Bird news from Subhojit Chakladar
Drawn in by the charm of this remote island … I decided to spend a second weekend there. Excellent weather conditions meant very few birds of note on the island itself
October 19th
The sea crossing produced about 4000~5000 Black-tailed Gulls, ~300 Mongolian Gulls near the outer islands along with ~150 Streaked Shearwaters ( in between the outer island chains … most prominently between Hatae and Sangtae islands). Very few birds of note on the island itself. A Pechora Pipit outside the pension, a few White and Yellow wagtails at the garbage dump, a Lanceolated Warbler and an Oriental Greenfinch at the quarry. Hiking up to the “pass”, an extremely skulking Yellow-breasted Bunting.
October 20th
A 12hr and 25km hike covering 2 and 3-gu along with the hilly trails of 1-gu. Cloudless blue skies and very few birds in the open. The long hike to 3-gu produced some thrushes though all of them were extremely reluctant to reveal themselves. Right after the “pass”, a presumed Siberian Thrush in thick cover. Lots of Japanese White-eyes along the road (mostly japonicus) along with a probable juvenile Black-throated Thrush (seen briefly along the break in the foliage). A few Eastern buzzards in the sky. A Dusky Thrush along a temporary road construction to 3-gu.
October 21st
Quite a day … started relatively quietly at dawn. The first bird of note was a Dusky Warbler (whose call carried for quite some distance) at the base of the quarry. Slowly walking up to the top of the quarry revealed flocks of Brambling, Light-vented Bulbuls and a Rook. A Zitting Cisticola, an Oriental Reed Warbler, a few Stejnerger’s Stonechat. Descending towards the main village, lots of buntings in the terraced fields – Rustic Buntings, Little Buntings, Black-faced Buntings and Pallas’s Reed Buntings. A Japanese Quail was flushed at very close quarters along with 2 Far Eastern Larks. There were at least 5 Black-browed Reed Warblers in the bushes around the fields. However, the bird of the trip was a juvenile Steppe Eagle soaring over the main village affording some amazing views and pictures.
On the return ferry, drifting in and out of sleep, ~50 Streaked Shearwaters and 2 Black-legged Kittiwakes along with the usual assemblage of gulls.
Black-browed Reed Warbler Acrocephalus bistrigiceps. Photo © Subhojit Chakladar.
Steppe Eagle Aquila nipalensis. Photo © Subhojit Chakladar.