27/10/10: After the cold northerly gale our expectations were running high despite the continuing cold temperatures, North 4 wind and heavily overcast skies. The early morning produced the first of four Naumann’s Thrushes for the day and our only Tufted Duck and Shoveler seen on the island and a flock of 50 Rooks at the School still accompanied by the Daurian Jackdaw. After breakfast we headed for Tsukasa and whilst enroute found a Coot sheltering in the harbour, a Treecreeper at the monument and flushed a Japanese Quail and a Common Snipe from a small harbourside grassy plot. The Pallas’s Reed Bunting was still present at Tsukasa, a European Starling was sat on the power lines and we soon relocated our plain Phyllosc quickly identifying it as a Siberian Chiffchaff much to the delight of the Japanese birders on the island for all of whom it was a new species. At one point the Siberian Chiffchaff disappeared behind a grassy mound and by pursuing it lead to the most exciting moment of the trip as 2 Siberian Accentors flushed up from our feet both sitting in the open with us not knowing which to watch first. Our most-wanted species and they didn’t disappoint! Our afternoon tour of the island saw Mealy Redpoll numbers increasing all the time into three figures and we found 3 Coue’s Arctic Redpolls amongst them.
Coot in the Harbour
Olive-backed Pipit in the Harbour Park
Pine Bunting at Tsukasa
Starling at Tsukasa
Daurian Redstart at the Northern Shrine
Siberian Chiffchaff at Tsukasa
Eastern Yellow Wagtail at the Harbour Park
Rufous Turtle Dove at the Observation Platform
Eastern Rook at the South western beach
Black-faced Bunting in the South western Enclosures
Rustic Bunting in the South western Enclosures
Lapwings along the western shore
Mealy Redpoll at Tsukasa
Mealy Redpoll at Tsukasa
Presumed Mealy Redpoll in the Harbour Park
Mealy Redpoll at the South western beach
Mealy Redpoll and presumed Coue's Arctic Redpoll at the South western beach
Whilst this individual shows quite extensive flank streaking it possesses a buff-washed face, unstreaked rump and deep-based bill.
Coue's Arctic Redpoll at Tsukasa
A more classic individual sporting a small bill, virtually no flank streaking and virtually unmarked untertail-coverts
Peregrine over Tsukasa
Siberian Buff-bellied Pipit at Tsukasa
Species noted:
Streaked Shearwater 100
Cormorant 8
Great White Egret 5
Grey Heron 8
Teal 1
Mallard 30
Shoveler 2
Tufted Duck 1
Black-eared Kite 2
Sparrowhawk 3
Peregrine 1
Japanese Quail 1
Coot 1
Lapwing 4
Snipe 1
Black-headed Gull 1
Black-tailed Gull 100
Vega Gull 5
Slaty-backed Gull 2
Kittiwake 1
Rufous Turtle Dove 8
Japanese Green Pigeon 1
Skylark 10
Olive-backed Pipit 2
Red-throated Pipit 1
Siberian Buff-bellied Pipit 10
Eastern Yellow Wagtail 1
Black-backed Wagtail 4
Brown-eared Bulbul 1
Waxwing 8
Siberian Accentor 2
Daurian Redstart 35
Siberian Stonechat 1
Blue Rock Thrush 2
Pale Thrush 5
Dusky Thrush 40
Naumann's Thrush 4
Japanese Bush Warbler 2
Siberian Chiffchaff 1
Arctic Warbler 2
Yellow-browed Warbler 2
Goldcrest 15
Wren 1
Treecreeper 1
Japanese White-eye 20
Eastern Rook 50
Large-billed Crow 4
Daurian Jackdaw 1
European Starling 1
Brambling 20
Oriental Greenfinch 10
Siskin 150
Mealy Redpoll 100
Coue's Arctic Redpoll 3
Hawfinch 16
Black-faced Bunting 1
Masked Bunting 2
Pine Bunting 1
Elegant Bunting 60
Rustic Bunting 25
Little Bunting 1
Reed Bunting 5
Pallas's Reed Bunting 1
