6/11/10 Hegura-jima, Japan

6/11/10: W2 and clear conditions. With four friends Aki, Kabutomashi, Ted and Rob due to arrive on the ferry the early morning was worryingly quiet and clearly many migrants had again left the island overnight. Before the ferry arrived the only notable species seen was a Red-breasted Flycatcher at Tsukasa. So we headed there first which proved a good choice as we soon stumbled upon our only Common Rosefinch of the trip and then soon refound yesterday’s male Pallas’s Reed Bunting and a Siberian Accentor made a very welcome appearance. A Pacific Swift overflew the fields and it then got even better as a juvenile Siberian Grey Shrike appeared atop one of the moored fishing boat masts and a Japanese Waxwing alighted atop a nearby pine alongside a Bohemian Waxwing. We spent a very enjoyable evening with our friends and Takao-san and his wife.

Common Reed Bunting at Tsukasa

Japanese Waxwing along the Central Track

Siberian Buff-bellied Pipit at the Harbour Park

Common Rosefinch at Tsukasa

Pacific Swift over Tsukasa

Siberian Great Grey Shrike at Tsukasa

Male Korean Bullfinch P.(p.) rosacea at Tsukasa

The uniform pink cheeks and underparts

Waxwing at Tsukasa

Siberian Accentor at Tsukasa

Asian Goldcrest R.(r.) japonensis at Tsukasa

Brazil (2009) notes that some evidence exists to separate this form.

Kabutomushi celebrating photographing Siberian Accentor at Tsukasa

Kabutomushi and Aki at Tsukasa

Mandarin Duck at the Drinking Pool

Ted Shimba along the Central Track

Rufous Turtle Dove near the School

Toshikazu Onishi-san (left) and his friend leaving the island - the finder of Japan's first Spotted Flycatcher on Hegura-jima

Silent for a change!!

Male Pallas's Reed Bunting at Tsukasa

Hawfinch at Tsukasa

Species noted:

Great Crested Grebe 1

Streaked Shearwater 5

Cormorant 20

Eastern Reef Egret 2

Grey Heron 2

Mandarin Duck 1

Black-eared Kite 1

Japanese Sparrowhawk 1

Sparrowhawk 2

Black-tailed Gull 50

Vega Gull 5

Slaty-backed Gull 10

Rufous Turtle Dove 5

Pacific Swift 1

Skylark 15

Siberian Buff-bellied Pipit 10

Black-backed Wagtail 5

Brown-eared Bulbul 3

Japanese Waxwing 1

Waxwing 6

Siberian Accentor 1

Daurian Redstart 20

Blue Rock Thrush 6

Dusky Thrush 30

Naumann's Thrush 3

Japanese Bush Warbler 10

Goldcrest 20

Wren 1

Red-breasted Flycatcher 1

Siberian Great Grey Shrike 1 juvenile

Eastern Rook 2

Large-billed Crow 4

White-cheeked Starling 8

Brambling 50

Siskin 25

Mealy Redpoll 10

Common Rosefinch 1

Long-tailed Rosefinch 1

Bullfinch 2 rosacea

Hawfinch 15

Grey Bunting 5

Masked Bunting 5

Elegant Bunting 15

Rustic Bunting 20

Reed Bunting 3

Pallas's Reed Bunting 1 male