Another four nights on Hegurajima

 Sometimes ferry sailings align perfectly with plans, not so often in autumn it has to be said when the Japan Sea is far more restless than in spring, but last week was just such an occasion. A ferry sailed on Tuesday morning as I'd hoped then there were none until my planned return the following Saturday. That there isn't another expected until next Friday at the earliest means at least 10 days with only one sailing. As if I wasn't lucky enough, the winds that prevented further sailings were constant full-of-promise north westerlies throughout my stay.

There were no spectacular falls of migrants as there had been earlier in the month but there was a sense of expectation and an obvious daily turnover of birds. Ultimately I was very satisfied with 76 species seen at this time of year and though the total recorded by all the birders out there was higher I think Japanese Quail was the only notable bird I missed. Unlike earlier in the month when I managed to miss the Hair-crested Drongo; I'm not going to forget that in a hurry.

Because I have so many interesting images of so many birds I'll post separately for some family groups such as buntings, finches and so on, and I'll deal with some of the oddities and the total species list here.

One of the hardest birds to catch up with was a Northern Shrike which was found at the southern tip of the island one morning. The majority of birders/photographers were keen to see it so naturally the rest of the island wasn't getting much coverage so I decided my time might be better spent trying to find what else might have arrived overnight. 

As luck would have it, I was the next person to see the bird after the finder, it having moved right up to the northern tip of the island. I sent a message to the crowd down south not that I held out much hope of it sitting around waiting for them. Remarkably the bird did stay, in fact it remained as if glued to the perch until the lead birder of the now strung-out pack hove into view. Just as he rounded a bend through the last of the houses the bird took flight not to be seen again that morning. You have to be sympathetic, don't you? Really, we've all been on the receiving end at one time or another, but I confess there was a funny side I needed to suppress as the stragglers continued to trickle in. 

By evening it was back in its original area, it may have been there the whole day as far as anyone knows as it rarely showed itself even when it was definitely in that location. It was still there the following morning too though I don't know whether it was seen subsequently apart from a report that it had been spotted briefly at the northern end again.

Northern Shrike spotted from the corner of my eye while watching Crossbills.

One rarity often leads to another as more pairs of eyes gather in one area. Late afternoon I received a message that a Great Bittern had been found, seemingly tired and going to roost, in a pine tree near the Shrike spot. This was an island tick for me, and my third bittern species on the island.

It's never easy to judge the health of migrant bitterns, they can be so tame and/or in odd settings, but presumably this bird was merely tired after its flight and in need of any place to roost. I believe it wasn't seen the following morning.   

One of the most outstanding memories I'll take away from this trip was Sadogashima! Yes, a different island. In all the years I've been going to Hegurajima I have never seen this 'neighbouring' island which I'd guess to be about 130km to the west, almost double the distance to the Noto Peninsular. After about an hour it had disappeared from the horizon so I'm really glad I took a couple of record shots...

Sadogashima from the northern tip of Hegurajima.

The cropped version, this is definitely an island. 

Apart from the mysteriously appearing island another highlight of the trip was the number of Siberian Accentors. For a long, long time this was a major bogey bird for me. Birders would tell me how vocal they were and that I couldn't possibly miss them. Well that may be but the fact is you can't see or hear something that isn't on the island and for some strange reason our paths simply never crossed, the timing was never right. The classic bogey bird, this went on for years... wait, this went on for (2) decades.

This time I was getting the kind of Accentor experience others must have been familiar with, the kind that led to disbelief that it was possible for a regular visitor never to have seen one. There were about three birds along the north west coastal path when I arrived and another a little further south, these birds duly left during my stay left but on the final day were replaced by about five new arrivals along the same stretch of coastal path. 

I also heard their distinctive call several times, but it was only distinctive because I already knew the Accentors were producing the sound. If I hadn't known there were Accentors present would I have realized that was their call or even that of a bird?! Might I not rather have passed it off as an unfamiliar singing cricket? 

Another bird I'd often unaccountably(?) missed in the past is Eurasian Wren. Not so this time, they were flitting about left and right, quite where they had arrived from, or were heading, I have no idea.

Eurasian Wren, great little birds giving great views for once.

If this post has been a bit of a mixed bag, this Grey-streaked Flycatcher will fit right in. A common enough species on migration but full juvenile plumage is a rare sighting in Japan, and on top of that 29 Oct is getting late for any Grey-streaked.

Juvenile Grey-streaked Flycatcher

A couple more Hegura regulars that I feel I never post images of are Rook and Eurasian Sparrowhawk, so I'll set that right now. Most of the Rooks I see on the island are immatures that are always worth checking for Carrion Crow, a much bigger prize, but this one is an obvious adult. Sparrowhawks are the commonest accipiters out there but I also saw a Japanese Sparrowhawk and a Northern Goshawk was also seen.

 

Rook

Eurasian Sparrowhawk

Full list of species:-

Mandarin Duck                                                            Brown-eared Bulbul

Mallard                                                                         Japanese Bush Warbler

Eastern Spot-billed Duck                                             Black-browed Reed Warbler

Eurasian Teal                                                                Yellow-browed Leaf Warbler

Tufted Duck                                                                 Warbling White-eye

Streaked Shearwater                                                    Goldcrest

Little Grebe                                                                  Eurasian Wren

Great Bittern                                                                White-cheeked Starling

Grey Heron                                                                  Common Starling

Great White Egret                                                        Eyebrowed Thrush

Pacific Reef Egret                                                        Pale Thrush

Great Cormorant                                                          Naumann's Thrush

Temminck's Cormorant                                                Dusky Thrush

Merlin                                                                          Red-flanked Bluetail

Peregrine                                                                      Daurian Redstart

Black Kite                                                                    Stejneger's Stonechat

Japanese Sparrowhawk                                                Blue Rock Thrush

Eurasian Sparrowhawk                                                 Grey-streaked Flycatcher

Northern Lapwing                                                        Siberian Accentor 

Common Sandpiper                                                      Grey Wagtail

Black-tailed Gull                                                           White Wagtail

Slaty-backed Gull                                                          Tree Pipit

Black Woodpigeon                                                        Olive-backed Pipit

Oriental Turtle Dove                                                      Red-throated Pipit

Common Kingfisher                                                      Buff-bellied Pipit

Bull-headed Shrike                                                        Brambling

Northern Shrike                                                             Oriental Greenfinch

Rook                                                                               Eurasian Siskin

Large-billed Crow                                                          Common Redpoll

Bohemian Waxwing                                                       Long-tailed Rosefinch

Japanese Waxwing                                                         Common Crossbill

Eastern Great Tit                                                            Hawfinch

Skylark                                                                           Japanese Grosbeak

                                            Chestnut-eared Bunting

                                            Little Bunting

                                            Rustic Bunting

                                            Yellow-throated Bunting

                                            Black-faced Bunting

                                            Grey Bunting

                                            Pallas's Reed Bunting

                                            Japanese Reed Bunting

                                            Common Reed Bunting

                                            Lapland Bunting

  

Ashy Drongo and Black Woodpigeon

I'm falling behind on my Hegura posts; I spent two nights on Hegura the weekend before last, which as the first overnighter I've managed for three years but before I could post all about that visit I've been out on two one-day trips. I was due to stay on the island again but because of the impending typhoon the minshyuku had closed early to allow the owners to go on their planned trip to the mainland. This was a great pity. Obviously it's so much better to stay on the island as it eliminates the time pressure that comes with a day trip. And for me there's nothing better than sitting with a coffee as the first hint of light begins to throw the eastern clouds into relief, thinking about which spots to check first and what new birds the day could bring.


I've already posted on my personal highlight of the first trip, Pechora Pipit, but another personal second record for the island and one that almost got away was Ashy Drongo. As I was making my way to the return ferry someone told me there had been an Ashy Drongo at the south end an hour earlier so after dumping my pack at the harbour I dashed down there and could grab a couple of record shots before departure time.

Rather distant views of an Ashy Drongo. This is a first winter bird, though the images aren't good enough to see much detail, the white face patch of the adult is ghosted on a clearer view, the tail isn't fully grown and there's a very distinct moult contrast in the greater coverts.

I think I was lucky it was on view when I arrived as I only had a few minutes to spare before heading back for the ferry.

Three years ago and three days earlier in the month this Ashy Drongo was at the school...

To anyone who's visited Hegurajima, there's no mistaking where this is.

A much better view of the short-stayer three years ago.

October always brings returning winter visitors, finches, buntings, thrushes and Daurian Redstarts. Often there might be ones or twos one day then they'll be everywhere the next, only for numbers to dwindle until the next big arrival. Two of the most reliable, and obvious, October birds are Rook and Greater White-fronted Goose. There were 12 Rooks on the first visit then half a dozen the following two trips, all immatures. Greater White-fronts never stay long, the lack of suitable habitat soon persuades them to move on.

Immature Rook can look quite like Carrion Crow, a species I've never seen on Hegurajima.

Greater White-fronts in the harbour area.

While hunting for migrants on the island it's not unusual to come across Black Woodpigeons, though getting good views is a different matter altogether; I'm still waiting since I buying a camera. This time I came close and the following shot was the most unobstructed I'd managed to date. Then as failing light and driving rain forced me back to my minshyuku I found this second bird right outside my window! Because of poor light and shooting through glass the result isn't as good as I'd like but I'm slowly getting there.

Almost a clear shot of Black Woodpigeon.

A through-the-window shot, still not quite the standard I want yet.

Spring is really here

Yesterday I went up into the Shiga prefecture forest then down to Lake Biwa just to see how the season is changing; and it is.


My first frogs were singing in both forest and fields, Barn Swallows have even reached northern Shiga and evening bats are out in force. On the down side, Lake Biwa is looking relatively birdless and big finch flocks have all but disappeared from the forest.


I didn't arrive until after daybreak and unsurprisingly I was too late for the pre-dawn scops owl chorus so I was amazed to hear one briefly at 08:05. Equally unexpected I didn't hear my first displaying Copper Pheasant until 08:25. I had already seen a female by then but a bird flushed unseen against the low sun through thick vegetation was my only other encounter.


Another very close Japanese serow was impossible to photograph as it bolted down hill (how do they do that?) and a White's Thrush also managed to thwart my best efforts to get a single shot of it. White's is a species I come across from time to time around Lake Biwa in winter but this is the first I can recall finding in the hills in spring. This Varied Tit on the other hand was far more confiding...

 

 

Once down from the hills another thrush was the first bird of interest, a female Dusky x Naumann's intergrade. This was an obvious intergrade and the first I've seen for some time, years in fact, so it was unfortunate that a farmer chose that moment to drive up behind me on a single track road and by the time I got back to the spot the bird had gone. Another good bird with no photographic evidence!


The narrow valley between the hills did provide a few good opportunities though. Two flocks of Rooks were grubbing around on the fields and an Eastern Buzzards was reasonably approachable.

 

 

 

 

Unlike in Kyoto where it's often necessary to stake out your cherry blossom picknick spot from first thing in the morning this family had it all to themselves. My Copper Pheasant hills are in the background and the fields in the foreground were full of buntings, Common Snipe and popular with fly-over Eastern Marsh Harriers and another Eastern Buzzard. There were also a couple of Green Pheasants - it's always nice to see both species in a day.

Common Snipe: I'm cheating here, I got this shot a few days ago in Mie.

 

 

Rustic Buntings.

I spent a lot of time looking at Reed Buntings here, the variation intrigued me when I came to Japan many years ago and it was good to see a number of birds feeding in the open. But more of that another time. Further south along the lake I spotted a tractor ploughing a field. This is usually a good chance to sift through wagtails and pipits but on this occasion the field was full of Black Kites.

Black Kites following the plough.

 

 

 

 

Before heading home, or rather before joining an endless queue of traffic heading for Kyoto, I couldn't resist this Little Grebe bathing in the late afternoon sunshine.

List of species recorded:-
Copper Pheasant   1 female, a male heard and another bird flushed
Green Pheasant   1 plus 1 heard
Eurasian Wigeon   100s
Mallard   widespread in low numbers
Eastern Spot-billed Duck   common
Northern Shoveler   30-40
Eurasian Teal   c20
Tufted Duck   20-30
Little Grebe   2-3
Great Crested Grebe   several displaying pairs
Grey Heron   common
Great White Egret   c20
Little Egret   3
Great Cormorant   c10
Black Kite   common
Eastern Marsh Harrier   3
Hen Harrier   1
Eastern Buzzard   2
Common Coot   1000s
Grey-headed Lapwing   4
Common Snipe   c25
Common Gull   7
Black-headed Gull   c15
Rock Dove   several
Oriental Turtle Dove   widespread
Japanese Scops Owl   1 heard
Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker   2 heard
dendrocopos sp   2-3 heard
Japanese Woodpecker   1 plus 2 drumming and 2 calling
Jay   c10
Rook   2 flocks totalling c80
Carrion Crow   common
Large-billed Crow   common
Great Tit   fairly common in the forest
Coal Tit   several, numbers way down compared to previous trip
Varied Tit   common in the forest
Willow Tit   surprisingly none!
Barn Swallow   several
Long-tailed Tit   common
Skylark   common
Brown-eared Bulbul   common
Japanese Bush Warbler   several singing
Japanese White-eye   common in the forest whereas it has been scarce recently, the reverse of Coal and Willow Tits.
Wren   3 heard
White-cheeked Starling   several
White's Thrush   1
Pale Thrush   8
Dusky Thrush   common
Dusky x Naumann's intergrade   1
Red-flanked Bluetail   1
Daurian Redstart   1 heard
Eurasian Tree Sparrow   common
White Wagtail   several
Japanese Wagtail   1 heard
Buff-bellied Pipit   1 heard
Oriental Greenfinch   common
Eurasian Siskin   2 flocks heard
Eurasian Bullfinch   2-3 heard
Japanese Grosbeak   c150 plus smaller numbers here and there overhead
Meadow Bunting   common
Rustic Bunting   c10
Reed Bunting   common


Japanese serow   1
sika deer   1 plus c8 heard

Early morning cranes and Rooks

Early on January 8 I positioned myself under the flight path of the cranes moving from Higashi Kantaku to the crane centre. The light was poor, heavy clouds and rain hadn't been so much as a recurring theme during the trip as a fact of life, I hadn't seen the sun since its two-hour appearance through the fog four days earlier.


The cranes didn't disappoint though. Hundreds of them, thousands, streamed by to the left and right, filling the air with their bugling; could anything ever sound more wild than the sound of cranes, from near and far and every point of the compass. Yet even this maelstrom of sound couldn't drown out the swoosh of wings passing directly overhead.

It wasn't only cranes numbering in the thousands, flocks of Rooks were widespread and frequent throughout the area. You might notice birds strung along the wires behind the white buildings in the final shot of the cranes.



In Kansai and perhaps elsewhere in Japan you'd be pushed to find anyone who had a good word for crows; they're heartily disliked. Most people are unaware of the different species and I can imagine anyone from Kansai being horrified by the Hitchcock-like gatherings of Rooks around Arasaki.

The wires around this village were laden with Rooks; the odds aren't good for the residents.

My only Daurian Jackdaw of the trip. Chris Cook had about 20 at another nearby location.