Jeff Hopkins
Just another...observer
Hi All,
Looks like my next visit to Asia is going to be Korea again, this time in June. I know summertime in Korea isn't the best birding season, but I figure I'll have some time to kill on a weekend or two. I won't have any transport - our company doesn't let us drive there anymore - so I'm stuck with public transport. I'll be based out of Ansan, near Seoul, but could possible get away for a day trip or even a weekend.
I've birded a lot in Korea, mostly in the outskirts of Seoul, and elsewhere in Asia, too, so the typical target birds one goes to Korea for (waders, spoonbills, gulls) are not really a priority - not that waders will be around in late June anyway. I've looked at the Birds Korea list of what can be found in Korea, and there's only about a dozen birds found in the summer that would be new. But I was hoping people on the list here could make some recommendations on where I might find those targets.
Here's the target list:
Hazel Grouse - Any chance at Namhansanseong or Seoraksan?
Streaked Shearwater - East Coast?
Swinhoe's Storm-petrel - East Coast?
Shrenk's Bittern
Chinese Sparrowhawk
Ruddy Crake
Northern Hawk Cuckoo
Oriental Cuckoo
Oriental Scops-owl
Northern Boobook
Ruddy Kingfisher
Fairy Pitta
Manchurian Bush-warbler
Asian Stubtail
Styan's Grasshopper-warbler - Any chance this can be found at Ansan Reed Park?
Yes, I know. None of them are slam dunks, and it's doubtful any could be found in suburban Seoul, so I was thinking about going to Seoraksan for the weekend after the work is done. But it might be pretty crowded by the time I get there in late June.
Any thoughts?
TIA,
Jeff
PS Or should I just stop in Hokkaido on the way home :-O
Looks like my next visit to Asia is going to be Korea again, this time in June. I know summertime in Korea isn't the best birding season, but I figure I'll have some time to kill on a weekend or two. I won't have any transport - our company doesn't let us drive there anymore - so I'm stuck with public transport. I'll be based out of Ansan, near Seoul, but could possible get away for a day trip or even a weekend.
I've birded a lot in Korea, mostly in the outskirts of Seoul, and elsewhere in Asia, too, so the typical target birds one goes to Korea for (waders, spoonbills, gulls) are not really a priority - not that waders will be around in late June anyway. I've looked at the Birds Korea list of what can be found in Korea, and there's only about a dozen birds found in the summer that would be new. But I was hoping people on the list here could make some recommendations on where I might find those targets.
Here's the target list:
Hazel Grouse - Any chance at Namhansanseong or Seoraksan?
Streaked Shearwater - East Coast?
Swinhoe's Storm-petrel - East Coast?
Shrenk's Bittern
Chinese Sparrowhawk
Ruddy Crake
Northern Hawk Cuckoo
Oriental Cuckoo
Oriental Scops-owl
Northern Boobook
Ruddy Kingfisher
Fairy Pitta
Manchurian Bush-warbler
Asian Stubtail
Styan's Grasshopper-warbler - Any chance this can be found at Ansan Reed Park?
Yes, I know. None of them are slam dunks, and it's doubtful any could be found in suburban Seoul, so I was thinking about going to Seoraksan for the weekend after the work is done. But it might be pretty crowded by the time I get there in late June.
Any thoughts?
TIA,
Jeff
PS Or should I just stop in Hokkaido on the way home :-O
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