Vernal Grumblings II – Gangneung, March 8-10, 2019

Koreas, now and then

Part of a huge cloud of (mostly) Black-headed Gulls, put up by an Eastern Buzzard

Mandarin Duck Aix galericulata

Falcated Duck Anas falcata

Eastern Spot-billed Duck Anas zonorhyncha

Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus

Black-headed Gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus

Ring-necked Pheasant Phasianus colchicus

Eastern Buzzard Buteo japonicus

Red-billed Starling Spodiopsar sericeus, with two White-cheeked Starling Spodiopsar cineraceus (look for white rumps and unspotted wings)

Japanese Wagtail foraging
(Note: videos play clearer on the second play)

  Smoggy and mild on the Namdae River on March 8th, with more signs of the seasonal change that is slowly spooling up. Two Great-crested Grebes attired in smart breeding plumage were already engaging in their gentle courtship dance. A pair of Falcated Ducks foraged mid-river – my first sighting of a breeding-plumaged male in Gangneung (at least I have no problem IDing those, ha ha). Only a handful of Eurasian Coots left at the river mouth, and nearby, several Pallas’s Reed Buntings, most on their way towards breeding plumage. There was a bump in PRB numbers a couple of weeks back. Still large numbers of Black-headed Gulls (700+), with some showing the first signs of their namesake breeding hoods. 

  The following day at Gyeongpo Lake, a full circuit of my favoured spots turned up 46 species in three hours. Finally, a day with no smog! It’s a grim state of affairs when a day of breathable air is something to write home about. The air quality in Korea wasn’t anywhere near this horrific just a few short years ago, not even close. Whinge whinge whinge.
  Large numbers of Common Pochard (650+) were crowding up on the lake, with overflow spilling out onto ancillary waterways. Got good looks at a Ring-necked Pheasant while searching for a vanishing Dusky Thrush. No sign of last week’s Japanese Bush Warbler, perhaps there were too many noisy park visitors in its formerly quiet corner of the park. It did seem to be an exceedingly shy and skulky bird.
  Grey-capped Greenfinch were seen to be flocking up more than earlier in winter, with a group of 60+ being the largest. A lone Hawfinch confused me for several minutes, until I secured a brief view of its stonking great big bill. A ripple of at least 110 Far Eastern Skylark over the fields seemed geographically restless.

  I walked the river on March 10th, and was met with stout wind and fresh air in the morning that succumbed to showers and, you guessed it, smog in the afternoon. The river had risen noticeably from just two days earlier, most likely swollen with snowmelt.
  A pair of Mandarin Ducks was sighted on the stretch near my house, and was shortly followed by a pair of Falcated Ducks. Two Long-billed Plovers were also notable on this section of river. A flight of at least 90 Red-billed Starlings wheeled along the river with two White-cheeked Starlings folded in. I spotted them at a point about 45 minutes (on foot) away from my neighbourhood – I guess that’s where they’ve gone! Perhaps there are more fruit trees around there, as the ones in my area have been pretty well eaten out.
  Common Gull numbers were way down, from hundreds last month to just a handful. The ranks of Black-headed Gulls, on the other hand, have more than doubled in just two days, with a conservative count of 2,100 near the river’s mouth.
  Hmm, I haven’t seen any Northern Lapwings since February 23rd.

Vernal Grumblings

Over the hill and round the bend from my place

Azure-winged Magpie Cyanopica cyanus

Azure-winged Magpie Cyanopica cyanus

Azure-winged Magpie Cyanopica cyanus 
(getting after the sun-dried persimmons)

female Yellow-throated Bunting Emberiza elegans

male Yellow-throated Bunting Emberiza elegans

Yellow-throated Bunting foraging

White-cheeked Starling Spodiopsar cineraceus

Korean (Gensan) Salamander Hynobius leechii

  Things are changing out there. Maybe the spring birds haven’t arrived yet, but a good proportion of birds I’ve observed lately were acting ‘spring-y,’ if that makes any sense. Changes in numbers, distribution, behaviour…spring-y.
  The hills behind my house were buzzing with an uptick in such frenetic bird activity on March 7th. I usually struggle to crack the dozen species mark in these hills, but I recorded 24 species on a relatively short circuit in the morning rain and smog.
  These included species I hadn’t encountered in ‘my backyard’ yet, such as Siberian Accentor and White-cheeked Starling, and species that were seen in much higher numbers than usual for the site, like Goldcrest and Azure-winged Magpie. Numbers of the latter species were quite confiding, feasting on what’s left of the persimmons. It’s always a treat when I get to observe this charismatic bird, which has an oddly disjunct range (East Asia and Iberia).
  On the way out I examined a dead Korean Salamander (thanks to Dr. Amaël Borzée for the ID help) on a small road, under the watchful eyes of a Bull-headed Shrike. Poor feller, I’m sure we'll meet again in Salamander Valhalla. Wait, now I’m concerned that I’m destined to end up in Salamander Valhalla. Ah well, I’m sure there’s no smog there, so it’s all good.

Winter Wane II – Gangneung, February 27–March 3, 2019

Testing out my new line of mobile birding blinds. Order yours today!

Natural scrub-lined ditches being dug out and replaced with concrete death traps

Oh sweet, the air quality today is 'devil'

Northern Pintail Anas acuta

Common Pochard Aythya ferina

Greater Scaup Aythya marila

Eurasian Wigeon Anas penelope

Eurasian Magpie Pica pica

Daurian Redstart Phoenicurus auroreus

Sing n dash

  On a fresh February 27th, a Meadow Bunting, still a skulky Japanese Bush Warbler, and only one Dusky Thrush at Gyeongpo Lake. A restless plump of 14 Greater White-fronted Goose was perhaps an early sign of spring. Goodly numbers of waterfowl still lounged on and around the lake.
  Two days later, it was hazy and quiet in the Daegwalyeong hills north of town. Best were a Hazel Grouse and 30+ Rustic Buntings.
  The following day, still hazy and warm down the coast at Jongdongjin, where a North Korean submarine ran aground in 1996. No periscopes offshore on this day, just a pair of Black-necked Grebes and a lone Red-throated Loon drifting near 15+ Arctic Loons.
  On March 3rd, a return to Disappointment Valley in the warm haze. Nothing much of note all in the hills, apart from a sprinkling of tits and buntings.

Winter Wane – Gangneung/Gangwon February 20–24, 2019

Sokcho

Fake plastic trees

Tim scanning gulls at Ayajin

Tim standing on what used to be a rocky stretch of Brant Goose habitat

Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata

Buff-bellied Pipit Anthus rubescens

Naumann’s Thrush Turdus naumanni

Cinereous Vulture Aegypius monachus

Eurasian Kestrel Falco tinnunculus

Eurasian Kestrel Falco tinnunculus

Eurasian Kestrel in a hover

  Habitat loss, outrageous smog levels, unseasonably warm weather, and profound unbirdiness have been the four thematic pillars of birding in Gangneung for the past few weeks. When I leave this country, I sure won’t miss birding in a mask, or the dirty heat of a layer of smog coating my face. And I will never take clean air for granted again, that is for damn sure.
  On all birding days, the weather was in the low double digits – feels like winter is done. That snuck up on me, as I still have some winter birds I need to catch up with. Ah well, I guess I can blame that on the fact that I sleepwalked my way through January, obsessed with that Black Woodpecker. I regret nothing. Looking out the window now, buds are visible on most trees. I wonder if all of this means an early spring, birdwise…
  On February 20th, notable at Gyeongpo Lake were single examples of Cinereous Vulture, Green Sandpiper, Buff-bellied Pipit, and Japanese Bush Warbler. Two days later at the lake, in deteriorating air conditions, an uptick in thrush activity got my attention. At least four Dusky Thrush and a few Naumann’s Thrush lurked in the scrubby wooded area around some canals. Skulky buggers. I’ve only seen one Dusky Thrush there all winter – is this a sign of early spring movement, or just wintering birds roaming as their favoured fruit trees get depleted? A hovering Eurasian Kestrel and a squad of five Siberian Accentors were also memorable.
  The following day, I walked the Namdae River in the morning smog. I got good looks at a Northern Shoveler that I originally had pegged as a female. It turned out to be a male coming out of eclipse plumage (yellow eyes), or “supplementary sub-eclipse plumage,” or whatever it’s called.
  On the 24th Tim rolled into town and we bussed it up to Sokcho, then points further north. It was smoggy as all get-out, but the smog didn’t seem to bother Tim much, guess he’s made of stiffer stuff. After a spot of seawatching and a lovely breakfast of Korean stew, we headed up to Ayajin in search of Brant Goose. Up until fairly recently, the quaint port used to be reliable for the rare species, which favoured the rocky western flank of the harbour. Black-legged Kittiwake, Sanderling, and a motley collection of other sea-going waterfowl also could be found in the harbour.
  Unfortunately (but perhaps predictably), since Tim’s last visit, this entire area of rocks had been walled off, drained, and filled in with concrete. The reclaimed land now features a shiny new picnic area with park benches and rubberized floor cladding, and a convenient place for drunks to erect tents. Completely pointless, but let’s keep those lads pouring concrete, innit, it’s what makes the world go round. It goes without saying there were no Brant Geese there, as those rocks are now buried under ten feet of concrete. There weren’t any around the corner and down the coast either, as the coastal rocks there that may have provided secondary refuge to the shy species were teeming with weekenders playing at fishing – guests of the row of new hotels on the ocean road catering to such activity.
  We retreated into the hills to nosy around the scrubby hills where Ural Owls were once reputed to haunt. Much of the narrow wooded trail network had also been altered for the worse since Tim last visited, this time with extensive clearing of vegetation and conversion of wild fields into flat gravel lots. Tim seemed to be in a daze, checking if his memory had failed him, or if it really all had been destroyed.
  Apologies if I come off as a salty, embittered curmudgeon, but it’s hard to hang in there and remain bright-eyed and bushy-tailed when the dual themes of malignant habitat loss and air pollution truncheon me over the head with every trip out of doors. Humbug.
  The lake at Sokcho was dead quiet in the haze, with Tim noting more habitat loss since his last visit – a lengthy tract of reeds has been replaced by a kayak dock. A lone Greater White-fronted Goose rested with several Mallards and Spot-billed Ducks.
  Doom and gloom aside, it was awesome to bird with Tim. We puzzled over yellow-legged Vega Gulls, and leapfrogged our way up and down the east coast, jumping off buses whenever the harbour out the window looked promising.
  On a side-note, on returning to my neighbourhood I saw my first handful of Red-billed Starlings since late December. Perhaps they’re also wandering as the persimmon trees in the area are denuded?

Mid-Febirds of GNG

Gadwall Anas strepera

Common Snipe Gallinago gallinago

Common Snipes foraging amidst the trash

Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus

Great Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos major

Pallas’s Reed Bunting Emberiza pallasi 

Little Bunting Emberiza pusilla

Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula

Eurasian Wigeon Anas penelope, Falcated Duck Anas falcata, Gadwall Anas strepera

Japanese Bush Warbler Horornis diphone...honestly!

Japanese Bush Warbler Horornis diphone

Eurasian Red Squirrel Sciurus vulgaris

Ever read Wump World?

Morning walk in my hood

Gangneung, January 29 – February 17, 2019
  Smoggy on the 29th of January. All quiet on the river on the eve of my Seoul trip. Well, it was quiet until I got to the river mouth, and was double-schwacked over the head by mystery and ignorance. As recently noted, I glibly pride myself on learning from my mistakes, and/or not making the same mistake twice. When it comes to the Falcated Duck, I’ve now fallen on my face twice in Gangneung when it comes to trying to ID a non-breeding male. I betcha I can make it three! I saw the confusing bird loitering with a dopping of mostly Eurasian Wigeon, and my mind was ticking towards something like female American Wigeon. After nosing around on the Kantori group, turns out it was a female Falcated Duck. Now I know, again. Befuddled again by Falcated Ducks! Refuddled? Befalcated?
  The walk ended with a quick sighting of what I was quite certain, at the time, was a White-winged Tern (and not a Saunders’s Gull). After not securing defensible record shots, and with much hindsight, that species seems outlandish and unlikely. But what was it then? I know what I saw. Do I? Bah.
  Smoggy on February 4th, the river was still quiet, although I got good looks at the daubs of chestnut on a Gadwall’s upperwings. Why had I never seen that striking feature before?
  The following day, which was smoggy, Tim came out east and we picked through colonies of gulls at Donghae, in the hopes of finding an American Herring Gull within crowds of Vega Gulls. We spent hours convincing ourselves that a growing number of candidates were looking good for AHG, but in the end, I don’t believe we saw one. I think I’m done with gulls.
  Smoggy on the 6th, for a quiet walk around Gyeongpo Lake. A skulking passerine that was check-checking from a clump of inaccessible reeds had me scratching my head for a good long while before I figured out it was my first sighting of a Japanese Bush Warbler for Gangneung. Had I been on Jeju, I wouldn’t have thought twice about the ID, but they’re not a super common winter species up here. The ID was muddied by the presence of obfuscating waves of Vinous-throated Parrotbills, several Pallas’s Reed Buntings, and a doppelganger Eurasian Wren, which did its best to throw me off the trail. Got some ridiculous record shots.
  Smoggy on the following day, for a mostly uneventful walk along the river (pick up on the themes yet?). Interestingly, I spotted another Japanese Bush Warbler, skulking in some reeds true to form – two in two days! A male Northern Shoveler was unusual for the river, and the overwintering flock of 20 Chinese Grosbeak showed well in their favoured river trees. The river was quiet on the 15th, on a crazy windy day.
  On the 13th (smoggy, of course), while on a walk through the hills behind my house I was gut-punched when I discovered an entire wooded ridge being stripped of vegetation in preparation for the inevitable concrete trucks and rebar men. Without fail in this country, when I find a quiet little patch that is productive for birds, it is trashed within the year. Nothing will be left here in 10-15 years, no joke. This was the spot where I discovered a Grey-capped Pygmy Woodpecker in a crooked tree a few months back, by the way. That tree is gone.
  February 17th was only slightly smoggy for a walk around the lake, huzzah. In the same scrubby patch where the Japanese Bush Warbler was spotted last week, some interesting bunting action, with Little, Meadow, Pallas’s Reed, Rustic, and Yellow-throated Buntings all recorded.
  The walk ended well, as eight Common Snipes ignored nearby foot traffic while they foraged in a trash-choked farm ditch. It was awesome to get long looks at the usually furtive, solitary(ish) species.