Shaking off Winter’s Chill

Winter has arrived and for many of us, that means bundling up under many layers of thick clothing and visiting the local coffee shop a little more often than usual. Perhaps you indulge in hot drinks, get cozy under a blanket, and enjoy your ondol or space heater with a good book or movie. Whatever we do, it usually involves staying indoors, and leaving the outdoors until spring returns.

However, winter is a fascinating time to observe birds. Many have come long distances to spend the winter in our city; the Yeongsan River comes alive with ducks like Eurasian wigeon and northern shoveler. In the quiet forests around Mudeung Mountain, the Eurasian nuthatch and red-flanked bluetail become common sights. And our skies are silently patrolled by eastern buzzards, soaring high overhead in search of food.

I have recently led public outings in Gwangju and surrounding areas in the hopes of generating interest and creating awareness about the wintering birds that share our city with us. In late November I led a wonderful group along the banks of the Yeongsan River in Dongnim-dong, where we observed nearly 30 different species in just a few hours. Most of my fellow birdwatchers were Gwangjuites, but we also had visitors from as far away as Seoul, who came in just for this event.

In the middle of December I held an outing to Haenam County, with the generous help of Pedro Kim of Pedro’s House Hostel and Lonely Korea tours, who provided transportation and lunch. Haenam is well known as a site for the beautiful Baikal teal, which returns to the waterways there every winter. The group was stunned by the great murmur of the teals at dusk, and became aware of the beauty and fragility of these small birds and their unassuming habitat. The majority of the world’s population of Baikal teal overwinter in Haenam; it would take only the loss of this one habitat to irrevocably cripple this species.

Although the world seems to fall asleep in winter, the truth is that life continues on despite the cold. And in many ways the real stories of survival occur now, when daylight falls short and the temperature drops. I invite everyone to come out and see it for his or herself. Look for future events on the Gwangju Birds Korea Facebook page and the Birds Korea Events blog.