Waders along Tokyo Bay
Sanbanze, Yatsu higata: August 23, 1998
Dear Kantorians, With Gerd Schoen from Karlsruhe we looked for
waders along Tokyo bay. We visited Sanbanze and Yatsu-higata (where
we again enjoyed a little chat with Matsui-san) along Tokyo bay.
When we arrived at Sanbanze the tide had just started to
rize. There were lots of people looking for shellfish. Apparently the
water is rather shallow until at least 600 meter from the coast.
In
Yatsu we got some good close up views of in particular Whimbrels, both
Curlew species (the Australian Curlew was a new species for G.S. ...)
and Great Knots (G.S. had seen these once before on the other side of
the Asian continent in the United Arab Emirates...)
Later in
summer Yatsu-higata is covered by seaweed. Partly this offers waders a
solid enough platform to walk on. According to Matsui-san these
seaweeds can also be found out in Tokyo bay. Large scale growth
occurs only since the last 4 years.
It was a pleasant trip, although
it ended a bit abruptly due to fireworks, which chased away the waders
of Yatsu at the end of the afternoon. 15 waders species all together. Earlier on the day also Common Sandpiper and Lesser Golden Plover had been observed at Yatsu by Stephan Shuichi Haupt.
It was rather hot and sunny. Sweat was streaming over my face.
Keep
birding,
Fer-Jan.
Numbers are not precise countings,
just rough estimates.
-
Great Cormorant
Phalacrocorax carbo
[Kawa-u]
- Sanbanzen: some
- Yatsu, some
-
Spot-billed Duck
Anas poecilorhyncha
[Karu-gamo]
- Yatsu, some (with chicks)
-
Northern Pintail
Anas acuta
[Onaga-gamo]
-
Greater Scaup
Aythya marila
[Suzu-gamo]
-
Black-tailed Gull
Larus crassirostris
[Umineko]
- Common Tern
Sterna hirundo longipennis
[Ajisashi]
- Little Tern Sterna albifrons [Ko-ajisashi]
- Sanbanze: at least 80 ex.
Adult + 5 % first summer birds.
-
Common Gallinule
Gallinula chloropus
[Ban]
-
Black-crowned Night-heron
Nycticorax nycticorax
[Goi-sagi]
- Yatsu, several adults and juveniles.
-
Little Egret
Egretta garzetta
[Ko-sagi]
- Sanbanze several
- Yatsu at least 25
-
Great Egret
Egretta alba
[Dai-sagi]
- Sanbanze several
- Yatsu at least 35 ex
several
-
Gray Heron
Ardea cinerea
[Ao-sagi]
- Sanbanze 1 ex,
- Yatsu 2 ex
-
Little Ringed Plover
Charadrius dubius
[Kochidori]
-
Snowy Plover
Charadrius alexandrinus
[Shiro-chidori]
- Sanbanze 10-20
- Yatsu 5-10
-
Mongolian Plover
Charadrius mongolus
[Medai-chidori]
- Sanbanze > 25
- Yatsu > 100
-
Black-bellied Plover
Pluvialis squatarola
[Daizen]
-
Great Knot
Calidris tenuirostris
[Oba-shigi]
-
Terek Sandpiper
Xenus cinereus
[Sorihashi-shigi]
- Sanbanze about 8
- Yatsu > 20
-
Greenshank
Tringa nebulara
[Aoashi-shigi]
-
Gray-tailed Tatler
Tringa brevipes
[Kiashi-shigi]
- Ruddy Turnstone
Arenaria interpres
[Kyoojo-shigi]
-
Black-tailed Godwit
Limosa limosa
[Oguro-shigi]
-
Bar-tailed Godwit
Limosa lapponica
[Oo-sori hashi-shigi]
-
(Eurasian) Curlew
Numenius arquata
[Dai-shaku-shigi]
-
Eastern Curlew
Numenius madagascariensis
[Hooroku-shigi]
-
Whimbrel
Numenius phaeopus
[Chuushaku-shigi]
-
Black-winged Stilt
Himantopus himantopus
[Seitaka-shigi]
-
Rufous Turtle Dove
Streptopelia orientalis
[Kiji-bato]
-
Rock Pigeon
Columbia livia
[Do-bato]
-
Japanese Skylark
Alauda japonica
[Hibari]
-
Barn Swallow
Hirundo rustica
[Tsubame]
-
White Wagtail
Motacilla alba
[Haku-sekirei]
-
Fan-tailed Warbler
Cisticola juncidis
[Sekka]
- Sanbanze > 4 singing
- Yatsu > 5 singing
-
Oriental Greenfinch
Carduelis sinica
[Kawarahiwa]
-
Tree Sparrow
Passer montanus
[Suzume]
- Sanbanze several
- Yatsu several
-
Gray Starling
Sturnus cineraceus
[Mukudori]
- Yatsu several
- Yatsu several
-
Azure-winged Magpie
Cyanopica cyana
[Onaga]
-
Jungle Crow
Corvus macrorhynchos
[Hashibuto-garasu]
- Sanbanze 1 ex
- Yatsu 1 ex.
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Last modified: August 24, 1998.