Baengnyeong Island, April 23-Could 9

Chook Information from Nial Moores (with 이건희 on April Twenty ninth-Could third).

One other two weeks of survey of the ROK’s prime migrant hotspot. In complete, 189 species have been logged, all of which besides Eurasian Curlew (19 seen heading north on April twenty fifth) had been recorded in latest springs on this island.   All every day checklists are posted on eBird.

On present information, the island guidelines now stands at 384 (with the most recent addition a single Black Redstart posted on April eleventh on Fb by Park Cheong-Un). Is there some other website or assortment of web sites with a better variety of species?

In the course of the current survey, the species complete was fairly lower than e.g., the 195 species recorded between April twenty fifth and Could 9^th in 2014 ; and didn’t embrace any large-scale actions on the dimensions of e.g., late April 2020.  This was in all probability largely as a result of the climate was lower than cooperative for exciting large-scale actions, with northerly winds on a number of dates and solely two or three days with any west within the wind.

Most days of fieldwork have been carried out on foot, supported by the island bus, however three pleasant days have been additionally spent travelling round by automotive with Justin Lee (이건희) – together with on Could 1^st once we logged 134 species (on this case simply eight species brief of the present all-on-foot 24-hour document for the island).

There have been fortunately superb / island excessive counts of Garganey, Temminck’s Stint, and Chinese language Grosbeak (all three species apparently recovering in quantity this decade after maybe a number of many years of decline nationwide) together with in all probability a nationwide excessive depend of Swinhoe’s White-eye. Observations additionally included single Saker Falcon (ID presumed solely), Black-winged Kite and Frequent Swift, with one Giant Hawk-Cuckoo additionally heard.

Far much less optimistic was the invention of a number of traps set to catch wild birds in Jinchon (not the primary time right here…), and persevering with habitat loss, with persevering with disregard for biodiversity as all through a lot of the nation.  Along with frantic infilling of what was the tidal flat and bulldozing for brand spanking new roads (together with within the far southwest), there’s a proposed new airport. This plan appears to be progressing steadily behind the scenes with evaluation bids being sought (with the main target foolishly on utilizing monitoring tech. on just a few high-profile species, ignoring the excessive migration turnover) and building doubtless from 2025. If it proceeds, this may doubtless embrace the lack of the Harrier fields and any peace and quiet in Sagot village; and can after all embrace a excessive risk of chicken strike in sure climate circumstances.

Just a few highlights / species of observe observe:

• Ruddy Shelduck Tadorna ferruginea 황오리. One, fairly late, on Could eighth.

• Garganey Spatula querquedula 발구지. A brand new island excessive depend of 56 on April twenty fourth.

• Stejneger’s Scoter Melanitta stejnegeri 검둥오리사촌. Current all through late April. Sixty-six nonetheless current on thirtieth. Most have been clearly Stejneger’s. Nonetheless. one chicken (seen as much as Twenty ninth at the least) confirmed a fairly brighter, orangey toned invoice; and one other apparently confirmed strongly brown wanting flanks. Nonetheless, vary was too nice to substantiate identification a technique or one other.

• Japanese Quail Coturnix japonica 메추라기. Heard within the north-east and within the Harrier Fields, with at the least 4 within the latter space on April thirtieth.

• Frequent Swift Apus apus 검은등칼새. One seen on Could seventh within the NE. First picked up flying with a White-throated Needletail; after which with a number of Pacific Swift and maybe the identical Needletail. Two minute views have been loved by way of the ‘scope with the chicken seen at a number of angles. Gentle was tough however white was seen on each Pacifics and the Needletail in the identical view and was absent on the medium-sized swift (although maybe throat was paler). In direct comparability, the chicken additionally regarded extra truncated than Pacific, and clearly brown-toned, above particularly. No photos. Though no document has but been adequately-documented, Frequent Swift seems to be a fairly common (although uncommon) migrant to the west of ROK throughout spring migration.

• Giant Hawk-Cuckoo Hierococcyx sparverioides 큰매사촌. One heard within the NE on Could seventh. Following the primary nationwide document in 2007, this species is now recorded yearly within the ROK.

• Little Curlew Numenius minutus 쇠부리도요. Two seen on twenty third within the NE was the one remark.

• Sharp-tailed Sandpiper Calidris acuminata 메추라기도요. One other poor spring on the island for this fast-declining and globally Weak shorebird. First recorded on April twenty fourth (3); with 5 on twenty sixth the height.

• Temminck’s Stint Calidris temminckii 흰꼬리좀도요. One within the Hwadong Wetland on April twenty fourth, elevated to 3 there by twenty sixth. Not less than 9 have been seen on the island on thirtieth, with 5 collectively in a single group within the Hwadong Wetland, and others seen in rice-fields.

• Lengthy-toed Stint Calidris subminuta 종달도요. A single on April twenty sixth, growing to a peak of at the least 12 on April thirtieth. One confiding particular person within the NE slept unobtrusively on the fringe of a rice-field. On listening to alarm calls of different species, the chicken “giraffed”, earlier than immediately “upending” within the rice-field, with the back-end caught up prominently, presumably to disguise the silhouette and to mimic the reduce rice-stalks – apparently in response to a passing Eurasian Sparrowhawk.

• Wooden Sandpiper Tringa glareola 알락도요. Moderately poor numbers recorded, with the excessive depend 75 on Could 1st.

• Eurasian Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia 노랑부리저어새. More and more recorded on the island. Peak depend was six on Could 1st.

• Black-faced Spoonbill Platalea minor 저어새. No survey was tried of the breeding colony. Nonetheless, E05 (current in summer season on the island since at the least 2014) was seen in rice-fields in late April.

• Eurasian Bittern Botaurus stellaris 알락해오라기. One booming chicken current all through was joined briefly by a second particular person within the night of Could 1st, which circled in, landed, then took off once more and departed towards the east. Birds have been heard booming on this wetland virtually yearly since Could 2014.

• Purple Heron Ardea purpurea 붉은왜가리. The one document was of three collectively watched flying over the Hwadong Wetland within the night of Could 1st.

• Chinese language Egret Egretta eulophotes 노랑부리백로. The breeding colony was not visited. Nonetheless, the species gave the impression to be a lot much less widespread than in earlier years, with the primary particular person solely seen on Could 2nd; and a most of solely two seen on subsequent dates.

• Black-winged Kite Elanus caeruleus 검은어깨매. One briefly searching over Hwadong Wetland on April Twenty ninth: first known as out by JL, and likewise seen by NM. That is the primary spring document for Baengnyeong that we’re conscious of. The earlier island information have been of 3-4 in November 2019. There are in all probability nonetheless fewer than 20 nationwide information, after the primary was present in Seoul in February 2013.

• Crested Honey Buzzard Pernis ptilorhynchus 벌매. Solely small numbers seen. Highest day counts included 14 on April thirtieth and 45 on Could eighth.

• Pied Harrier Circus melanoleucos 알락개구리매. Two females on April twenty fourth within the “Harrier Fields” (the proposed website of the airport) was the one document.

• Oriental Scops Owl  Otus sunia 소쩍새. Singles heard on a number of dates, with two seen collectively on Could 1st the very best day depend.

• Eurasian Wryneck Jynx torquilla 개미잡이. First recorded on twenty fourth, with 1-3 recorded on a number of dates.

• Saker Falcon Falco cherrug 헨다손매. One presumed Saker was seen over the Hwadong Wetland on April twenty sixth. The chicken flew previous me initially at c. 50 m vary, then low throughout wetland with very swish, pretty slowish wingbeats; climbed after which stooped as soon as. Subsequently simply circled and gained peak. Tailed regarded lengthy; wings tatty, however bent again with pretty broad wanting hand at some angles, slim at others. Brown above, with hotter tail, and fairly darkish wanting beneath. Crown regarded pale; some moustachial however not as sturdy as on Peregrine. As soon as chicken gained peak was solely wanting from beneath; laborious to determine whether or not or not underwing coverts have been clearly darker, as they merely regarded darker in comparison with weakly translucent flight feathers. ID stays tentative. Though Saker has been seen on Baengnyeong in earlier springs (as at a number of different websites alongside the west coast), a number of odd-looking falcons have additionally been seen (together with a large brown falcon with a maybe related head sample final 12 months, which I ultimately listed, accurately or incorrectly, as a Peregrine).

• Brown Shrike Lanius cristatus 노랑때까치. Solely small numbers seen. Essentially the most hanging particular person was one confusus with an in depth white wing patch, within the NE from Could third to seventh, proven within the photos beneath.

• Japanese Waxwing Bombycilla japonica 홍여새. One in NE on April twenty fifth and twenty seventh (doubtless the identical particular person); singles within the NE and SW on Could 1st; two in NE on Could third; one in NW Could fifth; and two collectively (together with at the least one new grownup male) within the NW on eighth.

• Gentle-vented Bulbul Pycnonotus sinensis 검은이마직박구리. The speedy improve of this now frequent resident and migrant, first recorded within the ROK in 2002, continues. The biggest flock was of c. 250 within the north-east on Could eighth, when 50 have been nonetheless current within the NW. The full quantity passing by way of the island in spring is probably going now to be within the excessive tons of as flocks of between 80 and 130 have been noticed making an attempt to depart the island on a number of extra dates.

• Swinhoe’s White-eye Zosterops simplex 작은동박새. Small to medium-sized flocks recorded all through the island. Minimal of 18 on twenty fifth, growing to at the least 50 within the NW and SW alone by April thirtieth. Final famous on Could seventh. The sequence of information on Baengnyeong, and more and more from different islands too, following the cut up of this species in 2018 confirms the standing of Swinhoe’s as a daily and domestically frequent migrant by way of the ROK.

• Eyebrowed Thrush Turdus obscurus 흰눈썹붉은배지빠귀. In accordance with their concentrated migration timing, an arrival of Eyebrowed Thrush on Baengnyeong included 50 within the NE alone on Could 5rd, growing to 130 there by Could sixth.

• Dusky Thrush Turdus eunomus 개똥지빠귀. Current all through with e.g., 65 within the NE on April twenty seventh.

• Siberian Rubythroat Calliope calliope 진홍가슴. Between 10 and a dozen heard on a number of dates; an growing variety of these have been showy singers towards the top of the survey interval.

• Japanese Yellow Wagtail Motacilla tschutschensis 긴발톱할미새. Highest day depend was 430 on Could 1st. A conservative depend of flocks of birds (individually or in 5s) advised that 305 departed the island to the NE in 90 minutes within the morning.

• Blyth’s Pipit Anthus godlewskii 쇠밭종다리. One in overhead flight, calling, over the “harrier fields” on twenty fourth; two within the NE on twenty seventh, with one remaining there on the twenty eighth. Final document was one on Could 1st.

• Pechora Pipit Anthus gustavi 흰등밭종다리. First heard and seen on April twenty seventh (when 1-3 have been within the NE). The very best day depend was 11 on Could 1st. “Early” Pechora in late April and early Could doubtless check with the fairly poorly recognized however distinctive menzbieri (sub-)species; whereas maybe all later birds, after ~ Could fifteenth are of the nominate subspecies.

• Purple-throated Pipit Anthus cervinus 붉은가슴밭종다리. Highest day depend was 45 on April twenty fourth, together with 40 in a single flock within the salt-marsh on the primary seaside.

• Brambling Fringilla montifringilla 되새. Current all through, with 290 on April twenty third the very best day depend.

• Hawfinch Coccothraustes coccothraustes 콩새. Current all through, with ten nonetheless current on Could eighth.

• Chinese language Grosbeak Eophona migratoria 밀화부리. Current all through. On April twenty seventh within the NE, a complete of 330 have been seen flying between N and NE off island, carrying with them the one Japanese Grosbeak recorded in the course of the current survey work. The three largest teams of departing birds have been of 32, 24 and 21.

• Eurasian Siskin Spinus spinus 검은머리방울새. Current all through, with 15 nonetheless current on Could eighth. The species has doubtless bred on Baengnyeong in at the least one earlier 12 months.

• Little Bunting Emberiza pusilla 쇠붉은뺨멧새. Highest depend of grounded birds was a modest 300 on April twenty seventh within the NE.

• Yellow-browed Bunting Emberiza chrysophrys 노랑눈썹멧새. Highest day counts have been remarkably modest, with e.g., 150 grounded within the NE on April twenty seventh.

• Yellow-breasted Bunting Emberiza aureola 검은머리촉새. This species tends to peak in mid-Could. In the course of the current survey, 4 have been seen on Could fifth; 5 on sixth; however just one on seventh and eighth.

• Chestnut Bunting Emberiza rutila 꼬까참새. This species tends to peak between Could fifth and fifteenth within the ROK. Eight on April twenty seventh have been the primary of the spring and and the very best day depend of the survey interval was a particularly modest ten on Could sixth.

• Yellow Bunting Emberiza sulphurata 무당새. One or two have been current within the NE on April twenty seventh. The final document was one within the NE on Could seventh.

• Black-faced Bunting Emberiza spodocephala 촉새. The very best focus was a modest 450 grounded within the NE on April twenty seventh. As yearly, birds confirmed a broad vary of plumages and ranges of saturation. “Vivid-end” extremiorientis (such because the one beneath photographed by Lee Kon-Hee) invite apparent confusion with the recently-split Masked Bunting E. personata.