Birding surprise on Guam

It should not be surprising to see a Grey-tailed Tattler or a Common Tern on the island of Guam if you consider the ranges of these species, but for a birder on Guam it is surprising to see ANY bird that could be considered native to that island. The only land birds you can expect to see are a few introduced species; the native land birds have been extirpated by the introduced Brown Tree Snake. The Tattler and the Tern can probably be considered "native" only because they might stop in here during migration, or perhaps spend the winter here along the coastline.

So when these two landed briefly in front of me during my recent visit there, I WAS surprised and pleased, not because they are "new" species for me, but provided a small glimmer of hope that Guam will not become a complete ornithological desert. During the remainder of my trip through five Asian countries, I had no time for birding; just brief glimpses of birds through bus and train windows. I did have a minute to enjoy watching a juvenile Black-billed Magpie in a tall tree in Taejon, South Korea.