(Dr. Bernhard Seliger and Dr. Hyun-Ah Choi, Hanns-Seidel-Basis Korea and Birds Korea)
In early Could, when the rice fields simply begin to get crammed with water, it’s the greatest time to look at waders within the rice fields of Korea. One-tenth of the Korean territory transforms into wetlands. This time, nearly each subject which already had water inside, additionally had a few waders inside. Whereas the numbers are nowhere close to to these in coastal areas, it’s nonetheless nice to see them operating round and looking for meals between the younger rice vegetation or in plain water.
Highlights have been 21 Golden Pacific Plovers and greater than 80 Wooden Sandpipers. Others embody a single Lengthy-toed Stint and Whimbrel, three Far-Jap Oystercatcher, Little Ringed-Plovers, greater than 80 Widespread Sandpipers, 80 Widespread Greenshanks, a single Widespread Snipe and ten Black-faced Spoonbills.
Breeding exercise on Yudo Islet was nonetheless robust, although via the inexperienced it was tougher to see and depend the birds, however at the very least 500 Nice Cormorants and dozens of Grey Herons and Nice Egrets have been there.
New arrivals within the final weeks included Jap Cattle Egrets, a Black-crowned Evening Heron, Chinese language Pond Herons, and within the forests an Indian Cuckoo, Dollarbirds (Broad-billed Curler), Manchurian Bush Warblers, and Asian Brown Flycatchers. Surprisingly, there have been additionally nonetheless two flocks (in complete 31) with Taiga and Tundra Been Geese. Additionally, there have been 16 Mandarin Geese – in all probability they breed within the hills overlooking the Han River.
We do surveys within the Gimpo Han Estuary space since 2018, however this selection and variety of waders in rice fields had not been encountered earlier than.
You’ll be able to see the complete hen lists right here:
Siam wetland space: https://ebird.org/guidelines/S234508770
Round Yudo islet: https://ebird.org/guidelines/S234508755
Pacific Golden Plovers Pluvialis fulva 검은가슴물떼새 (© Bernhard Seliger)
Wooden Sandpiper Tringa glareola 알락도요 (© Bernhard Seliger)
Little Ringed Plover Thinornis dubius 꼬마물떼새 (© Bernhard Seliger)
Jap Cattle Egret Bubulcus coromandus 황로 (© Bernhard Seliger)
Chinese language Pond Heron Ardeola bacchus 흰날개해오라기 (© Bernhard Seliger)
Blackfaced Spoonbill Platalea Minor 저어새 (© Bernhard Seliger)
Egrets (right here Nice Egrets Ardea alba 중대백로 and Jap Cattle Egrets Bubulcus coromandus 황로 ) like to comply with the plowing tractor (© Bernhard Seliger)
Nonetheless in Korea! Two flocks with 26 Tundra Bean Geese Anser serrirostris 큰기러기 and 5 Taiga Bean Geese Anser fabalis 큰부리큰기러기 (© Bernhard Seliger)
Asian Brown Flycatcher Muscicapa dauurica 쇠솔딱새 (© Bernhard Seliger)
