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.
-
Little Grebe
Podiceps ruficollis
[Kaitsuburi]
- Yatsu (on fresh water pond)
-
Great Cormorant
Phalacrocorax carbo
[Kawa-u]
- Sanbanzen: some 3000-4000 over Tokyo bay.
- Yatsu, some
- Ukishima, some
-
Spot-billed Duck
Anas poecilorhyncha
[Karu-gamo]
- Yatsu, some (with chicks)
- Amata, some
-
Northern Pintail
Anas acuta
[Onaga-gamo]
-
Greater Scaup
Aythya marila
[Suzu-gamo]
- Sanbanze several females
- Yatsu: 1 injured female
-
Black-tailed Gull
Larus crassirostris
[Umineko]
-
Black-headed Gull
Larus ridibundus
[Yuri-kamome]
- Common Tern
Sterna hirundo longipennis
[Ajisashi]
- Sanbanze: at least 15 ex in various shades of gray
Common Tern
Sterna hirundo minussensis
[Aka-ashi-ajisashi]
- Little Tern Sterna albifrons [Ko-ajisashi]
- Sanbanze: at least 400 ex.
Adult + 5 % first summer birds.
- Yatsu 5 ex
-
Common Gallinule
Gallinula chloropus
[Ban]
-
Black-crowned Night-heron
Nycticorax nycticorax
[Goi-sagi]
-
Cattle Egret
Bubulcus ibis
[Ama-sagi]
-
Little Egret
Egretta garzetta
[Ko-sagi]
- Sanbanze several
- Yatsu several
- Azuma several
- Amata
several
-
Great Egret
Egretta alba
[Dai-sagi]
- Sanbanze several
- Yatsu several
- Azuma several
- Amata
several
-
Gray Heron
Ardea cinerea
[Ao-sagi]
- Ukishima several
- Amata several
-
Little Ringed Plover
Charadrius dubius
[Kochidori]
-
Snowy Plover
Charadrius alexandrinus
[Shiro-chidori]
- Sanbanze a few
- Yatsu a few
-
Mongolian Plover
Charadrius mongolus
[Medai-chidori]
-
Pacific Golden Plover
Pluvialis fulva
[Munaguro]
-
Black-bellied Plover
Pluvialis squatarola
[Daizen]
-
Sanderling
Crocethia alba
[Miyubi-shigi]
- Sanbanze 3 ex (summer plumage)
- Long-toed
Calidris subminuta
[Hibari-shigi]
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.
- Broad-billed Sandpiper Limicola falcinellus sibirica
[Kiriai]
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.")
-
Great Knot
Calidris tenuirostris
[Oba-shigi]
-
Ruff
Philomachus pugnax
[Erimaki--shigi]
Standing next to the Long-toed stints. Rather buff breast and size make it a juvenile female.
-
Green Sandpiper
Tringa ochropus
[Kusa-shigi]
-
Common Sandpiper
Tringa hypoleucos
[Iso-shigi]
- Yatsu 1 ex
- Azuma 1 ex
- Amata 2 ex
-
Terek Sandpiper
Xenus cinereus
[Sorihashi-shigi]
- Sanbanze about 5
- Yatsu > 25
-
Greenshank
Tringa nebulara
[Aoashi-shigi]
-
Gray-tailed Tatler
Tringa brevipes
[Kiashi-shigi]
- Sanbanze several
- Yatsu > 80
- 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]
-
Common Pheasant
Phasianus colchicus
[Kiji]
-
Rufous Turtle Dove
Streptopelia orientalis
[Kiji-bato]
-
Rock Pigeon
Columbia livia
[Do-bato]
-
Japanese Skylark
Alauda japonica
[Hibari]
- Azuma several
- Ukishima several
-
Bank Swallow
Riparia riparia
[Shoodo-tsubame]
-
Barn Swallow
Hirundo rustica
[Tsubame] several.
-
White Wagtail
Motacilla alba
[Haku-sekirei]
- Sanbanze 2 ex
- Yatsu 1 ex
- Azuma 1 ex
-
Brown-eared Bulbul
Hypsipetes amaurotis
[Hiyodori]
-
Japanese Marsh Warbler
Megalurus pryeri
[Ou-sekka]
- Ukishima: several singing.
-
Fan-tailed Warbler
Cisticola juncidis
[Sekka]
- Sanbanze 1 singing
- Ukishima: several singing.
-
Great Reed Warbler
Acrocephalus arundinaceus
[Ou-yoshikiri]
- Japanese Reed Bunting
Emberiza yessoensis
[Ko-jurin]
- Ukishima: several singing
-
Oriental Greenfinch
Carduelis sinica
[Kawarahiwa]
-
Tree Sparrow
Passer montanus
[Suzume]
- Sanbanze several
- Ukishima several
-
Gray Starling
Sturnus cineraceus
[Mukudori]
- Yatsu several
- Ukishima: several.
-
Azure-winged Magpie
Cyanopica cyana
[Onaga]
-
Carrion Crow
Corvus corone
[Hashiboso-garasu]
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Last modified: August 18, 1998.