9/11/10: Gale force westerly winds with heavy rain and high seas. We walked to the harbour to check for anything sheltering there and found a 2w Mongolian Gull amongst the melee at the nearby fish factory. We caught the shared taxi from the hotel at 2.10pm and departed Noto Airport for Haneda catching the Friendly Limousine Bus to Narita and checked in to the Holiday Inn.
Juvenile Kamchatka Gull L.(c.) kamtschatchensis at Wajima Harbour
Kamchatka Gull typically retains its juvenile plumage longer than Common Gull L.c. canus/heinei. Note the first renewed grey first-winter upper scapulars are just visible on this individual. This taxa appears longer-billed than Common Gull L.c. canus.
Second-winter Slaty-backed Gull L. schistisagus in Wajima Harbour
An advanced second-winter individual complete with pale iris and a predominently slaty-grey saddle.
Juvenile Vega Gull L. vegae in Wajima Harbour
In contrast to UK Herring Gulls L. argenteus, dark-centred tertials with broad pale tips and narrow edges seemed the norm for the majority of juvenile Vega Gulls encountered on both Hegura-jima and Wajima.
Possible juvenile Mongolian Gull L.(c.) mongolicus
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Pushing the boundaries but this juvenile Gull appeared rather coarsely-marked in appearance alongside accompanying Vega Gulls due to its scaly retained juvenile mantle and scapulars, evenly pale- and dark-barred greater coverts and its oak-leafed-centred and irregularly pale tipped and edged tertials. Looking, perhaps incorrectly, for an alternative identification Mongolian Gull would appear a close match. If so, both its paler hindneck and visible dark-spotted undertail-coverts would appear to lend support. For photographs of juvenile Mongolian Gulls in Japan see:
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Second-winter Mongolian Gull L.(c.) mongolicus at Wajima Harbour .
Being the rarest and most poorly-documented of the cachinnans complex the finding of this obliging Mongolian Gull proved the highlight of searching through the Wajima Harbour Gulls. Note that it has yet to replace its outer two primaries. To see an image of another second-winter Mongolian Gull in Japan:
Species noted:
Cormorant 20
Grey Heron 3
Black-eared Kite 35
Peregrine 1
Mongolian Gull 1
Black-headed Gull 25
Black-tailed Gull 200
Kamchatka Gull 5
Vega Gull 25
Slaty-backed Gull 25
Skylark 1
Siberian Buff-bellied Pipit 2
Black-backed Wagtail 3
Japanese Wagtail 1
Brown-eared Bulbul 2
Daurian Redstart 1
Blue Rock Thrush 3
Dusky Thrush 50
Carrion Crow 5
Large-billed Crow 10
Tree Sparrow 25
Oriental Greenfinch 5
Mealy Redpoll 10
Snow Bunting 1
Grey Heron 3
Black-eared Kite 35
Peregrine 1
Mongolian Gull 1
Black-headed Gull 25
Black-tailed Gull 200
Kamchatka Gull 5
Vega Gull 25
Slaty-backed Gull 25
Skylark 1
Siberian Buff-bellied Pipit 2
Black-backed Wagtail 3
Japanese Wagtail 1
Brown-eared Bulbul 2
Daurian Redstart 1
Blue Rock Thrush 3
Dusky Thrush 50
Carrion Crow 5
Large-billed Crow 10
Tree Sparrow 25
Oriental Greenfinch 5
Mealy Redpoll 10
Snow Bunting 1
10/11/10: Lovely calm warm conditions so walked the car park area and surrounding plots though saw little. Caught the free shuttle bus to Narita for our 11.35am ANA flight to London Heathrow.
Species noted:
Rufous Turtle Dove 1
White-cheeked Starling 6
White-cheeked Starling 6
Tree Sparrow 2
