14th October, 2012 Sunday Hegura Day 16.

Out by 05.30 to a fine sunrise and a calm fine morning. Our pre-breakfast walk was unproductive with noticeably fewer Thrushes present along the Central Track. After breakfast we birded the Tsukasa fields, onto the North Cape and around to the earthed field and enclosures. Found a nice selection of migrants including a Rubythroat, 4 Yellow-browed Warblers, 3 Red-flanked Bluetails and best of all a Taiga Flycatcher. During the afternoon we covered the West beach area, seeing a Swinhoe's Snipe, before going back to try to photograph the Taiga Fly. Weather had now become overcast with poor light. Several raptors were moving including a fine Japanese Buzzard.

Great Cormorant 1
Japanese Cormorant 2
Grey Heron 4
Mandarin Duck 1
Mallard 3
Black-eared Kite 2
Sparrowhawk 1
Japanese Buzzard 1
Merlin 1
Peregrine 4
Coot 1
Swinhoe's Snipe 1
Black-headed Gull 2
Black-tailed Gull 200
Vega Gull 1
Slaty-backed Gull 2
Great-spotted Woodpecker 3
Skylark 3
Olive-backed Pipit 3
Black-backed Wagtail 10
Brown-eared Bulbul 6
Siberian Rubythroat 1 male
Red-flanked Bluetail 3
Daurian Redstart 6
Siberian Stonechat 5
Blue Rock Thrush
Japanese Grey Thrush 1 female
Pale Thrush 5
Eye-browed Thrush 2
Dusky Thrush 60
Naumann's Thrush 2
Japanese Bush Warbler 6
Middendorff's Grasshopper Warbler 1
Arctic Warbler 1
Pallas's Leaf Warbler 1
Yellow-browed Warbler 4
Goldcrest 50
Taiga Flycatcher 1
Japanese White-eye 20
Large-billed Crow 2
Brambling 40
Oriental Greenfinch 15
Siskin 50
Bullfinch 1 female
Japanese Grosbeak 4
Hawfinch 50
Masked Bunting 10
Pine Bunting 1 male
Elegant Bunting 20
Rustic Bunting 12
Little Bunting 1
Reed Bunting 3

Sunrise over the Harbour

Local fishermans catch this morning

No wonder we had fish at breakfast and evening meal!!

Juv. Slaty-backed Gull

Distant shots of the Japanese Buzzard over Middendorff's Marsh.

In appearance very similar to a Rough-legged Buzzard.

1stW. Red-flanked Bluetail showing very well on the edge of 

the earthed field - One of three seen today. 

Female Daurian Redstart also on the edge of the earthed field and 

giving the Red-flanked Bluetail some hassle.

 

Naumann's Thrush in the enclosure next to the earthed field.

 

Adult type Yellow-browed Warbler at the Tsukasa fields

1stW. Yellow-browed Warbler at the Tsukasa fields.

 

 

Taiga Flycatcher taken in very poor light near the earthed field.

Some poor record shots of an Eastern type Reed Bunting taken

next to the Water Plant in the early morning when two birds were seen.

 1stW/Female type Siskin  at Tsukasa fields