Out by 5.20am. Usual walk to the Dragons Pool in fine, warm weather with a light WNW wind. After breakfast we called in at the netting site and the highlight was a Middendorff's Grasshopper Warbler in the hand with other highlights being Arctic Warblers, and several Blue and White Flycatchers.
We then covered most of the area and witnessed a large arrival of migrants during the day after some light drizzle, with Dusky Thrushes everywhere and West beach was covered with arriving birds all on the rocks. Highlights being 2 Whiskered Terns feeding for an hour in the Harbour, 2 Siberian Buff Bellied Pipits, an estimated 1,000 Dusky Thrushes, an Asian Stubtail performing well at the drinking pool during the evening, our first Raddes Warbler, good numbers of both Arctic and Pacific Warblers, 12 Blue and White Flycatchers with 30 each of Grey Streaked and Brown Flycatchers, 2 Bull Headed and 3 Brown Shrikes, and a large arrival of finches with 300 Bramblings and 300 Siskins. We also recorded 9 species of Buntings including 25 Little Buntings. A further visit to the netting site produced several new species in the hand including Pale Thrush. We stayed out until dark enjoying this spectacular fall of migrant birds. Slept very well.
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 Juv.
Red-necked Stint 3
Snipe 1
Latham's Snipe 1
Grey-tailed Tattler 1
Black-tailed Gull 100
Slaty-backed Gull 1 Juv.
Whiskered Tern 2 w/p adults
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
Siberian Stonechat 10
Blue Rock Thrush 6
Pale Thrush 6
Eye-browed Thrush 10
Dusky Thrush c1,000+
Naumann's Thrush 1
Asian Stubtail 1
Japanese Bush Warbler 2
Middendorff's Grasshopper Warbler 4
Arctic Warbler 20
Pacific Warbler 12
Radde's Warbler 1
Goldcrest 15
Blue and White Flycatcher 12
Narcissus Flycatcher 1
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
Lapland Bunting 1
Black-faced Bunting 1
Pine Bunting 4
Chestnut-eared Bunting 4
Rustic Bunting 2
Little Bunting 25
Chestnut Bunting 1
Reed Bunting 1
Lighthouse at dawn
Ferry arriving with more Japanese birders.
The two adult Whiskered Terns in transational plumages which
spent an hour fishing in the harbour, both were in different stages in plumages.
Adult Oriental Cuckoo along Central Track identified from European Cuckoo
by its broader blacker barring on the underparts and slightly buffy undertail coverts.
Oriental Cuckoo in the Enclosure at the Western shore
Black Backed Wagtail
Female type Blue Rock Thrush
Goldcrest of the Eastern race japonensis at the drinking pool.
Some authorities consider there is sufficient evidence to seperate
this race as Asian Goldcrest, and it certainly appeared a plainer
bird especially around the face
Asian Goldcrest of the japonensis race
Japanese White-eye
Arctic Warbler along the Central Track.
We recorded 20 Arctics & 12 Pacific Warblers today.
Female Narcissus Flycatcher at the drinking pool, these females
proved to be quite tricky to identify, although they all seem to have
the blotchy underparts and a suggestion of a pale supercillium.
Brown Flycatchers - Influx today of around 30 birds
Grey Streaked Flycatcher - Thirty were seen today.
1st W. male Blue & White Flycatchers, we had an influx
of twelve of this large bulky Flycatcher
1st W. male Blue and White Flycatcher in the hand
Female Blue and White Flycatcher in the hand
1st W./ Female Siberian Stonechat of the race Stejneger's at the School
field, which some consider to be a full species. At least 10 different
birds were present on the Island today
Middendorff's Grasshopper Warbler in the hand
Arctic Warbler
Pacific Warbler in the hand
Pacific Warblers in the field, a total of 12 were seen today.
Dusky Thrushes on the Tsukasa fields. There appeared to be
much variation in plumages of the different ages.
Adult male Pale Thrush in the hand - This pictures shows the white outer-tails.
Female/1stW. Pale Thrush in the hand.
Pale Thrush showing the white outer-tails.
Just 2 of the 300 Siskins which had arrived onto the Island.
Female Brambling in the hand - 300 were seen on the Island today.
We recorded 25 Little Bntings today including a party of 10
feeding on this track near the School field
Little Buntings were also present on the West beach
Male Black-faced Bunting found feeding with the Little Buntings.
Record shots of a Female/1st.W. Chestnut Bunting on West shore
Chestnut Cheeked Starling behind the earth field along the West Shore
Moth Sp.
Locust at Tsukasa fields
