2nd October 2012 Hegura-jima NW1

We awoke to a near-calm morning with a northwesterly breeze. We walked to the Dragon's Pool seeing a good selection of yesterday's migrants and found our first Radde's Warbler and Common Rosefinch of the trip at the School Field. After breakfast we called in on the ringer that coincided with a Middendorff's Grasshopper Warbler just having been caught - brilliant! We then walked Tsukasa fields where the number of Pine Buntings had increased to four. We then walked the West Coast in very hot conditions. Midday produced a considerable surprise as we found two adult Whiskered Terns in the harbour - a product of the recent typhoon. The afternoon saw a huge fall of migrants with the SW beach literally covered in Dusky Thrushes, Warblers, Flycatchers, Buntings including our first Rustic, Lapland and Reed, and Finches including 300 Brambling and 300 Siskins. A few waders were also present including our only 3 Red-necked Stints and Latham's Snipe of the trip. We walked to the earth field where a couple of Bull-headed Shrikes and our only two Chestnut-cheeked Starlings of the trip were added. A dusk visit to the Drinking Pool produced the ultimate 'supercilium on legs' in the form of an Asian Stubtail. Rufous Turtle Doves reached their peak number at 10 as did Stejneger's Stonechats at the same number, Blue-and White Flycatchers at 12, Brown Flycatchers at 30, Masked Buntings at 40 and Little Buntings at 25. Another great day.

Japanese Cormorant 1
Grey Heron 5
Teal 2
Mallard 1
Spot-billed Duck 1
Shoveler 1
Black-eared Kite 1
Sparrowhawk 1
Lesser Sandplover 1 juvenile
Red-necked Stint 3
Common Snipe 2
Latham's Snipe 1
Grey-tailed Tattler 1
Black-tailed Gull 100
Slaty-backed Gull 1
Whiskered Tern 2 adults in transitional s/p to w/p ex.
Rufous Turtle Dove 10
Oriental Cuckoo 6
Pacific Swift 7
Great Spotted Woodpecker 1
Skylark 1
Olive-backed Pipit 3
Siberian Buff-bellied Pipit 2
Grey Wagtail 2
Black-backed Wagtail 20
Brown-eared Bulbul 2
Stejneger's Stonechat 10
Blue Rock Thrush 6
Pale Thrush 6
Eye-browed Thrush 10
Dusky Thrush 1,000+
Naumann's Thrush 1
Asian Stubtail 1 ex.
Japanese Bush Warbler 2+h
Middendorff's Grasshopper Warbler 4
Arctic Warbler 20
Pacific Warbler 12
Radde's Warbler 1
Goldcrest 15
Blue-and-white Flycatcher 12
Grey-streaked Flycatcher 30
Brown Flycatcher 30
Japanese White-eye 15
Bull-headed Shrike 2
Brown Shrike 3
Large-billed Crow 2
Chestnut-cheeked Starling 2
Brambling 300
Oriental Greenfinch 30
Siskin 300
Common Rosefinch 1
Hawfinch 4
Masked Bunting 40
Black-faced Bunting 1
Lapland Bunting 1
Pine Bunting 4
Chestnut-eared Bunting 4
Rustic Bunting 2
Little Bunting 25
Chestnut Bunting 1
Reed Bunting 1

Middendorff's Grasshopper Warbler in the hand on Hegura-jima

Arctic Warbler in the hand on Hegura-jima

Pacific Warbler in the hand on Hegura-jima

First-winter male Blue-and-white Flycatcher in the hand on Hegura-jima

Brown Flycatcher at the School Field

Siskin at the School Field

Pacific Warbler near the lighthouse



Adult Whiskered Terns in the harbour

Stejneger's Stonechat at the School Field

First-winter male Blue-and-white Flycatcher at the Drinking Pool

Brown Flycatchers at the Southwest Beach

Chestnut Bunting along the West Shore

presumed Oriental Cuckoo at the Earth Field

Chestnut-cheeked Starling at the Earth Field