Wed Dec 16 22:20:08 JST 1998
November weather was generally quite good for birding; little precipitation, and not too cold or windy. Conditions were excellent for gull-watching and gull photography, and I managed quite a bit of both. All 8 regular species were present, with Herring Gulls in particularly good numbers and variety.
The big rarity of the month was a female King Eider which stayed a few minutes at the jetty at the South-east outflow of Ogawara-Ko on the 8th. I took a photo or two, but am quite sure they will show nothing diagnostic. The day before, my first Green Sandpiper for Japan flew overhead at the same location.
The area covered is back to the winter standard 90 most northeasterly kilometers of Honshu coastline, from Shirayazaki to Hachinohe, plus a last fall foliage trip inland on the first (birds seen thusly prefixed '@').
Little Grebe Kaitsuburi Podiceps ruficollis Eared Grebe Hajiro-kaitsuburi Podiceps nigricollis Horned Grebe Mimi-kaitsuburi Podiceps auritus Red-necked Grebe (1) Akaeri-kaitsuburi Podiceps grisegena Great Crested Grebe Kanmuri-kaitsuburi Podiceps cristatus Streaked Shearwater Mizunagidori Calonectris leucomelas Short-t Shearwater Hashiboso-mizunagidori Puffinus tenuirostris Great Cormorant Kawa-u Phalacrocorax carbo Temminck's Cormorant Umi-u Phalacrocorax filamentosus Pelagic Cormorant (3) Hime-u Phalacrocorax pelagicus Great Egret Dai-saga Egretta alba Little Egret Ko-sagi Egretta garzetta Gray Heron Ao-sagi Ardea cinerea White-fronted Goose Ma-gan Anser albifrons Bean Goose Hishikui Anser fabalis Mute Swan Kobu-hakucho Cygnus cygnus Whooper Swan O-hakucho Cygnus olor Bewick's Swan Ko-hakucho Cygnus bewicki Mallard Ma-gamo Anas platyrhynchos Spot-billed Duck Karu-gamo Anas poecilorhyncha Common Teal Ko-gamo Anas crecca Gadwall Okayoshi-gamo Anas strepera Eurasian Wigeon Hidori-gamo Anas penelope Northern Shoveler Hashibiro-gamo Anas clypeata Pochard Hoshi-hajiro Aythya ferina Tufted Duck Kinkuro-hajiro Aythya fuligula Greater Scaup Suzu-gamo Aythya marila King Eider (11/8(1f)) Kewata-gamo Somateria spectabilis Common Scoter Kuro-gamo Melanitta ?? Harlequin Duck Shinori-gamo Histrionicus histrionicus Common Goldeneye Hojiro-gamo Bucephala clangula Smew Miko-aisa Mergus albellus Red-breasted Merganser Umi-aisa Mergus serrator Common Merganser Kawa-aisa Mergus merganser Osprey Misago Pandion haliaetus Black Kite Tobi Milvus migrans Northern Goshawk O-taka Accipiter gentilis Eurasian Sparrow Hawk Hai-taka Accipiter nisus Common Buzzard Nosuri Buteo buteo Asian Marsh Harrier Chuhi Circus spilonotus Northern (Hen) Harrier Haiiro-chihu Circus cyaneus Peregrine Falcon Hayabusa Falco peregrinus Eurasian Kestrel Chogenbo Falco tinnunculus Green Pheasant Kiji Phasianus colchicus Eurasian Coot O-ban Fulica atra Kentish Plover Shiro-chidori Charadrius alexandrinus Black-bellied Plover Daizen Pluvialis squatarola Ruddy Turnstone Kyojo-shigi Arenaria interpres Red-necked Stint (11/7(1)) Tonen Calidris ruficollis Dunlin Hama-shigi Calidris alpina Sanderling Miyubi-shigi Crocethia alba Green Sandpiper (11/7(1)) Kusa-shigi Tringa chropus Common Black-headed Gull Yuri-kamome Larus ridibundus Herring Gull Seguro-kamome Larus argentatus vegae Glaucous-winged Gull Washi-kamome Larus glaucescens Glaucous Gull Shiro-kamome Larus hyperboreus Slaty-backed Gull O-seguro-kamome Larus schistisagus Mew Gull Kamome Larus canus Black-tailed Gull Umineko Larus crassirostris Black-legged Kittiwake Mitsuyubi-kamome Larus tridactylus Rufous Turtle Dove Kiji-bato Streptopelia orientalis Great Spotted Woodpecker Aka-gera Dendrocopus major Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker Ko-gera Dendrocopos kizuki Black-backed Wagtail Haku-sekirei Motacilla lugens Japanese Wagtail Seguro-sekirei Motacilla grandis Water Pipit Tahibari Anthus spinoletta Brown-eared Bulbul Hiyodori Hypsipetes amaurotis Bull-headed Shrike Mozu Lanius bucephalus @Brown Dipper Kawagurasu Cinclus pallasi Wren Misosazai Troglodytes troglodytes Blue Rock Thrush Isohiyodori Monticola solitarius Dusky Thrush Tsugumi Turdus naumanni Bush Warbler Uguisu Cettia diphone Goldcrest Kikuitadaki Regulus regulus Long-tailed Tit Enaga Aegithalos caudatus Willow Tit Ko-gara Parus montanus Coal Tit Hi-gara Parus ater Varied Tit Yama-gara Parus varius Great Tit Shiju-kara Parus major @Nuthatch Goju-kara Sitta europaea Japanese White-Eye Mejiro Zosterops japonica Meadow Bunting Hojiro Emberiza cioides Rustic Bunting Kashiradaka Emberiza rustica Black-faced Bunting Aoji Emberiza spodocephala Reed Bunting O-jurin Emberiza schoeniclus Oriental Greenfinch Kawara-hira Carduelis sinica Siskin Ma-hiwa Carduelis spinus Long-tailed Rose Finch Beni-mashiko Uragus sibiricus Hawfinch Shime Coccothraustes coccothraustes Eurasian Tree Sparrow Suzume Passer montanus Gray Starling Mukudori Sturnus cineraceus Jay Kakesu Garrulus glandarius Azure-winged Magpie Onaga Cyanopica cyana Carrion Crow Hashiboso-garasu Corvus corone Jungle Crow Hashibuto-garasu Corbus macrorhynchos