Hegura-jima Japan

Wednesday, 4 November 2009

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

Tuesday, 3 November 2009

Hegura-jima, Japan 27th September 2009

27/9/09 Out at dawn at 5.30am proving overcast ENE2 freshening to E3 by midday when sunny and hot. Some cloud late afternoon. A flock of 30 Eye-browed Thrushes were seen over the island early morning and a Dusky Warbler was seen along the Southern Central Track. A flock of 7 Wigeon were seen flying north along the west shore. The Lesser Whitethroat was again seen at the northern tip of the island confirming two different individuals were present. Good numbers of Bull-headed Shrikes were noted and a Hobby, a Mugimaki Flycatcher, a Cuckoo sp. and a Northern Wheatear were all late afternoon arrivals.

Juvenile Night Heron over the Southern Central Track shortly after dawn

Dusky Warbler along the Southern Central Track

Juvenile Black-eared Kite over Hegura-jima

Lancey pool near the Northern Shrine

The Dragon's Pond

White's Thrush along the Southern Central Track

First-year Eyebrowed Thrush along the Southern Central Track

Arctic Warbler near the base of the NTT tower

Adult male Blue-and-white Flycatcher near the Lighthouse

A juvenile male Blue-and-white Flycatcher near the Lighthouse

Juvenile Hobby over the Lighthouse trees

Insect sp. (!) along the Western Perimeter Track

Adult Richard's Pipit at the south western beach

Northern Wheatear at the south western beach

Species noted:

Streaked Shearwater 150

Japanese Cormorant 1

Night Heron 1

Grey Heron 4

Mandarin Duck 1

Wigeon 7

Spotbill Duck 1

Black-eared Kite 5

Hobby 1

Peregrine 1

Pacific Golden Plover h

Far Eastern Curlew 1

Common Sandpiper 1

Grey-tailed Tattler 1

Black-tailed Gull 100

Japanese Woodpigeon 1

Rufous Turtle Dove 2

Common Cuckoo 1

Richard's Pipit 1

Grey Wagtail 1

Black-backed Wagtail 12

Brown-eared Bulbul 1

Siberian Stonechat 2

Northern Wheatear 1

Blue Rock Thrush 10

White's Thrush 1

Pale Thrush 1

Eye-browed Thrush 54

Dusky Thrush 1

Japanese Bush Warbler 10

Middendorff's Warbler 5

Arctic Warbler 11

Dusky Warbler 1

Lesser Whitethroat 1

Blue-and-white Flycatcher 3

Grey-streaked Flycatcher 4

Brown Flycatcher 7

Mugimaki Flycatcher 1

Bull-headed Shrike 7

Large-billed Crow 4

Brambling 7

Oriental Greenfinch 30

Common Rosefinch 3

Chinese Grosbeak 1

Black-faced Bunting 8

Little Bunting 2

Sunday, 1 November 2009

Hegura-jima, Japan 26th September 2009

26/9/09 Out at 5.15am to a N2 breeze and cloud cover being a much cooler dawn. Sunny and hot by midday with the wind freshening to NE3. An influx of wildfowl with 5 Mandarin the highlight. A flock of 50 Eye-browed Thrushes were seen to arrive on the island. At least 7 Great White Egrets were seen to arrive from the south west. Another rarity found in the form of another Lesser Whitethroat accompanying a flock of Japanese White-eyes near the NTT tower.

Lesser Cuckoo along the western perimter track shortly after dawn