Hegura-jima, Japan 25th September 2009

Out at 5.15am N2 with some cloud so cooler than the previous day. A complex movement of Thrushes with some appearing to make landfall on the island at dawn but shortly after a flock of 50 were seen gaining height and leaving the isle. Quite a few new birds on the island with our first Common Snipe of the trip, our only Green Sandpiper of the trip, our first Slaty-backed Gulls, Common Kingfisher, Sand Martin, Bull-headed Shrikes, 3 Common Rosefinches and found a rarity in the form of a Lesser Whitethroat with a Common Starling a close second!! In addition the Tree Pipit remained and 3 White's Thrushes were seen.

A dawn encounter with a Great Spotted Woodpecker

Eye-browed Thrushes over Hegura-jima early morning

Adult Richard's Pipit at the southwestern beach on Hegura-jima

Kabutomushi having successfully twitched and photographed his first Richard's Pipit

The Northern Central Track far more overgrown than in the Spring

Lesser Whitethroat near the Northern Shrine - a rarity in Japan

Grass along the western perimeter track

Grey-streaked Flycatcher along the Southern Central Track

Brown Flycatcher along the Southern Central Track

Juvenile Common Rosefinch along the Southern Central Track

First-winter personata Black-faced Bunting along the Southern Central Track

Arctic Warbler along the Southern Central Track

Adult winter Common Starling at the southwestern end of Hegura-jima

Black-backed Wagtail along the Western Perimeter Track

Little Buntings near the south of Hegura-jima

Species noted:

Streaked Shearwater 5

Grey Heron 4

Teal 8

Black-eared Kite 4

Peregrine 1

Pacific Golden Plover 3

Common Snipe 1

Green Sandpiper 1

Common Sandpiper 2

Black-tailed Gull 100

Vega Gull 2

Slaty-backed Gull 2

Japanese Woodpigeon 2

Rufous Turtle Dove 2

Common Kingfisher 1

Great Spotted Woodpecker 1

Sand Martin 1

Swallow 1

Richard's Pipit 1

Tree Pipit 1

Grey Wagtail 10

Black-backed Wagtail 25

Brown-eared Bulbul 2

Siberian Stonechat 1

Blue Rock Thrush 15

White's Thrush 3

Eye-browed Thrush 78

Japanese Bush Warbler 15

Middendorff's Warbler 4

Black-browed Reed Warbler 1

Arctic Warbler 7

Lesser Whitethroat 1

Grey-streaked Flycatcher 5

Brown Flycatcher 4

Japanese White-eye 6

Bull-headed Shrike 2

Large-billed Crow 4

Chestnut-cheeked Starling 2

Common Starling 1

Brambling 2

Oriental Greenfinch 30

Common Rosefinch 3

Chinese Grosbeak 3

Black-faced Bunting 12

Little Bunting 14

Hegura-jima, Japan 24th September 2009

24/9/09 Out by 5am just before dawn. Clear skies overnight being calm with blue skies, very hot and sunny all day. A White's Thrush had remained from the day before but only 12 Eye-browed Thrushes were seen all day. Two Oriental Honey Buzzards were seen low over the island during the early morning circuit but there were few other signs of newly-arrived migrants until late in the day when our first 2 Dark-sided Flycatchers, a Pacific Golden Plover and our first Swallow were seen and we found a rarity in the form of a Tree Pipit at Tsukasa.

Oriental Honey Buzzard being pursued by a Large-billed Crow

Flower at the south west beach on Hegura-jima

Japanese White-eye near the NTT tower

Juvenile Chinese Grosbeak near the NTT tower

Octopus skin hanging out to dry

Diver near the northern shrine

Small shrine near the southernmost point of the island

Southwest shore of Hegura-jima

Transitional second calendar year Black-eared Kite over Hegura-jima

Entrance to the southern shrine on Hegura-jima

Dark-sided Flycatcher at the southern shrine

Japanese Bush Warbler at the southern shrine

The lighthouse on Hegura-jima

Sunset along the western shore of Hegura-jima

Bathroom gecko

Species noted:

Streaked Shearwater 1

Japanese Cormorant 2

Eastern Reef Egret 1

Grey Heron 2

Teal 4

Oriental Honey Buzzard 2
Black-eared Kite 4

Peregrine 1

Pacific Golden Plover 1

Common Sandpiper 2

Black-tailed Gull 100

Japanese Woodpigeon 1

Rufous Turtle Dove 2

Swallow 1

Tree Pipit 1

Black-backed Wagtail 25

Brown-eared Bulbul 2

Siberian Stonechat 1

Blue Rock Thrush 15

White's Thrush 1

Eye-browed Thrush 12

Japanese Bush Warbler 12

Middendorff's Warbler 5

Arctic Warbler 4

Dark-sided Flycatcher 2

Grey-streaked Flycatcher 3

Brown Flycather 2

Japanese White-eye 6

Large-billed Crow 4

Oriental Greenfinch 25

Chinese Grosbeak 3

Black-faced Bunting 6

Little Bunting 16

Hegura-jima, Japan 23rd September 2009

23/9/09 Out by 4am looking unsuccessfully for Owls for an hour before dawn. Classic conditions being NW1-2 with heavy cloud and light rain from dawn to 11am that prompted an arrival of 475 Eye-browed Thrushes in flocks spiralling out of the sky at the southwest end of the island and a good southward passage of 115 Grey Wagtails and 50 'White' Wagtails and a couple of small flocks of Little Buntings. It then remained cloudy until 1pm by which time the wind had swung round to E2. By late afternoon it was sunny and calm. With many birds arriving mid-morning it was no surprise many species were seen for the first time during the trip including Common Kestrel, Pacific Golden Plover, Richard's Pipit, Siberian Stonechat, White's Thrush, Black-browed Reed Warbler, Oriental Great Reed Warbler, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Japanese White-eye, Chestnut-flanked White-eye, White-cheeked Starling and Reed Bunting. Grey-streaked Flycatchers reached their trip peak of 7. We saw the Wood Warbler for the last time.

A dawn encounter with a juvenile Lesser Cuckoo at the School

Adult winter Black-tailed Gull at Tsuki

The south west end of the Central track where many birds were seen arriving today

First-winter personata Black-faced Bunting at the south west end of the island

Oriental Great Reed Warbler at the south west end of the island

Adult Black-browed Reed Warbler at the south west end of the island

Fisherman off the south west end of the island

Grassy plain along the south west of the island

White's Thrush near the Observation Platform

Adult White-cheeked Starling at the School field

Near the north shrine

Butterfly resembling a Painted Lady Butterfly on Hegura

The Central track on Hegura-jima

Common Kestrel near the NTT tower

Our final encounter with the Wood Warbler near the NTT tower

Species noted:

Streaked Shearwater 10

Japanese Cormorant 1

Eastern Reef Egret 1

Grey Heron 4

Teal 1

Black-eared Kite 4

Kestrel 1

Peregrine 1

Pacific Golden Plover 1

Snipe sp. 3

Common Sandpier 1

Grey-tailed Tattler 4

Black-tailed Gull 100

Vega Gull 3

Japanese Woodpigeon 1

Rufous Turtle Dove 7

Little Cuckoo 1

Great Spotted Woodpecker 1

Richard's Pipit 1

Grey Wagtail 115

Black-backed Wagtail 50

Siberian Stonechat 1

Blue Rock Thrush 20

White's Thrush 2

Eye-browed Thrush 475

Japanese Bush Warbler 10

Middendorff's Warbler 2

Black-browed Reed Warbler 1

Oriental Great Reed Warbler 1

Arctic Warbler 10

Wood Warbler 1

Grey-streaked Flycatcher 7

Brown Flycatcher 3

Chestnut-flanked White-eye 1

Japanese White-eye 2

Large-billed Crow 2

White-cheeked Starling 1

Oriental Greenfinch 20

Chinese Grosbeak 2

Black-faced Bunting 6

Little Bunting 14

Reed Bunting 1