Wednesday 13 May 2009

13th May 2009 Hegura-jima

13/5/09 Out at 4.30am to a light westerly wind. There had been heavy rain overnight which cleared by dawn. The wind increased to SW4 by 9.30am but moderated to W2 by 2pm and was calm and sunny by 5pm. By 7am highlights included a Dusky Warbler and Chestnut Bunting sharing a bush below the lighthouse and 2 Green Pigeons that appeared to arrive from the north. We spent time photographing an obliging Grey-tailed Tattler before meeting Chris Cook and Nigel Ball from the ferry at 10.30am. We took Nigel on a tour of staked-out migrants also finding a newly arrived Eye-browed Thrush on the northerly beaches and a fine male Mugimaki Flycatcher in the Tsusaka fields. At around midday a Chinese Pond Heron was seen arriving over the harbour park and we spent the afternoon photographing a female Siberian Thrush before finding a male Japanese Yellow Bunting amongst other migrants that had arrived late afternoon. This influx also included our first Chestnut-eared Bunting.
Japanese Grosbeak Eophona personata personata and Hawfinch Coccothraustes coccothraustes japonicus at Tsukasa on Hegura-jima, 13th May 2009

Male Hawfinch Coccothraustes coccothraustes japonicus at Tsukasa on Hegura-jima, 13th May 2009

Yellow-browed Warbler Phylloscopus inornatus at the Harbour Park on Hegura-jima, 13th May 2009

Male Rustic Bunting Emberiza rustica at the Harbour Park on Hegura-jima, 13th May 2009


Wisteria at the Southern Shrine on Hegura-jima, 13th May 2009



Eastern Crowned Warbler Phylloscopus coronatus at the Southern Shrine on Hegura-jima, 13th May 2009
Adult breeding-plumaged Grey-tailed Tattler Tringa brevipes near Minshuku Tsuki on Hegura-jima, 13th May 2009

Adult male Mugimaki Flycatcher Ficedula mugimaki at the Tsukasa Fields on Hegura-jima, 13th May 2009


Red-rumped Swallow Cecropis daurica shortly before being taken by an Accipiter at the Tsukasa Fields on Hegura-jima, 13th May 2009


The northern shrine on Hegura-jima, 13th May 2009


Male Siberian Stonechat Saxicola maurus stejnegeri at the Harbour Park on Hegura-jima, 13th May 2009


The northern Central Track on Hegura-jima, 13th May 2009



Female Siberian Thrush Zoothera sibirica davisoni near the northern Central Track on Hegura-jima, 13th May 2009


Male Rufous-tailed Robin Luscinia sibilans near the northern Central Track on Hegura-jima, 13th May 2009



Male Siberian Blue Robin Luscinia cyane near the northern Central Track on Hegura-jima, 13th May 2009

Female Japanese Grey Thrush Turdus cardis near the northern Central Track on Hegura-jima, 13th May 2009

First-year male Japanese Grey Thrush Turdus cardis near the northern Central Track on Hegura-jima, 13th May 2009



Singing male Japanese Yellow Bunting Emberiza sulphurata along the northern Central Track on Hegura-jima, 13th May 2009

Female Daurian Starling Sturnus sturninus at the Tsukasa Fields on Hegura-jima, 13th May 2009

Adult Osprey Pandion haliaetus haliaetus over the Tsukasa Fields on Hegura-jima, 13th May 2009



Adult male Mugimaki Flycatcher Ficedula mugimaki at the Tsukasa Fields on Hegura-jima, 13th May 2009

Species noted:

Streaked Shearwater 500
Japanese Cormorant 25
Pelagic Cormorant 5
Chinese Pond Heron 1
Little Egret 1
Great Egret 1
Grey Heron 6
Wigeon 2
Spot-billed Duck 1
Osprey 1
Black-eared Kite 2
Japanese Sparrowhawk 1
Sparrowhawk 1
Hobby 1
Peregrine 2
Black-winged Stilt 1
Latham's Snipe 3
Wood Sandpiper 3
Grey-tailed Tattler 5
Black-tailed Gull 100
Slaty-backed Gull 2
Japanese Woodpigeon 2
Oriental Turtle Dove 3
Japanese Green Pigeon 2
Common Cuckoo 1
Swallow 20
Red-rumped Swallow 1
Olive-backed Pipit 8
Grey Wagtail 4
Black-backed Wagtail 20
Brown-eared Bulbul 1
Rufous-tailed Robin 1
Siberian Rubythroat 2
Siberian Blue Robin 1
Siberian Stonechat 1
Blue Rock Thrush 3
Siberian Thrush 2
Japanese Grey Thrush 2
Brown Thrush 1
Eye-browed Thrush 2
Dusky Thrush 5
Japanese Bush Warbler 8
Oriental Great Reed Warbler 1
Eastern Crowned Warbler 5
Yellow-browed Warbler 10
Dusky Warbler 2
Brown Flycathcer 8
Mugimaki Flycatcher 3
Narcissus Flycatcher 4
Japanese White-eye 5
Large-billed Crow 4
Daurian Starling 1
Chestnut-cheeked Starling 5
Brambling 5
Oriental Greenfinch 20
Siskin 5
Japanese Grosbeak 6
Hawfinch 35
Crossbill 1
Black-faced Bunting 8
Japanese Yellow Bunting 1
Chestnut-eared Bunting 1
Rustic Bunting 4
Chestnut Bunting 1