| This is a birding trip report of Mr.Barry heinrich who allowed me to post it to this website. Bird News from Barry Heinrich 27 February 2008, Jeju Island x Jeju Arboretum, wetlands and coast. I attended the Jeju Wildlife Research Workshop at Jeju City Arboretum on February 23. Presentations were given by people with expertise on wildlife, including reptiles and amphibians, Black-faced Spoonbill and Fairy Pitta. Two international researchers came from Taiwan to present some of their finding on Fairy Pittas and their habitat management and threats. The formalities on Saturday were followed by a field trip to the west and southwest of Jeju Island with the propect of finding an Asian White Stork. Unfortunately the bird wasn't found. We did see a Eurasian Spoonbill with some Grey Herons sheltering behind some trees from the cold wind. On a manmade wetland we saw 8 species of ducks, Coots, Little Grebes and a Red-throated Loon. Along the coast were many gulls, mostly Vega Gulls and Black-tailed Gulls with a few Slaty-backed Gulls. Other birds seen along the coast were Great Cormorants, Little Egrets, Pacific Reef Herons, Great Crested Grebes and Black-necked Grebes. On Sunday February 24 we met again at the Arboretum and walked around looking for birds. An abundance of seeds attracted some seeding eating species including Japanese Grosbeaks, Hawfinch, Oriental Greenfinches and Siskins. Foraging on the ground were Rufous Turtle Doves, Ring-necked Pheasants and Pale Thrushes. Other birds in the area included Brown-eared Bulbuls, Black-billed Magpies, Great Tits, Japanese White-eyes and Large-billed Crows. We also found 3 Black-throated Loons near the southeast corner of the island sheltering in a small harbour. We also saw an oiled juvenile Vega Gull in this area among the many gulls present. From the Arboretum we were taken to the south coast where we found more Japanese White-eyes, Korean Bush Warblers, Blue Rock Thrushes, White Wagtails Motacilla alba lugens, Grey Wagtails, Common Sandpiper, Green Sandpiper, Daurian Redstart and a Pacific Diver. Around the eastern end of the island we saw Black-faced Spoonbills, Great Egrets, Little Egrets, Common Shelducks, Gadwalls, a Greater Spotted Eagle and 5 Grey Plovers at Seongsanpo. One male Gadwall was albinistic. A Black-throated Loon and a Pacific Loon that were oiled and beached washed. Besides seeing gulls along the east coast we found 2 Pelagic Cormorants and many Temminck's Cormorants. In a wetland near the northeast corner of Jeju Island was a large wetland with many waterbirds. Besides the many ducks there were Bean Geese and a Lesser White-fronted Goose, some Northern Lapwings, a Peregrine Falcon and an Eastern March Harrier. Along the northeast coast in the late afternoon we found more interesting birds, including Eurasian Wigeons, Long-billed Plovers, Kentish Plovers, Dunlin, a Black-legged Kittiwake and an adult Glaucous Gull. I saw 69 bird species during the weekend and I know other species were seen. I think everyone there enjoyed the hospitality of the hosts during the weekend. Jeju Island is definitely worth a trip in winter. |
