Bunting). These guys are very thin on the ground, found scarcely in the south of the ROK in the winter, only in the quietest of damp and dark forest habitats. They are extremely skulking, too. I spotted this female while I was staking out a quiet stream relatively close to where I live. More bird news soon!

Weasel face

Siberian Weasel Mustela sibirica

 Siberian Weasel, that is. I almost stepped on this one as I came around a corner on a quiet path this morning. It somersaulted off and glared at me indignantly from within its hole.

Crow-mag

Eurasian Magpie Pica pica with Large-billed Crow Corvus macrorhynchos

  Here is something I haven't seen too often - a Large-billed Crow and a Eurasian Magpie hanging out together. These two had actually joined forces to keep close tabs on a cat. Interesting to compare relative sizes.
  This was taken on 'Black Wood Pigeon Island' just off Geoje, in early September. The Woodies were still there, by the way.

Life happens/Juveniles of summer

Eastern Spot-billed Duck(lings) Anas zonorhyncha

Blue-and-white Flycatcher Cyanoptila cyanomelana

Eurasian Jays Garrulus glandarius

Daurian Redstart Phoenicurus auroreus

Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea

  Time passes in strange ways here in the ROK. Sometimes days seem like months, and sometimes half a year will slip by in a baffling hurry. I won't get into it, but it's been an interesting few months, and my birding has suffered. Ah well, time to get back into it!
  There isn't a whole lot of birding to report from the summer, but I did find a good variety of nice juvenile birds when I went out on a rare early-August birding foray.
   Feels good to shake off the rust! Right, I'm off birding.