My main purpose for going was to see and photograph the Crested (Japanese) Murrelet (Kanmuri umisuzume). I knew that sort of bird would be difficult to find, and certainly to see well, from the ferry (which I took round-trip), so through the nature center near Tairo Ike I arranged for a boat which would take me around Sanbondake (the small group of islets where the bird nests), and into nearby favored feeding areas. Thanks to good timing, I was able to go out on an already-scheduled research trip as well, and so had an opportunity each of the two days. On Saturday's trip (1 - 3:30 PM), we found about 35 individuals in relatively calm seas, many of which tolerated fairly close approach by the boat (more so in general than any other species of murrelet I've observed). On Sunday's trip (9:30 AM - 12:30 PM), we only found 13 individuals, but in much choppier and windier conditions.
Unfortunately, Crested Murrelet (this population, at least) is experiencing a precipitous population decline. The reasons are partially understood. While Sanbondake has thus far escaped the affliction of introduced mammals (a common cause of seabird declines elsewhere), it has become a popular spot for sportsfishermen, who out of lack of awareness leave fish scraps and other garbage behind. This attracts Jungle Crows (Hashibuto-garasu) and Black-tailed Gulls (Umineko). There used to be a pair of crows there, but now 15-20 are regularly present. They take the murrelets' eggs. The only gulls used to be transients from other breeding areas, but they are now nesting there. They take the murrelet chicks. Fledging rates have been exceedingly low. No fledged chicks have been seen there for 3 years. At-sea surveys indicate much-reduced numbers over just the last few years.
So, while it was exciting to see and photograph these birds, it is sobering to realize that they may not be long for this world, at least at this location. Information on how they are faring at their other breeding sites (other Japanese islands to the South, and also islands off North and South Korea) is generally unavailable.
This boat-oriented trip left just a little time to see the island itself. Even though I had rental car problems (both getting one and keeping the one I got alive), I managed to get myself to Tairo-Ike on mid-morning Saturday and early morning Sunday, and saw the commoner endemic species and subspecies for which the island is famous. Izu Islands Thrush (Akakokko) and Ijima's Willow Warbler (Ijima-mushikui) were both common, although I found the thrush quite shy (and hard to find after mid-morning). The warbler was very vocal and were not wary, and sometimes descended to near eye-level for excellent views. The endemic races of Varied Tit (Yama-gara) and Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker (Ko-gera) were also common and conspicuous. A single Japanese Woodpigeon (Karasu-bato) flew overhead. Japanese Robins (Kopadori) were surpisingly common and fairly easy to see (and singing at this season). Not surprisingly, I found no trace of Japanese Night Heron (Mizogoi), although it does still occur there in summer, probably nesting. The only migrant was a single Japanese (Gray) Thrush (Kuro-tsugumi), rather unusual for the location, I think. The return ferry trip was much more interesting than I thought it would be, in spite of the fact that I could not find any hoped-for Tristram's Storm-Petrels (Osuton-umitsubame). There were 30-40 Japanese birders lining the rail of the rightly-lit side of the boat, many with Kowas set up on tripods. Since I am tall, I was able to stand behind them and still enjoy an unobstructed view of the ocean. As usual, I was the only geijin on the boat, and drew much interest.
We passed fairly close by one pair of Crested Murrelets just off the North end of the island, and then the Streaked Shearwater (O-mizunagidori) show began. I don't think I've ever seen such large numbers of any bird, except perhaps the concentrations of several hundred thousand Sooty Shearwaters (Haiiro-mizunagidori) in Monterey Bay, and off Cape Horn. The flock (singular) was not dense, but continued for miles and hours. I believe there were at least 100,000, perhaps far more. They were moving roughly Southeast. Many flew quite close to the boat; it was easy to make out the individual streaks on the head. I had thoughts of getting out my camera, but finally decided I just didn't want the weight hanging on my shoulder for 3 hours with probably no worthwhile return. I also figured that even if my target Tristram's Storm-Petrel appeared, it wouldn't just fly alongside the boat for photos.
I quickly developed a strategy for keying in on the more interesting birds. Just look for anything that isn't a Streaked Shearwater.
It wasn't long before other pelagic species did put in appearances, although mostly briefly. An adult Long-tailed Jaeger (Shirohara-tozokukamome) came by (early in the season, I thought), and shortly after a "Pomasitic" (?-tozokukamome). Then a Laysan Albatross (Ko-ahodori), then another; eventually 14. Then a single Black-footed Albatross (Kuroashi-ahodori), and a couple of small groups of Red Phalaropes (Haiiro-hireashi-shigi). As I continued to brood over the lack of storm-petrels, I raised my glass to examine an odd-looking large bird flying by about 300 meters out. It was whitish below, with a broad, dark belt around the upper breast, generally dark above with strange white patches at the base of the upperwings, but most attention-getting, a huge bill which gleamed completely whitish in the sun. "That's a Short-tailed Albatross" (Ahodori), I said aloud, several times. Practically by instinct I reached back for my camera, but it wasn't there. I winced, and so simply followed the bird through my bins, soaking up the image of what may be the only of this species I'll ever see. After that, storm-petrels didn't occupy my thoughts, and I enjoyed views of a couple of Flesh-footed (Akaashi-mizunagidori) and several Short-tailed Shearwaters (Hashiboso-mizunagidori), more Laysan Albatrosses, and a single, flying Crested Murrelet.
Here's the bird list (maximize the size of your window to view this in a reasonable format):
Temminck's Cormorant 8 P. filamentosus Umi-u Japanese (Crested) Murrelet 40 Synthliboramphus umisuzume Kanmuri umisuzume Short-tailed Albatross 1 Diomedea albatrus Ahodori Black-footed Albatross 1 Diomedea nigripes Kuroashi-ahodori Laysan Albatross 14 Diomedea immutabilis Ko-ahodori Streaked Shearwater 100000 Calonectris leucomelas O-mizunagidori Flesh-footed Shearwater 2 Puffinus carneipes Akaashi-mizunagidori Short-tailed Shearwater 10 Puffinus tenuirostris Hashiboso-mizunagidori Brown Booby 1 Sula leucogaster Katsuodori Long-tailed Jaeger 1 Stercorarius longicaudus Shirohara-tozokukamome "Pomasitic" Jaeger 1 Stercorarius (sp.?) ?-tozokukamome Black-tailed Gull 100 Larus crassirostris Umineko Great Egret 1 Egretta alba Dai-sagi Eastern Reef Egret 1 Egretta sacra Kuro-sagi Red Phalarope 19 Phalaropus fulicarius Haiiro-hireashi-shigi Black Kite 25 Milvus migrans Tobi Eurasian Kestrel 1 Falco tinnunculus Chogenbo Brown Hawk-Owl 3 Ninox scutulata Aoba-zuku Bamboo Partidge (H) 6 Bamusicola thoracica Kojukei Com. (Green) Pheasant (H) 1 Phasianus colchicus Kiji Japanese WoodPigeon 1 Columba janthina Karasu-bato Rufous Turtle Dove 10 Streptopelia orientalis Kiji-bato Fork-tailed Swift 15 Apus pacificus Amatsubame Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker 10 Dendrocopos kizuki Ko-gera House Martin 1 Delichon urbica Iwa-tsubame Barn Swallow 100 Hirundo rustica Tsubame Gray Wagtail 1 Motacilla cinerea Ki-sekirei Brown-eared Bulbul 25 Hypsipetes amaurotis Hiyodori Bull-headed Shrike 3 Lanius bucephalus Mozu Wren 8 Troglodytes troglodytes Misosazai Japanese Robin 8 Erithacus akahige Kopadori Blue Rock Thrush 25 Monticola solitarius Isohiyodori Izu Islands Thrush 25 Turdus celaenops Akakokko Gray (Japanese) Thrush 1 Turdus cardis Kuro-tsugumi Dusky Thrush 25 Turdus naumanni Tsugumi Bush Warbler 20 Cettia diphone Uguisu Ijima's Willow Warbler 30 Phylloscopus ijimae Ijima-mushikui Great Tit 3 Parus major Shiju-kara Varied Tit 10 Parus varius owstoni Yama-gara Japanese White-Eye 25 Zosterops japonica Mejiro Meadow Bunting 15 Emberiza cioides Hojiro Black-faced Bunting 5 Emberiza spodocephala Aoji Oriental Greenfinch 25 Carduelis sinica Kawara-hiwa Eurasian Tree Sparrow 40 Passer montanus Suzume Red-cheeked Myna 3 Sturnus philippensis Ko-mukidori Jungle Crow 80 Corvus macrorhynchos Hashibuto-garasu Mike