Baekryeong Island, May 10-11 (NE Corner Only)

Selected Bird News from Nial Moores

Arriving at lunchtime on the 10^th, and birding only the NE corner of the island in the afternoon of the 10^th (in gloriously calm and sunny weather) and for most of the morning of the 11^th (before rain moved in from about 3PM), it was still possible to log more than 100 species, with very little overlap in birds seen by Tim Edelsten (present for several days now). Most notable records (with all images taken through a superb Swarovski scope and a handheld Sony RX100II) included:

Japanese Quail Coturnix japonica. Two on 10^th and five on 11^th.

Japanese Quail Coturnix japonica © Nial Moores

Crested Honey Buzzard Pernis ptilorhynchus. Nine on the 10^th and 3-5 on the 11^th, all moving east.

Crested Honey Buzzard Pernis ptilorhynchus © Nial Moores

Himalayan Swiftlet Aerodramus brevirostris. At least one in among a very large evening mixed flock of swifts and swallows (containing 1500+ birds) on the 10^th.

White-throated Needletail Hirundapus caudacutus. Probably 20 on the 10^th, and seven on the 11^th.

Pacific Swift Apus pacificus. Probably 500 in the evening of the 10^th; but only three seen on the 11^th.

Oriental Dollarbird Eurystomus orientalis. Only one on the 10^th, but probably 15 on the 11^th including seven feeding together.

Oriental Dollarbird Eurystomus orientalis © Nial Moores

Brown Shrike Lanius cristatus. Eight on the 10^th and four on the 11^th. None were easily assignable to subspecies (though one greyish-brown crowned bird was either a lucionensis or a confusus with “lucionensis influence”).

Brown Shrike Lanius cristatus: two different individuals helping to show some of the variability in structure and plumage tones © Nial Moores

Black-naped Oriole Oriolus chinensis. Three on the 10^th and at least 155 on the 11^th, including 125 counted heading east and south-east between 0740 and 0910, with most in groups of five to eight, but the two largest groups containing 20 and 31 birds.

Black Drongo Dicrurus macrocercus. One on the 10^th.

Japanese Waxwing Bombycilla japonica. One on the 10^th.

Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica. Probably 300-500 on the 10^th but only 50 on the 11^th, including one or two birds with strong red(dish) tones to the underparts.

Red-rumped Swallow Cecropis daurica. Probably 500-700 on the 10^th, most in a single flock of 1,500 birds hawking near the town in the evening; and 30 on the 11^th.

Hume’s Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus humei. One heard calling and seen on the 10^th, and perhaps the same bird (50m from the bird of the 10^th) heard singing briefly on the 11^th.

Thick-billed Warbler Iduna aedon. One heard singing on the 10^th.

Chestnut-flanked White-eye Zosterops erythropleurus. At least 130 east on the 10^th (in flocks of 60, 30 and 40).

Eyebrowed Thrush Turdus obscurus. At least 90 on the 10^th and ten on the 11^th.

Grey-streaked Flycatcher Muscicapa griseisticta. At least 40 (and probably closer to 100) seen on the 10^th, with many making extended sallies off tree tops in the evening. Only ten seen on the 11^th.

Grey-streaked Flycatcher Muscicapa griseisticta © Nial Moores

Blue-and-white Flycatcher Cyanoptila cyanomelana. At least four on the 10^th and two on the 11^th (most notable in that the three or so males appeared closest in plumage tones to the nominate subspecies, with only a hint of blueish tips admixed into the black of the throat ).

Blue-and-white Flycatcher Cyanoptila cyanomelana cyanomelana © Nial Moores

Bluethroat Luscinia svecica. One on the 10^th.

Yellow-rumped Flycatcher Ficedula zanthopygia. 15+ on the 10^th and five on the 11^th.

Yellow-rumped Flycatcher Ficedula zanthopygia © Nial Moores

Narcissus Flycatcher Ficedula narcissina. One 2cy male on the 10th.

Mugimaki Flycatcher Ficedula mugimaki. Rather scarce with only five on the 10^th and three on the 11^th (including two singing).

Mugimaki Flycatcher Ficedula mugimaki © Nial Moores

Forest Wagtail Dendronanthus indicus. Two on the 10^th and one heard singing on the 11^th.

Yellow-breasted Bunting Emberiza aureola. At least 15 on the 10^th (most males were apparently of the nominate subspecies) and three on the 11^th.

Yellow-breasted Bunting Emberiza aureola aureola © Nial Moores

Yellow Bunting Emberiza sulphurata. At least two on the 10^th and one on the 11^th.