Birding Diary July - Dec., 2001
Birding Diary July - Dec., 2001
1-3 December : Karuizawa & its vicinities (Nagano, Saitama) Temp:Low 24.8, High 50.7 (F)
Kawamoto-town (Saitama) 12/1 7:00-7:45
In Kawamoto-town, we can see Bewick's Swan in Kanto area. There are several viewing spots in Kanto area: Kawamoto, Kitaura, Sugao-numa, Kotoku-numa and so on. It's very happy to see them in my neighborhood, it takes more than one hour drive from our house though. In winter, we don't have to get up early. The white shining Swans were so beautiful and large flock of Pintails is the badge of winter. Among the naked trees, we could see Dusky Thrush and Hawfinch perching together. Their characteristic calls are the winter features.
Other birds in Kawamoto were Little Grebe, Great Cornmorant, Little Egret, Gray Heron, Mallard, Pochard, Black Kite, White Wagtail, Water Pipit, Brown-eared Bulbul, Bull-headed Shrike, Daurian Redstart, Siberian Meadow Bunting, Tree Sparrow and Jungle Crow.
Tonegawa River (Saitama) 12/1 8:30-10:00
To see the hovering of Rough-legged Buzzard, who is a rare visitor here, we went to Tonegawa River. Miho-san was kind enough to send me the detailed map, and without it, we couldn't reach there. There were already several people on the bank. Before long, it appeared with dignity but mobbed by Crows. It was impressive. It perched on the favorite tree for a while, and flew away. And everytime we decided to leave, it returned. Mmm. We noticed the white flying birds, it was a flock of Lapwings, which we saw for the first time ! We only could see them flew away... Take another chance.
Other birds here were Great Cornmorant, Skylark, Siberian Meadow Bunting and Tree Sparrow.
Karuizawa Bird Forest (Nagano) 12/1 14:00-16:40, 12/2 8:30-16:00
In this time of the season in Karuizawa, we expect to see red, big and beautiful bird. We were not sure if they would come this winter again, and they were here ! We could see 11 Palla's Rosy Finch at one time. (5 beautiful red males and 6 cute females/young males) They are more active in the afternoon, than in the morning. Before dusk, they come to eat. They are always eating. Everytime we see them, they are eating. Males always occupied the bird feeder and Nuthatch was pushed off with a beak. A cute female was looking down the feeder with a wishful look. We stood there for a while admiring its beautiful metallic color.
Other birds in Karuizawa were Japanese Accentor, Rufous Turtle Dove, Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Gray Wagtail, Japanese Wagtail, Brown-eared Bulbul, Brown Dipper, Wren, Dusky Thrush, Long-tailed Tit, Willow Tit, Coal Tit, Varied Tit, Great Tit, Siberian Meadow Bunting, Rustic Bunting Siskin(many!) Long-tailed Rose Finch, Bullfinch, Jay, Carrion Crow and Jungle Crow.
Saku-city (Nagano) 12/3 10:00-11:00
To see Smews, and as we expected they were already here. Some of them were still in brown color, summer plumage. It's cute, isn't it ? Soon they return to black and white, so it is "the limited time offer"! Next time we come here, this regulating pondage will be covered with ice, maybe.
Other birds we saw were Little Grebe, Great Cornmorant, Great Egret, Little Egret, Gray Heron, Spot-billed Duck, Green-winged Teal, Falcated Teal, Gadwall, Eurasian Wigeon, Mallard, Pintail, Pochard, Tufted Duck, Common Merganser, Black Kite, Coot, Rufous Turtle Dove, Brown-eared Bulbul, Bull-headed Shrike, Daurian Redstart, Siberian Meadow Bunting, Tree Sparrow, Gray Starling, Carrion Crow and Jungle Crow.
2-4 November : Izunuma & Kabukurinuma (Miyagi Pref.) Temp:Low 46-55, High 55-59 (F)
Lake Izunuma:11/2 15:00-17:00,11/3 5:15-7:40, 15:20-17:00 11/4 5:35-6:35
It is the annual event to see White-fronted Goose in Izunuma and Kabukuri-numa. It is highly addictive, the scene of the birds flushing in unison. When we came here last year, it was two more weeks later and colder. While we stayed there, the leaves turn to red and yellow. We stayed at an inn near the lake Izunuma, the same as last year. There was a bit of mishandling in change of reservation, there was a vacancy and we could stay though. This is a special inn, which commands Izunuma from the room. We enjoyed to see Geese flew in formation as they returned to ponds from fields where they had been feeding. Early in the next morning, we waited by the lake trying to record the sound and voice, when they were taking off in unison. We waited with a pounding heart, and at 6:00, the firecrackers(!) flushed them. (After that, they flushed at 6:40, 45 and 54. Next morning, it was 6:00 and 6:10.)
Other birds here were Little Grebe, Great Egret, Little Egret, Gray Heron, Whooper Swan (w/White-fronted Goose), Bewick's Swan, Mallard, Spot-billed Duck, Pintail, Black Kite, Coot, White Wagtail, Brown-eared Bulbul, Bull-headed Shrike, Daurian Redstart, Dusky Thrush, Long-tailed Tit, Varied Tit, Great Tit, Siberian Meadow Bunting, Long-tailed Rose Finch, Tree Sparrow, Gray Starling and Carrion Crow.
Kabukuri-numa Marsh:11/2 9:40-14:30, 11/3 9:50-14:50
In the daytime, we stayed in Kabukuri-numa Marsh, where it might be hard to reach before dawn (for us, the strangers here). We parked our car in the parking area and stayed in there. We were very happy to see White-fronted Goose were on the water surface and on the ground. They are extremely cautious and often fly away. It is strange that they are on the alert on a white displacement car and other cars (sedan, RV, SUV and etc), but don't care about a red tractor. What's the difference ? Anyway, we were fascinated by the scenery, they were flying in formation.
Other birds we saw in Kabukuri-numa were Great Egret, Little Egret, Gray Heron, Bean Goose, Whooper Swan, Bewick's Swan, Mallard, Spot-billed Duck, Green-winged Teal, Eurasian Wigeon, Pintail, Pochard, Black Kite, Goshawk, Common Buzzard, Marsh Harrier, Hen Harrier(female), Black-headed Gull, White Wagtail, Japanese Wagtail, Brown-eared Bulbul, Bull-headed Shrike, Daurian Redstart, Dusky Thrush, Great Tit, Japanese White-eye, Siberian Meadow Bunting, Oriental Greenfinch, Long-tailed Rose Finch, Tree Sparrow, Gray Starling and Carrion Crow. We will be back here again, next year :)
28 October : Akigase Park (Saitama) 8:15-9:30 Rainy and chilly
To take some photos with my new digital camera, we went to Akigase park, but 'it was bad day to take'. Arriving at the park, it began to rain heavily. So I decided to pack my new camera in my bag. Putting up the umbrella, and we took a short walk. Some people could see White-backed Woodpecker, which we couldn't see. Instead of that(?), we saw Siskin 30+, who were eating among the leaves. Whenever we find Siskin by their voice, they always fly away. So we were satisfied to see them for a while.
Other birds we saw/heard were Spot-billed duck, Rufous Turtle Dove, Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker, Brown-eared Bulbul, Bull-headed Shrike, Dusky Thrush, Bush Warbler, Great Tit, Japanese White-eye, Siberian Meadow Bunting, Black-faced Bunting, Tree Sparrow, Gray Starling, Azure-winged Magpie and Jungle Crow.
20-21 October Karuizawa Bird Forest (Nagano) 10/20 6:45-9:45,13:15-15:40 10/21 8:30-9:50
Clear and sunny, fine autumn day! Temp:Low 36, High 60 (F)
The season has changed and winter birds arrived. We were so happy to see Rustic Bunting, Dusky Thrush, Siskin and Long-tailed Rose Finch. In the voiceless forest, we strained our ears to catch their calls. We always enjoy to find birds by their calls/songs. The owner of the familiar voice was...Dusky Thrush with Brown Thrush(10+). The voice "tee-wee" was...Siskin's, and the one which resembled to Siberian Meadow Bunting was Rustic Bunting. Another familiar voice was Long-tailed Rose Finch, and furthermore, the call which resembled to Black-faced Bunting was the couple of Gray Bunting, which we saw in this forest for the first time. We really love this forest.
Other birds we saw were Narcissus Flycatcher, Spot-billed Duck, Rufous Turtle Dove, Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Japanese Green Woodpecker, Gray Wagtail, Japanese Wagtail, Brown-earred Bulbul, Brown Dipper, Lont-tailed Tit, Willow Tit, Great Tit, Nuthatch, Japanese White-eye,
Siberian Meadow Bunting, Oriental Greenfinch, Japanese Grosbeak(sore throat?), Tree Sparrow, Jay, Carrion Crow and Jungle Crow.
13 October : Zenpukuji Park (Suginami-ku, Tokyo) 13:00-14:30
When I was in the University, we used to running in this park. So it was the first time to WALK in this tranquil public park. It was a lovely autumn day. People enjoyed boating, walking and picnicing. We also enjoyed birding. There were already Pintail(in winter plumage), Mallard, Little Grebe and Spot-billed Duck. Some people were feeding well rotuned Goose and Muscovy. On leaving, when we looked up at the top of the broadleaf tree, a flickering shadow caught our eyes. Through the telescope, we confirmed the face of Brown Flycatcher. We were happy to see it in the public park in Tokyo. Have a nice trip and return to Japan on next season.
Other birds we saw were Common Kingfisher, Gray Heron, Little Egret, Tree Sparrow, Great Tit, Brown-eared Bulbul, Rufous Turtle Dove and many Jungle Crow.
28-29 September : Karuizawa and its vicinities (Nagano) Temp.: Low 39 High 66 (F)
Karuizawa Bird Forest 9/28 10:30-13:40,15:50-17:40 9/29 9:30-11:10,15:00-16:00 Crispy!
This time of year, we expect to see Flycathcers, and we have been looking for them for weeks, in vain.... Well, we could see some, but not many, as we expected. Last year we saw three kinds of them at once. But this year, it was disappointing... Instead of that, we could see Japanese Gree Pigeonx9 and Brown Dipper who was hunting ! We have been wanted to record their voice, and we could take one of them (Dipper!). It was still the season of chestnus gathering. We enjoyed a lot.
Other birds we saw were Rufous Turtle Dove, Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Japanese Green Woodpecker, Barn Swallow, Gray Wagtail, Brown-eared Bulbul, Bull-headed Shrike, Gray Thrush, Short-tailed Bush Warbler, Crowned Willow Warbler, Brown Flycatcher, Long-tailed Tit, Willow Tit, Coal Tit, Varied Tit, Great Tit, Nuthatch, Japanese White-eye, Siberian Meadow Bunting, Oriental Greenfinch, Tree Sparrow, Jay, Carrion Crow and Jungle Crow.
Saku-city 9/29 12:00-14:00 Warm and tranquil
This place is famous for Greater Pied Kingfisher. We expected to see it again, but we only could see many kind of herons, Black-crowned Night Heron, Great Egret, Intermediate Egret, Little Egret and Gray Heron. It was like a nursery of Herons. They sometimes fought to guard their territories, so we could record the voice of Black-crowned Night Heron (imm.). And the voice of Bull-headed Shrike taught us the season has already changed.
Other birds we saw in this lake were Little Grebe, Mallard(eclipse), Spot-billed Duck, Green-winged Teal, Pochard, Black Kite, Coot, Barn Swallow, Gray Wagtail, White Wagtail, Carrion Crow and Jungle Crow.
22-23 September Tateshina and its vicinities (Nagano) 32 F in the morning.
Gakuroku Park (Chino) 9/22 13:20-14:30, 9/23 8:45-9:45,13:20-14:00
It was a perfect fine autumn day ! On such a lovely day, we expected to see Flycatchers. We waited, waited and at last we met Gray-spotted Flycatcher. Only one but it was enough for us. We enjoyed to hear the sweet sound (?) of Bull-headed Shrike
Mt. Yatsugatake Nature Cultural Park (Hara Village) 9/22 9:20-11:20, 9/23 10:20-11:40
It was the coldest day in this fall. We wore our thick downjacket and waited for Flycatchers...in vain. Only we could see Jay, Japanese White-eye, Nuthatch, Blue-and-White Flycatcher, Brown Thrush, Narcissus Flycatcher and Gray Thrush. Mmm...a little indigestive...birding...
Other birds we saw were Spot-billed Duck, Black Kite, Common Buzzard, Rufous Turtle Dove, Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Barn Swallow, House Martin, Gray Wagtail, Japanese Wagtail, Indian Tree Pipit, Brown-eared Bulbul, Long-tailed Tit, Coal Tit, Great Tit, Siberian Meadow Bunting, Black-faced Bunting, Oriental Greenfinch, Japanese Grosbeak and Jungle Crow.
14-16 September : Karuizawa Bird Forest (Nagano) 9/14 7:20-9:00,12:50-14:30 9/15 8:00-10:30, 9/16 8:45-10:25
Sunny, cloudy and rainy. Temp:Low 61.7, High 72.7 (F)
Gray-spotted Flycatcher has not arrived yet.
The harvest season has come ! We enjoyed chestnut gathering in Karuizawa, instead of bird watching. When we heard the rustling noise in the forest, we thought it was a bear or something. So I sang in a loud voice, "mori-no kuma-san", until we found it was the sound of chestnut burrs falling. I was a little embarrassed but fortunately there were no other people, except my husband. (-.-;)
Karuizawa suffered a lot of damage from Typhoon No.15. Two people died in the soil avalanche. The heavy rain caused a landslide in the Bird Forest, road shoulder and trail. We walked carefully. There were not so many birds there. We couldn't find even Brown and Sooty Flycatchers. Gray Thrush and Blue-and-White Flycathcer are still here, we could hear them singing in small voice. To see other Gray-spotted Flycatcher, we have to wait one more week.
Other birds in Karuizawa were Black Kite, Rufous Turtle Dove, Japanese Green Pigeon, Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Brown-eared Bulbul, Bull-headed Shrike, Long-tailed Tit, Coal Tit, Varied Tit, Great Tit, Nuthatch, Japanese White-eye, Siberian Meadow Bunting, Japanese Grosbeak, Tree Sparrow, Jay and Jungle Crow.
9 September : Yatsu Tideland (Chiba) 10:10-14:40 (low tide at Tokyo Bay 14:06)
In this season of the year, we want to see the cute one, whose long bill is curled downward. When we arrived there, we could see the tidal flat only in front of the nature center. Just the same last year, it began to rain. And we found the one which we wanted to see, Eastern Curlew, so we decided to see from the nature center. We enjoyed a comfortable birding, it was like a nursery though. Today we learned how to tell Great Egret from Intermediate Egret, at last. Sometimes the strong wind blew up Little Egret and its disheveled hair was so funny.
Other birds we saw wereLittle Grebe, Great Cormorant, Gray Heron, Spot-billed Duck, Green-winged Teal, Moorhen, Mongolian Plover, Gray Plover, Ruddy Turnstone, Rufous-necked Stint, Gray-tailed Tattler, Common Sandpiper, Terek Sandpiper, Black-winged Stilt, Black-tailed Gull, Barn Swallow, Brown-eared Bulbul, Fan-tailed Warbler, Tree Sparrow, Gray Starling and Azure-winged Magpie.
1-2 September : Tateshina and its vicinities (Nagano) Cool and balmy. Chilly in the morning (53.6 F)
Mt.Yatsugatake Cultural Park (Hara Village) 9/2 9:00-11:00
and Gakuroku-park (Chino) 9/1 9:30-11:30,14:30-16:30, 9/2 13:30-14:30
The season is changing. I can smell the advent of autumn. We expected to see "Flycatchers", and we could see two of them, Brown Flycatcher and Sooty Flycatcher. Gray-spotted Flycatcher may be arrived within a few weeks. The Dogwood trees bear fruits and some of them already ripened.
On the top of the tree which commands a fair view, Black Kite and Gray Heron perched on it. They are common birds, but I always see them flying. Sometimes Carrion Crow meddled them.
Other birds we saw were Japanese Grosbeak, Oriental Greenfinch, Bull-headed Shrike, Blue-and-White Flycatcher, Lont-tailed Tit, Great Tit, Varied Tit, Japanese White-eye, Gray Wagtail, White Wagtail, Rufous Turtle Dove, Common Buzzard, Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Tree Sparrow, Bush Warbler, Jay, Azure-winged Magpie, Barn Swallow, Narcissus Flycatcher, Crowned Willow Warbler and Jungle Crow.
25 August : Okutateshina (Nagano) 17:30-18:30
It's too early for the season of "Flycatchers", and too late for bird songs. This weekend, we came here to catch up on our sleep. In Tokyo, I am always suffer from chronic lack of sleep... The temperature in Tateshina was 6 degree centigrade lower than in Tokyo. In the comfortable weather, we took our customary walk.
The tree in which we found the nest of Brown Thrush was empty and couldn't see any of them. Already left ? Well, a couple of Brown and Gray Thrush were walking the roadside with no songs. They need to stuff them with food so that they can fly a long distance. Have a nice trip.
Other birds we saw this weekend wereJay, Great Tit, Long-tailed Tit, Coal Tit, Willow Tit, Ashy Minivet, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker, Nuthatch, Black Kite, Gray-faced Buzzard-Eagle, Gray Heron, Azure-winged Magpie, Brown-eared Bulbul, Rufous Turtle Dove, Wagtail, Spot-billed Duck, Japanese White-eye and Jungle Crow.
18 August : Sanbanse Tideland (Funabashi, Chiba) 7:30-12:30 (low tide 10:24) sunny and hot
I woke up to the sound of raingdrops at 5:00 in the morning, still I was sleepy because of the overtime work of a few days though. My husband was afraid of my driving at the Metropolitan Expressway, so I gave him the honor of driving. An hour drive took us to the famous Sanbanse Tideland, which is now on the political issue in Chiba, landfill or not. It became a beautiful day after the rain. We forgot to apply sunscreen to our skin and got sunburned. What a blunder! We sufferd from the pain throught the weekend. It taught us a lesson, "don't underestimate the danger of the sun"!Anyway, we enjoyed walking around on the mud flat. We put our boots on -- it means we have a line on our calves clearly now. Everytime we get sunburned, we wear the different clothes. Thus, we became zebras.(- -;)
On the tideland, there were thousands of Common Tern and Little Tern. Sometimes Little Terns came for hunting close to us. They dived into the water and flew away with a cry. Also we heard the voice of Gray-tailed Tattler and Greenshank. We also could see Oystercatcher far from us, but next time we saw there, they disappeared. Where were they?
Other birds we saw were Gray Heron, Greater Scaup, Snowy Plover, Mongolian Plover, Lesser Golden Plover, Gray Plover, Ruddy Turnstone, Rufous-necked Stint, Spotted Redshank(?), Common Sandpiper, Bar-tailed Godwit, Black-tailed Gull, Rufous Turtle Dove, Barn Swallow, White Wagtail, Fan-tailed Warbler, Tree Sparrow and Jungle Crow, and we couldn't see Black-necked Grebe in breeding plumage.
4-11 August : Summer Vacation in Nagano ^_^
Mt.Norikura (Nagano & Gifu Pref.) 8/8 6:00-13:00
We got up at midnight and started for Mount Norikura. When we arrived there at 6:00, there were already many sightseers there, it was not crowded yet though. We expected to see Rock Ptarmigan, Nutcracker, Alpine Accenter and Japanese Accenter here and on arriving there, we could see all of them, except Rock Pitarmigan. We parked our car in the very empty parking area, the farther one, and started walking. We went up to the Maoudake, and went down to the Tatamidaira. We saw many alpine flowers and tourists, not only birds ! A family of Alpine Accenter often appeared on the rocks and fed the fledglings. How sweet the kid's voice is. And we finally met a mom and a chick of Rock Ptarmigan. They seemed to be feeding; they weren't afraid of human beings and kept staying by the trail. Through the telescope, I could see mom's dinosaurlike face, who was calling for a chick in a gentle voice. A ball of yarn ran up to its mother with a sweet voice. We saw only one chick there. Where are others ? When we returned to our car, we were surprised to see the parking area was full. It will be more crowded next week, during the Obon holidays.
Other birds we saw/heard in Norikura were Japanese Robin, Arctic Warbler and Siberian Bluechat. One-year-old Siberian Bluechat (first alternate) was singing on the pine tree.
Ikenokurumi (Kirigamine, Nagano) 8/7 9:20-12:00
In Kirigamine-height, we can see many Stonechat.
When we want to see Stonechat, we always go to South Karuizawa and Kirigamine. Today, we expect to see the fledglings there. It had looked like rain since morning, but we could see many fledglings with stripes on their heads from our car. So cute ! In August, they don't sing anymore; they are busy in feeding their kids with good appetites. Instead of the beautiful song, we heard their voice from here and there (kids voice & parents voice). We will be back here next year, again.
Other birds we saw were Gray-headed Bunting, Indian Tree Pipit, Barn Swallow, Bull-headed shrike, Oriental Greenfinch, Siberian Meadow Bunting, Black-faced Bunting, Brown-eared Bulbul, Black-browed Reed Warbler, Bush Warbler, Japanese Grosbeak, Coal Tit, Goldcrest, and Gray-faced Buzzard-Eagle.
Okutateshina (Nagano) Dawn and evening, almost everyday.
Every time we want to hear Siberian Bluechat and Arctic Warbler, we come to this place (the upper part of Okutateshina) with chairs, snacks and coffe pot. It's our favorite place, the number of birds is not many here, and we can't see them every time though. One day, we walked another trail, and found luminous moss in a crack in the rock. It may be beautiful in the evening. In August, the birds sing mainly in the morning and calm in the afternoon. Only Jungle Crows are active and hunting cicadas. Poor cicadas...
In the lower part of Okutateshina, there is also our favorite forest, in which we hear the song of Gray Thrush. When taking a walk, an insect repellent is indispensable. In this season, we saw many fledglings of Gray Thrush Brown Thrush, Great Tit, Coal Tit and Woodpeckers. A family of Brown Thrush was was flying around one tree, which I found a nest just above my head. Parents were busy in feeding second kids and elder sisters and brothers were curious and meddling in Japanese Green Woodpecker. And we saw White-backed Woodpecker for the first time in this forest. It seemed that the voice is a little high pitched, compared to Great Spotted Woodpecker.
Other birds we saw/heard were Litte Grebe, Rufous Turtle Dove, Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker, Barn Swallow, Gray Wagtail, Ashy Minivet, Brown-eared Bulbul, Wren, Japanese Robin, Brown Thrush, Bush Warbler, Goldcrest, Long-tailed Tit, Willow Tit, Varied Tit, Nuthatch, Japanese White-eye, Siberian Meadow Bunting, Black-faced Bunting, Oriental Greenfinch, Bullfinch, Japanese Grosbeak, Tree Sparrow, Jay, Nutcracker and Jungle Crow.
19-21 July : Secret Beech Tree Forest and Okutateshina (Nagano and Niigata)
Okutateshina (The Forest of Gray Thrush) 7/19 17:30-18:10
This is one of our most favirite places. There are many good singers in this forest. Even Brown-eared Bulbul carries a tune, playing its scales, and Great Tit sings "Pikkachu !". There are many Gray Thrushes flying in the forest, maybe carrying insects and worms to their chicks. One month ago, we saw a family of Great Spotted Woodpecker, which we can't see and hear today. Instead of that, we saw a couple of Japanese White-eye, who were preening each other.
The Secret Beech Tree Forest in Nagano and Niigata 7/20 7:30-13:20
At first, we planned to camp just as we did in the Grand Teton National Park and brought the same tent we used there. But it was a good timing...the summer holiday season has begun and it was a National Holiday. There were many people and cars every where ! We also saw many new signs which read "No Overnight Camping". We gave up camping and enjoyed one day trip. (We will be back here again during the off-season.)
Anyway, we enjoyed seeing / listening Gray Bunting (^_^).
Okutateshina (The Forest of Siberian Bluechat and Arctic Warbler) 7/21 4:20-9:15
When I got up at 3:50, there were no birds singing. Brown Thrush started singing at 4:11. We expected to hear the song of Siberian Bluechat and Arctic Warbler and we could also see Siberian Thrush, whose white eyebrow was clear. It's whistling voice is so nice, isn't it ? We really love this place. Sitting in the chair, drinking a coffee, and listening to the birds singing in the quiet place. Thin and wiry voice is...Goldcrest. We enjoyed seeing Blue-and-White Flycatcher, Siberian Bluechat and pine nuts. In summer, this point at a height of 1800M above sea level is a good place for bird listening.
Other birds we saw/heard during this three-day weekend were Little Grebe, Mandarin Duck, Black Kite, Rufous Turtle Dove, Common Cuckoo, Little Cuckoo, Gray Wagtail, Wren, Japanese Robin, Pale-legged Willow Warbler, Narcissus Flycatcher, Long-tailed Tit, Willow Tit, Coal Tit, Siberian Meadow Bunting, Black-faced Bunting, Bullfinch, Japanese Grosbeak, Jay, Nutcracker and Jungle Crow.
14 July : Fujino (Kanagawa) 6:20-9:20
Fujino is famous for "Triple Set": Brown Hawk-Owl, Broad-billed Roller and Thick-billed Shrike. We've never been to there before and never seen them. Hashimoto-san were kindly to send me the detailed memo. We were very excited to see them, there wasn't Brown Hawk-Owl though. When we arrived at the point at 6:20, there were 5 bird watchers already. A local man taught us that one cameraman used a flash yesterday, so we couldn't see the Owl. It was already very hot and sunny, and we got sunburned soon. White Wagtail was singing in a loud voice on the electric wire. And we found something big was flying on the top of the tree. Its bill was orange and there were white spots on the wings. It must be Broad-billed Roller, but it was so far... Every time it flies, we level our binoculars at it. But it was so far ! The song which resembles to Black Paradise Flycatcher and Gray Thrush is the song of Hwamei. I like it ! It came closer to us, and at the precise moment, Broad-billed Roller return to its nest to feed the chicks. The black eye and blue body was very beautiful. We can't hear its voice in July, because its' too late. Next year we wil record its voice here !
After seeing it flying back to its nest several times, we moved to the point of Thick-billed Shrike. It was about five minutes distance by car, so it might be hard to walk all the way with the heavy telescope. There were already 3 bird watchers there, but none Shrikes there. We sat on the chair and waited for Shrike coming for a while, and decided to walk about. We could only hear Tree Sparrow, Brown-eared Bulbul, and saw three fledglings of Barn Sparrow were perching on the electric wire just above my head. Its big mouth is very cute, isn't it ? After that, we walked to the opposite direction, and looked carefully at the chestnut tree, from where the Shrike's voice came... Bingo! There were two cute fledglings and parents sometimes came back to feed. We could record their sweet voice.
Other birds we saw/heard were Spot-billed Duck, Bamboo Patridge, Japanese White-eye, Siberian Meadow Bunting, Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker and Carrion Crow.
7 July : Karuizawa Bird Forest (Nagano) 7:20-10:00
We went to Karuuizawa to pick up my husband's mother who was hospitalized from Monday in Karuizawa Hospital. She is all right now. So we went to Bird Forest as usual. The forest was mantled in a luxuriant green and we hardly saw birds in there. Still we were happy to hear the song of Short-tailed Bush Warbler, Japanese Green Pigeon and Oriental Cuckoo, warbling to each other. We tried to record the voice of Japanese Green Pigeon, in vain. We love its plaintive voice, and someday I hope to add it to my Web Page. And it's the season of fledglings ! We expected to see the fluffies, and we could see cute Great Tit and Willow Tit. Always their parents teach us the kids are there. Moms (Great Tit) taught us by her alaming voice. We found easily cute fledgling on the branch. He(she? I am not sure.) looked around the world slowly, as if he saw the external world for the first time. Maybe so. 'Sorry mom, I am leaving.'
Other birds we heard/saw were Spot-billed Duck, Common cuckoo, Little Cuckoo, Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker, House Martin, Ashy Minivet, Brown-eared bulbul, Wren, Siberian Blue Robin, Brown Thrush, Bush Warbler, Narcissus Flycather, Blue-and-White Flycatcher, Brown Flycatcher, Long-tailed Tit, Coal Tit, Varied Tit, Nuthatch, Siberian Meadow Bunting, Black-faced Bunting, Japanese Yellow Bunting, Japanese Grosbeak, Gray Starling, Jay and Jungle Crow.
