ON THE VERY BRINK...

I photographed this Spoon-billed Sandpiper (Calidris pygmaea) in South Korea in 2005 (the bird on the right is a Dunlin) but this critically endangered species in now on the very brink of extinction. Their massive decline, and the decline of many other species that use the East Asian-Australasian Flyway is strongly linked to the ecological devastation of major stop-over sites (much more so than to changes on the breeding grounds or wintering grounds) as this post http://www.birdskoreablog.org/?p=16846  and this article http://news.sciencemag.org/environment/2015/10/hostile-shores discuss. This is a compelling example of the need for full life cycle monitoring and conservation planning.

A few owls of South Korea

A recent visit to South Korea was not primarily a birding trip but will a little help from some old friends I managed to find a few of South Korea’s wonderful owls that I have wanted to see for many years.

First and foremost on that list was this Ural Owl (Strix uralensis) in the mountains of the northeast, who offered a splendid viewing opportunity shortly after dusk.  These large, pale owls are widespread across the taiga / boreal portions of Eurasia are somewhat of an ecological equivalent of Barred Owl in North America.  With the largest females measuring 62 cm and weighing as much as 1.3 kg, Ural Owl is one of the largest species is the genus Strix (Great Gray Owl is larger but Ural Owl is approximately 10 cm longer than Barred Owl.  The Korean subspecies is S. u. nikolskii.

Similar to the Ural Owl but much smaller in size and darker in colour is the Himalayan Owl (Strix nivicolum). This species is also known as the Himalayan Wood-Owl or the Chinese Tawny Owl, although none of these names are apt (the distribution is not restricted to the Himalayas nor China). I was delighted to find this roosting bird tucked in against a tree trunk and definitely aware of my presence probably well before I spotted them. This species used to be considered conspecific with Tawny Owl (Strix aluco) from Europe and westernmost Asia but their song is quite different and the Himalayan Owl is generally darker with a shorter and more barred tail and a second “wing bar” usually visible.  This bird is a grey-brown morph, although there is apparently also a rufous morph, which I have never seen. You will see how the owl's plumage works so well as camouflage against the tree bark. The Korean subspecies is S. n. ma.

  

Finding a nest of Japanese Scops-Owl (Otus semitorques) was a major highlight. They were super secretive around their nest but I managed a few photos including one where a small mammal prey item was brought in. I was surprised to observe a pair of Siberian Flying Squirrels (Pteromys volans) that seemed to be using a cavity lower in the same tree (third photo). Interestingly, this northern scops-owl species is apparently resident in South Korea, unlike some other northern scops-owls such as Oriental Scops-Owl that are migratory. Nonetheless, there may be some altitudinal or short-distance migratory movements of this species in other parts of their range. Famous for their red eyes, unlike most other members of their genus, this species was once considered conspecific with “Collared Scops-Owl” which has now been divided into at least 4 species (they differ in voice, wing formula and some subtle plumage details).  The Korean subspecies is the nominate. 

 

I also saw two Eurasian Eagle-Owls in South Korea but it was raining and a few poor flight shots were all I managed such as the one below.

I hope you enjoyed this glimpse at the owls of South Korea!

shorebirding at Nak Dong Gang, South Korea

On 26th August 2005, I had the great pleasure of a day of shorebirding with the great Nial Moores, cofounder of Birds Korea, at the Nak Dong estuary (Nak Dong Gang in Korean) in Busan (or Pusan if you prefer) South Korea. Although already heavily impacted by people (you may notice some garbage on the sand in the photos below), this estuary is an important but threatened site for many water birds. Like Saemanggeum and other sites in Korea and around the Yellow Sea, it warrants protection and there is an increasing number of people working to that end.

My trip to South Korea was to visit my wife’s family and not primarily for birding but before I met up with Nial I had the chance to visit a few sites around Busan including the headland of Tae Jong Dae, where I was treated to a lifer in the form of a flock of Streaked Shearwaters.


But on the 26th the excitement as we headed out into the estuary in the boat Nial had organized. We quickly found several of the globally vulnerable Chinese Egret, a species I had not seen since I was in Singapore 7 years previously.


The shorebirds were dispersed fairly widely on the various islands and sandbars. The diversity of plovers was impressive including the very familiar Black-bellied Plover or Grey Plover (I wish we could change the name of this beautiful species to Silver Plover)


The impressive Greater Sand Plover with their long legs and plump shape and stout features were a real treat.

The Lesser Sand Plover, formerly known as Mongolian Plover (and who knows maybe one day the coastal and interior forms will be split back to Lesser Sand versus Mongolian Plovers) was also present and, unlike the Greater Sands, some showed a touch of lingering breeding colour.

And alongside the sand plovers were the smaller Kentish or Snowy Plovers.

Here is a comparison shot of the two sand plover species – note the bulkier proportions of the Greater Sand, longer legs and heavier bill.

And here a Greater Sand Plover dwarfs three Kentish Plovers.

Eurasian Oystercatchers were also present and looking fine in their striking black, white and red attire.

Among the many sandpiper species were some I was very familiar with like Sanderling

And Whimbrel (here a juvenile takes flight)

And others that I had only seen once or twice before like this beautiful Far Eastern Curlew with their huge bill. Interestingly to me their seemed to be roughly equal numbers of Eurasian and Far Eastern Curlew, whereas in my previous birding in South East Asia, Far Eastern Curlew was a rarity (presumably because their flight path takes them away form the Asian continent at a fairly northern latitude and out over the Pacific towards Australia)

Red-necked Stint is a bit like the North American equivalent of Semipalmated Sandpiper (difficult to tell apart in this plumage too) as was present in the estuary in the thousands.

Long-toed Stint is a bit like our Least Sandpiper (similarly coloured although somewhat differently proportioned), although unlike Least Sandpiper I have always found Long-toes very difficult to encounter. I was delighted to photograph this bird.

There is no mistaking the unique Terek Sandpiper!

And the classy Broad-billed Sandpiper, which has always been one of my favourites.

But the absolute highlight of the day (and the lifer had been hoping for) was the amazing and unique Spoon-billed Sandpiper (seen here alongside a Dunlin)… what a snoz! The Spoon-billed Sandpiper is critically endangered and their numbers appear to be plummeting. This is one species in desperate need of immediate conservation action and protecting the stop-over sites they rely on in South Korea is an important part of that action.

Thanx to Nial - a fantastic day!