Baengnyeong Island: October 16-November 1

Bird News from Nial Moores with Kim Eojin (see: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cT4L9YtF2G0) and Park Cheong Un (October 24) and Subhojit Chakladar (October 26-27). All images below © Nial Moores

Two weeks on Baengnyeong Island, with a typical autumn total of only 148 species logged (compared with 146 in 12 days in late October-early November 2022 and 143 in 9 days in late October 2023 – and to 133 in a single day in May this year!). In addition to “typical” numbers of raptors (with up five Eurasian Goshawk and 30 Eastern Buzzard in the air together and ever-present Peregrines) this total included one new island record (a Spotted Dove, which was heard well but not seen); a Korean first or more likely second-time hybrid combination (Silver-throated Bushtit x Long-tailed Tit); and a few more new island high day counts, including of Oriental Turtle Dove (529 heading east), Eurasian Spoonbill (c. 40 filmed by Kim Eojin in the Hwadong Wetland on 22nd or 23rd), White-naped Crane (11 in the Harrier Fields , again by Kim Eojin), Black Kite (78 together soaring over the eastern side of the reclamation lake) and Oriental Magpie (at least 45 in the north of the island on 30th).

**Eurasian Spoonbill** *Platalea leucorodia* 노랑부리저어새

**Eurasian Goshawk** *Astur gentilis* 참매

**Peregrine Falcon** *Falco peregrinus* 매

Some regular autumn scarcities, e.g., Greater Spotted Eagle (one on 17th and one in the Harrier fields on 21st), Amur Falcon (2-3 on several dates), Hume’s Warbler (one heard on 30th) and Pine Bunting (only one, heard on 17th) were logged, but quite a few usually regular species, like Japanese Quail, Little Owl and even Siberian Rubythroat and Red-flanked Bluetail went completely unrecorded; and although numbers of buntings seemed to have recovered a little from the dismal autumn of 2023, the numbers of finches were extremely poor – with e.g., no more than a couple of thousand Brambling in a day at peak and only a single Hawfinch and two Chinese Grosbeak in total logged. Although many of the above species might simply have been late again, due to yet another exceptionally warm autumn, it looks like the large irruptions of last year in e.g., Red Crossbill and Redpoll, will likely not be repeated this winter.

**Yellow-browed Bunting** *Emberiza chrysophrys* 노랑눈썹멧새

**Ochre-rumped Bunting** *Emberiza yessoensis* 쇠검은머리쑥새

A few selected highlights follow:

Swan Goose Anser cygnoides 개리 . EN. One on the reclamation lake from October 26th.

Whooper Swan Cygnus cygnus 큰고니. Two in Hwadong Wetland and rice fields on October 21st.

Ferruginous Duck Aythya nyroca 적갈색흰죽지. One and one presumed hybrid on the reclamation lake on October 31st.

Stejneger’s Scoter Melanitta stejnegeri 검둥오리사촌. Very low numbers, with the highest count only 31 on October 31st.

Spotted Dove Spilopelia chinensis 목점박이비둘기. In very mild and still conditions on 30th, one was heard giving a series of distinctive (and familiar) croons twice in 45 minutes at Dumujin. In spite of waiting for more than two hours, I could not see the bird in question – perhaps because the bird was in a fenced off area? This is the first island record, and is perhaps only about the 4th or 5th record for the ROK (with previous records from e.g., Heuksan in 2006 and Socheong in May 2009).

White-naped Crane Antigone vipio 재두루미. VU. Probably not annual on the island. Eleven filmed in rice-fields between the reclamation lake and Jinchon (“Harrier Fields”) on October 22nd or 23rd remained until at least 24th. This is the highest count of the species on the island, and based on the weather (very strong northwesterly winds), likely involved birds from the Chinese wintering population of only 900-1000 individuals, rather than from the rather larger Japan-Korea non-breeding population of 6200-7000 individuals.

Hooded Crane Grus monacha 흑두루미. VU. One in the Harrier Fields area throughout. This individual either arrived as part of a group of 3 in May 2024 and stayed; or, per an islander, arrived in autumn 2023. Either way, this individual is being fed corn by local farmers, and now looks heavily obese.

Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis 논병아리. As in previous years, there were multiple groups of recently fledged individuals – suggesting that the species has two or more broods each year on the island (and a breeding season of May-October). According to the section on breeding in the online Birds of the World, “Season very variable, depending on growth of emergent vegetation and water level: Feb–Sept, with peak Apr–Jul, in W Palearctic and May–Jul (occasionally Oct–Feb) in Japan; recorded in all months in tropical Africa, and appears to breed throughout year in at least parts of Sundas (6); two broods, possibly three in warmer regions.”

Eurasian Bittern Botaurus stellaris 알락해오라기. At least three (and likely more!) in the Hwadong Wetland.

Eastern Cattle Egret Ardea coromanda 황로. Three late individuals in rice-fields next to the Hwadong Wetland, with at least two there still on October 31st; and three (perhaps the same?) seen heading northeast out to sea from Jinchon on November 1st.

Purple Heron Ardea purpurea 붉은왜가리. One in the Hwadong Wetland on October 24th.

Black Kite Milvus migrans 솔개. Twos and threes “blogging” in the east of the island on 17th and 18th increased rapidly to at least 78 on October 21st, when about 60 were resting in dead pines next to the reclamation lake (within the area to be cleared for the proposed new airport) in the late afternoon. Most of this flock apparently left the island either that evening or in the torrential rain of the 22nd (?) or during the 60km/h northerly winds of the 23rd. This is the highest island count, and seems likely to be the highest count anywhere in the ROK away from the southeast corner of Geoje to Busan (where the species breeds) since the winter of 1969-1970, when 270 were reported in Seoul (in Park’s 2002 unpublished doctoral thesis).

Long-tailed Tit Aegithalos caudatus 오목눈이 / Silver-throated Bushtit Aegithalos glaucogularis 검은턱오목눈이. Few heard and none seen until a sudden surge in numbers between 24th, when probably 20-30 were in 4-5 fast-roving flocks in Dumujin, and 26th, when there was a flock of about 35 individuals in Junghwadong. Each flock that was seen included a mix of white-headed and head-striped Long-tailed Tits and several flocks also contained 2-5 birds showing features of Silver-throated Bushtit, i.e., dark throat patch, grey back or lack of black band across the forehead, combined with obvious Long-tailed Tit features (e.g. white head or dark head stripes but white forehead and dark lores). A detailed review of plumage features is required, to help establish what is either a high level of plumage variation shown by Silver-throated, or more likely is the result of widespread hybridisation. In the light of these records and of a review of images in the Macaulay library, at least one (and perhaps several) of the birds previously seen on Baengnyeong in 2022 should also be re-identified as hybrids.

Hybrid **Long-tailed Tit** x **Silver-throated Bushtit**

White-shouldered Starling Sturnia sinensis 잿빛쇠찌르레기. One with a flock of about 30 White-cheeked Starlings on October 16th is notable, in being the first autumn record of the species on the island.