| The Korean Birdwatcher's Year |
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| • Spring Birding In Korea |
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| April |
| One of the very best birdwatching months! Cold days and nights (lowest day
maxima of ca 12 C) gradually warm through the month (reaching the low 20s C by
month's end), and dry spells interspersed with 1-2 days of heavy rain and stormy
conditions produce great birding towards month's end. |
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| The stunning Blue-and-white Flycatcher is a widespread harbinger of
spring on offshore islands and in forests. |
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The cranes, winter raptors, and Relict Gulls
have gone, but large numbers of shorebirds have arrived. Peaks of ca 100 000
shorebirds at Saemangeum are higher than
anywhere else in the Yellow Sea, including up to 40 000 Great Knot, and small
numbers of the globally-endangered Nordmann's Greenshank and
Spoon-billed Sandpiper. Other Korean specialties, include Chinese
Egret from mid-month, and Black faced Spoonbill in small groups along
the coast.
This latter species has a world population of less than 900!
Passerine migration peaks towards the end of the month, with the first leaf
warblers, Blue-and-white, Narcissus and Yellow-rumped Flycatchers,
and Tristram's and Yellow -browedBuntings. |
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| The Japanese Yellow Bunting is regular in Korea in late April and
early May: part of Korea's unique birding mix. |
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Look for Japan-bound migrants, including Japanese
Robin and Brown Thrush in the far southeast at Taejongdae or the far
southwest, especially Gageo Island. Up to 100
species a day are possible on Eocheong and Gageo
Island from April 25 onward (with a record-breaking 122 recorded on April 30
2002 by a WBKBirdingKorea Tour group!) |
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May
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| Like April, a great birding month. Temperatures begin to climb with day
maxima often reaching 25 C by the end of the month, though feeling cooler on
offshore islands due to low sea temperatures and wind. Fog can temporarily limit
birding, while also causing spectacular falls of migrants. |
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| The endangered and charismatic Spoon-billed Sandpiper can be found
amongst huge flocks of Great Knots and Dunlin at Saemangeum. |
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| The Siberian Rubythroat is a common but skulking migrant through
Korea |
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Migration continues. Especially in the first week,
diversity can be exceptional. Lesser Sandplovers, Red-necked Stints,
Broad-billed and Spoon-billed Sandpipers peak at Saeman
-geum and other key areas, while Chestnut and Little Buntings
begin to outnumber Yellow-throated and the very common Black-faced
Bunting. Mugimakis, Dark-sided and Grey -streaked Flycatchers also
start to arrive. Brown and Tiger Shrikes, Siberian Rubythroats and
Broad-billed Rollers add colour and quality to the birding mix. By late May
locustella warblers (Gray's, Pallas's, Middendorf's, Styann's Grasshopper and
Lanceolated) arrive on western islands.
In forests Ruddy
Kingfisher and Fairy Pitta are in territory and vocal, though still elusive and
easily disturbed. Korean breeding Chinese Egrets and Black-faced Spoonbills
remain widespread at the best sites, and Saunders's Gull also sometimes nest.
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| June |
| Often hot (temperatures up to 30C inland) and humid, with very heavy rains
some years bymid-month. |
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| There are only 850 Black-faced Spoonbills left in the world: most
nest on small islands off Korea's west coast |
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By early June, Yellow and the rare Shrenk's
Bittern are breeding in reed-beds, and Watercock give their (slightly
comical) gulping calls in the best rice-field areas. Nesting activity in
Black-faced Spoonbill and Chinese Egret colonies reaches its peak,
and forest nesters are still vocal, especially in the first half of the month.
At Gwangneung, typical species
include 4 species of woodpecker, Ruddy Kingfisher , Yellow-rumped
Flycatcher and Mandarin Duck, while in south coast forests Pale
Thrush, Blue-and-white Flycatcher and Yellow-throated Bunting
predominate. Black Woodpigeon nest on Gageo and other islands and
Styann's Grasshopper Warbler are widespread on small islets: both
species, plus the very local Russet Sparrow, can be seen well on Ulleung
Do. |
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