Chicken Information from Nial Moores with Ashley and Ashton Hopkins, and Cho Sehui (on 27th solely)
Three glorious days in gentle and sunny climate, with an amazing mixture of species seen.
On 27th, a fast cease within the Guryongpo Harbour earlier than dawn discovered 4 scoters: three Stejneger’s and one which on silhouette in any respect angles appeared a lot better for Velvet. Sadly, the birds flew and couldn’t be re-found.
Guidelines on eBird right here.
Though the gulling alongside the primary headland was slightly underwhelming, the bay held extra scoters and Harlequin Duck, good numbers of Temminck’s and some Pelagic Cormorants, and lots of of grebes – together with 270 Crimson-necked Grebe , distinctive for right here. There have been additionally massive numbers of Historic and 9 Lengthy-billed Murrelets (4 obvious pairs and one single). We didn’t spend a lot time in search of landbirds, however nonetheless loved good views of Meadow Bunting, a number of blended flocks of bulbuls and distinctive views of two Warbling White-eyes (certainly one of which began preening the opposite…stunning!)
Full guidelines on eBird right here.
Travelling again to Busan, a cease alongside a river close to Gyeongju produced first a Mute Swan after which a stunning-looking however unsurprisingly confiding Crested Ibis (“18P” in black on yellow band on proper tarsus; purple band on left tarsus) – the primary time any of us had seen one away from the reintroduction scheme at Upo. The day then completed with a flock of 10,000 Rook and about 300 Daurian Jackdaw within the air collectively – magical.
On 28th, a protracted drive to Suncheon Bay, the place along with greater than a thousand Hooded and 9 White-naped Cranes highlights included a Masked Bunting, an unseasonal Temminck’s Stint, a Tough-legged Buzzard, 9 or so of 20+ Cinerous Vulture seen throughout the day and the primary of a number of beautiful Upland Buzzards (appears to be a really distinctive winter for them right here ).
Checklists on eBird right here and right here
Due to eBird experiences, we then travelled an extra hour southwest to one of many Gohung Reclamation areas the place we loved extended views of the juvenile Steppe Eagle (certainly one of 4 or so of this globally Endangered species in the ROK this winter), one (or maybe two?) Pallas’s Gulls, not less than 9 Upland Buzzard and maybe as many as 5 Ferruginous Duck (views had been too transient to test all 5 birds for indicators of hybrid affect).
Full guidelines on eBird right here
On 30th, early morning highlights on the Nakdong Estuary included a second-winter Relict Gull and an grownup Steller’s Sea Eagle – each globally Weak species. We then headed to Junam, the place three Swan Geese (lately re-assessed by BirdLife as globally Endangered) and primarily based on the small dimension and diminished black on the top a hybrid Frequent x Hooded Crane had been apparent highlights, adopted by a return to the Nakdong Estuary for late afternoon – for 3 extra Steller’s Sea Eagle and the long-staying grownup globally Weak Better Noticed Eagle.
Checklists on eBird right here, right here and right here
