Junam Wetlands Park for the birds

Tuesday 1st October

Hundreds of thousands of birds pass through the Junam Wetlands each year. Many migrate from Northern Russia and China and stay for the northern winter.

The area is protected and the government pays local rice farmers for their crops to ensure the birds are fed.

By our standards, the wetlands appear small, however our guide assured us that it is an important reserve for the migrating birds and people who come to watch treat the area with respect and calmness.

We visited the wetlands in early autumn, so there were not many birds to be seen. We spotted some cranes and ducks and a lot of dragonflies. We were also told that the country is in drought so the level of the water in the wetlands is low.

Korea is mostly granite, not good for agriculture nor mineral resources. The rainy season is in Summer, during July, when more than 60% of the entire rainfall happens. During the rest of the year the streams and rivers are fed from water seeping out of the granite rocks.

We were treated to a guided tour of the education centre and then a walk around the embankments with viewing spots.  I still can’t believe that small area can cater for so many birds.  It seems that every creature (man or beast or bird) lives in close proximity in Korea.