Birding Diary 1999

Birding Diary (Top)

30 Dec: Kiyosato, Yamanashi A.M.11:20-P.M.12:45
We could see Goldcrest for the first time! It was the same as we saw them in pictures. It is similar to Golden-crowned Kinglet, so you can imagine how we felt happy. Their voices are thin, wiry and always moving in a dense conifer so it is difficult to find them. Carrying the heavy field scope in the forest wasn't easy, but it was worth doing. It was hovering among the trees.

25 Dec: Kamikawa River, Chino City, Nagano A.M.10:00-A.M.10:15
25 Dec: Swan lake, Toyoshina, Nagano A.M.11:30-P.M.1:00
28 Dec: Suwa-lake, Chino-City, Nagano P.M.2:30-3:00
Bewick's Swan and only one Whooper Swan named "Daisuke-kun" in Kamikawa.

12 Dec: Inokashira Park, Tokyo A.M.10:00-11:00
Opposite to the yesterday's warmth, it was chilly today. I was eager to see Shoveler, which I couldn't see yesterday. I could see seven Shovelers, who look like Psyduck. He is my most favorite. My husband, Marmot, likes Meowth and Pikachu best. Anyway, it was too cold to stay long here. We rushed to CINNABON. The first store in Japan has opened in Kichijoji Town. It was the same taste, same size! Marmot was still complaining of the cold, so I bought a pair of warm gloves for him and two pairs of gloves for me :) It was a nice weekend as usual.

11 Dec: Tokyo Port Bird Sanctuary, Tokyo A.M.11:00-P.M.3:00
It was a warm and balmy day. This is the second time visit to this park. Last time was mid-summer. Snipes and Sandpipers were already gone, and Ducks came. This park is adjoining to the Ohta Vegetable & Fruit Market and also near to the Haneda Airport, so we give up recording here. Today we enjoyed to see many Ducks. We saw Smew for the first time! We are always satisfied when we see a bird for the first time, and we are lucky(?) that our birding history are not long, and everytime there's something new. And today, we could take a cute picture of Black-crowned Night Heron (immatures) who was taking a bath !?? (front page picture). They are the nocturnal birds and when we see them in Inokashira Park, they are always porching on one particular tree and sleeping. We don't know what she/he was doing, catching a fish ?, anyway it was cute :)

22 Nov: Tateshina, Nagano
The weather was fine. We could see no cloud in the sky. It was too late to enjoy autumn colors here, but some leaves were keeping beautiful red color in the water. In the morning, the temperature dropped to -2 Celsius (about 36 F). We have placed bird feeder and water plate in the garden. Many flocks of Tit always come. This morning, they flew down to the frozen water plate but couldn't drink and flew away. So I broke the ice and filled it with water. It always makes me happy that cute birds come close to us. We always hold our breath, watching without stirring an inch. In Tokyo, it was still in Autumn, but winter has come around here already. The birds we saw were:Dusky Thrush (for the first time this season), Bull-headed shrike, Brown-eared Bulbul, Great Spotted Woodpecker (female), Mallard, Spot-billed Duck and White Wagtail.

12 & 13 Nov: Fukushimagata Lagoon, Toyosaka City, Niigata
We have made a plan for our three day trip to Niigata, just wanted to see Bean Goose. They are protected birds in Japan. Domestic tour in Japan costs very much and this only three day birding tour costed about 75,000yen for two! But it was worth going. Both of us were very satisfied to see Bean Goose in many scenes. Eating rice crops, flying in formation, in line and in V shape, floating on the water and taking off a hundred of birds all at once. We visited there for two consecutive days and stayed about four hours each. We wanted to stay here longer, if our schedule permitted. On the first day, it was rainy and we could see Bean Goose from the visitor center, and I took some pictures with Field Scope and Digital Camera for the first time. It's perfectly the one amateur took, the picture on the front page. It's just a snap(shot), and literally it's a snap to take it though it is a long way to go to take better pictures. Next day, after went to Toyanogata Lagoon, we were back Fukusimagata Lagoon again. The weather was fine, it was a little windy though, so we thought we could take better pictures and recording. But only Goose know where to go... There were only a couple of Geese and Bewick's Swans where they flocked yesterday. At first we were reluctant to see the empty rice field, but instead of flocks of birds, our field scope caught a flock of bird watchers with expensive cameras and scopes on the observation deck near by the lagoon, where we didn't go yesterday. We also noticed that Birding Tour Bus arrived one after another. From the observation deck, the view was certainly good. We could see Bean Goose and only one White Goose mingled among them. We didn't expect to record their voice so close, they flew away just above our head. Thank God! We were so happy. And I also wanted to all the birders not to disturb them... Some people were too close to them, and made them fly away. It is a rule to see birds from a certain distance. Other birds we saw are Mallard, Spot-billed Duck, Green-winged Teal,Marsh Harrier, Kestrel (its hovering was nice), and so on.

13 Nov: Toyanogata Lagoon, Downtown Niigata City A.M.9:00-11:30
Only about five minutes ride of taxi from Niigata Statiion, we reached to the Toyanogata Lagoon. At first, we thought to walk around this lagoon, but changed our plan, because walking along the roadway without sidewalk was danger. If there was a trail along the lagoon, it would be nice. There were many peaceful ducks. The weather was balmy, many trees were in fall colours. It was a nice day. The birds we saw : Great Crested Grebe, Great Cormorant, Great Egret, Little Egret, Gray Heron, Shoveler and so on.

3 Nov: Inokashira-Park, Tokyo
We were back this park again with a plot of seeing a Common Kingfisher, though we could see only he was flying away. We realized how lucky we were the last time. The number of Pintail was increasing a little by little, and tails of the young birds became longer, just as its name. Today we brought a pack of Nabisco Premium with us, with an intention to lure them to record a clear voice, but the Ducks in this pond were satiated, for many people come and feed them. Or just because Premium didn't attract them, my plot failed. But at first, when a Little Grebe noticed something was dropped in, it came quickly, just like running on the water. I've never seen a Little Grebe moved so quickly. Lovable birds! We also could see Mandarin Duck, which we couldn't find last time.

30 Oct: Akigase-Park, Saitama
When we were in the U.S., on weekend we woke up late, we usually went for Napa, since there was not heavy traffic jam. In Japan, when we come to think of the effort of going somewhere by car, we are tired of going anywhere. But this morning, we went through the traffic jam and arrived Akigase-Park. This is a famous park for birders, since many migrating birds drop in at this park. My husband is working near this park, but has no time for walking around. Winter bird has come and we could see Daurian Redstart (male & female). So cute!

23 Oct.: Inokashira-Park, Tokyo
It seems that evil spirits residing in the morning park!?? We coud see a couple of couples (male+male, young), talking loudly about life, happiness and agony. They are the cult people, I suppose. I don't care what they are doing, it's not my business; I want them NOT to intercept us and Common Kingfisher, though we could see a couple of Common Kingfishers. They were perching on the rope of the pond alternatery so the contrast between blue and orange was very beautiful. At first we thought there was a can reflecting sunshine, but as we got closer to it, we found it was Kingfisher's back color. Also we could see Black-crowned Night Heron(juvenile), Pintail, Eurasian Wigeon, Spot-billed Duck and Little Grebe.

16 Oct.: Suginami-ku, Tokyo
Early this morning, I woke up with a song of Bull-headed Shrike, happily the morning call wasn't the song of a Jungle Crow. In the morning of a garbage collection day, many Jungle Crows come seeking for their meals and leave the remains scattered everywhere! They are considered as harmful birds, but before blaming them, we should reconsider our life styles and garbage collection systems. Crows are so smart that they often imitate other birds' songs. I can distinguish a specified one by his song, imitating Cuckoo and I named him " Kako-garasu (Kako Crow)". There's one question: how he learned the Cuckoo song? I can't see Cuckoo here! I guess that he learned it from the sound(melody) of traffic lights for disabled people. I hate Jungle Crows, but I also enjoy this "Cuckoo" call.
Today we could record the song of Gray Starling. I really can't wait for the spring!


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