The Deskbound Birder: Steller's Sea-eagle

Showing posts with label Steller's Sea-eagle. Show all posts

Thursday, 30 January 2020

South Korea and Taiwan - 30th January (Day 5)

We started the day back at Area A of the Seosan Reclamation mainly with the hope of getting better views of Amur Leopard Cat at dawn which Trev missed yesterday. On arrival, and in the same place as yesterday, was a Leopard Cat hunting in the open and we all managed to get great views this time around. Driving on, Trev picked up more eye-shine and a second Leopard Cat. After watching thousands of White-fronted Goose and Been Goose flighting from their roost on a roadside lake we spent the rest of the morning birding a reed-lined embankment through Area A where the highlights were six Baikal Teal, great views of Pallas's Reed Bunting, Zitting Cisticola and a rather fleeting view of Ochre-rumped Bunting. My eBird checklist for the causeway area can be viewed here.

Pallas's Reed Bunting - Seosan Reclamation (Area A), South Korea

Black-faced Bunting - Seosan Reclamation (Area A), South Korea

Zitting Cisticola - Seosan Reclamation (Area A), South Korea

It was time to get on the road and after scanning from the road bridge where we obtained distant views of the same Pallas's Sea-eagle as yesterday and counted at least 24 Black-necked Grebe we began the 1.5 hour drive south-eastwards to Seocheon. My eBird checklist for the bridge can be viewed here.

Great-crested Grebe - Seosan Reclamation (Area A), South Korea

Pallas's Sea-eagle - Seosan Reclamation (Area A), South Korea

We arrived in the Seocheon area at around 13:00 and headed straight for the main area for our target. A dark Peregrine of the subspecies calidus showed well perched atop a telegraph pole alongside the road. We wound our way along narrow concrete tracks flanked by small scale rice paddies. We arrived at the bund marking the northern bank of the Geum River and slowly edged our way up it. The river came into sight and in front of us was the amazing scene of at least 450,000 Baikal Teal in one seething flock in the middle of the river. This flock representing a large proportion of the global population of this species highlighting how vulnerable this species. We spent around 30 minutes with this flock as it swirled around the river, the noise generated being reminiscent of a distant jet engine. My eBird checklist for the location can be viewed here.

Peregrine of subspecies calidus - Geum River Area, Seocheon, South Korea

Baikal Teal - Geum River Area, Seocheon, South Korea

We then headed west along the river and after a pot-noodle lunch from a local store we birded a couple of spots alongside the river close to the town of Dangseon-si. There were good numbers of duck, wader and gull here, the highlights being Saunder's Gull and an adult Glaucous Gull. My eBird checklists for these locations can be viewed here and here.

Whooper Swan - Geum River Area, Seocheon, South Korea

Saunder's Gull (1st winter) - Geum River Area, Seocheon, South Korea

We then headed north-west of Seocheon towards the small village of Dasa-Ri where a shallow tidal bay supported large numbers of waders, wildfowl and gulls. The overall appearance of the bird community could have been any mudflat in the UK with Eurasian Wigeon, Common Shelduck, Curlew and Black-headed Gull. It was only with close study of the gulls that it was clear we were not in the UK with Black-tailed Gull, Common Gull of the subspecies kamtschatschensis, Lesser Black-backed Gull of the subspecies taimyrensis, Vega Gull and Mongolian Gull - this really was a gull nerds paradise. But again, there was no sign of the hoped for Relict Gull.

Shelduck, Wigeon and Black-headed Gull - Dasi-Ri, Seocheon, South Korea

Common Gull of subspecies kamtschatschensis - Dasi-Ri, Seocheon, South Korea

Black-headed Gull and Common Gull of subspecies kamtschatschensis - Dasi-Ri, Seocheon, South Korea

Common Gull (1st winter) of subspecies kamtschatschensis and Black-tailed Gull - Dasi-Ri, Seocheon, South Korea

Mongolian Gull - Dasi-Ri, Seocheon, South Korea

Mongolian Gull (1st winter) - Dasi-Ri, Seocheon, South Korea

Vega Gull - Dasi-Ri, Seocheon, South Korea

Lesser Black-backed Gull of subspecies - Dasi-Ri, Seocheon, South Korea

Lesser Black-backed Gull (left) of subspecies taimyrensis and two Mongolian Gull - Dasi-Ri, Seocheon, South Korea

Black-tailed Gull - Dasi-Ri, Seocheon, South Korea

Black-tailed Gull (1st winter) - Dasi-Ri, Seocheon, South Korea

After spending some time looking for Swan Goose in the rice paddies with no success we headed back to the Geum River just in time to see the flock of Baikal Teal head out for the night to forage, surely one of the most spectacular sights in the natural world.

Baikal Teal - Geum River Area, Seocheon, South Korea

Links to Other Days of the Trip (Click to View)

South Korea

26th January (Day 1 and 2) – International flight then Han River area.

28th January (Day 3) – Songdo Tidal Flats and Korea National Arboretum.

29th January (Day 4) – Seosan Reclamation.

30th January (Day 5) – Seosan Reclamation then Geum River.

31st January (Day 6) – Yubu Island, and Han River.

Taiwan

1st February (Day 7) – Fly Seoul (South Korea) to Taipei (Taiwan) then Dasyueshan Forest Reserve.

2nd February (Day 8) – Dasyueshan Forest Reserve.

3rd February (Day 9) – Dasyueshan Forest Reserve.

4th February (Day 10) – Dasyueshan Forest Reserve.

5th February (Day11) – Dasyueshan Forest Reserve then Huisin Forest Reserve.

6th February (Day 12) – Huisin Forest Reserve then Blue Gates Trail.

7th February (Day 13) – Hehuanshan National Forest Recreation Area.

8th February (Day 14) – Hehuanshan National Forest Recreation Area then Firefly Lodge.

9th February (Day 15) – Alishan.

10th February (Day 16) – Alishan, Kenting National Park and Pintung University.

11th February (Day 17) – Pingtung University then international flight.

Wednesday, 29 January 2020

South Korea and Taiwan - 29th January (Day 4)

Today we spent the entire day on the area known as the Seosan Reclamation, a vast expanse of land to the west of the city dominated by rice fields and reed lined water courses which has been reclaimed by the sea for potential future development. While still a haven for wildlife it is clear that the site is steadily being developed as land is sold-off with road improvements, canalisation of the water courses, construction of recreational areas etc all being signs of in-roads being made to the development of the site. The loud roaring of the F-16 fighter jets overhead dominated the soundscape which was otherwise made up of the constant cackling of tens of thousands of Greater White-fronted Goose, Taiga Bean Goose and Tundra Bean Goose.

As we entered the reclaim area known as Area A we encountered a superb Eurasian Eagle owl silhouetted in the darkness as it perched atop a telegraph pole. A little further on eyeshine picked up in the car headlights was an Amur Leopard Cat which we saw rather too briefly and mainly in silhouette. We then entered the main site and sped past security which had been installed at the site to deter visitors. As the light gained we began to bird the fields, pools and water courses which dominate the area. On the pools we recorded abundant waterfowl including Eastern Spot-billed Duck, Smew, Goosander, Falcated Duck, Whooper Swan, Pochard and Goldeneye. The vast former area of tidal mudflats which now has a barage installed across its mouth supported Black-necked Grebe, Mongolian Gull and a single superb adult Steller’s Sea-eagle. However, it was the vast expanse of rich fields and watercourses which held the greatest birding interest with highlights including 17 Hooded Crane, three Bull-headed Shrike, one Chinese Grey Shrike, 10 Chinese Penduline Tit, five Dusky Warbler, 75 Buff-bellied Pipit, 150 Lapland Bunting, one Chestnut-eared Bunting, 50 Pallas’s Reed Bunting, 75 Rustic Bunting and 15 Black-faced Bunting. Flocks of mixed Tundra Bean Goose and Taiga Bean Goose proved challenging, the separation of these two being tricky even when birds are side by side. The highlight for me came as we found two Lesser White-fronted Goose amongst a flock of around 1,000 Greater White-fronts, their subtle structural differences and yellow eye-ring were studied in detail, this is a bird that I had long wanted to see. Mammal interest came in the form of two rather scruffy looking Racoon Dog, canids with a black mask and therefore having a resemblance to Racoon's. My eBird checklist for the morning can be viewed here.

Daurian Redstart - Seosan Reclamation (Area A), South Korea

Common Gull of subspecies kamtschatschensis - Seosan Reclamation (Area A), South Korea

Herring (Mongolian) Gull - Seosan Reclamation (Area A), South Korea

Mallard and Falcated Duck - Seosan Reclamation (Area A), South Korea

White-tailed Eagle - Seosan Reclamation (Area A), South Korea

Greater White-fronted Goose - Seosan Reclamation (Area A), South Korea

Hooded Crane - Seosan Reclamation (Area A), South Korea

Bull-headed Shrike - Seosan Reclamation (Area A), South Korea

Greater White-fronted goose with three Tundra Bean Goose (to right) - Seosan Reclamation (Area A), South Korea

Tundra Bean Goose - Seosan Reclamation (Area A), South Korea

Chestnut-eared Bunting - Seosan Reclamation (Area A), South Korea

Vinous-throated Parrotbill - Seosan Reclamation (Area A), South Korea

Rustic Bunting - Seosan Reclamation (Area A), South Korea

Brambling - Seosan Reclamation (Area A), South Korea

White-tailed Eagle - Seosan Reclamation (Area A), South Korea

Black Vulture - Seosan Reclamation (Area A), South Korea

Bull-headed Shrike - Seosan Reclamation (Area A), South Korea

Greater White-fronted Goose - Seosan Reclamation (Area A), South Korea

Long-tailed Tit - Seosan Reclamation (Area A), South Korea

Greater White-fronted Goose and Tundra Bean Goose - Seosan Reclamation (Area A), South Korea

Herring (Mongolian) Gull - Seosan Reclamation (Area A), South Korea

Steller's Sea-eagle - Seosan Reclamation (Area A), South Korea

Greater White-fronted Goose - Seosan Reclamation (Area A), South Korea

Lesser White-fronted Goose - Seosan Reclamation (Area A), South Korea

Greater White-fronted Goose - Seosan Reclamation (Area A), South Korea

Taiga Bean Goose (right hand bird at rear) and Tundra Bean Goose - Seosan Reclamation (Area A), South Korea

Tundra Bean Goose - Seosan Reclamation (Area A), South Korea

After birding Area A we headed a short way along the road to Area B of the reclamation. A short detour towards the ‘bird observatory’ which seemed to be dominated by caged birds produced a vulture feeding station with some 46 Black Vulture, four White-tailed Eagle and a superb male Dusky Thrush. My eBird checklist for the bird observatory can be viewed here.

Black Vulture - Bird Observatory, Seosan Reclamation (Area A), South Korea

Continuing north to the small village of Bongrak-Ri we entered further reclaim habitat to the west of the village, this was Area B. Again the area was dominated by rice fields and ditches but this area seemed far less extensive and perhaps more disturbed than Area A. We flushed two Japanese Quail from roadside vegetation, a new bird for me. There were large numbers of Tundra Bean Goose and Greater White-fronted Goose and two Lesser White-fronted Goose were heard but the key birds here were a flock of 13 Oriental Stork. Some of these birds were unringed birds but were mainly ringed and from re-introduction program and included one Japanese ringed bird. My eBird checklist for the area can be viewed here.

As dusk fell, a short night drive produced at least three Racoon Dog, and at 18:30 we headed back to the hotel Vovo in Seosan and out for dinner and beers.