Birding Diary Jan. - June, 2002

Birding Diary (Top)

29 June : Inbanuma-pond (Chiba) 8:00-13:00 Cloudy occasionally trace of sun; got sunburned; sultry. Temp:High 63.1, Low 74.7 (F)
To see Eurasian Bittern, we went to Inbanuma-pond. Always birding is in the lap of gods. At first, we could not see them and after about one hour, my husband found it. Good eyes! We could see at least 3 Eurasian Bitterns, which were bigger than Chinese Little Bittern. One was very shy and hiding among the rice plants but another one kept rising to its full height. We were satisfied to see it. We also expected to record its voice, which was like "Bullfrog + Blakiston's Fish-Owl", in vain. Some other day, maybe. Instead of that, we could record the voice of Bullfrog only. :( But it was OK, we were very happy to see many Chinese Litter Bittern, flying and hiding in reeds. It's very beautiful in translucent color, isn't it? We know very few places where there are so many Bitterns. In Ohkubo rice paddy, there are some but not many. I care about it.
Other birds there were Little Grebe, Great Cormorant, Black-crowned Night Heron, Great Egret, Intermediate Egret, Little Egret, Gray Heron, Pheasant, Little Tern, Rufous Turtle Dove, Skylark, Barn Swallow, Japanese Wagtail, Brown-eared Bulbul, Fan-tailed Warbler, Bush Warbler, Great Reed Warbler, Siberian Meadow Bunting, Oriental Greenfinch, Tree Sparrow, Gray Starling, Azure-winged Magpie, Carrion Crow and Jungle Crow.
On our way home, on the Metropolitan Expresswy, a Mercedes limo escorted by 10 police cars was in the next lane. Maybe the chancellor of German was in the car. Tomorrow is the final day of 2002 Soccer World Cup. The final game is German vs Brasil. (Resultado: Brasil dois, Alemanha zero.)

15-16 June : Tateshina and its vicinities (Nagano) Cloudy, later, heavy rain. Temp:High 59.9, Low 78.3 (F)
It was the first day to use my brand new binoculars, Nikon Monarch, and I would like to decline to see Jungle Crow first!
To tell the truth, birding was not the main purpose, we just wanted to stay in Tateshina. We took a short walk and could see Great Spotted Woodpecker, Narcissus Flycatcher and Great Tit. It was enough and we were satisfied to see them and walking in the woods. Birds were still singing but the best season was over.
Other birds we saw were Rufous Turtle Dove, Little Cuckoo, Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker, Skylark, Barn Swallow, Gray Wagtail, Indian Tree Pipit, Ashy Minivet, Brown-eared Bulbul, Bull-headed Shrike, Brown Thrush, Bush Warbler, Long-tailed Tit, Willow Tit, Coal Tit, Varied Tit, Nuthatch, Japanese White-eye, Siberian Meadow Bunting, Japanese Grosbeak, Tree Sparrow, Gray Starling, Jay, Carrion Crow and Jungle Crow.

9 June : Fujino, Kanagawa 8:05-10:40 Clear, hot and windy. Temp(in Tokyo):High 86.4, Low 71.8 (F)
It was a very hot day. We had to be at home to see a football game tonight, Japan vs Russia. So today's birding was very short.
To see "Fujino set", we got up at six in the morning. After one hour drive, we arrived at the point. Brown Hawk-Owl, Broad-billed Roller and Thick-billed Shrike are the birds which we call "Fujino set". It means we scarcely see these birds in our neighbors, in Tokyo. Today we could see two of them: except for Shrike. There were two Broad-billed Roller perching on the branch. One of them stayed on the same branch for a while, looked like waiting for something. They might be a couple, female and male, and I should guess the female one was waiting for a courtship feeding. (I don't know !) Anyway, it was a little early for the incubation. And today's highlight was a cute Owl. There was a local man who came to this point every day. I remember we met him last year, and he found a Brown Hawk-Owl was in the tree. Thanks to him, we saw a clean shave head for the first time! We peeped(!) him through the branches and leaves. What a charming face: nostrils and eyes ! I hope no photographer will use a flash bulb for it.
Other birds we saw/heard in Fujino were Spot-billed Duck, Black Kite, Pheasant, Barn Swallow, White Wagtail, Brown-eared Bulbul, Bush Warbler, Great Tit, Japanese White-eye, Siberian Meadow Bunting, Oriental Greenfinch, Tree Sparrow, Gray Starling, Jay, Azure-winged Magpie, Carrion Crow, Jungle Crow and Hwamei.

1-2 June : Matsunoyama (Niigata) 6/1 7:10-17:40, 6/2 3:50-9:00 Sunny, cloudy and rainy Temp:High 79, Low 63.5 (F)
To hear Ruddy Kingfisher, we went to Matsunoyama. It was the second time visit. Last year we couldn't meet/hear. And this time, we could hear the song of the bird we particularly wanted to! It was hard to see the whole body long time, but we were satisfied to see him flying, the beautiful red one. He was staying in the tree just above our head and singing beautifully, so we could record the song for a while, couldn't confirm where he was though. We didn't need to get up early to hear them. Little Cuckoo began to sing at 3:20 and Narcissus Flycather, Ural Owl, Paradise Flycatcher, Brown-eared Bulbul and Common Cuckoo joined to the chorus at 4:00. The Ruddy Kingfisher came at about 5:30. But it was worth staying in the beech tree forest before dawn: we felt the serenity air.
In Matsunoyama, the struggle for existence for Narcissus Flycather seems to be keen. We often witnessed the struggles with their angry voice. Their beautiful orange and yellow colors are very charming, the cute round eyes of females are very attractive and the fluffy fledgling was beyond expression. Please just see it, and hear it. In this season, we could see the cute fledglings everywhere. Barn Swallow were busy in feeding their fledglings. And we were very happy to see Ashy Minivet so close up!
Other birds we saw/heard were Mandarin Duck, Black Kite, Gray-faced Buzzard-Eagle, Rufous Turtle Dove, Horsfield's Hawk-Cuckoo, Little Cuckoo, Oriental Cuckoo, Broad-billed Roller, Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker, White-backed Woodpecker, Japanese Green Woodpecker, House Martin, Gray Wagtail, White Wagtail, Bull-headed Shrike, Wren, Siberian Blue Robin, Gray Thrush, Bush Warbler, Short-tailed Bush Warbler, Great Reed Warbler, Blue-and-White Flycatcher, Long-tailed Tit, Varied Tit, Great Tit, Nuthatch, Japanese White-eye, Siberian Meadow Bunting, Japanese Yellow Bunting, Oriental Greenfinch, Japanese Grosbeak, Tree Sparrow, Russet Sparrow, Gray Starling, Jay, Carrion Crow, Jungle Crow and the little fox

25-27 May : Tomakomai and vicinities (Hokkaido) Temp:High 59.9, Low 45.1 (F)
Utonai Sanctuary
The bird we particularly wanted to see in Hokkaido was Yellow-breasted Bunting, which we were not satisfied to see... On the first day, we could see/hear the song, on the second day we only saw the figure and on the last day we could hear the song and saw him flying away. Mmmm....we needed to wait one more week ? Instead of that we enjoyed seeing very beautiful Long-tailed Rose Finch in breeding plumage and could record his cheerful song! It was the first time to hear it.
Other birds there were Gray Heron, Bean Goose, Mute Swan, Mallard, Green-winged Teal, Garganey, Black Kite, Little Ringed Plover, Gray-tailed Tattler, Latham's Snipe, Rufous Turtle Dove, Common Cuckoo, Oriental Cuckoo, Skylark, Sand Martin, White Wagtail, Brown-eared Bulbul, Siberian Rubythroat, Stonechat, Bush Warbler, Black-browed Reed Warbler, Crowned Willow Warbler, Narcissus Flycatcher, Brown Flycatcher, Long-tailed Tit, Marsh Tit, Great Tit, Nuthatch, Japanese White-eye, Gray-headed Bunting, Black-faced Bunting, Reed Bunting, Oriental Greenfinch, Japanese Grosbeak, Russet Sparrow, Carrion Crow, Jungle Crow.

Poroto-ko Lake
This was the second time to visit there. We could easily reach here and enjoyed walking early in the morning. We took a longer walk than last year, and we could meet many more birds and take some photos of Short-tailed Bush Warbler(click for the photo). His song was a little different from the one in Karuizawa.
Other birds in Poroto-lake were Gray Heron, Black Kite, Rufous Turtle Dove, Japanese Green Pigeon, Oriental Cuckoo, Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker, White Wagtail, Brown-eared Bulbul, Siberian Blue Robin, Gray Thrush, Brown Thrush, Bush Warbler, Short-tailed Bush Warbler, Pale-legged Willow Warbler, Crowned Willow Warbler, Narcissus Flycatcher, Blue-and-White Flycatcher, Long-tailed Tit, Varied Tit, Japanese White-eye, Black-faced Bunting, Oriental Greenfinch, Japanese Grosbeak, Carrion Crow and Jungle Crow.

Thanks to Mrs. Owl, we could see Black Woodpecker for the first time!
In Utonai Sanctuary, we met a nice woman living in Hokkaido. She was cheerful and had a pleasant personality. We enjoyed talking with her. She showed us some nice photos she took, and she told us where we could see Black Woodpecker, which we adored. In the secret forest in Hokkaido, a couple of Black Woodpecker was living happily, protected from harmful photographers. Their nesting wood was widely enclosed with a yellow rope. We waited to see and finally they appeared! We were overjoyed to see his cute eyes, a female in the nest, a male just in front of us, and a male calling for a family (click for his voice). It was an excellent birding trip !
Othere birds we saw/heard were Mallard, Black Kite, Rufous Turtle Dove, Oriental Cuckoo, Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker, White-backed Woodpecker, Black Woodpecker, White Wagtail, Brown-eared Bulbul, Crowned Willow Warbler, Brown Flycatcher, Nuthatch, Treecreeper, Japanese White-eye, Russet Sparrow, Carrion Crow and Jungle Crow.

18-19 May : Karuizawa and its vicinities (Nagano) Rainy, foggy and cloudy Temp:High 65.5, Low 45.7 (F)
The weather forecast said, "it will be fine in early-afternoon". On Saturday, we enjoyed walking in the wood wreathed in mist. Next day, the soft sunbeams streaming through the leaves of trees were so beautiful.
South Karuizawa 5/18 7:45-9:30
Thanks to the cloudy sky, we could see the spectacular display flight of 4 Latham's Snipes during the morning. Their unique shape of bills and wings were 'projected' clearly on the whitish sky with backgroud chorus by cute Stonechat with brown bib. In the sky, White-rumped Swift was swifting and Common Buzzard was mobbed by two Carrion Crows.
Other birds we saw there were Spot-billed Duck, Black Kite, Pheasant, Rufous Turtle Dove, Common Cuckoo, Little Cuckoo, Skylark, Barn Swallow, Brown-eared Bulbul, Bull-headed Shrike, Gray Thrush, Bush Warbler, Great Reed Warbler, Gray-headed Bunting, Japanese Grosbeak, Tree Sparrow, Azure-winged Magpie, and Jungle Crow.

Karuizawa Bird Forest 5/18:14:00-17:10, 5/19:8:05-10:30
From the foggy forest, we heard the attractive voice of Japanese Green Pigeon. It matched for a fog-shrouded forest. Someday we want to record its ingratiating bass. Siberian Blue Robin and Japanese Yellow Bunting were singing cheerfully. To the contrary, Narcissus Flycatcher and Blue-and-White Flycatcher were unenthusiastic. (That's because they already got partners...? I don't know.) One young Narcissus Flycatcher, who we thought young was calling and moving alone. Could he marry this year ?
Other birds/animal in Bird Forest were Pheasant, Rufous Turtle Dove, Common Cuckoo, Oriental Cuckoo, Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker, Japanese Green Woodpecker, House Martin, Gray Wagtail, Japanese Wagtail, Ashy Minivet, Brown-eared Bulbul, Brown Dipper, Wren, Gray Thrush, Bush Warbler, Short-tailed Bush Warbler, Brown Flycatcher, Long-tailed Tit, Willow Tit, Coal Tit, Varied Tit, Great Tit, Nuthatch, Japanese White-eye, Siberian Meadow Bunting, Black-faced Bunting, Oriental Greenfinch, Japanese Grosbeak, Jay, Carrion Crow, Jungle Crow and Antelope crossing the trail.

12 May : Ukishima (Ibaragi) & Sasagawa (Chiba) 7:20-12:20 Cloudy, fair later. Temp (in Choushi) : Low 55.4, High 60.1 (F)
To replace the songs of Japanese Reed Bunting and Japanese Marsh Warbler, we went to Ukishima and Sasagawa. We went there (Ukishima) two years ago and it was the second visit. It was a warm, good day for birding but it was sad to say that half of the reed beds were burned off and only the low green reeds were swaying in the wind. Such area was thinly populated, we felt. The environment which is comfortable for human is inhospitable for birds....?? Anyway, we could see and hear many Japanese Reed Bunting in Sasagawa and Japanese Marsh Warbler and Fan-tailed Warbler in Ukishima.
Other birds we saw there were Black-crowned Night Heron, Great Egret, Intermediate Egret, Gray Heron, Mallard, Spot-billed Duck, Pheasant, Whimbrel, Common Tern, Little Tern, Rufous Turtle Dove, Skylark, Barn Swallow, White Wagtail, Brown-eared Bulbul, Bush Warbler, Great Reed Warbler, Tree Sparrow, Gray Starling, Carrion Crow, Jungle Crow and a gang of a cock and hens.
Our new Telescope was expensive, but it was a good buy :)

30 April - 4 May : Tateshina and its vicinities (Nagano) Temp (Suwa):High 76.1, Low 44 (F)

At the point of 1200 meters above sea level
In the morning, noon and night, we went for a walk. In our neighborhood, our favorites were singing: Brown Thrush, Narcissus Flycatcher, Blue-and-White Flycatcher and Gray Thrush. The earliest bird was Brown Thrush (4:10), the second earliest birds were Tits (4:20) and the thrid was Gray Thrush (4:40). Our most favorite was Gray Thrush, who sang very cheerfully. There were many Brown Thrushes around here. To be a winner, they sang their each original songs(?) At first we thought it was the song of Gray Thrush. On the shrub, Siberian Blue Robin was singing impatiently. And more, we found a beautiful Blue-and-white Flycathcer just above our head, with its rectrix up and clicking. We thought it was the display to a female, but soon we noticed that it was the sign of "get out of here!" That's why his voice sounds like a little angry. Sorry to interrupt you.
Other birds around here were Spot-billed Duck, Rufous Turtle Dove, Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Japanese Green Woodpecker, Indian Tree Pipit, Brown-eared Bulbul, Siberian Blue Robin, Long-tailed Tit, Coal Tit, Varied Tit, Great Tit, Nuthatch, Japanese White-eye, Siberian Meadow Bunting, Black-faced Bunting, Siskin, Japanese Grosbeak, Jay and Jungle Crow. Willow Tit was singing beautifully. We were enraptured by their harmonic chorus. It was the tidings of spring.

At the point of 1900 meters above sea level
So chilly here ! The cherry blossoms were still unblown. We expected to see Siberian Thrush which we saw twice here, in vain. Are they still travelling? Instead of that, we met Siberian Bluechats in beautiful azul color.
Other birds we saw here were Gray Wagtail, Indian Tree Pipit, Wren, Japanese Robin, Siberian Bluechat, Pale-legged Willow Warbler, Blue-and-White Flycatcher, Willow Tit, Coal Tit, Nuthatch, Siberian Meadow Bunting, Jay and Nutcracker.

Ryujin-ike Pond (Chino)
We used love to hear the songs of Gray Thrush some years ago. Just before night, they sang very beautifully. At this time last year, we expected to hear them, in vain: both last and this year. We saw more than 3 or 4 Gray Thrushes here, all of them were turning up the fallen leaves on the path. When are you going to sing ?
Other birds here were Spot-billed Duck, Black Kite, Pheasant, Rufous Turtle Dove, Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Japanese Green Woodpecker, Barn Swallow, Indian Tree Pipit, Ashy Minivet, Brown-eared Bulbul, Bull-headed Shrike, Wren, Dusky Thrush Brown Thrush, Bush Warbler, Crowned Willow Warbler, Narcissus Flycatcher, Blue-and-White Flycatcher, Long-tailed Tit, Willow Tit, Coal Tit, Varied Tit, Great Tit, Nuthatch, Japanese White-eye, Siberian Meadow Bunting, Black-faced Bunting, Oriental Greenfinch, Siskin, Japanese Grosbeak, Tree Sparrow, Gray Starling, Red-cheeked Myna, Jay, Carrion Crow, Jungle Crow.

27-30 April : Karuizawa and Vicinities (Nagano) Temp: High 54.9, Low 39.4 (F)

Karuizawa Bird Forest 27:15:30-18:50 28:5:00-8:00,16:20-19:00 30:8:00-10:40
Our most favorite birds are singing in our most favorite place. How happy I am.... I wish I could see Brown Thrush in Bird Forest, but couldn't. Recently, the number of Brown Thrush dropped sharply. In the cottage area, there are a few singing in the morning and at dusk. We really love the songs of Narcissus Flycatcher, Blue-and-White Flycatcher, Gray Thrush and Short-tailed Bush Warbler. When recording, we can't talk so we make our sign to each other's eye. At dusk, before dark, we prepared for the song of Gray Thrush. We found a good singer near the Donguri-ike Pond. (Started to sing at 18:35 and finished at 18:42. Too short, wasn't it?) There seemed to be more than 4 Gray Thrushes in this forest.
The birds we saw/heard were Mandarin Duck, Spot-billed Duck, Pheasan, Rufous Turtle Dove, Ural Owl, Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Japanese Green Woodpecker, House Martin, Gray Wagtail, Japanese Wagtail, Ashy Minivet, Brown-eared Bulbul, Bull-headed Shrike, Wren, Siberian Blue Robin, Daurian Redstart, Dusky Thrush, Bush Warbler, Pale-legged Willow Warbler, Crowned Willow Warbler, Brown Flycatcher, Long-tailed Tit, Willow Tit, Coal Tit, Varied Tit, Great Tit, Nuthatch, Japanese White-eye, Siberian Meadow Bunting, Black-faced Bunting, Japanese Yellow Bunting, Oriental Greenfinch, Siskin, Japanese Grosbeak, Hawfinch, Gray Starling, Jay, Azure-winged Magpie, Jungle Crow and cute hare.

South Karuizawa 27:6:15-7:15 29:16:45-19:15
We could hear two Latham's Snipes here. It was a clear day, so as the local cameraman said, their display flight began after dark (18:55). It was funny that we could hear the voice of the wind at close hand, but couldn't see only a dot.
Other birds we saw were Spot-billed Duck, Black Kite, Goshawk, Rufous Turtle Dove, Ural Owl, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Skylark, Barn Swallow, Gray Wagtail, Ashy Minivet, Bull-headed Shrike, Stonechat, Dusky Thrush, Gray Thrush, Brown Thrush, Bush Warbler, Coal Tit, Siberian Meadow Bunting, Gray-headed Bunting, Rustic Bunting, Oriental Greenfinch, Japanese Grosbeak, Tree Sparrow, Carrion Crow and Jungle Crow.

Sengataki-falls 4/29 7:20-11:35
This year, we noticed that the number of Siberian Blue Robin was decreasing... Instead of that, we met a flock of Brown Thrush, more than 15 ! It's so many, isn't it? They didn't sing, they were just eating and moving. Are they still travelling now? The birds we saw/heard were Rufous Turtle Dove, Oriental Cuckoo, Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker, Japanese Green Woodpecker, Barn Swallow, Indian Tree Pipit, Ashy Minivet, Brown-eared Bulbul, Bull-headed Shrike, Wren, Dusky Thrush, Gray Thrush, Bush Warbler, Short-tailed Bush Warbler, Pale-legged Willow Warbler, Crowned Willow Warbler, Narcissus Flycatcher, Blue-and-White Flycatcher, Long-tailed Tit, Willow Tit, Coal Tit, Varied Tit, Great Tit, Nuthatch, Japanese White-eye, Siberian Meadow Bunting, Oriental Greenfinch, Siskin, Japanese Grosbeak, Jay and Jungle Crow.

Touden Chousei-ike (Pond of Tokyo Electric Power Company:TEPCO) 4/30 11:45-12:30
There were still two Smews (male), as we expected. There were many Black-crowned Night Heron (adult and juv.) It was a good mild spring day, with cherry trees in full blossoms.
The birds we saw were Little Grebe, Great Cormorant, Gray Heron, Mallard, Spot-billed Duck, Green-winged Teal, Eurasian Wigeon, Tufted Duck, Smew, Black Kite, Pheasant, Moorhen, Coot, Skylark, Barn Swallow, Gray Wagtail, Brown-eared Bulbul, Bull-headed Shrike and Jungle Crow.

20-21 April : Karuizawa Bird Forest (Nagano) 4/20 7:00-10:30,15:55-18:30 4/21 6:20-8:30 Cloudy and rainy Temp:High 54.7, Low 39.4 (F)
Bird listening season has begun. It's that time of year again! The curtain time of the morning concert was 4:45. We could hear the cheerful song of Gray Thrush, Short-tailed Bush Warbler, Blue-and-white Flycatcher, Brown Flycatcher (feeble and complicated), Black-faced Bunting, Ashy Minivet and so many ! Also their beautiful red, blue, white and black colors were pleasure to the eye, we missed the yellow though.
Still I was not in a good condition... I am getting my strength back little by little. My Pikachu pedometer showed 18,000 on Saturday. Wow. I will be in tiptop shape soon.
Other birds in Karuizawa were Spot-billed Duck, Rufous Turtle Dove, Common Cuckoo, Ural Owl, Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Japanese Green Woodpecker, House Martin, Gray Wagtail, White Wagtail, Japanese Wagtail, Brown-eared Bulbul, Bull-headed Shrike, Brown Dipper, Wren, Siberian Blue Robin, Gray Thrush, Brown Thrush, Bush Warbler, Long-tailed Tit, Willow Tit, Coal Tit, Varied Tit, Great Tit, Nuthatch, Japanese White-eye, Siberian Meadow Bunting, Oriental Greenfinch, Long-tailed Rose Finch, Japanese Grosbeak, Hawfinch, Tree Sparrow, Gray Starling, Jay, Jungle Crow and cute hare.

13 April : Akigase-Park (Saitama) 7:30-9:40
Since I came out of the hospital just three days ago, I don't feel up to the mark... I need some rehabilitation exercise toward the Golden Week Holidays. I walked in Akigase park and got quite tired, without carrying telescope though. Today's birding was quite short time. In just two hours, we could see beautiful Blue-and White Flycatcher and could hear the voice of Short-tailed Bush Warbler!
Other birds we saw/heard today were Rufous Turtle Dove, Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker, Skylark, Barn Swallow, White Wagtail, Brown-eared Bulbul, Dusky Thrush, Bush Warbler, Great Tit, Siberian Meadow Bunting, Black-faced Bunting, Siskin, Hawfinch, and Jungle Crows were blatant as usual.

21-23 March : Karuizawa and Vicinities (Nagano) Warm, fine, windy and snow. Temp:High 63.7, Low 27.1 (F)
It was a very fruitful birding. We met 'a flock of Red Crossbill' and 'Miho-san & Shuji-san' for the first time.
Karuizawa Bird Forest 3/21 8:20-12:00, 16:20-17:10, 3/22 9:00-11:15, 3/23 8:45-11:20
We expected to hear the songs of Palla's Rosy Finch and Long-tailed Rose Finch, in vain, as we expected(!). If we want to record their songs, we should go north, farther than Hokkaido. In March, it was wamer than usual, and we witnessed the fighting between Varied Tit and Nuthatch x 2. They got into a scuffle and fell down from the tree in a ball. I guess that Nuthatch interrupted Varied Tit, because Varied Tit was very angry and finally went into his nest. It's the time to part from his flock. The Great Tit also claimed his territory.
On the other hand, there were still many 'winter birds'. Eating Palla's Rosy Finches were at least eight, and 2 males of Long-tailed Rose Finch, and more, we happened to see a flock of Red Crossbill! There were at least 6, 3 males, 2 females and 1 unidentified. We had a very good time with Hashimoto-san.
Other birds we saw in the Bird Forest were Spot-billed Duck, Black Kite, Rufous Turtle Dove, Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker, Japanese Green Woodpecker, Japanese Wagtail, Brown-eared Bulbul, Wren, Dusky Thrush, Long-tailed Tit, Willow Tit, Coal Tit, Siberian Meadow Bunting, Rustic Bunting, Brambling, Oriental Greenfinch, Siskin, Japanese Grosbeak, Hawfinch, Jay and Jungle Crow

Nagakura Shrine 3/21 7:30-8:10
We checked the mistletoe berry, and found they were already ate up. It means that we can't see Waxwing there. Mmm...
Other birds in Nagakura Shrine were Rufous Turtle Dove, Gray Wagtail, Brown-eared Bulbul, Wren, Coal Tit, Great Tit, Nuthatch, Rustic Bunting, Oriental Greenfinch, Hawfinch, Carrion Crow, Jungle Crow.

Touden Chousei-ike (Pond of Tokyo Electric Power Company:TEPCO) 3/22 12:00-14:05
We haven't seen Greater Pied Kingfisher recently. We heard the story that someone have met there, last year, but we couldn't see them. Are they still living there? Anyway, there were a lot of waterfowls in couples : at least 7 pairs of Mandarin Ducks. It was the first time to see them here, and their lovey-dovey behavior made us happy. It was the heartwarming scene :)
Other birds we saw there were Little Grebe, Great Cormorant, Great Egret, Little Egret, Gray Heron, Mallard, Spot-billed Duck, Green-winged Teal, Gadwall, Eurasian Wigeon, Pochard, Tufted Duck, Smew, Common Merganser, Black Kite, Coot, Rufous Turtle Dove, Common Kingfisher, Gray Wagtail, White Wagtail, Japanese Wagtail, Brown-eared Bulbul, Bull-headed Shrike, Dusky Thrush, Great Tit, Oriental Greenfinch, Tree Sparrow, Gray Starling, Carrion Crow and Jungle Crow.

02.3.16 Kasai Seaside Park 6:45-11:45 Cloudy and chilly
To see a Eared Grebe in breeding plumage, we went to Kasai. We also wanted to see a Eurasian Spoonbill, in vain. Countless Grebes - Little Grebe, Great Crested Grebe and Eared Grebes in showy breeding plumage were diving. Some couples were dancing at a distance from a flock. They gave me a feeling of spring. On the grass, there was a White's Ground Thrush, walking and eating. It's been in ages! On the top of the tree, above our head, Bull-headed Shrike was singing and mimicking Azure-winged Magpie(mimic) and Reed Bunting(mimic). He is a skillful singer, isn't it?
Other birds we saw today were Little Grebe, Great Cormorant, Great Egret, Little Egret, Gray Heron, Mallard, Spot-billed Duck, Green-winged Teal, Eurasian Wigeon, Pintail, Shoveler, Pochard, Tufted Duck, Greater Scaup, Osprey, Black Kite, Marsh Harrier, Moorhen, Coot, Common Sandpiper, Common Snipe, Black-winged Stilt, Black-tailed Gull, Black-headed Gull, Rufous Turtle Dove, White Wagtail, Brown-eared Bulbul, , Daurian Redstart, Dusky Thrush, Bush Warbler, Great Tit, Japanese White-eye, Siberian Meadow Bunting, Black-faced Bunting, Oriental Greenfinch, Tree Sparrow, Gray Starling and Jungle Crow. It was a fruitful birding.

10 March : Yatsu Tideland (Chiba) 10:20-12:50 Very warm, Temp. in Tokyo: High 67.6, Low 43.2 (F)
To see a black-head, we went to Yatsu Tideland, Chiba. It was an extraordinary warm day. I put on a fleece jacket, and it was enough. The tide was on the ebb at around 9:30 today. In the empty(-seemed) tidal flat, we could find the one easily. A black-head Saunders's Gull:) It was so cute, like a cartoon character. There were two Saunders's Gull, one was black and the other was still white-head. They often flew and caught small crabs. We were satisfied to see Saunders's Gull and Long-billed Dowitcher for the first time.
Other birds we saw today were Great Egret, Intermediate Egret, Little Egret, Gray Heron,Spot-billed Duck, Green-winged Teal, Eurasian Wigeon, Pintail, Shoveler, Moorhen, Common Ringed Plover, Little Ringed Plover, Snowy Plover, Rufous-necked Stint, Dunlin, Black-winged Stilt, Herring Gull, Skylark, Brown-eared Bulbul, Tree Sparrow, Gray Starling, Jungle Crow.

2-3 March : Tateshina and its vicinities (Nagano) Fine and warm Temp:Low 35.2, High 51.8(F)
I left my day pack inside the entrance door in Tokyo. It meant I had no digital camera and eye glasses... In Hara-village, we saw many beautiful Siskins were eating just in front of us, but I didn't have a camera. Mmmmm.....
The birds we saw were as follows :
Ryujin-ike Pond and Hara Village (Nagano)
Little Grebe, Mallard, Spot-billed Duck, Black Kite, Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker, White Wagtail, Wren, Dusky Thrush, Long-tailed Tit, Coal Tit, Great Tit, Siskin.
Suwako-lake (Nagano)
Little Grebe, Spot-billed Duck, Gadwall, Common Merganser, Black Kite, Common Buzzard, Coot, Common Sandpiper, White Wagtail, Dusky Thrush, Great Tit, Tree Sparrow, Carrion Crow.

23 February : Hasaki & Chosi Fishing Port (Ibaragi/Chiba) 7:20-10:50 Fine and warm.
We changed our minds and went to see shorebird in Hasaki & Choshi, Palla's Rosy Finch in Karuizawa was charming though. I am terrible at driving, especially in Metropolitan Expressway. Usually, I leave it to my husband. (Thanks, honey.) Anyway, the flow of the traffic was very fast and it took 2 hour and 20 minutes from our house to Hasaki Fishing Port, Ibaragi. There were already fishing people. Soon we found a black birds floating on the waves. They were Black Scoters, looked like Nessie. We were particularly happy because it was the first time to see them and to hear the voice. It became windy and cold, so we moved to Choshi Fishing Port to see Harlequin Duck and we could see 6 males and 4 females. It is the sight I never tires of, its artistic design. We were satisfied with today's result, and besides, we found 5 Oystercatchers on the breakwater. It was the first time to see them not in Sanbanse. I love its red longbill.
Other birds we saw today were Great Crested Grebe, Great Cormorant, Japanese Cormorant, Pelagic Cormorant, Tufted Duck, Greater Scaup, Herring Gull, Black-tailed Gull, Rufous Turtle Dove, White Wagtail, Japanese Wagtail, Brown-eared Bulbul, Tree Sparrow, Carrion Crow, Jungle Crow.

16 February : Wadabori-park (Suginami-ku, Tokyo) 9:00-11:30 Sunny Temp:Low 61.7, High 72.7 (F)
It's that time of year again! This time of the year, we expect to see courship feedings. Today, we went to Wadabori-park, which is famous for Common Kingfisher. It was our first time to come to this park. And I was surprised to see that there was a man living there. We felt ill at ease because he acted like a master there, it is a public park though. We gave up birding and began to leave, then we heard a familiar voice of Common Kingfisher! We changed our minds and kept watching. In a couple of hours, we could see 3 times of courtship feedings. They were so cute. The female one was always in the bush, and came out to the branches which entwined with nylon strings, only when fed. It might just be my imagination, but she kept calling as if rushing him.
Other birds we saw today were Great Cormorant, Spot-billed Duck, Pintail, Rufous Turtle Dove, Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker, White Wagtail, Brown-eared Bulbul, Bull-headed Shrike, Dusky Thrush, Brown Thrush, Bush Warbler, Varied Tit, Great Tit, Japanese White-eye, Oriental Greenfinch, Hawfinch, Tree Sparrow.
More than 70 to 80 Jungle Crows were in the trees and I was scared at the sight and run through, quickly.

9 February : Karuizawa Bird Forest (Nagano) 8:50-12:30 Sunny after snow. Temp:Low 28.8, High 37.9 (F)
To see Palla's Rosy Finch, we went to Karuizawa.
We were stuck in heavy traffic on the Kanetsu Expressway, and it took twice as long to get to Karuizawa. We should have gotten up 30 minutes earlier, at 4:00! Anyway, I drove through and arrived at the forest, where more than 14 Palla's Rosy Finch were eating. Everytime we saw, they were eating. I think they have put on weight recently... I wanted to see smaller birds, Palla's Rosy Finch was cute though, and took a walk in the forest. The trail repair work has done, and we saw brand-new guideboards at every fork. It's good, isn't it? At the Birdwatching Cabin A, we could see squirrel, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Hawfinch, Nuthatch, Varied Tit, Great Tit and Willow Tit. The highlight of today was the song of Brown Dipper! (1, 2, 3) Spring is just around the corner.
Other birds in Karuizawa were Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker, Brown-eared Bulbul, Dusky Thrush, Long-tailed Tit, Rustic Bunting, Palla's Rosy Finch, Long-tailed Rose Finch, Jay and Jungle Crow.
And... "Weather Asahi Com." You can see the weather in Karuizawa (Japanese only). Just FYI.

2 February : Tama Cemetery (Tokyo) 9:30-14:20 Sunny
Birdwatching in the graveyard, again.
We were back here with telescope and recording set. There were many more birdwatchers than last week. 30 and more ? All of them wanted to see Red-Crossbill, which we couldn't see and record the voice. But it was OK, we had another purpose today: to visit my husband's grandparents' grave. Tama cemetery has commodious premises. We walked about here and there and heard the cheerful song of Japanese White-eye, the sweet voice of Azure-winged Magpie and Pale Thrush in a bad mood.
Other birds we saw today were Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker, White Wagtail, Indian Tree Pipit, Pale Thrush, Bush Warbler, Coal Tit, Great Tit, Siberian Meadow Bunting, Black-faced Bunting, Oriental Greenfinch, Hawfinch, Tree Sparrow, Gray Starling, Jay and Jungle Crow.

27 January : Tama Cemetery (Tokyo) 15:10-15:50 Sunny after heavy rain, and rainy
Birdwatching in the graveyard (!)
Birdwatching before shopping. We walked with a small binoculars and could see Red-Crossbill for the first time. It was flying with unfamiliar voice, but we neither had a telescope nor a recording set! Anyway, we were happy and returned to Kichijoji and bought 'opened and dried Japanese horse mackerel' for supper. That's it! (^.^)
Other bird we saw here were Rufous Turtle Dove, Indian Tree Pipit, Brown-eared Bulbul, Great Tit, Japanese White-eye, Hawfinch, Tree Sparrow, Gray Starling, Azure-winged Magpie and Jungle Crow.

26 January : Akigase & Saiko-lake (Saitama) 8:00-13:00 Chilly and cloudy Temp:Low 28, High 42 (F)
As we could not wake up at 4:30, we gave up going to Karuizawa.
According to "Birds in Akigase", there are Lapwing, which we wanted to see for a long time. It was a chilly day even in Saitama. (In Karuizawa the temperature was (Low)11 and (High)33 F.)
Anyway, we could see 6 Lapwings in the drainage canal. They had a helpless look, so I asked one of them, "What's up ? Is anything wrong ?", and he answered "I am worried about garbage." In Akigase Park, we could see Bullfinch (2 males and 1 female), who were eating cherry blossom buds. Please don't eat up all of them...
Many birds flew across the clouded sky :Siskin 30 and more, beautiful Azure-winged Magpie andBrown Thrush (I really love them!).
Other birds we saw today were Great Cormorant, Great Egret, Little Egret, Spot-billed Duck, Green-winged Teal, Falcated Teal, Gadwall, Pintail, Mallard, Pochard, Tufted Duck, Smew, Common Snipe, Herring Gull, Black-headed Gull, Rufous Turtle Dove, Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker, White Wagtail, Brown-eared Bulbul, Bull-headed Shrike, Daurian Redstart, Dusky Thrush, Pale Thrush, Fan-tailed Warbler, Great Tit, Japanese White-eye, Siberian Meadow Bunting, Rustic Bunting, Black-faced Bunting, Oriental Greenfinch, Siskin, Bullfinch, Hawfinch, Tree Sparrow, Gray Starling, Jungle Crow and sleeping Great Crested Grebe.

14 January : Kasai Rinkai Park (Tokyo) 9:30-11:30 Warm and sunny
We have been wanted to see Black Scoter and Velvet Scoter for a long time. And still we can't see them... Take another chance. Instead of that, we could see a flock of Black-necked Grebe (100+) was diving simultaneously. It was a magnificient scene, as seen on TV. And other that, we also could see a cute Goldeneye(young male).
- Other birds we saw today were Little Grebe, Great Crested Grebe, Great Cormorant, Little Egret, Spot-billed Duck, Gadwall, Eurasian Wigeon, Pochard, Tufted Duck, Greater Scaup, Goldeneye, Marsh Harrier, Dunlin, Rufous Turtle Dove, Little Swift, White Wagtail, Brown-eared Bulbul, Bull-headed Shrike, Dusky Thrush, Japanese White-eye, Gray Starling, Azure-winged Magpie and Jungle Crow.

4 January Suwako-lake(Nagano) Sunny Temp:Low 38.5, High 41(F)
The birds we saw today were Little Grebe, Bewick's Swan, Mallard, Spot-billed Duck, Gadwall, Eurasian Wigeon, Pintail, Pochard, Tufted Duck, Greater Scaup, Smew, Common Merganser, Black Kite, Common Buzzard, Coot, Black-tailed Gull, Rufous Turtle Dove, Brown-eared Bulbul, Dusky Thrush, Oriental Greenfinch, Tree Sparrow, Gray Starling and Carrion Crow.

1 January : Tateshina(Nagano) Cloudy, later, snow.
As weather forecast said, we had much snow. Since Christmas, we had snow, almost everyday. Snowy weather discouraged birding. So we decided to stay in the house and just fed Tits. Their favorites are sunflower seeds and millet. Covered with snow, they had difficulties in finding food, and as a result, more than 30 Tits came and sometimes they fought. Be nice to each other !
The birds we saw today were cute Great Tit, watching the falling snow, Goldcrest, Coal Tit, Long-tailed Tit, Nuthatch, Varied Tit, Willow Tit, Siskin, Jay, Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker, White Wagtail and Jungle Crow, and beautiful Yatsugatake Mountains.