May 2nd – We reached the island at about midday and, after a brief meeting with Matt Poll who was leaving on the same boat, we got straight into the birds. Skies were clear with a light northerly breeze and there were lots about. We found the single Little Curlew and a Curlew Sandpiper with three Whimbrel and a couple of Black-tailed Godwits in the ‘flower-beds’ above the harbour. Also, a Purple Heron on the ‘mossy slab’.
We continued via the roadside scrub and gardens between the recycling plant and the school, then back to the seafront, along to the quarry and up the clifftop path and back down to the school. This first seven or eight hours produced 72 species. Most abundant were Black-faced Buntings: we considered at least 350 in the area we covered. Other buntings included 20 Tristram’s, several Little, two Yellow, two Yellow-browed, and single Yellow-throated and Pallas’s Reed. A Bluethroat showed nicely while other species included two Japanese Quail, a group of six Grey-faced Buzzards, Moorhen, Wryneck, Brown Shrike and four Common Rosefinches. We rounded off with a Grey Nightjar singing above the workers camp and a Kentish Plover on the slab as dusk fell. A snipe flying along the seafront in the gloom was thought on call to be Swinhoe’s Snipe.
May 3rd Out at dawn, still clear with a light northerly, and a look around the harbour and gardens produced most of yesterday’s birds plus two Common Kingfishers chasing each other in the harbour. From the school we continued up the hill, numbers of thrushes, minivets, pipits and other species coming in from the south-west. Our route took us towards the south-east of the island and then north along the ridge before returning via the steep path back down to the village. Of the thrushes, Eyebrowed seemed by far the most numerous but small numbers of Grey-backed, a few Pale and a couple each of White’s and Dusky were also seen. At one point a flock of 350+ was in the air seeming to be mostly Eyebrowed Thrushes.
Other species included Oriental Scops Owl, three Oriental Cuckoos, Dollarbird, Chestnut-cheeked and five White-shouldered Starlings, seven flycatcher species, 100+ Olive-backed Pipits, a few Japanese and 20+ Chinese Grosbeaks while buntings included 10 Yellow-browed, 35+ Tristram’s, Chestnut-eared, four Rustic, 15 Little and 250+ Black-faced. The species total for the day was 89.
May 4th The dawn walk turned up a Long-toed Stint on the mossy slab and a Black-capped Kingfisher in the quarry where Chinese Penduline Tit was heard.
Up the hill we had the, or another, Black-capped Kingfisher and Chinese Sparrowhawk near the 2-Gu junction then followed the upper road towards the mountain top, taking a detour at the radio mast along the ridge footpath where a Richard’s Pipit catching and eating a sizeable lizard was interesting. Highlights here were Black Woodpigeon and a starling flock by the radar mast junction which, as well as White-cheeked Starlings also held single White-shouldered, Red-billed and Chestnut-cheeked Starlings.
Walking back, it was clear that an afternoon arrival of Dollarbirds had occurred with at least 20 present. Back at 1-Gu three Chinese Penduline Tits were present. A total of 84 species was recorded including 60+ Yellow-browed Warblers, 350+ Black-faced and 50+ Tristram’s Buntings
May 5th – The skies remained clear although it was a little warmer, the wind briefly becoming variable east to southeast before backing north again. A walk to 2-Gu and back took up most of the day and produced numbers of warblers including 50 Yellow-browed, 30 Eastern Crowned and 15+ Asian Stubtails with an apparent late influx of Brown Flycatchers: 60+ on the walk back. Other flycatchers were few though, just single Dark-sided and Grey-streaked, Blue-and-white, Yellow-rumped and Mugimaki and five Narcissus. Just five Dollarbirds today. A Purple Heron was at 2-Gu and several Black Woodpigeons were also seen and heard. 77 species for the day.
May 6th – Again northerly winds and clear skies and diversity continued to lessen although new arrivals continued to appear. The early walk produced an Oriental Pratincole and two Wood Sandpipers on the quayside and a Black Drongo above the quarry. Two Japanese Sparrowhawk were also new and there was an increase in hirundines with 50 Barn and 150 Red-rumped Swallows, five Asian House Martins and a single Sand Martin. Also 30+ Pacific Swifts. There was a general drop in numbers of most other migrants with just 15 Yellow-browed, five Dusky and two Eastern Crowned Warblers, two Pale and three Eyebrowed Thrushes, 25 Olive-backed Pipits and 80 Black-faced Buntings. The 61 species total was the lowest for a full day of the week but it was still very good birding!
May 7th – Winds in the southwest but still clear skies and there was little obvious change in numbers of anything. Green Sandpiper was new for the week and an Amur Wagtail was also the first, all other Alba wagtails having been ocularis types. A Black Woodpigeon was singing near the Buddhist temple and a Black Drongo, perhaps yesterday’s bird, was near the recycling centre. Another Sand Martin was feeding around the quayside. We walked up to the Japanese bunker area above 1-Gu, finally finding singing Radde’s Warbler, and then down to the 2-Gu junction and spent the rest of the day along the road. More Radde’s here so perhaps new in. Other birds here included a smart Northern Hawk Cuckoo while Oriental Cuckoo was calling nearby. A dozen White-eyes that moved quickly through included at least two Chestnut-flanked and may all have been.
May 8th– The winds remained in the southwest and there was 50% cloud cover this morning. With just six hours before we were due to leave we worked the area around 1-Gu, the quarry area and hillside above. It was generally rather quiet and gave a fair idea of how quiet it could be and how good a week we had had. It’s hard to judge when you’ve not visited a place before. However, a brief Taiga Flycatcher was the first live one of the week and five more Radde’s Warblers were appreciated. Just 53 species today but we finished with 122 for the week and a keen desire to get back as soon as possible!
Daily species record.
| 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | |
| Japanese Quail | 2 | ||||||
| Striated Heron | 1 | 1 | |||||
| Black-crowned Night Heron | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 | |||
| Chinese Pond Heron | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | |
| Eastern Cattle Egret | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 2 | ||
| Grey Heron | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 3 |
| Purple Heron | 1 | 1 | |||||
| Great White Egret | 2 | 1 | |||||
| Intermediate Egret | 5 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 6 | 4 |
| Little Egret | 2 | 1 | |||||
| Temminck’s Cormorant | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||||
| Peregrine | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | |||
| Chinese Sparrowhawk | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||||
| Japanese Lesser Sparrowhawk | 2 | 1 | |||||
| Eurasian Sparrowhawk | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||||
| Grey-faced Buzzard | 6 | 2 | 1 | 1 | |||
| Common Moorhen | 1 | ||||||
| Oriental Pratincole | 1 | ||||||
| Kentish Plover | 1 | ||||||
| Curlew Sandpiper | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||
| Long-toed Stint | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||
| Black-tailed Godwit | 1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | ||
| Common Snipe | 1 | ||||||
| (Swinhoe’s Snipe) | 1? | ||||||
| Little Curlew | 1 | 1 | |||||
| Whimbrel | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | |||
| Common Greenshank | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||||
| Green Sandpiper | 1 | ||||||
| Wood Sandpiper | 1 | 2 | |||||
| Common Sandpiper | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |||
| Terek Sandpiper | 2 | 1 | 1 | ||||
| Grey-tailed Tattler | 1 | 1 | |||||
| Black-tailed Gull | p | p | p | 50 | 70 | 150 | p |
| Mongolian Gull | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | ||
| Slaty-backed Gull | 1 | 1 | |||||
| Black Woodpigeon | 2 | 6 | 7 | ||||
| Oriental Turtle Dove | 1 | 2 | 3 | ||||
| Oriental Cuckoo | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | |||
| Northern Hawk- Cuckoo | 1 | ||||||
| Oriental Scops Owl | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||||
| Grey Nightjar | 1 | ||||||
| White-throated Needletail | 1 | ||||||
| Pacific Swift | 15 | 2 | 30 | 10 | 5 | ||
| Common Kingfisher | 2 | ||||||
| Black-capped Kingfisher | 1-2 | ||||||
| Oriental Dollarbird | 1 | 20 | 5 | 2 | |||
| Eurasian ‘ Wryneck | 1 | ||||||
| Ashy Minivet | 2 | 30 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 25 | 10 |
| Bull-headed Shrike | 2 | 2 | 2 | ||||
| Brown Shrike | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||||
| Black-naped Oriole | 5 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 1 | |
| Black Drongo | 1 | 1 | |||||
| Large-billed Crow | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||
| Long-tailed Tit | 10 | 6 | |||||
| Eastern Great Tit | 1 | 6 | 5 | 10 | 2 | 6 | 1 |
| Varied Tit | 3 | 6 | 8 | 8 | |||
| Chinese Penduline Tit | 3 | 1 | |||||
| Sand Martin | 1 | 1 | |||||
| Barn Swallow | 10 | 75 | 30 | 8 | 50 | 30 | 15 |
| Red-rumped Swallow | 15 | 30 | 20 | 150 | 25 | 20 | |
| Asian House Martin | 1 | 2 | 5 | ||||
| Light-vented Bulbul | 6 | 20 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 10 |
| Brown-eared Bulbul | 25 | 35 | 35 | 40 | 30 | 40 | 25 |
| Asian Stubtail | 10 | 10 | 12 | 15 | 5 | 5 | 8 |
| Japanese Bush Warbler | p | p | p | p | p | p | p |
| Korean Bush Warbler | p | p | p | p | p | p | p |
| Styan’s Grasshopper Warbler | 2 | ||||||
| Oriental Reed Warbler | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | |||
| Dusky Warbler | 5 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 5 | 10 | 8 |
| Radde’s Warbler | 2 | 5 | |||||
| Yellow-browed Warbler | 10 | 40 | 60 | 50 | 15 | 40 | 10 |
| Pallas’s Leaf Warbler | 3 | 1 | |||||
| “Arctic Warbler” | 6 | 5 | |||||
| Eastern Crowned Warbler | 10 | 10 | 30 | 2 | 12 | ||
| Pale-legged Leaf Warbler | 15 | 12 | 10 | 1 | 15 | 1 | |
| Japanese White-eye | 12 | 10 | 20 | 30 | 6 | 20 | 10 |
| Chestnut-flanked White-eye | 2+ | ||||||
| Red-billed Starling | 1 | ||||||
| Chestnut-cheeked Starling | 1 | 1 | |||||
| White-shouldered Starling | 5 | 2 | |||||
| White-cheeked Starling | 7 | 7 | 10 | ||||
| White’s Thrush | 2 | ||||||
| Dusky Thrush | 2 | 1 | |||||
| Pale Thrush | 3 | 10 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 3 | |
| Grey-backed Thrush | 20 | 1 | |||||
| Eye-browed Thrush | 1 | 300 | 50 | 10 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| Blue Rock Thrush | 2 | 5 | 3 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 2 |
| Siberian Rubythroat | 1 | 5 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 2 |
| Siberian Blue Robin | 2 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 1 | |
| Bluethroat | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||
| Red-flanked Bluetail | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| Daurian Redstart | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | ||
| Stejneger’s Stonechat | 15 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 8 | 5 | 2 |
| Rufous-tailed Robin | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | |
| Yellow-rumped Flycatcher | 2 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||
| Narcissus Flycatcher | 2 | 10 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 3 |
| Mugimaki Flycatcher | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |||
| Taiga Flycatcher | 1 | 1 | |||||
| Blue-and-white Flycatcher | 4 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 3 | ||
| Dark-sided Flycatcher | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | ||
| Grey-streaked Flycatcher | 2 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 2 | ||
| Asian Brown Flycatcher | 10 | 15 | 15 | 60 | 10 | 15 | 3 |
| Eastern Yellow Wagtail | 6 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 12 | 10 | 5 |
| White Wagtail | 30 | 50 | 50 | 35 | 25 | 25 | 15 |
| Grey Wagtail | 8 | 10 | 10 | 15 | 8 | 6 | 4 |
| Richard’s Pipit | 5 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| Red-throated pipit | 2 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 2 |
| Olive-backed Pipit | 40 | 100 | 75 | 50 | 25 | 20 | 15 |
| Buff-bellied Pipit | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| Brambling | 10 | 3 | 20 | 15 | 10 | 20 | 5 |
| Common Rosefinch | 4 | 1 | 1 | ||||
| Japanese Grosbeak | 10 | 20 | 10 | 4 | 4 | ||
| Chinese Grosbeak | 20 | 20 | 6 | 8 | 20 | 10 | |
| Yellow-throated Bunting | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||||
| Rustic Bunting | 4 | ||||||
| Tristram’s Bunting | 15 | 35 | 50 | 30 | 12 | 30 | 10 |
| Yellow-browed Bunting | 2 | 10 | 2 | 3 | |||
| Little Bunting | 12 | 15 | 10 | 10 | 5 | 3 | 2 |
| Chestnut-eared Bunting | 1 | 1 | |||||
| Chestnut Bunting | 1 | 1 | |||||
| Black-faced Bunting | 300 | 250 | 350 | 250 | 80 | 100 | 70 |
| Yellow Bunting | 2 | ||||||
| Pallas’s Reed Bunting | 2 | 1 | 3 | ||||