Bird News from Spike Millington, March 3rd, 2013
I came back from a trip to Japan last week to find most of the ice had turned to open water and the temperatures had risen a few degrees. Together with Judit Szabo, I went to check the tidal flats on the falling tide. About 300 Saunders’s Gulls were patrolling the newly exposed mud for emerging crabs in the bright sunshine, resplendent in their newly-acquired breeding plumage, calling and even displaying occasionally. A fantastic sight! The wintering flock of Eurasian Curlews was still present and numbered 700, together with 45 Grey Plover and 20 Dunlin. Three Relict Gulls were with them but sadly not yet in breeding plumage. About 50 Black-headed Gulls also still retained their winter plumage. Recently-arrived Far Eastern Oystercatchers were very active, piping and displaying on the mudflats: there must have been 40-50 scattered throughout the area. A White-tailed Eagle flew over, putting up large flocks of ducks, mostly Mallards and Spot-billed Ducks. Two Large-billed Crows were being hassled by the local Magpies. One or two Grey Herons were also present, but no sign of the Great Egret seen a couple of weeks ago.
On the other side of the new reclamation, about 2,000 large gulls rested on the remaining ice, mostly Mongolian and Vega Gulls, but one or two darker-mantled birds and a couple of hulking Slaty-backed Gulls. Three Whooper Swans, 5 Red-breasted Mergansers and 50 Common Shelducks were on the water.
On the island in Namdong Reservoir, the Mongolian Gulls are already displaying and scraping. A few Great Cormorants have also arrived back, but no Black-faced Spoonbills as yet, although I’m sure they are on their way as numbers are going down at Mai Po in Hong Kong.
At the Incheon old golf course, Long-tailed Rosefinches were in evidence with about 20 birds. A single Pallas’s Rosefinch was also present. Other birds included Peregrine (a smart adult), Eastern Buzzard, Eurasian Jay, 3 Yellow-throated Buntings, Great-Spotted Woodpecker and a couple of vocal Marsh Tits. Back at Michuhol Park, a nice variety of birds included Naumann’s Thrush, Pallas’s Rosefinch, 2 Varied Tits and a vocal Winter Wren, a park first.