A few warblers on Hegura last week

It's possible to visit Hegura in October and find the place swamped with Kamchatka Leaf Warblers but not this time, there were surprisingly few considering the numbers of birds passing through. That said the selection of warblers, whether phylloscs or otherwise, was pretty good with eight (probably nine) species seen.

The 'probable' mentioned was a Middendorff's flushed from the track side and glimpsed diving into cover, everything about it fit the bill but I wasn't able to get a confirming view. Middendorff's is a species which can occur in good numbers on occasion... or so I suspect. There have been times over the years when I've seen several individuals in a single day which must translate into great many more of this skulker on the island. 

Pallas's Grasshopper Warbler is even more of a skulker and, unlike Middendorff's, I've yet to see one sit up. I lucked into a very typical sighting on this trip, flushed from rank grass in a favourite cove of theirs. Stumbling through the tussock grass and overgrown rocks, trying to avoid sudden pools, this is where I've flushed all but one of my PG Tips on the island. This one flew a full 20 metres (a record?) before arrowing directly into cover. Normally they drop sooner into what might seem like less substantial cover but they're never to be seen again. This bird made directly for the type of cover their whole world population could have disappeared into. Why did I even bother to follow?

Black-browed Reed Warbler, on the other hand is an amateur skulker by comparison, I was able to see two birds quite well.

And that brings us to the phylloscs. The first day on the island the Kamchatkas were keeping close to or on the ground, yet despite my human sensibilities being unable to detect any significant change in weather they were up in the trees, but nevertheless still silent, by the third day. 

I only had one Dusky Warbler during my stay (usually a few) though I know from other birders there were certainly more on the island. Perhaps, like the other phylloscs, they were less vocal than usual and therefore less obvious. 

Returning to the minshyuku one evening I became aware of two small birds creeping through the sparse vegetation poking through the pebbles next to the path on the seaward side of the harbour-front houses. One of them flew across the path and down the side of a house. It was clearly either a Radde's or Dusky, fortunately the other bird stayed in the open giving itself up as the sole Radde's of the trip. It's likely the other bird would also have been Radde's but it'll have to go down as Radde's/Dusky.

Sakhalin Leaf Warbler may never be as common as Kamchatka Leaf but the single bird I saw was also an unexpectedly low count, even if most will have already passed through. Strictly speaking I suppose this bird should be considered either Sakhalin or Pale-legged, who knows how many, if any, Pale-legged pass through Japan in Autumn; and which part of Japan if they do. I had three Pale-legged on Tsushima in spring this year and I've had a couple of spring birds on Mishima in the past too. Clearly they are scarce but regular in western Japan in spring, when singing birds are easily found. 

This bird never called whereas in most years they call freely and are easy to locate but then the Kamchatka Leaf are also very vocal normally yet I didn't hear a single call this year; very strange. The weather really didn't seem as though it would keep birds quiet and the Yellow-brows were all as vocal as ever, half the birds I recorded were heard only. The bush warblers, thrushes, etc were also as vocal as ever. Inexplicable.

Oddly, considering how remarkably low phylosc numbers were in general, Yellow-browed weren't too far below par and I had four individuals on two of the days I spent on the island.

The big surprise was a Pallas's Leaf Warbler. I really don't think Pallas's Leaf is considered a rare migrant in Japan but I hardly ever see them. I honestly don't even remember the last one I saw and it's not as though they're inconspicuous, is it?

   

Hegurajima: October 3rd-5th

I was delightedly surprised to be able to get reservations at the minshyuku Tsukasa at short notice. Four nights for the following week and two nights a week later, most early Octobers I can't get a room at such short notice. I was far less delighted... or surprised for that matter... to have one day cut off the beginning and end of my visit by ferry cancellations. A 50% cut, it could have been worse and I'm worried about the chance of a 100% cut later this week!


There had been a clear out the night before my arrival and though birding was good and the sense of expectation as high as ever when arriving on Hegurajima, it was a little slow. There were plenty of the commoner muscicapa flycatchers, a few Stejneger's Stonechats and Kamchatka Leaf Warblers, enough to keep you hopeful and on your toes.


Chestnut-flanked White-eye was the first good bird of the day in the early afternoon though I'd already seen a bird I thought was this species but hadn't been able to confirm it. Over the three days on the island I realised Chestnut-flanked was the default species present; at first I thought perhaps a highly mobile party was responsible for multiple sightings in different parts of the island but it soon became apparent that possibly all the white-eyes present were Chestnut-flanked, and there were many of them, all over the island. Ultimately I only saw two definite Japanese White-eyes during my stay!

The other species I was pleased to see was Brown Shrike. I seem to remember often seeing juvenile/first autumn Brown Shrikes on Hegura years ago but they had dried up until this trip when there were three birds (two juveniles) on the first day. Only one of them lingered beyond that first day.

The first bird, nice crisp markings throughout.

The second bird has already moulted come scapular and mantle feathers. This was the only bird that stayed throughout my stay and frequently perched on the overhead wires.

The third bird looks like an adult female. I'd have liked better views of this pale bird but I only saw it once, very briefly, at quite long range. 

As the afternoon wore on I picked up Middendorff's Warbler, the only one of the trip, then 'Gray's Warbler' which was a personal first for the island. As you might expect views weren't great or prolonged but I was happy enough to have been in the right place at the right time. I heard later that there have been several birds seen recently.

Even a poor record shot is a minor miracle, whether it could be the continental fasciolata Gray's Warbler or Japan breeding amnicola Sakhalin Grasshopper Warbler, I'll never know.

As light was beginning to fail I make my way towards the scrubby area in the harbour for a last scout around before dark. Suddenly a drongo dashed into view above the tree tops to my left, caught whatever it was after, then swung back out of sight! I rushed in the opposite direction to the edge of the quay to try to get a view of the area behind the first row of taller trees. As luck would have it the drongo was perched in one of the few spots that could be seen and I could make out it was... Ashy. I confess I was disappointed, it's a great looking bird, spectacular even, and of course a real rarity in Japan. But it's also my third Ashy on Hegura, Hair-crested would have been nice, really nice. I watched it making sorties from the same perch long enough to get record shots and went to get any birders who were already at the minshyuku. I was back with a couple of birders in less than five minutes and I pointed out the perch with the bird sitting in the same spot. Just as I lifted my binoculars the bird, actually birds, flew. A Brown-eared Bulbul had taken over the Drongos spot on the tree top and it flew conspicuously away while simultaneously the Drongo, which had moved lower in the tree, dropped straight down. This was a corner-of-the-eye view. The other guys' attention was drawn to the Bulbul and they didn't notice the diving Drongo. It was deep twilight by this time and hope was the Drongo would be easily seen in the morning, however it must have left overnight as it was never seen again. It's amazing to think I was the only person on the island who saw this striking and conspicuous species; we all know a large number of rares will go undiscovered but usually imagine they'll mostly be the skulkers. Yet drongos are, if anything, the antithesis of the skulker and still this one almost got away.

Ashy Drongo in the failing light. A good way to end the first day and build anticipation for the second.

It was clear from the get-go that there fewer birds on the island next day. I picked up a few things I'd missed or only heard yesterday, a Siberian Rubythroat, a couple of Yellow-browed Warblers, Black Woodpigeon and nine Little Buntings. The only birds that were new were two Dusky Thrushes that I heard overhead and two Buff-bellied Pipits were probably also just arrived.

Yellow-brows can be quite common but I only had three on this trip. They're more often heard than seen and can be difficult subjects to photograph, this was the best I managed. 

Little Buntings can also be common and tend to sit around for anyone to snap away at.

The final morning was pretty dead by island standards but by mid-morning it became obvious that birds were arriving in significant numbers. Bulbuls were becoming common, three conspicuous Blue & White Flycatchers where there had been none, my first Narcissus of the trip, an up-tick in muscicapa flycatcher numbers, the return of Stejneger's Stonechats after an absence yesterday, a Red-throated Pipit quickly became five and my first spodacephala Black-faced Bunting of the trip turned up. Unfortunately today would be the last chance to get off the island before the next typhoon arrived so I, along with everyone else, left.

A nice male spod Bunting.

One of the fresh-in Red-throated Pipits.

Male Stejneger's Stonechat.

hegurajima October 14

I was hoping to spend three days on Hegura this week but just as last week it was impossible to get accommodation at such short notice. If most guest were fishermen last week, the island was certainly jumping with birders this week. The weather charts for the two days preceding my visit had looked very promising to bring birds in and so it proved; there were far more present this time.


Perhaps the two most striking changes were the arrival of Daurian Redstarts, which are now flaunting the presence around the island, and a huge number of buntings; buntings at every turn. Much more like mid-October in other words.


It wasn't difficult to resist the temptation to photograph the Daurians, they are after all a very common bird in Japan and there's no need to go to Hegura to get frame-fillers. The only Daurians I'd photograph there are birds that are of special interest for some reason, he said pompously. I often grumble inwardly when people are messing around on Hegura photographing common birds rather than getting on trying to find something. So let me first of all confess my own sins...

One of many Bramblings on the island.

Do they come much more common than Brambling? Well how about this...

One of two Great Spotted Woodpeckers I saw (and yes, I even got shots of both).

Well one excuse could be the Woodpeckers could be an interesting race; or how about they're damn difficult to get even half decent shots of in Kyoto. I know, clutching at straws. But why is it that Hokkaido woodpeckers always throw themselves at the camera while elsewhere they do their best to be on the wrong side of the tree. I'm still struggling for a Brambling excuse though.


Another bird that isn't exactly rare is Hawfinch but again it's a species I never normally get close to so...

An unusually confiding Hawfinch.

For many people Elegant Bunting would be another common winter species but it's something I rarely see in Kyoto, though they do winter elsewhere in Kansai.

Elegant Bunting was suddenly one of the commonest species on the island, there had been none a week earlier.

Last week I had my first Yellow-browed Bunting for Hegura and the following bird may even be the same individual as it was only 50 metres from that sighting. A cracking bird though and these better shots were worth a little stalking to get.

Yellow-browed Bunting; a very uncommon, dare I say rare, autumn migrant.

And sticking with Yellow-browed, the next one's a warbler. I saw nine Yellow-brows in my brief visit, no doubt there could have been many more.

This shot of Yellow-brow was taken by accident while trying to photograph a Willow Warbler!

There were two interesting clusters of birds. The first was in the strip of dense, low, tangled woodland running through the centre of the southern half of the island. I found a Willow Warbler and while driving myself nuts trying to get a decent shot of it I also saw two Yellow-brow, single Mugimaki and Narcissus Flycatchers as well as several Pale Thrushes, an irritating flock of Japanese White-eyes (irritating because they made it so difficult to follow the Willow Warbler), quite a few Goldcrest (they didn't help much either) and a handful of Coal Tits. Just last week I said I don't often see Coal Tits on the island, had I known they would suddenly appear in bigger numbers I'd have made the comment about something a bit more exotic. A Eurasian Sparrowhawk put in two appearances which was very nice though as I'd already found three piles of Pale Thrush feathers on my way through the trees I doubt any of the thrushes still present felt the same way.

Coal Tit.

If you're thinking "Another common species!", this is because I was hoping for Yellow-bellied Tit and even though this doesn't look anything like a Yellow-bellied Tit it was good camera practise just in case...

Mugimaki Flycatcher.

The second good-bird cluster was in a little grassy bay near the north end. I was staggering and stumbling through the hidden rocks and grassy tussocks when in fairly quick succession a large silent pipit, a large silent bunting and a small silent bunting flew up and perched on the rocky shore. In the end the large bunting turned out to be Pine which is good but expected in October and the pipit was a Richard's which may be the first I've seen on Hegura. I normally see Richard's either as spring migrants on other islands or as wintering birds further south. The small bunting I dismissed as a Reed in the excitement but grabbed a couple of quick shots to check later as I hadn't seen Reed this trip yet. With the big things sorted and the little thing gone I looked at the two images and was puzzled; I still am. It looks as though it's going to be easy to identify but looking closer it's almost as if it's made of old left over bunting bits, it's not a Reed. The small conical bill with the pale lower mandible could fit on a Pallas's Reed okay, there are bits of washed out Little and of Rustic too but neither seem perfect. This is killing me. Surely the answer is so obvious it's staring me in the face but I'm just not getting it!

A bunting on some colourful but not pleasant to walk over rocks...

A couple of people have commented saying this looks like a Pine Bunting. Indeed it does, the answer really was staring me in the face. Pine was the only streaky bunting (within reason) I never considered, simply because there was a Pine Bunting a few rocks over and this bird looked about 30% smaller hence my mind was focused on something small.


Having a last look around the harbour before boarding the ferry two guys came up and told me there was a Schrenck's Bittern at the hospital. My first reaction was hospital! What hospital? Anyway I thought right, two minutes up to the docs, two minutes back, 15 minutes till the ferry's official departure time. This has to be the only public transport in Japan that often leaves a few minutes early. Fortunately the bird really was just sitting in the "garden", a quick series of shots and back just as they shutting up shop, raising the gangplank or whatever, and we were out of the harbour five minutes ahead of schedule.


This reminded me of the time I was going to the ferry and someone told me he'd just found a Spotted Flycatcher! Still Japan's one and only record. Why didn't I just let the ferry go and stay on the island another day?! In that light even a Schrenck's pales. Another puzzle; why do I always get cracking views of Schrenck's Bittern (okay not always, but three of them have been point-blank range) and Yellow is always (always) a distant speck flying over some enormous reedbed?

Garden gnome or Schrenck's Bittern.

Species recorded:-
Eurasian Wigeon   1
Streaked Shearwater   common from the ferry
Schrenck's Bittern   1
Grey Heron   1
Great Cormorant   1 Wajima harbour
Black Kite   2
Eurasian Sparrowhawk   1
Black-tailed Gull   c200
Slaty-backed Gull   several Wajima harbour
Oriental Turtle Dove   1
Great Spotted Woodpecker   2
Coal Tit   c10
Red-rumped Swallow   1
Brown-eared Bulbul   c15
Japanese Bush Warbler   fairly common
Willow Warbler   1
Dusky Warbler   1
Yellow-browed Warbler   9
Kamchatka Leaf Warbler   1 heard
Japanese White-eye   c10
Goldcrest   several
Pale Thrush   several
Siberian Rubythroat   2
Daurian Redstart   common
Stejneger's Stonechat   3
Narcissus Flycatcher   1
Mugimaki Flycatcher   1
White Wagtail   2
Richard's Pipit   1
Olive-backed Pipit   1
Red-throated Pipit   1
Buff-bellied Pipit   2
Brambling   common
Eurasian Siskin   c30
Oriental Greenfinch   5
Hawfinch   3
Pine Bunting   1
Little Bunting   1
Yellow-browed Bunting   1
Rustic Bunting   several
Elegant Bunting   common
Yellow-breasted Bunting   1 seen by others
Black-faced Bunting   common
Lapland Bunting   1 seen by others

phylloscopus

Eastern Crowned Warbler is the only widespread breeding phyllosc in Kansai. It can be found throughtout the forested hills in the region including those surrounding Kyoto city. Japanese Leaf Warbler also breeds in the region but at higher elevations, the centre of the Kii Peninsular is the only area they are likely to be found on a casual visit.

During migration Eastern Crowned can be found in city parks from late August. Arctic complex warblers are more common passing through the area from September through October mostly after Eastern Crowned have moved through but there is some overlap in September. Since the recent three-way split I've been looking out for autumn passage birds in city's parks and believe not only is there a single taxon involved but that they are Kamchatka Leaf rather than Japanese Leaf.

In spring I occasionally find a Sakhalin Leaf singing in trees along the Uji River in the Ogura area. This river attracts a wide range of migrants so perhaps it isn't surprising I've found them there but not elsewhere. There have been one or two Yellow-browed in Kyoto while I've been here but they're rare. They are quite common on Hegurajima however and I've seen many in Ishikawa on the Japan Sea coast.

Radde's and Dusky are both reasonably common on off-shore islands and can be found along the mainland coast but I've never found either in the Kyoto area.

Other phylloscs are rare to very rare in Japan, I've seen several Willow warblers on Hegura as well as a couple of migrant tristis Chiffchaffs there, plus a wintering Chiffchaff in Osaka. Wood Warbler also occurs on Hegura but I haven't been lucky enough to connect yet! Tickell's, or presumably Alpine Leaf, has occurred there too but it seems to be a spring specialist unlike the others. Greenish and Two-barred Greenish are also possible, as no doubt is Pale-legged but the latter is probably only identifiable when singing so it will be another spring speciality. Personally I've had two singing Pale-legged on Mishima but only un-tickable views of one of them. having said that I'm not sure what would constitute a tickable view as they're only identifiable by song, a ticking dilemma.

Not a phyllosc but convenient to include here, I found this Booted Warbler in Kyushu in December 2014. There had been three prior records in Japan, all in Sept/Oct on off-shore islands.

Four shots of a Siberian Chiffchaff wintering in Osaka, 2014/15.

Dusky Warbler are reasonably common on Hegurajima and I'd imagine also along the Japan Sea coast. This bird 7 October 2011.

Radde's Warbler on Hegurajima, 11 October 2011. Radde's seems to be considered much less common than Dusky but I think the imbalance might be overstated, in some Octobers I see as many Radde's. 

First autumn Radde's can be strikingly yellow below, this on Hegurajima, 14 October 2013. One of three I saw on the island during the week I was there.

A typical bright Yellow-brow on Hegurajima, 9 October 2009. They can be fairly common on the island and many must go undetected on the mainland.

A fairly bright bird with a very clear central crown stripe, again on Hegura, 8 October 2011.

A surprisingly grey-mantled bird for the date, 17 Ocober 2009. More surprising, the bill lacks an upper mandible!

 

Sakhalin Leaf Warbler, Hegura May 2014, the crown/mantle contrast is obvious here.

 

Eastern Crowned Warbler on Mishima (Yamaguchi), 1 May 2009.

Eastern Crowned Warbler on Mishima, Yamaguchi, 29 April 2009.

Eastern Crowned Warbler in less strong light, Mishima, 29 April 2009.

Scraping the bottom of the barrel image-wise just to complete the breeders, this is actually an Ijima's Warbler on Miyakejima, 17 May 2013.