ゴールデンウィークに山形県飛島へ行ってきました。
I went to Tobishima in Yamagata for watching migration birds with birding friends of mine from 2nd to 5th of May. Because the warm day continued in April in 2018, the migration seemed to have started early, there were few birds like in the usual years while we stayed.
Narcissus Flycatcher
However on the only one fine day on our last day, we could see some birds which were stopped with a bad weather during our stay, Narcissus Flycatchers, Blue-and-White Flycatchers, Yellow-throated Buntings, Black-faced Buntings and Cattle Egret, for example.
These birds were very busy to look for insects, seeds and fruits for charging energy to leave the island as soon as possible to arrive at their own breeding area. I realized the difficulty of migration to choose a fine weather to keep migrating.
Blue-and-White Flycatcher
Yellow-throated Bunting
Black-faced Bunting
Chestnut-cheeked Starling
Brambling
Cattle Egret
House Martin（
Delichon urbica）, it is my lifer bird in Japan!
Of course I enjoyed resident birds in the island.
Blue Rock Thrush
Meadow Bunting
Oriental Greenfinch
About Tobishima Island（Yamagata Sightseeing Official Site）
http://en.yamagata-info.com/kanko/shonai/recreation/tobisima.html
大形ツグミ類の姿が多く見られた2018年春でしたが、渡りの始まりが早かったようです。しかも滞在期間中に天候が悪かったからか、例年になく鳥に姿は全体的に少なかったのです。しかしながら、最終日の晴れ間に鳥たちが一斉に動き出す様子はとても興味深く、5/5に観察したニシイワツバメは私にとって日本では初めて観察できた種類で嬉しかったです。
