Has been a  while not posting on this blog, but here are some birds from the temperate new world.

Savannah Sparrow

Orange-crowned Warbler

Common Yellowthroat

Raptors of Hawk mountain sanctuary 2013 spring

3 Months and a half of training program at Hawk Mountain Sanctuary..

I've learnt a lot of things, theories, techniques, communication skills and mos important friendship.

but I also had numerous chances to have a look at many raptor species.. that migrate  or breed  in the area.

Rare migrant.. Northern Goshawk

Red-shouldered Hawk

Nocturnal birds of prey also counts huh?..

Eastern Screech Owl

Bald Eagle - almost gain adult plumage..many secondaries are new...

Brave Merlin stooping on decoy owl

Broad-winged Hawk flight at bright sunny day..

and the Black vulture..

RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD

During training at HMS, I had some chances to take pictures of these magnificent

bird their group only appears in new-world.

I had a hummingbird feeder set up from the early April and throughout May to June, 

they became used to this feeder filled with sugary water.

Female adult.

immature bird approaches..

and maneuvers through strings that hold our feeder..

Gently, but swift

reach to the feeder.

Dark spots on chin feathers might indicate its a male..

front..

and takes a sip

get closer..

and backs off

amazingly small bird...

During Antarctic monitoring surveys...

Jeju Island and Mara Island. 2012.10.11-10.13

I visited Jeju Island and Mara Island for visiting mysenior researcher to get advice about graduate schools.

and also, expected a mount of birding.

In Middle of Fall Migration, this trip showed a good numbers of ospreys, Eastern buzzards, and currently irrupting great tits and varied tits. and some highlights of this trip.

common buzzards(Eastern),  some flocks of4-5 birds were frequently seen.

Also Ospreys werepresentin 4-5 individuals in a flock, or some lonly birds.

On the ship to Mara Island, the southernmost Island of korean territory, We saw 7-10 streaked shearwaters

First rarity was the long tailed-shrike, which is now quite regularly seen bird.

On the windy grasslands, two Richard's pipit, one juvenile-first winter  and one more-first winter bird was observed

and several japanese bush-warblers.

and peregrine falcons

and this year's gift. the Yellow bellied tit. Its a first winter male.

more than hundreds of Coal tits were migrating also, mostof them were juveniles

This varied tit got it's prize!

Some Juvenile Dunlins were resting at Hadori,wetland

and This year's First autumn Black facedspoonbill. It seems to be an adult bird. with clear white wingtips and wrincled bill.

The last bird of the day was an Neat adult Sacred Heron

and  10-or more Sand martin

forest bird count

Mt. Mae-hwa, Hong-cheon, Gang-won province

foggy morning at Gang-won province.

Forests were silvicultured in various ways, and thanks to secondary vegitations growing at these opening, I got a bunch of scratch marks on my legs, face, and arms.

Barbed and thorned shrubs, berries.. they really bother.

Eurasian nutach, Despite of numerous reports on chinese nuthatches, showing irruptive migration,

I couldn't find any. Instead, there were plenty of these Eurasian nuthatches allong the day. some showed erratic behavior, feeding on seeds of grass at the middle of large forest openings. reminecent of typical buntings.

Another unexpected sightings were provied by these magnificent male Hazel grouses

there were several singing males all around the survey area, It was my first record of Hazel grouse's display and territorial songs. They reacted to the recorded playback songs immediately. Do they form strict territorries for winter? or starts mating from early fall? In my previous experience,although it is just a handfull , I heard mostof hazel grouse songs during spring seasons.

an immature male was also present at the site, along with singing adlut above.

Forest was entering Autumn, leaves were changing, Chipmunks were gathering winter foods.

white backed woodpeckers were abundant, feeding on snags and logs.

Yellow browed warblers were  gleaning forest canopies, with few, silent arctic warblers.

there are bunch of other stories I've wnt through last month, I'll go on further

Gang-wha Island, Waderwatch 2012

Expecting for Waders, and some after storm(there was a great typoon passed by last day) vagrants, Me and my collegues visited Gangwha Island. 29, August, 2012

It was not so productive as we expected, but still we could find a lots of Far Eastern Curlews and Terek sandpipers. It was a really sunny and windy day right after typoon.

there were lots of black tailed gulls..as always. this day, the tide was very high,about 700m.

an Juvile Far eastern curlew showing relatively shorter bill than adult's extremely long and curved one.

many birds were this year's juveniles, including this brown eared bulbul.

although we know that most of these young birds do not survive until next breeding season, we hoped that this poor, somewhat ragged kid could live long and prosper.

Several mudskippers amused us during birdless long walks.

 it is really funny to watch that they running on the surface of water.

Far eastern curlews, about 12 hundredbirds were the most abundant birds of this day's Gangwha Island.

and one of the 7 black faced Spoonbills,This yearling was busy in fishing in the upcoming tide.

Breif count during birding, Birds of this day.

Grey Plover 10-20
Terek Sandpipder 200-300
Eurasian curlew 2-3
Far eastern Curlew 1200-1300
Wimbrel 10
Common sandpiper 10
Common greenshank 30
Chinese egret 30 (mostly in non-breeding plumage)
Great egret(eastern?) 9
Grey heron 3
Black naped oreole 1
Grey wagtail 1-2 flying overhead
White wagtail, leucopsis 2
Brown eared bulbul 6-9
Black faced spoonbill 7
Dark-sided flycatcher 1
Tree sparrows 100+
Vinous throated parrotbill 50+
Eurasian turtle dove 10+
Black billed magpie 10+
Large billed crow 2
Straited heron 2
black crowned Night heron 1
Great commorant 1
(eastern)Great tit 2-3