Waders along Tokyo Bay

Sanbanze, Yatsu higata: August 23, 1998

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.

1. Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo [Kawa-u]
   • Sanbanzen: some
   • Yatsu, some
2. Spot-billed Duck Anas poecilorhyncha [Karu-gamo]
   • Yatsu, some (with chicks)
3. Northern Pintail Anas acuta [Onaga-gamo]
   • Yatsu: 1 ex.
4. Greater Scaup Aythya marila [Suzu-gamo]
   • Sanbanze several females
5. Black-tailed Gull Larus crassirostris [Umineko]
   • Sanbanze at least 400
6. Common Tern Sterna hirundo longipennis [Ajisashi]
   • 1 ex Sanbanze
7. Little Tern Sterna albifrons [Ko-ajisashi]
   • Sanbanze: at least 80 ex. Adult + 5 % first summer birds.
8. Common Gallinule Gallinula chloropus [Ban]
   • Yatsu 1 ex
9. Black-crowned Night-heron Nycticorax nycticorax [Goi-sagi]
   • Yatsu, several adults and juveniles.
10. Little Egret Egretta garzetta [Ko-sagi]
    • Sanbanze several
    • Yatsu at least 25
11. Great Egret Egretta alba [Dai-sagi]
    • Sanbanze several
    • Yatsu at least 35 ex several
12. Gray Heron Ardea cinerea [Ao-sagi]
    • Sanbanze 1 ex,
    • Yatsu 2 ex
13. Little Ringed Plover Charadrius dubius [Kochidori]
    • Yatsu 1 ex
14. Snowy Plover Charadrius alexandrinus [Shiro-chidori]
    • Sanbanze 10-20
    • Yatsu 5-10
15. Mongolian Plover Charadrius mongolus [Medai-chidori]
    • Sanbanze > 25
    • Yatsu > 100
16. Black-bellied Plover Pluvialis squatarola [Daizen]
    • Sanbanze 3 ex
    • Yatsu >30
17. Great Knot Calidris tenuirostris [Oba-shigi]
    • Yatsu at least 15 ex
18. Terek Sandpiper Xenus cinereus [Sorihashi-shigi]
    • Sanbanze about 8
    • Yatsu > 20
19. Greenshank Tringa nebulara [Aoashi-shigi]
    • Yatsu 2 ex
20. Gray-tailed Tatler Tringa brevipes [Kiashi-shigi]
    • Sanbanze > 30
    • Yatsu > 80
21. Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres [Kyoojo-shigi]
    • Sanbanze > 60
    • Yatsu >30
22. Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa [Oguro-shigi]
    • Yatsu 1 ex
23. Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica [Oo-sori hashi-shigi]
    • Yatsu >50 ex
24. (Eurasian) Curlew Numenius arquata [Dai-shaku-shigi]
    • Yatsu 4 ex
25. Eastern Curlew Numenius madagascariensis [Hooroku-shigi]
    • Yatsu 1 ex
26. Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus [Chuushaku-shigi]
    • Yatsu 2 ex
27. Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus [Seitaka-shigi]
    • Yatsu about 8
28. Rufous Turtle Dove Streptopelia orientalis [Kiji-bato]
    • Yatsu 1 ex
29. Rock Pigeon Columbia livia [Do-bato]
    • Sanbanze several
30. Japanese Skylark Alauda japonica [Hibari]
    • Sanbanze 1 ex
31. Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica [Tsubame]
    • Sanbanze 3 ex
    • Yatsu 6 ex
32. White Wagtail Motacilla alba [Haku-sekirei]
    • Sanbanze 2 ex
33. Fan-tailed Warbler Cisticola juncidis [Sekka]
    • Sanbanze > 4 singing
    • Yatsu > 5 singing
34. Oriental Greenfinch Carduelis sinica [Kawarahiwa]
    • Yatsu several
35. Tree Sparrow Passer montanus [Suzume]
    • Sanbanze several
    • Yatsu several
36. Gray Starling Sturnus cineraceus [Mukudori]
    • Yatsu several
    • Yatsu several
37. Azure-winged Magpie Cyanopica cyana [Onaga]
    • Yatsu several
38. Jungle Crow Corvus macrorhynchos [Hashibuto-garasu]
    • Sanbanze 1 ex
    • Yatsu 1 ex.

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