"Historical post" - Jeju Island, October 2009

Mandarin Duck Aix galericulata

Red-breasted Flycatcher Ficedula parva

Seogwipo, Jeju island, October 15, 2009
  Bird activity is picking up in a riverside park, as the October weather continues to be hot and sunny. The usual half dozen Spot-billed Ducks have been joined by three dozen more Spot-billed, and about 20 Mandarin Ducks (mostly males). 

  What originally appeared to be two Asian Brown Flycatchers fighting turned out to be an Asian Brown Flycatcher and a female Red-breasted Flycatcher interacting. The tail-cocking Red-breasted Flycatcher was quite confiding, affording me long looks.

(*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.)

"Historical post" - Jeju Island, September 2009

 Japanese Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus xanthodryas

juvenile Brown-eared Bulbul Hypsipetes amaurotis

Seogwipo, Jeju island, September 15, 2009
  Some interesting bird activity in a Seogwipo park, on an overcast day. A Japanese Leaf Warbler flitted through trees, loosely associating with a flock of Japanese White-eyes. A decidedly scruffy Brown-eared Bulbul showed an odd silhouette, while a conspicuously quiet female Black-naped Oriole lurked in nearby tree tops. Two Oriental Cuckoos continue to gorge themselves on caterpillars in riverside trees, and a scolding Bull-headed Shrike dueled with an equally agitated Grey Wagtail for several minutes.

Eurasian Magpie Pica pica

Blue Rock Thrush Monticola solitarius

Oriental Cuckoo Cuculus optatus 

Western Osprey Pandion haliaetus

Western Osprey Pandion haliaetus

Western Osprey Pandion haliaetus

Seogwipo, Jeju island, September 5, 2009
  Great sunny weather for birding in a park near downtown Seogwipo. The river was busy with regulars like Grey Wagtails, Eurasian Magpies, Spot-billed Ducks, Little and Intermediate Egrets, Common Kingfishers, Bull-headed Shrikes, Common Sandpipers, and Blue Rock Thrushes. A personal first for this park was a juvenile Oriental Cuckoo, that fed and flew back and forth across the river. 

  I almost fell off my rock when a Western Osprey dropped into the river 20 feet in front of me. It drank from the river, then stretched out its wings and drifted in the current, until it finally flew off a few minutes later, closely but briefly pursued by two agitated Grey Wagtails.

(*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.)

"Historical post" - Jeju Island, June 2009

female Black Paradise Flycatcher Terpsiphone atrocaudata

male Black Paradise Flycatcher Terpsiphone atrocaudata

male Black Paradise Flycatcher Terpsiphone atrocaudata

male Black Paradise Flycatcher Terpsiphone atrocaudata

Example of research area

Bird News from Matt Poll and Youngho Kim
Jeju island, June 28, 2009  
  I had the pleasure of accompanying Youngho Kim and one of his colleagues as they did field research on nesting Black Paradise Flycatchers. This work included putting up warning signs that spelled out the harsh penalties that await anyone caught robbing the nests. The only recent nest robbing appears to have perpetrated by Large-billed Crows. We got spectacular long looks at several pairs, as well as good views of four nests, which were mostly suspended over the sides of steep valleys. Several Fairy Pittas were heard, but remained frustratingly unseen.
  About a dozen Yellow-throated Buntings, a male Blue-and-white Flycatcher and a nearby juvenile were also seen. A White’s Thrush was heard, as were many Lesser and Common Cuckoos. Several White-backed Woodpeckers noisily worked at producing a steady hail of tree debris from above.

Mandarin Duck Aix galericulata

Eastern Spot-billed Duck Anas zonorhyncha

The hills of Halla

Roe Deer Capreolus capreolus

Phasmid Stick Bug Sp.

Yongsu Reservoir and Seogwipo, Jeju Island, June 8, 2009
  A mostly overcast and warm morning at Yongsu reservoir. Fairly quiet overall on the bird front, but three massive circling Cinereous Vultures were great to watch. A Peregrine also circled over the water, but much lower. Several Little Grebes in summer plumage dove on the reservoir, while Little and Intermediate Egrets paced the shoreline. Two vocal Common Cuckoos shared a stand of pines with an elusive Lesser Cuckoo.
  While showing some friends Cheonjiyon falls in Seogwipo, I spotted two uncharacteristically bold Mandarin Ducks waiting for tourist handouts alongside Spot-billed and domestic ducks. Perhaps a liking for the easy handouts explains why they’re still here in June? One of the Mandarins was looking scruffy as it started to moult into eclipse plumage. Several Spot-billed chicks kept up with the pack.

(*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.)

"Historical post" - Jeju Island, May 2009

Asian Brown Flycatcher Muscicapa dauurica

Dark-sided Flycatcher Muscicapa sibirica

Bird News from Matt Poll and Mike Balfour
Seotal Oreum, Jeju island, May 25, 2009
  Two Oriental Dollarbirds and two noisy Black-naped Orioles were Jeju firsts for me, and a familiar sign of summer in Korea. A half dozen Japanese Bush Warblers, and a similar number of Arctic Warblers actively worked the trees and bushes. Several Dark-sided Flycatchers and about a dozen Asian Brown Flycatchers fed from open perches. A Peregrine Falcon circled overhead for a while, prompting alarm calls from the passerines. In the surrounding fields, numerous singing Meadow Buntings and Far Eastern Skylarks could be heard.

Grey-tailed Tattler Heteroscelus brevipes

Dunlin Calidris alpina

Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrines

Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos

Little Ringed Plover Charadrius dubius

Oriental Reed Warbler Acrocephalus orientalis

East coast, Jeju island, May 18, 2009
  Along several beaches near Seongsan, two Red-necked Stints, 10 Dunlin, and a Kentish Plover were seen.
Several Grey-tailed Tattlers and Common Sandpipers associated nearby, and a Common Cuckoo was also heard.
  At Pyeoson beach, four Great Knots paced the beach, and five Whimbrels flew overhead. Nearby, a Little Ringed Plover performed broken wing displays, while about about six Oriental Reed Warblers noisily moved through a reedbed.

Narcissus Flycatcher Ficedula narcissina narcissina

Warbling (Japanese) White-eye Zosterops japonicus

Blue Rock Thrush Monticola solitarius

Chestnut-cheeked Starling Sturnus philippensis

Seogwipo, Jeju island, May 6, 2009
  The sunny and hot south side of Jeju has been a bit quiet as far as migrants go during the past week. In the farm field where the White-shouldered Starling was spotted, two female Chestnut-cheeked Starlings have been seen regularly for about a week. A dozen Cattle Egrets and about six Intermediate Egrets regularly patrol this field. A female Bull-headed Shrike was seen feeding her three gape-mouthed and shrieking young, who were also clumsily testing out their wings. Red-rumped Swallows temporarily outnumbered Barn Swallows (25:15) over this field a few days ago, but during the past few days, only three have been seen here.
  In a nearby park, a Japanese White-eye collected spider webs for a nest, while an immature male Narcissus Flycatcher perched in a riverside tree. No sign of the Grey Bunting that was seen here two weeks ago.
  On the coast, Blue Rock Thrushes entertained with both their boldness, and their aerobatic swooping and dive-bombing courtship displays. A disheveled and lethargic fledgeling was an interesting counterpoint to the energetic displays.

(*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.)

"Historical post" - Jeju Island, April 2009

Oriental Pratincole Glareola maldivarum

Latham’s Snipe Gallinago hardwickii

Chinese Pond Heron Ardeola bacchus

Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa

Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa

Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus

Birds News from Matt Poll, with Youngho Kim, and other ‘Birds in Jeju’ members
Southwest and west coast, Jeju Island, April 26, 2009
  A great day of birding, thanks to Youngho Kim of ‘Birds in Jeju’, who showed me a dozen secluded freshwater wetland areas that aren’t readily visible from the main road. At a former Japanese airfield now used for farming, great close views of two Oriental Pratincoles, and a Little Whimbrel got the day started well. Two Common Snipes and a Latham's Snipe, eight Far Eastern Skylarks, a Far Eastern Cisticola, and two Japanese Quails were also found in these fields.
  At a nearby wetland, 12 Cattle Egrets, two stunning Chinese Pond Herons, six Black-tailed Godwits, and 20 Wood Sandpipers were seen feeding close to a small road.
  A small beach on the west coast held two Pacific Golden Plovers, as well as 20 Red-necked Stints, three Long-toed Stints, two Temminck’s Stints, and a Little-ringed Plover. A Dunlin and a Marsh Sandpiper were seen in a nearby wetland. On a rocky part of the coast, about 25 Whimbrels, and a Common Greenshank.
A wetland near Gosan held four Black-winged Stilts, while a single Red-rumped Swallow flew low over the water in the company of clouds of Barn Swallows.

Yellow Bunting Emberiza sulphurata

Jungmun, Jeju island, April 25, 2009
  Thick undergrowth in front of an abandoned hotel held two Yellow Buntings. 

Ashy Minivet Pericrocotus divaricatus

Brown-headed Thrush Turdus chrysolaus

Yellow-browed Bunting Emberiza chrysophrys

Seogwipo, Jeju island, April 23, 2009
  Plenty of bird action in a gorgeous and quiet riverside park. Three Ashy Minivets (two males, one female - possibly the same trio from a few days ago) were spotted flying back and forth between tall trees on either side of the small valley. A half dozen White-cheeked Starlings lazily walked on grass next to a small stream, while four Yellow-browed Buntings moved nervously through riverside bushes. Best of the day was the nonchalant foraging of three Brown-headed Thrush in the grass next to the river. They reminded me a lot of American Robins in appearance and behaviour! The trees along the river were teeming with at least a dozen Asian Brown Flycatchers busily feeding. Two male Blue-and-white Flycatchers were seen along a nearby path.  

White-shouldered Starling Sturnus sinensis

Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola & Sharp-tailed Sandpiper Calidris acuminata

Seogwipo, Jeju island, April 21, 2009
  An agricultural field on the outskirts of town initially didn’t look promising for birds, due to the extensive netting placed over the fields. However, a small flooded area without netting held six Wood Sandpipers and a single Sharp-tailed Sandpiper. A previously spotted whitish starling reappeared nearby, and turned out to be a White-shouldered Starling. A Cattle Egret perched in a nearby tree. 

Mara-do

Narcissus Flycatcher Ficedula narcissina narcissina

Narcissus Flycatcher Ficedula narcissina narcissina

Streaked Shearwater Calonectris leucomelas

Mara-do, Jeju, April 19, 2009
  Sunny and windy on Mara-do, the southernmost point in South Korea. The small island is mostly covered with grass, except for a small stand of pines at the centre of the island. At least six Far Eastern Cisticolas were seen noisily swooping up and down from grassy fields. Some Korean bird researchers I re-met on the island told me that at least ten pairs breed on Marado. Six male Narcissus Flycatchers were seen, two of which were immature.
  Two Peregrine Falcons hovered menacingly nearby. One Brown-headed Thrush was seen skulking among the low pines. Three Eastern Crowned Warblers were seen in the same stand of pines. Three Pacific Reef Herons were spotted on cliffs. About two dozen Barn Swallows and Pacific Swifts flew deftly over the island. Several small groups of Buff-bellied Pipits were seen at the cliff’s edge, and single examples of Eurasian Hoopoe, Black-faced Bunting, Stejneger's Stonechat, and Pale Thrush were also seen. Five Streaked Shearwaters were seen from the ferry. 

Ashy Minivet Pericrocotus divaricatus

Blue Rock Thrush Monticola solitarius

Blue-and-white Flycatcher Cyanoptila cyanomelana

Seogwipo, Jeju island, April 18, 2009
  A sunny stroll around a valley near Jeongbang waterfalls revealed some new arrivals to the area. Notable birds spotted included three Ashy Minivets (two males, one female), two stunning male Blue-and-white Flycatchers, and an Asian Brown Flycatcher. Many active and vocal Blue Rock Thrush were also seen.

(*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.)