Other noteworthy birds from the day were Harlequin Duck, large numbers of Red-Breasted Merganser, Common Merganser, Red-throated Loon, Red-necked Grebe, Slavonian Grebe, Pelagic Cormorant, Falcated Duck and Northern Goshawk. Most noteworthy (for me) was a single Siberian Accentor calling from a wooded area at the base of a light house and a flock of around 100 Bramblings moving through some trees near to where we were birding at one of our stops. Being that the focus of the weekend was on seabirds we only noted a handful of passerines. At one of the many lagoons we stopped at, we got fantastic looks at an Artic Loon and learned a lot about loon identification at that time. Of the gulls seen on Saturday, the highlights were a Glaucous-winged Gull and a couple Glaucous Gulls, Taimyr Gulls and a few very smart Common Gulls. Distant looks at Ancient Murrelet and Rhinoceros Auklet were common throughout the day. Saturday we saw small numbers of Common Pochard and White-winged Scoter moving north along the coast. Moores is a meticulous and patient teacher/mentor and it was through spending time with him that I take away the most from this weekend. To take the time to sit and really break down a bird until I know everything there is to know about it is the only way to take my skills to that next level (that I didn’t really know existed until this weekend). Doing it that way, though, was just scratching the surface and leaving me without ever really knowing a bird. To find a field mark and move to the next bird was my game. Before this weekend I was something of a field mark birder, too. Anyone can set one up and look into the eyepiece and see some birds, but to get to most out of one takes practice and patience. I never realized that there really is an “art” to scoping. Lastly, to have the opportunity to hone my skills next to some of the best birders on the peninsula was a “once-in-a-lifetime” opportunity.
![rhinoceros auklet rhinoceros auklet](https://images.fineartamerica.com/images-medium-large-5/1-rhinoceros-auklet-art-wolfe.jpg)
To sit and talk conservation and the science of birding with Dr.
![rhinoceros auklet rhinoceros auklet](https://images.fineartamerica.com/images/artworkimages/mediumlarge/1/rhinoceros-auklet-reflection-mike-dawson.jpg)
Saturday evening we stayed in Pohang and were able to share great conversation over good pizza. Second, and this goes hand-in-hand with the first point, I thoroughly enjoyed the times we weren’t “eye-on-scope” as much as when we were focused on the birding. I learned a lot about myself being around such good people and great birders. There were seven very different people present, though everyone’s passion for birding and conservation was evident. I found out that it’s definitely the people that make this organization what it is. A few things really stand out to me from the trip.įirst, to be in the company of six fellow Birds Koreans was special. The weekend started out with snow on the drive in and stayed brisk and breezy for the remainder of the weekend, which made for some cold fingers and noses, as well as some tricky birding.
![rhinoceros auklet rhinoceros auklet](http://seabirdprotectionnetwork.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Rhinoceros-Auklet-SE-Farallon-Island-06-29-08-263.jpg)
We were able to see 57 species over the course of two days, including a few real good looks at some nice birds (more on this later). I had the opportunity to spend the weekend with six fellow birders from Birds Korea (of six different countries), on a trip to the east coast for some sea-watching and hopefully a pelagic trip (fell through due to weather). Nial Moores, Ju Yong-ki Nim, Jason Loghry, Tim Edelsten, Matt Poll and Subhojit ChakladarĪncient Murrelets Synthliboramphus antiquus.