Dr. Bernhard Seliger (Hanns-Seidel-Basis Korea, Birds Korea)
One other survey alongside the Han River, nonetheless – as a result of absence of a Korean colleague – no probability to enter the CCZ (Civilian Management Zone – clearly, being a foreigner one can’t enter that zone alone, although that is no downside when coming into locations just like the unification observatories). The morning began gradual with a non-starting engine of my automobile (in a single day the battery handed out), making me begin an hour and a half later than deliberate. Anyway, a lot of the Han River was stuffed with drifting ice (which just about disappeared till the night), and lots of birds might be seen within the few open water areas, usually fairly degraded streams, and many others.
Within the Siam-Ri rice subject space, after I arrived round 9 a.m., there have been round 2500 geese (principally Tundra Bean Geese, plus Higher White-Fronted Geese). A small variety of Taiga Bean Geese had been there, too, and a form younger Korean birder directed me kindly to the place the place a single Cackling Goose, right here a vagrant, might be discovered. It was the Branta hutchinsii leucopareia subspecies, right here essentially the most ceaselessly seen. Immediately, there was motion from throughout, and one other 2000 geese flew in, with all of them huddling collectively in two slim fields solely. Once they had been settled, a Peregrine Falcon might be seen on one of many lampposts overlooking the Han River (to detect North Korean intruders…). Superb, how this one raptor might so effectively convey collectively all geese within the quantity of some minutes. Geese had been fortunate, nonetheless, since he took off path Seoul metropolis.
Shrikewise, there was nonetheless in precisely the identical place as a couple of weeks in the past, the primary documented Korean Crimson-tailed shrike. Additionally, additional alongside the rice fields, a Chinese language gray shrike reappeared. As for raptors, some White-tailed eagles, fairly a couple of Jap buzzards and a single Upland buzzard, a Hen harrier, a Eurasian sparrowhawk and a few Widespread kestrels in addition to in each survey areas a Merlin. Many of the smaller streams had been frozen, however slowly melting, and in a single a Mandarin drake was seen in addition to three Eurasian spoonbills in one other one.
You may see the entire itinerary and chook lists at:
https://ebird.org/guidelines/S213051837 (Siam-Ri)
https://ebird.org/guidelines/S213054839 (Gaegok-Ri)
Gimpo Metropolis unfold the chook space with disinfectant, most likely due to Avian Influenza, although the ribbon on the automobile mentioned it was attributable to African Swine fever. I’m wondering if there are any unwanted effects of the disinfectant…Concrete trenches, which had been ready some weeks in the past, had been now all put into place and in some locations will probably be actually subsequent to not possible for frogs and toads, which quickly will get up, to return from the mountains to rice fields. Good luck! As common, it was price going there, and we are able to solely hope the realm will thrive for nature and birds. That is primarily a political query. However the truth that there appears to be a a lot better curiosity of Korean birders now within the space, may be a great signal. Hanns-Seidel-Basis, on and off with Birds Korea, does now surveys on this space since 2018. On this time, whereas among the biodiversity has been misplaced as a result of industrialization of the panorama, each survey confirmed the significance of the realm. That is extra necessary, since it isn’t lined within the nationwide survey systematic by the NIBR, and birds right here (for the entire space simply between 10.-20.000 geese) don’t go into the annual waterbird census. We hope these surveys do create extra consideration for the realm, and in addition we hope that sooner or later there’s a probability to make use of the wealthy biodiversity of this space to come back to an settlement with the North on a joint safety of the Han River estuary, and in extension, the entire border space.
