There were two surprise overshoots in our area. One was the Black-billed Magpie which appeared at Shiriyazaki on the 23rd, and the other, also near Shiriyazaki, was the two Japanese Yellow Buntings, which stayed at least a week from the 16th through at least the 23rd. Identification of these birds was problematical until we got our hands on a photographic field guide, which depicted the birds exactly as we'd seen them, somewhat dissimilar to anything we'd seen illustrated.
The season encouraged us to stray somewhat from our usual coastal route (Misawa to Shiriyazaki), into the inland "mountains" (elevation up to 1000 meters) near Towada-Ko and the Yagen Valley. Birds noted only in these areas are prefixed by a '@'. A '*' prefix means confirmed breeding, while '*?' means probable or suspected breeding. The Eurasian Tree Sparrows in our garage fledged on the 31st, while I saw my first fledgling Black-backed Wagtail today, June 2. Before we know it, nesting season in our area will be over. But nesting in the inland areas seems to have barely begun.
One of the highlights of the month for us was provided by a bird neither rare nor range-restricted. The peregrines nesting at Shiriyazaki are feeding two nestlings, which hatched sometime in mid-month. They are still covered only with white down. The last weekend of the month, a strong wind kicked up (foiling my plans to take a raft over to the island where the Spectacled Guillemots are nesting). The peregrines, who normally are fairly placid, just resting near the nest or on high utility towers, took advantage of the wind to get in some flying time. Shrieking almost constantly, they dive-bombed the Slaty-backed Gulls and Temminck's Cormorants which were trying to go about the business of nesting. They continued this tirelessly for hours.
Another highlight was the flock of White-throated Needletails we encountered a bit west of Towada-Shi, driven low by storm clouds. It was exciting to have these big swifts (bigger than any North American species, I think), knifing back and through the air at high velocity right by us.
The hoped-for shorebird migration didn't materialize into much, except for Gray-tailed Tattlers. I guess we'll have to wait until August ...
*?Little Grebe Kaitsuburi Podiceps ruficollis Eared Grebe (5/9) Hajiro-kaitsuburi Podiceps nigricollis Horned Grebe (5/2(10)) Mimi-kaitsuburi Podiceps auritus *?Great Crested Grebe Kanmuri-kaitsuburi Podiceps cristatus Streaked Shearwater (5/2->(50/15min)) O-mizunagidori Calonectris leucomelas Short-tailed Shearwater (5/2 20/15min) Hashiboso-mizunagidori Puffinus tenuirostris *?Great Cormorant Kawa-u Phalacrocorax carbo *Temminck's Cormorant Umi-u Phalacrocorax filamentosus *Pelagic Cormorant Hime-u Phalacrocorax pelagicus Great Egret Dai-saga Egretta alba Little Egret Ko-sagi Egretta garzetta Gray Heron Ao-sagi Ardea cinerea Mute Swan Kobu-hakucho Cygnus olor Whooper Swan (2 disabled) O-hakucho Cygnus cygnus Bewick's Swan (1 disabled) Ko-hakucho Cygnus bewicki @Mandarin Duck Oshidori Aix galericulata Karu-gamo Anas poeciloryncha Common Teal (->5/16) Ko-gamo Anas crecca Falcated Duck (->5/6) Yoshi-gamo Anas falcata Eurasian Wigeon (->5/23) Hidori-gamo Anas penelope Northern Pintail (->5/31) Onaga-gamo Anas acuta Northern Shoveler (->5/23(1)) Hashibiro-gamo Anas clypeata Pochard (5) Hoshi-hajiro Aythya ferina Tufted Duck (100+) Kinkuro-hajiro Aythya fuligula Greater Scaup (50+) Suzu-gamo Aythya marila Common Scoter (5/2(100)) Kuro-gamo Melanitta ?? Velvet Scoter (5/2(50)) Birodo-kinkuro Melanitta ?? Harlequin Duck (20) Shinori-gamo Histrionicus histrionicus Smew (->5/2(2)) Miko-aisa Mergus albellus Common Merganser (5/2,23(1)) Kawa-aisa Mergus merganser Osprey (8) Misago Pandion haliaetus @Honey Buzzard (5/30(1)) Hachikuma Pernis apivorus *Black Kite (100) Tobi Milvus migrans Northern Goshawk (5/15(1)) O-taka Accipiter gentilis Eurasian Sparrow Hawk (3) Hai-taka Accipiter nisus *?Common Buzzard (10) Nosuri Buteo buteo *?Asian Marsh Harrier (5) Chuhi Circus spilonotus *Peregrine Falcon (4) Hayabusa Falco peregrinus Merlin (early 2) Ko-chogenbo Falco columbaris Green Pheasant (5) Kiji Phasianus colchicus Water Rail (5/23(1)) Kuina Rallus aquaticus Moorhen (1) Ban Gallinula chloropus *?Eurasian Coot (200) O-ban Fulica atra Little Ringed Plover (5) Ko-chidori Charadrius dubius Kentish Plover (5/16,22(3)) Shiro-chidori Charadrius alexandrinus Mongolian Plover (5/23(2)) Medai-chidori Charadrius mongolus Ruddy Turnstone (5/16(10),31(1)) Kyojo-shigi Arenaria interpres Red-necked Stint (5/23(1)) Tonen Calidris ruficollis Dunlin (5/16(1)) Hama-shigi Calidris alpina Sanderling (5/16(2)) Miyubi-shigi Crocethia alba Spotted Redshank (5/2(19)) Tsuru-shigi Tringa erythropus Gray-tailed Tattler (5/16(60),24(78),31(4)) Kiashi-shigi Tringa brevipes Common Sandpiper (5) Iso-shigi Tringa hypoleucos *?Latham's Snipe (4) Oji-shigi Gallinago hardwickii Red-necked Phalarope (5/16,5/23(100/15min)) Akaeri-hireashi-shigi Phalaropus lobatus Herring Gull (5/2(1)) Seguro-kamome Larus argentatus vegae *Slaty-backed Gull (100) O-seguro-kamome Larus schistisagus Glaucous Gull (5/2(1)) Shiro-kamome Larus hyperboreus *?Black-tailed Gull (300) Umineko Larus crassirostris *?Spectacled Guillemot (55) Keimafuri Cepphus carbo Rhinoceros Auklet (->5/23(25/15min)) Utou Cerorhinca monocerata Rufous Turtle Dove (40) Kiji-bato Streptopelia orientalis Common Cuckoo (5/24(2H)->) Kakko Cuculus canorus @Oriental Cuckoo (5/24(2H)->) Tsutsudori Cuculus saturatus @White-thr. Needle-t. Swift (5/25(70)) Hario-amatsubame Chaetura caudacuta @White-rumped Swift (5/25(5)) Amatsubame Apus pacificus Common Kingfisher (3) Kawasemi Alcedo atthis @Japanese Green Woodpecker (5/26(1)) Ao-gera Picus awokera Great Spotted Woodpecker (15) Aka-gera Dendrocopus major @White-backed Woodpecker (5/25,26(2)) O-aka-gera Dendrocopus leucotos @Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker (6) Ko-gera Dendrocopos kizuki Skylark (20) Hibari Alauda arvensis Bank Swallow (late 100+) Shodo-tsubame Riparia riparia Barn Swallow (10) Tsubame Hirundo rustica *?Asiatic House Martin (50) Iwa-tsubame Delichon dasypus Gray Wagtail (20) Ki-sekirei Motacilla cinerea *Black-backed Wagtail (100) Haku-sekirei Motacilla lugens Japanese Wagtail (3) Seguro-sekirei Motacilla grandis Indian Tree Pipit (5/23(8)) Binzui Anthus hodgsoni Brown-eared Bulbul (50) Hiyodori Hypsipetes amaurotis *Bull-headed Shrike (100) Mozu Lanius bucephalus @*Brown Dipper (5/25,30(12)) Kawagurasu Cinclus pallasi @*Wren (15) Misosazai Troglodytes troglodytes *Blue Rock Thrush (15) Isohiyodori Monticola solitarius *?Brown Thrush (40) Akahara Turdus chrysolaus Dusky Thrush (100->5/23(1)) Tsugumi Turdus naumanni Bush Warbler (50) Uguisu Cettia diphone Short-tailed Bush Warbler (5/23(2),5/24(1)) Yabusame Cettia squameiceps *?Japanese Marsh Warbler (15) O-sekka Megalurus pryeri *?Black-browed Reed Warbler (25) Ko-yoshikiri Acrocephalus bistrigiceps *Great Reed Warbler (20) O-yoshikiri Acrocephalus arundinaceus Crowned Willow Warbler (5/23(5)) Sendai-mushikui Phylloscopus occipitalis @Pale-legged Willow Warbler (5/30(1H) Ezo-mushikui Phylloscopus tenellipes @Narcissus Flycatcher (5/23->(25)) Ki-bitaki Ficedula narcissina @Blue-and-White Flycatcher (6) O-ruri Cyanoptela cyanomelana *Long-tailed Tit (5) Enaga Aegithalos caudatus @Willow Tit (2) Ko-gara Parus montanus *?Coal Tit (10) Hi-gara Parus ater @*Varied Tit (15) Yama-gara Parus varius *Great Tit (20) Shiju-kara Parus major @*Nuthatch (5) Goju-kara Sitta europaea Japanese White-Eye (50) Mejiro Zosterops japonica *?Meadow Bunting (20) Hojiro Emberiza cioides *?Japanese Reed Bunting (12) Ko-jurin Emberiza yessoensis Gray-headed Bunting (12) Hoaka Emberiza fucata Japanese Yellow Bunting (5/16(1),5/22,5/23(2)) Nojiko Emberiza sulphurata *Black-faced Bunting (20) Aoji Emberiza spodocephala Reed Bunting (20) O-jurin Emberiza schoeniclus Brambling (5/2(1)) Atori Fringilla montifringilla *Oriental Greenfinch (200) Kawara-hira Carduelis sinica Red Crossbill (5/23(25)) Isuka Loxia curvirostra Japanese Grosbeak (5/5(4),5/22(1)) Ikaru Eophona personata Hawfinch (early 20,->5/30) Shime Coccothraustes coccothraustes *Eurasian Tree Sparrow (100) Suzume Passer montanus *?Red-cheeked Myna (20) Ko-mukudori Sturnus philippensis *Gray Starling (100+) Mukudori Sturnus cineraceus Jay (10) Kakesu Garrulus glandarius Azure-winged Magpie (8) Onaga Cyanopica cyana Black-billed Magpie (5/23(1)) Kasasagi Pica pica *Carrion Crow (50) Hashiboso-garasu Corvus corone *Jungle Crow (200) Hashibuto-garasu Corbus macrorhynchos Mike and Lee *************************** mikexlee@heronet.or.jp 011-81-176-53-2365 Misawa, Japan U.S. mail address physically located here: Mike Danzenbaker & Lee Hung PSC 76 Box 6193 APO AP 96319-6193 ***************************