By Dominic Le Croissette and Sarah Hoover. Two days spent hiking the majority of the trails on the island, in mostly cool, cloudy weather conditions. Out of only 30 species seen, there was just a trickle of migration in evidence although one or two interesting species were noted. Foremost among these was a Long-toed Stint consorting with party of 6 Wood Sandpipers, in a small freshwater wetland at the edge of an area of rice paddies. Around the rice fields nearby, a Striated Heron, 2 Siberian Stonechats, a Richard’s Pipit, and a small group of Eastern Yellow Wagtails. Raptors were mainly represented by frequent Eurasian Hobbies, which were regularly seen in all parts of the island, while at one point an Osprey passed high overhead. Along the forest trails, the day lists were mostly filled with common resident species (including many Great Spotted Woodpeckers, an uncommon species in the south of the country where I live), although there were a few more unusual birds including single White’s Thrush, Eastern Crowned and Yellow-browed Warblers. In a more open, scrubby area, a Dollarbird was seen, and 2 Little Buntings rounded off the list of migrants.
Sep132011