Hegura-jima, Japan 28th September 2009

28/9/09 Some light rain overnight that persisted into early morning. Calm at dawn. Steady rain by 10am and heavy by 10.30. Then dry with a S2 wind by 2pm increasing S4-6 by 5pm. A flock of 22 Grey Herons were present on the island at dawn. A female Narcissus Flycatcher, a White-throated Needletail zooming back and forth over the island, a Skylark, a Pintail, a Lapland Bunting and an Olive-backed Pipit were new. Both rarities in the form of Lesser Whitethroat and Northern Wheatear remained.

Grey Herons over trees near the lighthouse on Hegura-jima

White-throated Needletail over Hegura-jima

First-winter Middendorff's Grasshopper Warbler along the western perimeter track

Northern Wheatear on the south west beach


Adult female personata Black-faced Bunting near the Northern Shrine

Lesser Whitethroat near the Northern Shrine

Snails along the South Central Track

Shellfish harvest on Hegura-jima

The south west beach on Hegura-jima

Adult Richard's Pipit on the south west beach

Juvenile Far Eastern Curlew at the south west beach

First-winter male spodocephala Black-faced Bunting along the Southern Central Track

First-winter Black-browed Reed Warbler along the Southern Central Track

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

Arctic Warbler along the Southern Central Track

Northern Wheatear at the south western beach

Juvenile Vega Gull off the south western beach

Adult White-cheeked Starling on the School field

Species noted:

Streaked Shearwater 20

Night Heron 1

Eastern Reef Egret 1

Grey Heron 23

Mandarin Duck 2

Wigeon 40

Teal 3

Pintail 1

Black-eared Kite 5

Hobby 1

Peregrine 1

Far Eastern Curlew 1

Common Sandpiper 1

Black-tailed Gull 100

Vega Gull 2

Slaty-backed Gull 1

Rufous Turtle Dove 1

Common Cuckoo 1

White-throated Needletail 1

Great Spotted Woodpecker 1

Skylark 1

Richard's Pipit 1

Olive-backed Pipit 1

Grey Wagtail 12

Black-backed Wagtail 20

Siberian Stonechat 1

Northern Wheatear 1

Blue Rock Thrush 10

Pale Thrush 1

Eye-browed Thrush 13

Dusky Thrush 3

Japanese Bush Warbler 10

Middendorff's Warbler 2

Black-browed Reed Warbler 2

Arctic Warbler 23

Lesser Whitethroat 1

Brown Flycatcher 3

Narcissus Flycatcher 1

Bull-headed Shrike 4

Large-billed Crow 4

White-cheeked Starling 1

Brambling 8

Oriental Greenfinch 30

Common Rosefinch 1

Lapland Bunting 1

Black-faced Bunting 12

Little Bunting 5