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]
    • Yatsu (on fresh water pond)
  2. Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo [Kawa-u]
    • Sanbanzen: some 3000-4000 over Tokyo bay.
    • Yatsu, some
    • Ukishima, some
  3. Spot-billed Duck Anas poecilorhyncha [Karu-gamo]
    • Yatsu, some (with chicks)
    • Amata, some
  4. Northern Pintail Anas acuta [Onaga-gamo]
    • Yatsu: 1 ex.
  5. Greater Scaup Aythya marila [Suzu-gamo]
    • Sanbanze several females
    • Yatsu: 1 injured female
  6. Black-tailed Gull Larus crassirostris [Umineko]
    • Sanbanze at least 100
  7. Black-headed Gull Larus ridibundus [Yuri-kamome]
    • Ukishima: 3 ex
  8. Common Tern Sterna hirundo longipennis [Ajisashi]
    • Sanbanze: at least 15 ex in various shades of gray
    Common Tern Sterna hirundo minussensis [Aka-ashi-ajisashi]
    • Sanbanze 2 ex.
  9. Little Tern Sterna albifrons [Ko-ajisashi]
    • Sanbanze: at least 400 ex. Adult + 5 % first summer birds.
    • Yatsu 5 ex
  10. Common Gallinule Gallinula chloropus [Ban]
    • Yatsu 2 ex
  11. Black-crowned Night-heron Nycticorax nycticorax [Goi-sagi]
    • Ukishima 2 ex
  12. Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis [Ama-sagi]
    • Azuma several
  13. Little Egret Egretta garzetta [Ko-sagi]
    • Sanbanze several
    • Yatsu several
    • Azuma several
    • Amata several
  14. Great Egret Egretta alba [Dai-sagi]
    • Sanbanze several
    • Yatsu several
    • Azuma several
    • Amata several
  15. Gray Heron Ardea cinerea [Ao-sagi]
    • Ukishima several
    • Amata several
  16. Little Ringed Plover Charadrius dubius [Kochidori]
    • Yatsu 2 ex
    • Amata 3 ex
  17. Snowy Plover Charadrius alexandrinus [Shiro-chidori]
    • Sanbanze a few
    • Yatsu a few
  18. Mongolian Plover Charadrius mongolus [Medai-chidori]
    • Sanbanze > 25
    • Yatsu > 50
  19. Pacific Golden Plover Pluvialis fulva [Munaguro]
    • Yatsu 1 ex
  20. Black-bellied Plover Pluvialis squatarola [Daizen]
    • Sanbanze 1 ex
    • Yatsu >50
  21. Sanderling Crocethia alba [Miyubi-shigi]
    • Sanbanze 3 ex (summer plumage)
  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]
    • Yatsu 1 ex
  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]
    • Amata 2 ex
  27. Common Sandpiper Tringa hypoleucos [Iso-shigi]
    • Yatsu 1 ex
    • Azuma 1 ex
    • Amata 2 ex
  28. Terek Sandpiper Xenus cinereus [Sorihashi-shigi]
    • Sanbanze about 5
    • Yatsu > 25
  29. Greenshank Tringa nebulara [Aoashi-shigi]
    • Yatsu 4 ex
  30. Gray-tailed Tatler Tringa brevipes [Kiashi-shigi]
    • Sanbanze several
    • Yatsu > 80
  31. Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres [Kyoojo-shigi]
    • Sanbanze > 100
    • Yatsu >10
  32. Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa [Oguro-shigi]
    • Yatsu 2 ex
  33. Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica [Oo-sori hashi-shigi]
    • Yatsu >50 ex
  34. (Eurasian) Curlew Numenius arquata [Dai-shaku-shigi]
    • Yatsu 3 ex
  35. Eastern Curlew Numenius madagascariensis [Hooroku-shigi]
    • Yatsu 1 ex
  36. Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus [Chuushaku-shigi]
    • Sanbanze 1 ex
    • Yatsu 1 ex
  37. Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus [Seitaka-shigi]
    • Yatsu >5
    • Amata 5 ex
  38. Common Pheasant Phasianus colchicus [Kiji]
    • Amata 1 male
  39. Rufous Turtle Dove Streptopelia orientalis [Kiji-bato]
    • Ukishima several
  40. Rock Pigeon Columbia livia [Do-bato]
    • Yatsu several
  41. Japanese Skylark Alauda japonica [Hibari]
    • Azuma several
    • Ukishima several
  42. Bank Swallow Riparia riparia [Shoodo-tsubame]
    • Azuma several tens
  43. Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica [Tsubame]
    • Azuma several
    several.
  44. White Wagtail Motacilla alba [Haku-sekirei]
    • Sanbanze 2 ex
    • Yatsu 1 ex
    • Azuma 1 ex
  45. Brown-eared Bulbul Hypsipetes amaurotis [Hiyodori]
    • Yatsu
  46. Japanese Marsh Warbler Megalurus pryeri [Ou-sekka]
    • Ukishima: several singing.
  47. Fan-tailed Warbler Cisticola juncidis [Sekka]
    • Sanbanze 1 singing
    • Ukishima: several singing.
  48. Great Reed Warbler Acrocephalus arundinaceus [Ou-yoshikiri]
    • Amata
  49. Japanese Reed Bunting Emberiza yessoensis [Ko-jurin]
    • Ukishima: several singing
  50. Oriental Greenfinch Carduelis sinica [Kawarahiwa]
    • Amata several
  51. Tree Sparrow Passer montanus [Suzume]
    • Sanbanze several
    • Ukishima several
  52. Gray Starling Sturnus cineraceus [Mukudori]
    • Yatsu several
    • Ukishima: several.
  53. Azure-winged Magpie Cyanopica cyana [Onaga]
    • Yatsu several
  54. Carrion Crow Corvus corone [Hashiboso-garasu]
    • Azuma 1 ex
    • Amata 1 ex.
    Back to previous page Last modified: August 18, 1998.