Hegura-jima, Japan 12th May 2009

12/5/09 Out by 4.30am to a calm and overcast dawn with many Thrushes and Starlings flying over and circling the island. We spent the day walking the island trails with highlights being photographable Rufous-tailed Robin, male Siberian Blue Robin and male Siberian Rubythroat. New species were Japanese Grosbeak, Japanese Waxwing and Japanese Black Woodpigeon. Frustratingly our minidisk stopped working preventing any further playback.

A dawn encounter with a male Siberian Thrush Zoothera sibirica davisoni along the Central Track on Hegura-jima, 12th May 2009

Juvenile Common Crossbill Loxia curvirostra on the rocky headland west of the pool on Hegura-jima, 12th May 2009

Black Woodpigeon Columba janthina janthina at the Tree Shrine on Hegura-jima, 12th May 2009

First-year male Mugimaki Flycatcher Ficedula mugimaki at Tsukasa on Hegura-jima, 12th May 2009

Eastern Crowned Warbler Phylloscopus coronatus at Tsukasa on Hegura-jima, 12th May 2009

First-summer male Narcissus Flycatcher Ficedula narcissina at Tsukasa on Hegura-jima, 12th May 2009

Female Rufous-tailed Robin Luscinia sibilans along the northern Central Track on Hegura-jima, 12th May 2009

First-summer male Siberian Blue Robin Luscinia cyane along the northern Central Track on Hegura-jima, 12th May 2009

Male Siberian Rubythroat Luscinia calliope along the northern Central Track on Hegura-jima, 12th May 2009

Eastern Crowned Warbler Phyllocaopus coronatus at Tsukasa on Hegura-jima, 12th May 2009

Male Eye-browed Thrush Turdus obscurus at Tsukasa on Hegura-jima, 12th May 2009

Species noted:

Night Heron 2

Cattle Egret 1

Grey Heron 1

Black-eared Kite 1

Chinese Sparrowhawk 1

Japanese Sparrowhawk 1

Black-winged Stilt 1

Woodcock 2

Black-tailed Gull 25

Slaty-backed Gull 1

Japanese Woodpigeon 3

Oriental Turtle Dove 1

Oriental Cuckoo h

Swallow 15

Olive-backed Pipit 2

Black-backed Wagtail 8

Ashy Minivet 1

Brown-eared Bulbul 1

Japanese Waxwing 4
Waxwing 1

Rufous-tailed Robin 2

Siberian Rubythroat 1

Siberian Blue Robin 1

Blue Rock Thrush 1

Siberian Thrush 1

Japanese Grey Thrush 1

Eye-browed Thrush 1

Dusky Thrush 10

Japanese Bush Warbler 3

Oriental Great Reed Warbler 1

Eastern Crowned Warbler 5

Yellow-browed Warbler 3

Blue-and-white Flycatcher 1

Brown Flycatcher 3

Mugimaki Flycatcher 3

Narcissus Flycatcher 8

Large-billed Crow 4

Chestnut-cheeked Starling 20

Brambling 15

Oriental Greenfinch 20

Siskin 2

Japanese Grosbeak 8

Hawfinch 35

Crossbill 1

Black-faced Bunting 8

Rustic Bunting 1

Hegura-jima, Japan 11th May 2009

11/5/09 We were out at dawn to walk through the park on the eastern outskirts of town. The owners of the Minshuku then kindly drove us to the harbour to catch the 9.00am ferry to Hegura-jima. Flat calm seas proved ideal for seeing Japanese Murrelets sat on the sea during the first half of the crossing, and large flocks of Red-necked Phalaropes during the second half. We passed some rocky islands supporting a large breeding colony of Black-tailed Gulls. We arrived on Hegura-jima at 10.30am and used a barrow to transfer our luggage to a warm welcome at the friendly Mishuku Tsuki. It was calm, hot and sunny walking around the island seeing our first migrants. After dark we tried for Owls hearing both Oriental Scops Owl and Brown Hawk Owl.

Adult (centre) Black-eared Kite Milvus lineatus at Wajima, 11th May 2009

Departing from Wajima harbour, 11th May 2009

Streaked Shearwater Calonectris leucomelas from ferry between Wajima and Hegura-jima, 11th May 2009

Adult breeding-plumaged Japanese Murrelets Synthliboramphus wumizusume from ferry between Wajima and Hegura-jima, May 2009

Rocky island half-way between Wajima and Hegura-jima, 11th May 2009

Flock of Red-necked Phalaropes between Wajima and Hegura-jima, 11th May 2009

Arriving at Hegura-jima, 11th May 2009

Diving for seaweed remains and important local industry on Hegura-jima, 11th May 2009

The south-eastern shore of Hegura-jima, 11th May 2009

The entrance to the Southern Shrine on Hegura-jima, 11th May 2009

Southern Shrine on Hegura-jima, 11th May 2009

Asian Brown Flycatcher Muscicapa dauurica at the Southern Shrine on Hegura-jima, 11th May 2009

Eastern Crowned Warbler Phylloscopus coronatus at the Southern Shrine on Hegura-jima, 11th May 2009

Steppe Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus variegatus on the southern shore of Hegura-jima, 11th May 2009

Oriental Turtle Dove Streptopelia orientalis orientalis in the Harbour Park on Hegura-jima, 11th May 2009

Male Common Crossbill Loxia curvirostra near the Harbour Park on Hegura-jima, 11th May 2009

Female Brambling Fringilla montifringilla near Tsukasa on Hegura-jima, 11th May 2009

Male Bull-headed Shrike Lanius bucephalus at Tsukasa on Hegura-jima, 11th May 2009

Yellow-browed Warbler Phylloscopus inornatus at Tsukasa on Hegura-jima, 11th May 2009

Seaweed drying on Hegura-jima, 11th May 2009

The largest and oldest tree at the Tsukasa Shrine on Hegura-jima, 11th May 2009

Male Hawfinch Coccothraustes coccothraustes japonicus at Tsukasa on Hegura-jima, 11th May 2009

Sunset over the north-western tip of Hegura-jima, 11th May 2009

Species noted:

Pacific Diver 1

Streaked Shearwater 25
Pelagic Cormorant 3

Night Heron 1 immature

Cattle Egret 1

Grey Heron 5

Wigeon 2

Spot-billed Duck 3

Osprey 2

Black-eared Kite 50

Peregrine 2

Black-winged Stilt 1

Steppe Whimbrel 1

Grey-tailed Tattler 1

Red-necked Phalarope 350

Black-tailed Gull 750

Vega Gull 1

Japanese Murrelet 10

Rock Dove 10

Oriental Turtle Dove 1

Oriental Cuckoo 1

Oriental Scops Owl h

Brown Hawk Owl h

Swallow 15

Asian House Martin 2

Olive-backed Pipit 5

Black-backed Wagtail 15

Brown-eared Bulbul 2

Siberian Rubythroat 2

Daurian Redstart 1

Blue Rock Thrush 3

Siberian Thrush 1

Brown Thrush 1

Dusky Thrush 2

Japanese Bush Warbler 10

Eastern Crowned Warbler 5

Sakalin Leaf Warbler 1

Yellow-browed Warbler 3

Blue-and-white Flycatcher 1

Brown Flycatcher 4

Narcissus Flycatcher 8

Eastern Great Tit 3

Japanese White-eye 5

Bull-headed Shrike 2

Carrion Crow 10

Large-billed Crow 20

Chestnut-cheeked Starling 1

White-cheeked Starling 2

Tree Sparrow 10

Brambling 7

Oriental Greenfinch 20

Siskin 1

Hawfinch 6

Crossbill 1

Black-faced Bunting 5

Meadow Bunting 3

Wajima, Japan 10th May 2009

9/5/09 Departed Heathrow at 8.30am arrived Paris 10.50am. Departed Paris 13.30pm

10/5/09 Arrived Narita, Tokyo at 8.10am and caught bus to Haneda, Tokyo. Spoke to Chris Cook to confirm our shared taxi from Noto to Waijima but typically spent most of the conversation talking birding and weather forecasts. Chris had kindly helped us with our ground arrangements as neither of us spoke any Japanese. We departed Haneda at 14.20pm and arrived at Noto 15.20pm enjoying superb views of Mt. Fuji on the way. We enjoyed our shared taxi ride into Waijima with the road running alongside a river through forested hillsides. Booked into Minshuku Hakuto-en and walked into town to buy some provisions.

Black-eared Kite Milvus lineatus at Wajima, 10th May 2009

Adult Grey Heron Ardea cinerea jouyi at Waijima, 10th May 2009

Adult Black-tailed Gull Larus crassirostris at Wajima, 10th May 2009

Wajima Drummers outside the Railway Station at Wajima, 10th May 2009

Species noted:

Grey Heron 2

Spot-billed Duck 1

Osprey 5

Black-eared Kite 25

Little Tern 2 near Tokyo

Rock Dove 2

Skylark 10 near Tokyo

Swallow 5

Asian House Martin 5

Blue Rock Thrush 3

Japanese Bush Warbler h

Japanese White-eye 2

Carrion Crow 5

Large-billed Crow 2

White-cheeked Starling 5

Tree Sparrow 25