16th October, 2012 Tuesday Hegura Day 18

Our final day on Hegura, as we leave on the 3.30 pm ferry. Beautiful early morning walk with warm weather and light S.E.breeze. It proved to be an excellent last day, on our pre-breakfast walk along the Central Track a superb White's Thrush sat for 5 minutes some 20 yards from us out in the open. We didn't dare move in case we flushed it. It stared at us with its large black eye for several minutes before it started to forage for food, something we will remember for many years to come. A Woodcock was also sat out in the open and a nice selection of other migrants were also seen. After breakfast our first visit to the scrub near the Water Plant where I flushed a Japanese Quail from my feet, another new lifer for me. We then found a Richards Pipit at Tsuaska, our first for the trip and we walked around the North Cape to the earthed field where the Taiga Flycatcher was relocated. Later we found a second Richards Pipit and had some superb views of a Radde's Warbler along the Central Track.
We said our goodbyes to our host and caught the ferry on time. Quite a rough crossing and we booked into the Route Inn in Wajima before going out for an evening meal with the weather still fine and warm.

Streaked Shearwater 50
Great Cormorant 1
Japanese Cormorant 1
Great Egret 1
Grey Heron 4
Mandarin Duck 2
Teal 2
Mallard 3
Pochard 2
Black-eared Kite 1 on Hegura and 70 at Wajima
Sparrowhawk 1
Merlin 1
Peregrine 1
Japanese Quail 1
Coot 1
Woodcock 1
Snipe 1
Black-headed Gull 2
Black-tailed Gull 100
Slaty-backed Gull 1 on Hegura and 3 at Wajima
Wryneck 1
Great Spotted Woodpecker 1
Skylark 2
Richards Pipit 2
Olive-backed Pipit 1
Siberian Buff-bellied Pipit 1
Black-backed Wagtail 6
Brown-eared Bulbul 6
Red-flanked Bluetail 3
Daurian Redstart 15
Siberian Stonechat 2
Blue Rock Thrush 2
White's Thrush 1
Pale Thrush 2
Dusky Thrush 60
Japanese Bush Warbler 4
Middendorff's Grasshopper Warbler 2
Black-browed Reed Warbler 1
Arctic Warbler 2
Radde's Warbler 1
Goldcrest 15
Taiga Flycatcher 2
Japanese White-eye 15
Large-billed Crow 2
Brambling 30
Oriental Greenfinch 12
Siskin 50
Hawfinch 50
Masked Bunting 4
Grey Bunting 2
Pine Bunting 1 male
Elegant Bunting 20
Tristram's Bunting 1
Rustic Bunting 6
Reed Bunting 5

Harbour view

The Central Track where we had good views of the White's Thrush.

The Viewing Platform over the drinking pool.

West shore enclosure where we found a number of good species.

Ferry arriving

David and Brenda saying goodbye to our host.

Lady diver down at the harbour (no cars on the Island).

Departing on the ferry.

 Pochard over the Dragon Pool

Female type Merlin over the West shore.

This Dusky Thrush was handed to us by a local and we released 

it on the West shore with other Thrushes and it flew away strongly.

Dusky Thrush at Tsuaska

 

Taiga Flycatcher in the enclosure.

 

 

 

 

Radde's Warbler along the Central Track.

(Unfortunately, some of the pictures were taken directly into the sun)

 

 

 

Richards Pipit at the Tsuaska fields.

Locust in the Tsuaska fields