Birding Diary July - Dec, 2006

Birding Diary (Top)

26 November : Akigase Park (Saitama) Cloudy and chilly, Temp in Saitama: High 51.4, Low 37.4 (F)
Birdwatching in the city park.
We hate to be stuck in traffic jam! The traffic flow is better on Sunday morning than on Saturday. So we decided to set out to the park on Sunday, the weather was worse though. Despite of the cloudy sky, there were many birdwatchers. More than 30 people chase one bird: the charming sight of the city park. Today's popular bird is Bullfinch. The charming voice was heard from all over the place. Anyway we saw a beautiful male and a somber female with a crowd of people. And after birdwatching, we drop by Saitama University, as usual.
Birds we saw/confirmed were Great Cormorant, Rufous Turtle Dove, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker, Brown-eared Bulbul, Bull-headed Shrike, Pale Thrush, Dusky Thrush, Bush Warbler, Great Tit, Japanese White-eye, Black-faced Bunting, Bullfinch, Hawfinch, Tree Sparrow, Jay, Azure-winged Magpie and Jungle Crow.

17-19 November : Tateshina and its vicinities (Nagano) Sunny and cold, Temp in Hara Village: High 46.4, Low 28.0 (F)
...And we had a lot of things to do, we went to Tateshina again. To enjoy our wood stove and a big Christmas tree, we hang out at home. On Sunday morning, our birding friend in Suwa called up us and gave us information about Yellow-billed Grosbeak in our neighborhood. It was the bird which we have been wanted to see someday, so we answered, "We'll be right over!" It was freeeeeezing cold but felt warm that we could see a pair of Yellow-billed Grosbeak. They were smaller than Japanese Grosbeak, and pulled his hat down. We also could see a somber coloring female.
Birds we saw/confirmed were Common Buzzard, Rufous Turtle Dove, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker, White Wagtail, Brown-eared Bulbul, Bull-headed Shrike, Daurian Redstart, Dusky Thrush, Long-tailed Tit, Willow Tit, Coal Tit, Varied Tit, Great Tit, Nuthatch, Japanese White-eye, Siberian Meadow Bunting, Rustic Bunting, Oriental Greenfinch, ?Yellow-billed Grosbeak, Japanese Grosbeak, Hawfinch, Tree Sparrow, Jay, Carrion Crow and Jungle Crow.

3-5 November : Kabukurinuma wetland(Miyagi) Sunny and warm, Temp in Tsukidate: High 67.6, Low 36.7 (F)

Birds we saw/confirmed were Great Egret, Gray Heron, White-fronted Goose, Lesser White-fronted Goose, Bean Goose, Snow Goose, Whooper Swan, Bewick's Swan, Mallard, Green-winged Teal, Eurasian Wigeon, Pintail, Black Kite, Goshawk, Common Buzzard, Marsh Harrier, Coot, Rufous Turtle Dove, Brown-eared Bulbul, Bull-headed Shrike, Daurian Redstart, Bush Warbler, Great Tit, Siberian Meadow Bunting, Reed Bunting, Black-faced Bunting, Tree Sparrow, Gray Starling, Azure-winged Magpie, Carrion Crow and Jungle Crow.

19-21 October : Tateshina and its vicinities (Nagano) Sunny and beautiful blue sky, Temp in Hara Village: High 69.1, Low 43.2 (F)

Birds we saw/confirmed were Black Kite, Common Buzzard, Rufous Turtle Dove, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker, Gray Wagtail, Brown-eared Bulbul, Daurian Redstart, Bush Warbler, Long-tailed Tit, Coal Tit, Varied Tit, Great Tit, Japanese White-eye, Siberian Meadow Bunting, Brambling, Siskin, Japanese Grosbeak, Tree Sparrow, Jay, Carrion Crow and Jungle Crow.

14-15 October : Togakushi (Nagano) Sunny and cloudy, Temp in Shinano-machi: High 66.7, Low 43.2 (F)

Birds we saw/confirmed were Spot-billed Duck, Tufted Duck, Common Buzzard, Japanese Green Pigeon, Japanese Green Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker, Brown-eared Bulbul, Wren, Brown Thrush, Pale Thrush, Bush Warbler, Narcissus Flycatcher, Mugimaki Flycatcher, Blue-and-White Flycatcher, Sooty Flycatcher, Gray-spotted Flycatcher, Brown Flycatcher, Long-tailed Tit, Willow Tit, Great Tit, Nuthatch, Treecreeper, Japanese White-eye, Siberian Meadow Bunting, Black-faced Bunting, Gray Bunting Brambling, Siskin, Japanese Grosbeak, Tree Sparrow, Jay and Jungle Crow.

6-9 October : Tateshina and its vicinities (Nagano) Heavy rain, later, fair, Temp in Hara Village: High 64.8, Low 43.4 (F)

Birds we saw/confirmed were Great Egret, Gray Heron, Mallard, Spot-billed Duck, Green-winged Teal, Black Kite, Common Buzzard, Rufous Turtle Dove, Japanese Green Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker, White Wagtail, Brown-eared Bulbul, Bull-headed Shrike, Gray Thrush, Brown Thrush, Dusky Thrush, Bush Warbler, Gray-spotted Flycatcher, Long-tailed Tit, Willow Tit, Coal Tit, Varied Tit, Great Tit, Nuthatch, Japanese White-eye, Siberian Meadow Bunting, Oriental Greenfinch, Bullfinch, Japanese Grosbeak, Tree Sparrow, Gray Starling, Jay, Carrion Crow and Jungle Crow.

23-25 September : Tateshina and its vicinities (Nagano) Sunny, Temp in Hara Village: High 70.3, Low 7.1 (F)

Birds we saw/confirmed were Great Egret, Gray Heron, Mallard, Spot-billed Duck, Green-winged Teal, Black Kite, Rufous Turtle Dove, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker, Barn Swallow, White Wagtail, Japanese Wagtail, Brown-eared Bulbul, Bull-headed Shrike, Brown Thrush, Blue-and-White Flycatcher, Gray-spotted Flycatcher, Long-tailed Tit, Coal Tit, Great Tit, Nuthatch, Japanese White-eye, Oriental Greenfinch, Japanese Grosbeak, Tree Sparrow, Gray Starling, Jay, Carrion Crow and Jungle Crow.

15-16 September : Shirakaba-touge pass & Tateshina (Nagano), Temp in Hara Village: High 73.6, Low 54.5 (F)

Birds we saw/confirmed were Honey Buzzard, Japanese Lesser Sparrow Hawk, Common Buzzard, Gray-faced Buzzard-Eagle, Rufous Turtle Dove, Japanese Green Pigeon, Barn Swallow, House Martin, Gray Wagtail, Ashy Minivet, Brown-eared Bulbul, Brown Thrush, Bush Warbler, Gray-spotted Flycatcher, Brown Flycatcher, Willow Tit, Great Tit, Nuthatch, Japanese White-eye, Siskin, Bullfinch, Japanese Grosbeak, Tree Sparrow, Jay, Carrion Crow and Jungle Crow.

8-10 September : Tateshina and its vicinities (Nagano) Sunny and hot! Temp in Hara Village: High 84.9, Low 64.2 (F)
In this season, as we do every year, we find entertainment in shopping than bird watching. On our way home from JA Store, we happened to hear the beautiful song of Black Paradise Flycatcher!! We've never heard the song of this bird in Tateshina, so it was like a dream...(a little exaggerated?) Anyway, we are hoping to hear/see them next spring.
Other birds we saw were Rufous Turtle Dove, Japanese Green Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker, Barn Swallow, Gray Wagtail, Brown-eared Bulbul, Narcissus Flycatcher, Varied Tit, Great Tit, Nuthatch, Japanese White-eye, Siberian Meadow Bunting, Oriental Greenfinch, Tree Sparrow, Jay, Carrion Crow and Jungle Crow.

25-28 August : Tateshina and its vicinities (Nagano) Sunny, cloudy and heavy rain, Temp in Hara Village: High 84.2, Low 63.1 (F)
We can feel the autumn flavor in Tateshina. Soon, we need to light a stove, as the leaves turn red and yellow. The fuel cost is increasing also in Japan: 18L of Kerosene \1,440, nearly double compared to the price four years ago. Anyway, we need kerosene and fuelwood for our stoves in Tateshina.
It is still hot during the day, chilly in the morning and evening though. The fledgelings of Siberian Meadow Bunting seem to be a little tired on the weed and the parents are busy in feeding their three fledgs. It may be the reason of "rough feeding" (force-feeding a long insect!)...??
Birds we saw were Gray Heron, Black Kite, Rufous Turtle Dove, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker, Barn Swallow, Ashy Minivet, Brown-eared Bulbul, Blue-and-White Flycatcher, Brown Flycatcher, Willow Tit, Coal Tit, Varied Tit, Great Tit, Japanese White-eye, Japanese Grosbeak, Tree Sparrow, Jay, Carrion Crow and Jungle Crow.

11-18 August : Tateshina and its vicinities (Nagano) Temp in Hara Village: High 88.9, Low 58.5 (F)
We are the vacation vegetables....
During this holiday, we didn't pick up the telescope and binoculars out of the bag. Just sitting on veranda over a cup of espresso coffee. Many fledglings passed through our garden. Grow safely!
Birds we saw were Black Kite, Rufous Turtle Dove, Japanese Green Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker, Barn Swallow, Gray Wagtail, White Wagtail, Ashy Minivet, Brown-eared Bulbul, Wren, Gray Thrush, Brown Thrush, Narcissus Flycatcher, Blue-and-White Flycatcher, Brown Flycatcher, Long-tailed Tit, Willow Tit, Coal Tit, Varied Tit, Great Tit, Nuthatch, Japanese White-eye, Siberian Meadow Bunting, Oriental Greenfinch, Japanese Grosbeak, Tree Sparrow, Gray Starling, Jay, Azure-winged Magpie, Carrion Crow and Jungle Crow.

8-9 July : Tateshina and its vicinities (Nagano) + a certain place where we can see Ruddy Kingfisher! Sunny and rain, Temp in Hara Village: High 84.4, Low 61.9 (F)
We went to the certain place to see red birds, again (and again ?) We know that it is a rare opportunity, to observe the breeding and to see a pair of this bird. Of course, we hope to see them, the same place next year. During daylight hours, we just sit it out and gaze over them, trying not to miss only one scene(can't be!). And in the night, we listen the fantastical voice of White's Ground Thrush, with rapt attention. It was a fulfilling weekend, again...
Birds we saw were Gray Heron, Black Kite, Common Buzzard, Gray-faced Buzzard-Eagle, Rufous Turtle Dove, Common Cuckoo, Ural Owl, Japanese Green Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker, Barn Swallow, Gray Wagtail, White Wagtail, Ashy Minivet, Brown-eared Bulbul, Siberian Blue Robin, Gray Thrush, Brown Thrush, Bush Warbler, Narcissus Flycatcher, Blue-and-White Flycatcher, Black Paradise Flycatcher, Long-tailed Tit, Coal Tit, Great Tit, Nuthatch, Japanese White-eye, Siberian Meadow Bunting, Japanese Yellow Bunting, Black-faced Bunting, Oriental Greenfinch, Japanese Grosbeak, Tree Sparrow, Jay, Carrion Crow and Jungle Crow.