Spring Weekend

This weekend was really nice. We went to bed early on Friday and got up early on Sunday to head to Suncheon. Suncheon is on the ocean (we headed to the bay) and has lots of reed birds and waders. It was a gorgeous day and a lovely bus ride to Suncheon. Having been their once before, we knew where to get the bus, and once in Suncheon figured out how to get to the bay (man is bay in Korean). We go their and wandered around the non-korean infested area. Koreans have a tendency to only wander in the area that is specifically designated for wandering. They know when they are supposed to go to certain cities, and what they are supposed to do and they know where to take pictures and don't really seem to go off the beaten path. This is convenient for us because we saw where the herd was headed, and went the opposite way. We were almost instantly on our own, surrounded by reed beds, mountains all around and blue skies. We worked our way around the area, enjoying the warm air and cool breeze. Plenty of new birds for me to see. In addition, as we were walking I noticed something move in a nearby puddle. Upon closer inspection with the binoculars I made out what looked to be a tadpole like creature... it was the same color as the mud, had two legs and used its tail to prop itself up and move forward in the mud. its eyes bulged from the sides of its head and it moved slowly. Soon I saw more of these creatures. They were slightly frightening, and I was not able to get a picture, but the bigger ones appeared to have fins on the back...Maybe I discovered a new species...
The rest of the walk was nice, though cold in some areas because of the wind. We saw some beautiful birds that we had missed on the way back and at the very end, right when Dom was commenting on the lack of lifers for him we heard a bird he had not seen before, but knew. We searched for the warbler for 20 minutes or so, but it was too busy eating and hiding from us for us to be able to view the bird... hopefully we will catch it another time.

Today we went to Geoje, an island not to far away and surprisingly inexpensive and easy to get to. We took a bus around 9:30 from Changwon to Jinhae, and then a Ferry from Jinhae to Geoje. It was a gorgeous day, warmer than Saturday and the Ferry ride was pleasant. We wandered around Geoje on the bus and came across what turned into a not so idyllic beach. We found the one restaurant in town and, as is typical in small towns, were told there was no menu, so we got whatever they deemed appropriate for us. Lots of sides and a whole fish soup turned into an interesting but good lunch. After that we went to the beach and saw that it was not officially beach season which meant two things. First, no Korean on the beach. Second, the Koreans didn't seem bothered by the trash that washed on shore just staying on the beach since they weren't supposed to be sitting on the beach yet anyway... We found a small wooden chair, loads of glass and ceramic bits and a dead cat. Other than that the beach served its purpose...sand, cool water, and very bright sun. We lay around for awhile and then made our way home. It was nice to be out and about all weekend and still be able to sleep at home in out nice comfy bed. Now I am eating some apple and banana slices with a little lemon juice, some yogurt and almonds. delicious end to a very relaxing and invigorating weekend.