Waders between Tokyo Bay and Kasumigaura

Sanbanze, Yatsu higata, Azuma, Ukishima, Amata, August 16, 1998

Dear Kantorians,

With Ikenaga-san and Katayama-san we looked for waders between Tokyo bay and Kasumigaura.

We visited Sanbanze, Yatsu-higata (where we had a chat with Matsui-san) along Tokyo bay and Azuma (some secret mudfields Asuka-san had shown us two weeks ago...), Ukishima and Amata between the Tonegawa and the big lake Kasumiguaru.

The nicest of our observations was a bird first spotted by Ikenaga-san: a Broad-billed Sandpiper [Kiriai] feeding on the debris at the floodline of the sandy beach of Sanbanze in a large group of Turnstones. A rather characteristic, small sandpiper: dark legs, double white stripes on the head (a forked white eyebrow as the book says), a rather mottled, rufous back. The bill is relatively long, and the final tip seems bent

That the bird was feeding with Turnstones is in nice, blunt contradiction with the firm statement in the fieldguide of the Birds of Japan: "uncommon transient in flocks of Dunlins and Rufous-necked stints." (In The Birds of Japan Mark Brazil has used a more careful formulation: "typically amongst flocks of Dunlin and Red-necked Stints.")

We did not see the Chinese egret, which had been visiting last week the tidal flats of Sanbanze. But the 3000-4000 Kawa-u were also an impressive sight.

A rewarding trip with 22 (!) wader species. It was worth the exhausting heat (36 degrees and full sun)

Keep birding,

Fer-Jan.

Numbers are not precise countings, just rough estimates.

  1. Little Grebe Podiceps ruficollis [Kaitsuburi]
  2. Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo [Kawa-u]
  3. Spot-billed Duck Anas poecilorhyncha [Karu-gamo]
  4. Northern Pintail Anas acuta [Onaga-gamo]
  5. Greater Scaup Aythya marila [Suzu-gamo]
  6. Black-tailed Gull Larus crassirostris [Umineko]
  7. Black-headed Gull Larus ridibundus [Yuri-kamome]
  8. Common Tern Sterna hirundo longipennis [Ajisashi] Common Tern Sterna hirundo minussensis [Aka-ashi-ajisashi]
  9. Little Tern Sterna albifrons [Ko-ajisashi]
  10. Common Gallinule Gallinula chloropus [Ban]
  11. Black-crowned Night-heron Nycticorax nycticorax [Goi-sagi]
  12. Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis [Ama-sagi]
  13. Little Egret Egretta garzetta [Ko-sagi]
  14. Great Egret Egretta alba [Dai-sagi]
  15. Gray Heron Ardea cinerea [Ao-sagi]
  16. Little Ringed Plover Charadrius dubius [Kochidori]
  17. Snowy Plover Charadrius alexandrinus [Shiro-chidori]
    • Sanbanze a few
    • Yatsu a few
  18. Mongolian Plover Charadrius mongolus [Medai-chidori]
  19. Pacific Golden Plover Pluvialis fulva [Munaguro]
  20. Black-bellied Plover Pluvialis squatarola [Daizen]
  21. Sanderling Crocethia alba [Miyubi-shigi]
  22. Long-toed Calidris subminuta [Hibari-shigi]
    • Azuma 2 ex
    Standing initially side by side to the female ruff. Rather small sandpipers, but upright posture. Yellow legs. Short, black, slightly curved bill. White eyestripe and brown/rufous top of the head. Overal appearance rufous.
  23. Broad-billed Sandpiper Limicola falcinellus sibirica [Kiriai]
    • Sanbanzen 1 ex
    First spotted by Ikenaga-san. It was feeding on the debris at the floodline of the sandy beach in a large group of Turnstones A rather characteristic, small sandpiper: dark legs, double white stripes on the head (a forked white eyebrow as the book says), a rather mottled, rufous back especially the primaries over the tail. The bill is relatively long, and the final tip seems bent. As the lower stripe through the eye was much broader than the second higher stripe, it guess it must have been Limicola falcinellus sibirica. That the bird was feeding with Turnstones is in nice, blunt contradiction with the firm statement in the fieldguide of the Birds of Japan: "uncommon transient in flocks of Dunlins and Rufous-necked stints." (In The Birds of Japan Mark Brazil has used a more careful formulation: "typically amongst flocks of Dunlin and Red-necked Stints.")
  24. Great Knot Calidris tenuirostris [Oba-shigi]
  25. Ruff Philomachus pugnax [Erimaki--shigi]
    • Azuma 1 female
    Standing next to the Long-toed stints. Rather buff breast and size make it a juvenile female.
  26. Green Sandpiper Tringa ochropus [Kusa-shigi]
  27. Common Sandpiper Tringa hypoleucos [Iso-shigi]
  28. Terek Sandpiper Xenus cinereus [Sorihashi-shigi]
  29. Greenshank Tringa nebulara [Aoashi-shigi]
  30. Gray-tailed Tatler Tringa brevipes [Kiashi-shigi]
  31. Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres [Kyoojo-shigi]
  32. Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa [Oguro-shigi]
  33. Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica [Oo-sori hashi-shigi]
  34. (Eurasian) Curlew Numenius arquata [Dai-shaku-shigi]
  35. Eastern Curlew Numenius madagascariensis [Hooroku-shigi]
  36. Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus [Chuushaku-shigi]
  37. Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus [Seitaka-shigi]
  38. Common Pheasant Phasianus colchicus [Kiji]
  39. Rufous Turtle Dove Streptopelia orientalis [Kiji-bato]
  40. Rock Pigeon Columbia livia [Do-bato]
  41. Japanese Skylark Alauda japonica [Hibari]
  42. Bank Swallow Riparia riparia [Shoodo-tsubame]
  43. Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica [Tsubame] several.
  44. White Wagtail Motacilla alba [Haku-sekirei]
  45. Brown-eared Bulbul Hypsipetes amaurotis [Hiyodori]
  46. Japanese Marsh Warbler Megalurus pryeri [Ou-sekka]
  47. Fan-tailed Warbler Cisticola juncidis [Sekka]
  48. Great Reed Warbler Acrocephalus arundinaceus [Ou-yoshikiri]
  49. Japanese Reed Bunting Emberiza yessoensis [Ko-jurin]
  50. Oriental Greenfinch Carduelis sinica [Kawarahiwa]
  51. Tree Sparrow Passer montanus [Suzume]
  52. Gray Starling Sturnus cineraceus [Mukudori]
  53. Azure-winged Magpie Cyanopica cyana [Onaga]
  54. Carrion Crow Corvus corone [Hashiboso-garasu]
    • Azuma 1 ex
    • Amata 1 ex.
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