Fowl information and pictures by Leslie Hurteau.
Half two of a two half blogpost about exploring the south central mainland. Half one right here.
Goheung was the subsequent cease, and it proved to have a really good choice of habitat. Goheung may be very fascinating in that it has a robust mixture of island and mainland really feel. A small considerably remoted space with a variety of ricefields and closely forested mountains, practically fully surrounded by coast. There have been fascinating reviews from final winter right here with birds corresponding to Pallas’s Gull, and prior to now from native birders corresponding to Matt Ballot.
A fast survey across the panorama was executed through automotive, after which a go to to Goheung Lake within the northeast. Whereas some concrete was current within the farm fields and alongside some stream edges, different areas have been nonetheless very pure and had a variety of “birding potential”. Rice fields and reedbeds as soon as once more have been stuffed with Oriental Reed Warblers, Barn Swallows, Gray Herons, Eurasian Tree Sparrows, and some early migrant shorebirds, corresponding to Wooden Sandpipers.
Subsequent was a go to to Geogeumdo, a small island southwest of Goheung linked through bridge. Larger up within the forested hills right here proved to be very fascinating and a bit busier. The Geogeumdo Pure Leisure Forest was fairly birdy larger up on the paths, with Asian Stubtail, Jap Topped Warbler, and varied woodpeckers actively foraging.
On this similar space, an Ashy Minivet was heard calling. The distinctive trilling was slower than the same Ryukyu Minivet. Sadly, regardless of some transient playback, the minivet was unable to be relocated. Shortly after, whereas driving alongside a close-by mountain street, one other Ashy Minivet was discovered, this time seen properly, perched on an electrical wire. It flew off pretty shortly, however not earlier than making notice of the bodily options: slender physique with lengthy tail, shorter invoice, white underparts, gray higher elements, and a gray nape and head, with a white brow. It must be famous that Matt Ballot, one other prolific birder who has birded a variety of Korea, had discovered proof of breeding in Goheung roughly a decade in the past. It appears doubtless then that Goheung is an everyday breeding web site for Ashy Minivet.
Subsequent, a while was spent birding a temple in a forested mountain on “mainland” Goheung. Right here lots extra summer season breeders have been discovered, corresponding to Daurian Redstart, Blue-and-white Flycatcher, Japanese Bush Warbler, and a wierd sounding chook which ended up being a Eurasian Jay doing their normal diversified vocalisations.
The journey concluded with a ferry trip again to Jeju from Goheung, which supplied a special birding alternative. Highlights included giant teams of Streaked Shearwaters and Pink-necked Phalaropes near the inside islands, two attainable Widespread Terns feeding and passing by, and lots of Swinhoe’s Storm-Petrels which continued in comparatively excessive abundance till reaching Jeju Metropolis.
