Hegura-jima, Japan 1st October 2009

1/10/09 Out at 5.30am with John Williams and a japanese twitcher to a nice sunrise with clear skies and a NE1 breeze that slightly increased during the day to ENE2 by dusk but that strengthened after dark. Saw the Whinchat at the beach to the south of the pool also showing it to Maki-san who had newly-arrived for it from Tobishima Island. Hence, promoted to a hero and a God!! Buff-bellied Pipit, Japanese Grey Thrush and Tristram's Bunting were all new for the trip but otherwise rather few migrants present.

Teal along the western shore

Local fisherman along the western shore

Female Whinchat along the western shore

Coastguard Helicopter that visited Hegura-jima

First-winter personata Black-faced Bunting along the western perimeter track

Female Whinchat along the western shore

Juvenile Grey Heron on the School field

Sunset over the western shore

Species noted:

Streaked Shearwater 10

Grey Heron 4

Mandarin Duck 5

Wigeon 1

Teal 15

Mallard 3

Black-eared Kite 5

Peregrine 2

Common Snipe 1

Far Eastern Curlew 1

Black-tailed Gull 100

Vega Gull 2

Rock Dove 1

Japanese Woodpigeon 1

Rufous Turtle Dove 5

Cuckoo sp. 1

Pacific Swift 1

Great Spotted Woodpecker 1

Olive-backed Pipit 1

Siberian Buff-bellied Pipit 1

Grey Wagtail 2

Black-backed Wagtail 20

Brown-eared Bulbul 3

Siberian Stonechat 3

Whinchat 1

Blue Rock Thrush 10

White's Thrush 1

Japanese Grey Thrush 1

Pale Thrush 5

Eye-browed Thrush 12

Dusky Thrush 1

Japanese Bush Warbler 10

Middendorff's Warbler 3

Arctic Warbler 8

Blue-and-white Flycatcher 2

Brown Flycatcher 3

Japanese White-eye 2

Bull-headed Shrike 3

Large-billed Crow 4

White-cheeked Starling 1

Brambling 2

Oriental Greenfinch 20

Common Rosefinch 3

Black-faced Bunting 15

Tristram's Bunting 1

Little Bunting 1

Hegura-jima, Japan 30th September 2009

30/9/09 Out at 5.30am to overcast conditions and NE1 that persisted all day. Quiet for birds although the Wheatear and Whinchat remained, Mandarin numbers increased and a single Yellow Wagtail that flew north was our first of the trip.

Juvenile Oriental Honey Buzzard being mobbed by a Large-billed Crow over Hegura-jima just after dawn

Female Wigeon on the Dragon's Pool.

Yellow-browed Warbler along the Southern Central Track

Arctic Warbler along the Southern Central Track

Olive-backed Pipit near the Northern Shrine

Inscribed Rock near the Northern Shrine

Northern Wheatear on the south western beach

Looking south from Hegura-jima to the Honshu coast in the distance

First-winter personata Black-faced Bunting along the Southern Central Track

Black-backed Wagtail along the west coast

West coast of Hegura-jima

Female Whinchat remaining at the south west of Hegura-jima to the delight of the first twitchers

Species noted:

Streaked Shearwater 10

Japanese Cormorant 1

Grey Heron 4

Mandarin Duck 22

Wigeon 1

Teal 11

Mallard 3

Spotbill Duck 2

Crested Honey Buzzard 1

Black-eared Kite 5

Peregrine 1

Pacific Golden Plover 3

Swinhoe's Snipe 1

Far Eastern Curlew 1

Common Sandpiper 1

Black-tailed Gull 100

Rufous Turtle Dove 4

Common Cuckoo 1

Pacific Swift 1

Common Kingfisher 2

Richard's Pipit 1

Olive-backed Pipit 2

Yellow Wagtail 1

Black-backed Wagtail 20

Brown-eared Bulbul 1

Siberian Stonechat 3

Northern Wheatear 1

Whinchat 1

Blue Rock Thrush 15

Pale Thrush 1

Eye-browed Thrush 17

Dusky Thrush 2

Japanses Bush Warbler 10

Middendorff's Warbler 4

Oriental Great Reed Warbler 1

Arctic Warbler 9

Yellow-browed Warbler 1

Grey-streaked Flycatcher 3

Brown Flycather 1

Mugimaki Flycatcher 1

Bull-headed Shrike 2

Large-billed Crow 4

White-cheeked Starling 1

Brambling 13

Oriental Greenfinch 50

Common Rosefinch 1

Chinese Grosbeak 1

Black-faced Bunting 15

Little Bunting 2

Hegura-jima, Japan 29th September 2009

29/9/09 Out at 5.15am to heavy low cloud and a NE3 wind being far better than the wet and windy forecast. It remained dry all day with the wind moderating to calm by dusk but still overcast. Highlights included our only Greenshank, our only 3 Brown Thrushes and finding a Whinchat being only the second record for Japan and East Asia. At times the Whinchat was within a few meters of the remaining Northern Wheatear. The Whinchat survived being forced down into the sea by a Black-backed Wagtail!

Divers off Hegura-jima

Our host out fishing for our supper!

Eclipse drake Mallard on the Dragon's Pool

Common Kingfisher along the western shore

Female Bramblings along the Southern Central Track

Juvenile Mandarin Ducks along the Southern Central Track

Female or first-winter Bull-headed Shrike at the School field

Grey Herons over Hegura-jima

Northern Wheatear at the south western beach

Juvenile Far Eastern Curlew at the south western beach

Adult dark morph Eastern Reef Egret along the western shore

Female Whinchat at the southern end of the Central Track - the second record for Japan and East Asia

Drake Mandarin at the Dragon's Pool

Species noted:

Streaked Shearwater 10

Japanese Cormorant 1

Eastern Reef Egret 1

Grey Heron 10

Mandarin Duck 3

Wigeon 1

Teal 13

Mallard 2

Pintail 6

Black-eared Kite 5

Peregrine 1

Pacific Golden Plover 1

Common Snipe 2

Far Eastern Curlew 1

Greenshank 1

Common Sandpiper 2

Grey-tailed Tattler 1

Black-tailed Gull 100

Japanese Woodpigeon 1

Rufous Turtle Dove 1

Common Cuckoo 1

Common Kingfisher 1

Richard's Pipit 1

Olive-backed Pipit 1

Grey Wagtail 1

Black-backed Wagtail 40

Brown-eared Bulbul 1

Siberian Stonechat 1

Northern Wheatear 1

Whinchat 1

Blue Rock Thrush 15

Brown Thrush 3

Pale Thrush 3

Eye-browed Thrush 28

Dusky Thrush 2

Japanese Bush Warbler 15

Middendorff's Warbler 3

Black-browed Reed Warbler 2

Arctic Warbler 8

xanthrodryas Arctic Warbler 1

Dusky Warbler 1

Grey-streaked Flycatcher 2

Brown Flycather 3

Narcissus Flycatcher 1

Bull-headed Shrike 4

Large-billed Crow 4

White-cheeked Starling 1

Brambling 8

Oriental Greenfinch 50

Black-faced Bunting 15

Little Bunting 8