20/10/10 Hegura-jima, Japan

20/10/10: A South 1 breeze with high cloud that soon disappeared leaving hot sunny and calm conditions. On the early morning walk a dry ‘tac tac’ call revealed the presence of a Dusky Warbler opposite the Dragon’s Pool that eventually performed in the tall grass there. A morning visit to Tsukasa added 3 Red-throated Pipits briefly grounded there that proved our maximum daily count of our trip. We were then shown an obliging Ficedula Flycatcher below the lighthouse that we quickly identified as Hegura-jima’s second Red-breasted Flycatcher. Covering the island we found our only Sakhalin Leaf Warbler and only Narcissus Flycatcher of our trip and our maximum daily counts of 4 Olive-backed Pipits, 10 Arctic Warblers and 4 Little Buntings. Just before duck, whilst back at Tsukasa, we found our only Asian Stubtail of the trip that proved a fine finale to the day.

Dusky Warbler opposite the Dragon's Pool

Painted Lady

Common Reed Bunting at Tsukasa Fields

Common Reed Bunting at Tsukasa Fields

Chestnut-eared Bunting at Tsukasa Fields

Little Bunting at Tsukasa Fields

Juvenile female Peregrine near the Northern Shrine

Red-breasted Flycatcher near the Lighthouse

 

Yellow-browed Warbler near the Lighthouse

Sakhalin Leaf Warbler in the Southwestern Enclosures

Little Bunting in the Southwestern Enclosures

Olive-backed Pipit in the Southwestern Enclosures

Masked Bunting in the Southwestern Enclosures

Species noted:

Streaked Shearwater 2

Eastern Reef Egret 1
Grey Heron 4
Mandarin Duck 4
Teal 1
Mallard 4
Black-eared Kite 1
Japanese Sparrowhawk 1
Sparrowhawk 4
Peregrine 2
Snipe sp. 1
Black-tailed Gull 25
Slaty-backed Gull 1
Rufous Turtle Dove 4
Japanese Green Pigeon 1
Great Spotted Woodpecker 1
Skylark 5
Olive-backed Pipit 4
Red-throated Pipit 3
Siberian Buff-bellied Pipit 10
Amur Wagtail 1
Black-backed Wagtail 4
Brown-eared Bulbul 3
Siberian Rubythroat 1
Daurian Redstart 40
Siberian Stonechat 3
Blue Rock Thrush 6
Pale Thrush 20
Dusky Thrush 50
Asian Stubtail 1
Japanese Bush Warbler 10
Middendorff's Grasshopper Warbler 1
Arctic Warbler 10
Sakhalin Leaf Warbler 1
Yellow-browed Warbler 1
Dusky Warbler 1
Goldcrest 25
Blue-and-white Flycatcher 2
Narcissus Flycatcher 1 female
Red-breasted Flycatcher 1
Japanese White-eye 15
Eastern Rook 6
Large-billed Crow 4
White-cheeked Starling 2
Brambling 50
Oriental Greenfinch 10
Siskin 250
Japanese Grosbeak 1
Hawfinch 4
Black-faced Bunting spodocephala 1
Masked Bunting 3
Chestnut-eared Bunting 1
Elegant Bunting 20
Rustic Bunting 10
Little Bunting 4
Reed Bunting 6