Sakata-Tobishima, May 1-4, 1999

Tobishima is a small island in the more northern part sea of Japan. The spring migration of birds on this island is famous and attracts many birders. From the island the snowy mountains (Gassan and ...) on Honshu are visible with clear weather. Apparently day by day one gets to see different species passing by. On the first day, May 2, many swallows and swifts but hardly any Flycatchers. This was reversed completely in the afternoon of May 3 and the morning of May 4. Also an impressive big number of Short-tailed Bushwarblers could be heard and seen on May 3-4. Like the birds, Asuka-san is a spring migrant to Tobishima. I thank him for organizing this nice trip with various Kantori birders (Asuka, Imai, Ikenaga, Katayama, de Vries, Mike and Lee Danzenbaker) and others. As a group we have probably seen about 105 species. Hopefully I have full information later. The current list combines my observations from Sakata and Tobishima. Later I hope to split them. Weather: sun on May 2, rain in the afternoon of 3 and the morning of 4.
  1. Loon Gavia
  2. Temminck's cormorant Phalacrocorax filamentosus [Umi-u]
  3. Pelagic cormorant Phalacrocorax pelagicus [Hime-u]
  4. Mallard Anas Platyrhynchos [Ma-gamo]
  5. Spot-billed duck Anas poecilorhyncha [Karu-gamo]
  6. Mandarine Duck Aix galericulata [Oshi-dori] Sakata
  7. Eurasian Wigeon Anas penelope [Hidori-gamo] Sakata
  8. Pochard Aythya ferina [Hoshi-hajiro] Sakata
  9. Harlequin duck Histronicus histronicus [Shinori-gamo]
  10. Ancient murrelet Synthliboramphus antiquus [Umi-suzume]
  11. ?? Japanese Murrelet Synthliboramphus wumizusume [Kanmuri-umi-suzume]
  12. Rhinoceros Auklet Cerorhinca monocerata [Utoo]
  13. Streaked Shearwater Calonectris ieucomelas [Ou-mizunagidori]
  14. Flesh-footed Shearwater Puffinus carneipes [Akaashi-mizunagidori]
  15. Pomarine Jaeger ?? Stercorarius pomarinus [Toozoku-kamome]
  16. Slaty-backed gull Larus schitisagus [Ou-seguro-kamome]
  17. Herring gull Larus argentatus [Seguro-kamome]
  18. Black-tailed gull Larus crassirostris [Umineko]
  19. Black-headed Gull Larus ridibundus [Yuri-kamome]
  20. Black-legged Kittiwake Larus tridactylus [Mitsuyubi-kamome]
  21. Common Tern ?? Sterna hirundo [Ajisashi] Sakata
  22. Little tern Sterna albifrons [Ko-ajisashi] Sakata
  23. Cattle egret Bubulcus ibis [Ama-sagi] Sakata
  24. Great egret Egretta alba [Dai-sagi]
  25. Gray heron Ardea cinerea [Ao-sagi]
  26. Latham's snipe Gallinago hardwickii [Ouji-shigi]
  27. Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus [Seitaka-shigi] Sakata
  28. Black kite Milvus migrans [Tobi]
  29. Peregrine falcon Falco peregrinus [Haya-busa]
  30. Brown hawk owl Ninox scutula [Aoba zuku]
  31. Rufous turtle dove Streptopelia orientalis [Kiji-bato]
  32. Rock Pigeon Columba livia [Do-bato]
  33. Oriental cuckoo Cuculus saturatus [Tsutsudori]
  34. White-rumped swift Apus pacificus [Amatsubame]
  35. House Swift Apus affinis [Hime-amatsubame]
  36. Common Kingfisher Alcedo atthis [Kawa-semi]
  37. Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker Dendrocopos kizuki [Ko-gera]
  38. Skylark Alauda arvensis [Hibari]
  39. Asian House Martin Delichon dasypus [Iwa-tsubame]
  40. Barn swallow Hirundo rustica [Tsubame]
  41. Gray Wagtail Motacilla cinerea [Ki-sekirei]
  42. Black-backed Wagtail Motacilla lugens [Haku-sekirei]
  43. Japanese Wagtail Motacilla grandis [Seguro-sekirei]
  44. Indian Tree Pipit Anthus hodgsoni [Binzui]
  45. Brown-eared bulbul Hypsipetes amaurotis [Hiyodori]
  46. Japanese Waxwing Bombycilla japonica [Hi-renjaku]
  47. Bohemian Waxwing Bombycilla garullus [Ki-renjaku]
  48. Japanese robin Erithacus akahige [Komadori]
  49. Siberian blue robin Erithacus cyane [Koruri]
  50. Daurian redstart Phoenicurus auroreus [Joobitaki]
  51. Siberian bluechat Tarsiger cyanurus [Ruri-bitaki]
  52. Stonechat Saxicola torquata [No-bitaki]
  53. Blue rockthrush Monticola solitarius [Iso-hyodori]
  54. White's ground thrush Turdus dauma [Tora-tsugumi]
  55. Brown thrush Turdus chrysolaus [Akahara]
  56. Gray thrush Turdus cardis [Kuro-tsugumi]
  57. Pale thrush Turdus pallidus [Shirohara]
  58. Dusky thrush Turdus naumanni [Tsugumi]
  59. Bush warbler Cettia diphone [Uguisu]
  60. Short-tailed bush warbler Cettia squameiceps [Yabusame]
  61. Goldcrest Regulus regulus [Kikuitadaki]
  62. Yellow-browed Warbler Phylloscopus inornatus [Kimayu-mushikui]
  63. Eastern Crowned (Willow) Warbler Phylloscopus coronatus [Sendai-mushikui]
  64. Pale-legged Willow Warbler Phylloscopus tenellipes [Ezo-mushikui]
  65. Narcissus Flycatcher Ficedula narcissina [Ki-bitaki]
  66. Asian brown flycatcher Ficedula narcissina [Ko-same-bitaki]
  67. Blue and white flycatcher Cyanptila cyanomelana [Ou-ruri]
  68. Great tit Parus major [Shijuu-kara]
  69. Coal Tit Parus ater [Hi-gara]
  70. Japanese White-eye Zosterops japonica [Mejiro]
  71. Siberian meadow bunting Emberiza cioides [Hoojiro]
  72. Rustic Bunting Emberiza rustica [Kashiradaka]
  73. Gray-headed Bunting Emberiza fucata [Hoo-aka]
  74. Black-faced bunting Emberiza spodocephala [Aoji]
  75. Gray Bunting Emberiza variabilis [Kuroji]
  76. Oriental greenfinch Carduelis sinica [Kawarahiwa]
  77. Brambling Fringilla montifringilla [Atori]
  78. Bullfinch Pyrrhula pyrrhula [Uso]
  79. Japanese Grosbeak Eophona personata [Ikaru]
  80. Tree sparrow Passer montanus [Suzume]
  81. Russet Sparrow Passer rutilans [Nyuunai-uzume]
  82. Gray starling Sturnus cineraceus [Mukudori]
  83. Red-cheeked Starling Sturnus phillippensis [Ko-mukudori] Sakata (perhaps breeding in park near Lighthouse) and Tobishima
  84. Carrion crow Corvus corone [Hashiboso-garasu]
  85. Jungle crow Corvus macrorhynchos [Hashibuto-garasu]
Birds in Japan and Asia
Last modified: May 5, 1999.