Bird News from Nial Moores
After overnight rain, generally overcast, with the wind swinging from light south-westerly to moderate or strong north-easterly and very dark skies. In a few hours in the field, much evidence that spring migration is now underway. Fewer gulls along the harbor front than in winter, though with the group of 50 or so Black-headed Gull showing a great range in extent of moult into breeding plumage and in bare parts coloration (with several birds looking black-billed and dark-legged).
Black-headed Gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus © Nial Moores
In a small patch of allotments the personal first two Stejneger’s Stonechat of the year, and in the woodland itself, probably three White’s Thrush, 10+ Pale Thrush, low dozens of Brambling and Eurasian Siskin, and the personal first Grey Thrush and Asian Stubtail of the year. Of interest too, a Red-throated Pipit (my personal first at this site), 6+ Pacific Swift (also personal first of the year) and 10+ Barn Swallow overhead, while a major southward movement of large gulls (with a mix of 650+ Vega, Taimyr, Mongolian and Slaty-backed Gulls counted in only 30 minutes, some 1-2km high) carried with it 35 Great Egret low over the sea, two very high-flying owls (perhaps Long-eared or Short-eared) and two Eurasian Sparrowhawk all presumably moving ahead of a rain front.
ID challenge of the day was presented by one of the dozen or so Varied Tit seen. This poorly-digiscoped individual looked darker blue above and darker reddish-orange below than other Varied Tit seen this day. It also seemed to have a narrower nape stripe, that when viewed from several different angles appeared clean white, contrasting poorly with the pale, cream-washed “face”…a worn local bird or a stray nominate varius?
Varied Tit Sittiparus varius, with white-nape stripe © Nial Moores
More “Typical” Korean Varied Tit Sittiparus varius © Nial Moores