Fifth Day: Sincheon River

I took a bus to Dongdecheon Sunday afternoon and walked about 8 miles on this river-walk they have along the Sincheon River. It was warm, and breezy. The first thing that hit me once I got to the river was the smell. Now I have since read that they have made great strides in cleaning up the Sincheon River. I will admit it didn't look bad...But at least the first half of what I walked had that distinct odor of raw sewage. I had visions of adding to that infamous sub-set of my life-list, "Birds I have Thrown Up While Seeing." 8 species..Monterey Pelagic, small craft advisory...But I digress.

Of course there were plenty of Grey Herons (Ardea cinirea) around, and like their North American cousins the Great Blue Heron, they are one of my favorite birds.

There were also good numbers of Little Egrets (Egretta garzetta) plying the shallow river in search of food.

I saw my first Korean ducks as well, the Spot-billed Duck (Anas poecilarhyncha). A Relative of the Mallard, and very similar in habits from what I saw.

Water birds weren't all I saw, however, as a White Wagtail (Motscilla alba leucopsis) came to the river for a visit as well allowing a few photographs.

Among the shorebirds present, I saw a Sharp-tailed Sandpiper (Calidris acuminata), Little Ringed Plover (Charadrius dubius) and Long-billed Plover (C. placidus), pictured here.

I also managed my first two ode pictures in Korea. This first one was a lucky in-flight shot of one that was hawking near a drainage culvert. It's little fuzzy but I'm pretty confident it is a Pseudothemis zonata.

The second ode was much more cooperative and perched nicely on the walk so I could get a picture. Here's my first Orthetrum albistylum speciosum.

I'm not sure if this sign I saw several places was directed toward dragonflies, though I have a hunch the basic message is, "don't eat the fish!"

It didn't stop these local fishing buddies, however. (I also noticed several of the humanoid variety as well)

I turned around once I reached a rice paddy. Though I searched in vain for Intermediate Egret, the best I could do was Little and Great Egrets and, more Spot-billed Ducks.