Tag Archives: Sakhalin Leaf Warbler

Bird News from Nial Moores

Four more visits to the local park with highlights including singing Sakhalin Leaf (on 17^th and 18^th) and Pale-legged Leaf Warblers (on 18^th); a remarkably early adult male Mugimaki Flycatcher (on 17^th); and plenty of thrushes.

In order to improve understanding of migration timing, I spent 5-7 hours in the local park on 11^th (following overnight rain); on 13^th in warm sunshine (with a max of 18c) and southwesterly winds; on 17^th (after very heavy rain); and on 18^th (with warm sunshine yielding to a cold dust-laden wind in the afternoon).

Species of note included:

Streaked Shearwater. A line of birds were seen moving south on the 17^th

Grey-faced Buzzard. One or two on the 18^th.

Pacific Swift. Six on 13^th increasing to 65 on the 17^th.

Ashy Minivet. Seven or eight on the 18^th were the personal first of the spring.

Japanese Waxwing. At least 1-3 were present each visit.

Yellow-bellied Tit. Twenty seven on the 11^th; perhaps 1-2 on the 13^th; and zero on both 17^th and 18^th.  It is fascinating to think where all these birds might be spending the summer…

Yellow-bellied Tits Pardaliparus venustulus © Nial Moores

Japanese Bush Warbler. The highest count was three on the 18^th.

Yellow-browed Warbler. One on the 17^th was the personal first of the spring.

Pale-legged Leaf Warbler. At least four heard singing on the 18^th (with an additional four Sakhalin/Pale-legged heard calling) were the personal first of the spring.

Sakhalin Leaf Warbler. At least three heard singing on the 17^th and one heard singing on the 18^th were the personal first of the year.

Eurasian Wren. Several during each visit, with one in song on the 13^th.

Eurasian Wren Troglodytes troglodytes dauricus © Nial Moores

Grey-backed Thrush. One on the 11^th; two on the 13^th; 5+ on the 17^th; and at least three on the 18^th.

Grey-backed Thrushes Turdus hortulorum (Female above, male below) © Nial Moores

Grey Thrush. Two on the 11^th; 1-2 on the 13^th; 3+ on the 17^th; and 6+ on the 18^th. Apparently one also seen here by Marco della Seta on the 15^th.

Grey Thrush Turdus cardis (Second Calendar-year male) © Nial Moores

Pale Thrush. Between 20 and 60 each visit, with the highest count on the 17^th.

Pale Thrush Turdus pallidus © Nial Moores

Brown-headed Thrush. Three on the 18^th was the highest count.

Brown-headed Thrush Turdus chrysolaus © Nial Moores

Blue-and-white Flycatcher. Seen each visit, with the highest count nine on the 17^th.

Blue-and-white Flycatcher Cyanoptila cyanomelana © Nial Moores

Narcissus Flycatcher. Surprisingly scarce with one on the 17^th and 3+ on the 18^th.

Mugimaki Flycatcher. An adult male was seen well on the 17^th. In 2010, the earliest one seen during research into migration phenology on Socheong Island was May 8^th.

Daurian Redstart. A pair were feeding young in a hole in a concrete wall on the 11^th. By the 18^th, these birds had fledged and in addition to giving begging calls were also giving a clicking type note – a squeaky version of an adult type vocalization.

Daurian Redstart Phoenicurus auroreus © Nial Moores

Siberian Accentor? An accentor call was heard on 17^th: this is a remarkably late date for Siberian Accentor (especially in the southeast).

All images taken with a compact sony camera through a truly superb Swarovski scope…