22/5/09 Out by 4.30am. Showers that commenced before dawn continued for the morning with NE2 becoming SW3 by late afternoon. The overcast conditions resulted in 4 White-throated Needletails flying back and forth over the lighthouse area for an hour early morning. Spent a while head-scratching with Aki over the identification of a Snipe performing at the drinking pool. The afternoon produced an obliging Little Cuckoo and an Oriental Honey Buzzard that arrived low in off the sea from the north.
White-throated Needletails Hirundapus caudacutus caudacutus over Hegura-jima, 22nd May 2009
Black-browed Reed Warbler Acrocephalus bistrigiceps along the western shore of Hegura-jima, 22nd May 2009
Pin-tailed Snipe Gallinago stenura at the drinking pool on Hegura-jima, 22nd May 2009
Considered virtually indistinguishable from Swinhoe's Snipe the careful scrutiny of images of this individual revealed the distinctive pin-like outer tail feathers of Pin-tailed Snipe.
Lesser Cuckoo Cuculus poliocephalus poliocephalus at the south-western tip of Hegura-jima, 22nd May 2009
Adult male White-bellied Green Pigeons Treron sieboldii sieboldii in pines south of the Community Centre on Hegura-jima, 22nd May 2009
Dollarbird Eurystomus orientalis calonyx at the north-east tip of Hegura-jima, 22nd May 2009
Female Narcissus Flycatcher Ficedula narcissina at the northerly tip of Hegura-jima, 22nd May 2009
Dark-sided Flycatcher Muscicapa sibirica sibirica at the northerly tip of Hegura-jima, 22nd May 2009
Adult summer-plumaged Chinese Pond Heron Ardeola bacchus along the western shore of Hegura-jima, 22nd May 2009
Female Blue-and-white Flycatcher Cyanoptila cyanomelana cyanomelana on Hegura-jima, 22nd May 2009Species noted:
Streaked Shearwater 35
Japanese Cormorant 10
Pelagic Cormorant 5
Chinese Pond Heron 1
Cattle Egret 3
Little Egret 1
Intermediate Egret 4
Great Egret 1
Grey Heron 5
Spot-billed Duck 2
Crested Honey Buzzard 1
Black-eared Kite 2
Peregrine 1
Black-winged Stilt 1
Pacific Golden Plover 1
Common Snipe 1
Pin-tailed Snipe 1
Common Sandpiper 2
Grey-tailed Tattler 3
Turnstone 2
Black-tailed Gull 50
Slaty-backed Gull 1
Oriental Turtle Dove 5
Japanese Green Pigeon 9
Oriental Cuckoo 3
Little Cuckoo 1
White-throated Needletail 4
Pacific Swift 1
Dollarbird 1
Swallow 15
Red-rumped Swallow 1
Tree Pipit 1
Black-backed Wagtail 20
Brown-eared Bulbul 6
Siberian Rubythroat 5
Siberian Stonechat 1
Blue Rock Thrush 2
Dusky Thrush 5
Japanese Bush Warbler 2
Black-browed Reed Warbler 6
Oriental Great Reed Warbler 2
Arctic Warbler xanthodryas 1
Blue-and-white Flycatcher 1
Dark-sided Flycatcher 1
Grey-streaked Flycatcher 3
Brown Flycatcher 5
Narcissus Flycatcher 3
Japanese White-eye 2
Large-billed Crow 4
Chestnut-cheeked Starling 3
Oriental Greenfinch 20
Hawfinch 15
Black-faced Bunting 6
Chestnut-eared Bunting 1
