Hello, I'll be on a business trip to Seoul Mid march, and I have a couple of days available to head out birding, I was hoping to find another birder in the area who would be willing to go out with me, as I am language and transportation limited.
Hope this isn't too late. I should have checked in earlier.
In addition to the Gwangneung Arboretum, another surprisingly good place to go for birds is Nami Island. It’s a huge destination for tourists from Asia and is noisy and crowded. Despite that, it’s still a surprisingly decent place for birds.
To the Gwangneung Arboretum by mass transit:
Subway line number 1 to Uijeongbu station. When you exit the ticket gates, turn left towards exit 5. Go out of the station and down the escalator, passing the annoying preacher that has been there every morning 7 days a week for years (and who will hit you up in English). Continue out toward the big street. When you hit it, turn left past exit 5-2 of the station to the bus stop. Both buses 21 and 23 go there. (It's good to check beforehand about the bus numbers because they have changed periodically over the years. E.g. it used to be buses 22 and 22-1 that went there. Now it's 21 and 23.) Confusingly, the bus stop, "Gwangneung sumogwon" (Gwangneung Arboretum) is for the employees-only entrance. The next stop, “Gwangneung,” only 100 meters or so down the road, is the main entrance. It takes almost an hour to get there if you want to get to the arboretum at opening time when it's the least crowded, which means taking it at about 8 AM. At that time of day, it takes forever to wind through the crowded downtown area. You'll get there 15 minutes faster if you go later in the day, but there might be more people there, including noisy school children on field trips.
You are supposed to make reservations to visit the arboretum, though they might make exceptions for a foreigner who just shows up (I wouldn't count on it, though. Every time I've been there, the staff have asked me if I have a reservation in a stressed out tone that implied that if I didn't there would have been a problem). There is sometimes basic English spoken if you call them directly at 042-481-4151 or 1588-3249. If not, call the Korea Tourist Information service at 1330. They should be able to reserve for you.
Get a map of the place at the information center before you start exploring. Also, tell them that you’re interested in birds. There’s a guy there who knows a little about birds (though he’s not an expert) and speaks basic English. He should be able to tell you if there’s anything special there and where it is. If he’s not at the information center, look for him out walking around. He has an employee badge around his neck and a camera with a telephoto lens. In addition to Solitary Snipe, the arboretum is a good place to see Black Woodpecker (and other woodpeckers as well, including Grey-capped). Ask the staff about the whereabouts of any Black Woodpeckers or other birds of interest that might be there.
To Nami Island using mass transit:
The best thing is to take the Gyeongchun ITX train from either Yongsan or Cheongnyangni stations, whichever is most convenient for you, to Gapyoung Station. You can’t use a transit card for it, but have to buy a separate ticket. But it’s incredibly economical. Only 4000-5000 won for the 45-55 minute journey. From Gapyoung station, it’s a 30-minute walk to the ticket office for the island. You have to buy a day-pass for W10,000, which includes round-trip boat fare (it’s only 5 minutes to the island) and admission to the island. (The adventurous can shell out W30,000 to zipline onto the island…) Get a map of the island when you get your ticket.
It’s best to get there as early as possible as the island gets crowded and noisy by 10-10:30 AM (though even when crowded and noisy, the birds are still there…). The first boat is at 7:30 AM. You can just catch it if you take the train from Yongsan station at around 6 AM, which puts you at Gapyoung just before 7 AM. I like to walk as there are sometimes birds along the way. But you can take a 5-minute taxi ride as well. If you walk, you have to go fast and can’t stop for too much birding because boats only go every 30 minutes for the first couple hours in the morning. I missed the 7:30 boat by like 30 seconds one time and had to wait (and waste) half an hour for the next boat.
The best possible way to visit the island is to actually stay at the accommodation on the island. That way you can be up at dawn and really beat the crowds. Unfortunately, that is really popular with locals and getting reservations at the island accommodation is really hard, especially at short notice. If you want to try, though, call the tourist office at 1330 or visit one of their offices to inquire.
Generally, the most productive areas for birds are on the west/southwest parts of the island all the way to the southern tip of the island. A good strategy is to get off the boat and, instead of heading towards the big central path, veer right and hug the west side of the island heading towards the southern tip. Almost every May there is a breeding family of Tawny Owls in that area. I’ve seen Black Woodpecker there about half the times I’ve been to the island. The island used to be a reliable spot for the hard-to-see Ruddy Kingfisher, but constant construction and development has made it harder these days, though it’s still possible. There are birds also on the eastern side of the island, mostly towards the southern tip, but also in the central part. Also, near the hotel café there’s a pond with a few trees around it that once hosted a Black Woodpecker nest and always seems to support some birds.
One good thing to do is look for people with big cameras and scopes and approach them politely. They sometimes speak English and are usually happy to tell you what they’re looking at and what else is on the island. If you have a field guide with you, they can point out the birds they know about in the area.
If you leave the island anywhere from 3-7 PM, lines for boats returning to the mainland can be super long, especially May-October. I usually just stay till lunchtime or so, but have stayed longer in the past and endured the long lines when the birding has been productive enough to keep me there.
There are dining options on the island, but they are more expensive than on the mainland and the food quality is mediocre. Bringing snacks and/or a picnic lunch is a good idea. The restaurants around the ferry pier are also generally mediocre as they cater to tourists. But they’re not terrible. One exception used to be the Daramgol (다람골) restaurant. But they changed owners in 2013 and are not what they used to be. Still, it’s possibly the best call in the area. It’s about 400 meters from the ferry pier on the right, set back from the road a bit, as you head towards Gapyoung station.
