Hegura-jima, Japan 4th October 2009

4/10/09 Awoke to WSW 4 with rain at dawn but soon sunny although the strong wind persisted keeping the temperature down. Storms arrived at 3pm that persisted until 5pm with heavy cloudbursts and SW5-6 winds. Identified from photographs and then relocated a Red-headed Bunting near the Dragon's Pool. Found a Pallas's Leaf Warbler at midday and and Amur Falcon along with a Hobby, Kestrel and Peregrine late afternoon.

Lapland Bunting and first-winter Red-headed Bunting feeding together along the western shore

First-winter Red-headed Bunting along the western shore

Rocky headland near the Dragon's Pool along the western shore

The Hegura-jima ferry

Female Yellow-throated Bunting along the Central Track

First-winter male Blue-and-white Flycatcher near the Lighthouse

Pallas's Leaf Warbler along the Central Track

Adult female Tristram's Bunting along the Central Track

Monarch-like Butterfly near the NTT Tower

Adult female Amur Falcon over the School Field

Lighthouse under threatening skies

Juvenile Slaty-backed Gull in the sheltered harbour

Species noted:

Streaked Shearwater 5

Japanese Cormorant 3

Great Egret 1

Grey Heron 6

Mandarin Duck 10

Wigeon 1

Teal 1

Mallard 1

Black-eared Kite 5

Sparrowhawk 1

Kestrel 1

Amur Falcon 1

Hobby 1

Peregrine 2

Common Snipe 1

Far Eastern Curlew 1

Black-tailed Gull 100

Slaty-backed Gull 1

Rufous Turtle Dove 3

Richard's Pipit 1

Siberian Buff-bellied Pipit 3

Grey Wagtail 7

Black-backed Wagtail 20

Brown-eared Bulbul 1

Blue Rock Thrush 6

Pale Thrush 5

Japanese Bush Warbler 5

Arctic Warbler 5

Pallas's Leaf Warbler 1

Blue-and-white Flycatcher 1

Grey-streaked Flycatcher 1

Narcissus Flycatcher 1

Large-billed Crow 4

Starling sp. 1

Brambling 25

Oriental Greenfinch 20

Siskin 1

Lapland Bunting 1

Black-faced Bunting 6

Yellow-throated Bunting 2

Tristram's Bunting 1

Red-headed Bunting 1