Gageo Island May 11
Hazy sun and very hot – the long hike to 2-Gu village at midday was probably a bad idea! Some new arrivals like Black-Faced Spoonbill at mossy slab (a Gageo first?), a Black Paradise Flycatcher, Lesser Cuckoo, Goldcrest, as well as at least a dozen new Mugimaki Flycatchers on the way to 2-Gu village, a new arrival of Brown Shrikes, and a sizeable group of Yellow Wagtails at 2-Gu cliffs were good signs of migration on Gageo. I recorded 69 species today which was my second highest total on Gageo, probably a result of yesterday’s drizzle and wind.
1. Black-faced Spoonbill – 1 at mossy slab (apparently a Gageo first)
2. Black-crowned Night Heron – 1 exhausted individual near quarry
3. Chinese Pond Heron – 2 including one still in winter plumage
4. Eastern Cattle Egret – 8
5. Grey Heron – 5
6. Intermediate Egret – 12
7. Temminck’s Cormorant – 3
8. Western Osprey – 1 in 1-Gu harbour
9. Eurasian Sparrowhawk – 1
10. Peregrine Falcon – 1
11. Greater Sand Plover -1 at mossy slab
12. Latham’s Snipe -2
13. Marsh Sandpiper – 1 near quarry
14. Terek Sandpiper – 1
15. Common Sandpiper – 3
16. Black-tailed Gull – 6
17. Black Wood Pigeon – 2 in hills above 1-Gu
18. Oriental Turtle Dove – 1
19. Lesser Cuckoo – 1 heard from 1-Gu hills
20. Common Cuckoo – 1 heard from 1-Gu hills
21. Oriental Scops Owl – 1 heard from 1-Gu hills
22. Pacific Swift – 12 +
23. Oriental Dollarbird – 3
24. Black-capped Kingfisher – 1 near trash tip
25. Ashy Minivet – 5
26. Brown Shrike – 6 spread out around 1-Gu, probably new in
27. Japanese Paradise Flycatcher -1 rufous-mantled male just above 1-Gu village
28. Eurasian Magpie – 3 around 1-Gu village
29. Japanese Waxwing – 2 at gully
30. Varied Tit – 1 on the road to 2-Gu
31. Light-vented Bulbul – 4
32. Brown-eared Bulbul – 10
33. Sand Martin -1 in 2-Gu
34. Barn Swallow – 40+
35. Red-rumped Swallow – 30+
36. Japanese Bush Warbler – 8 heard
37. Asian Stubtail – 1
38. Dusky Warbler – 1
39. Yellow-browed Warbler – 6
40. Pale-legged Leaf Warbler – 4
41. Eastern Crowned Warbler – 4
42. Oriental Reed Warbler –4
43. Japanese White-eye – 6
44. Goldcrest – 1 at ‘big halfway tree’ on road to 2-Gu
45. Red-billed Starling – 1
46. Brown-headed Thrush – 1
47. Siberian Blue Robin -1
48. Rufous-tailed Robin – 2
49. Stejneger’s Stonechat – 2
50. Blue Rock Thrush – 4
51. Grey-streaked Flycatcher – 11
52. Asian Brown Flycatcher – 20+
53. Yellow-rumped Flycatcher – 2
54. Narcissus Flycatcher – 7
55. Mugimaki Flycatcher – perhaps 12 (males and females) on the road to 2-Gu, probably fresh in
56. Eastern Yellow Wagtail – 40+, including a group of perhaps 30 at 2-Gu village cliffs
57. Grey Wagtail – 9
58. White Wagtail – 3
59. Richard’s Pipit – 4
60. Olive-backed Pipit – 5
61. Red-throated Pipit – 2
62. Brambling – 1 in 2-Gu
63. Chinese Grosbeak – 7 around gully
64. Eurasian Siskin – 65+ including one interestingly marked with a bright orange chin
65. Tristram’s Bunting – 7
66. Little Bunting – 3 in 2-Gu
67. Chestnut Bunting – 1 in 2-Gu
68. Yellow Bunting – 1 in 2-Gu
69. Black-faced Bunting – 20+
Black-faced Spoonbill Platalea minor. Photo © Matt Poll.
Chinese Pond Heron Ardeola bacchus. Photo © Matt Poll.
Japanese Waxwing Bombycilla japonica. Photo © Matt Poll.
Light-vented Bulbul Pycnonotus sinensis. Photo © Matt Poll.
Japanese Paradise Flycatcher Terpsiphone atrocaudata. Photo © Matt Poll.
Red-billed Starling Spodiopsar sericeus. Photo © Matt Poll.
Tristram’s Bunting Emberiza tristrami. Photo © Matt Poll.