Neils Off-day

Yaku-ou-in, Amabiki-yama and Ottonuma, Februari 7, 1998

Petite Histoire

Neil was the supposed organiser of this Kantori birding day. The goal was forest/winter birds on and around Tsukuba-san. Remaining snow and --more drastically-- trees broken by this years exceptionally heavy wet snow loads made it impossible to approach the higher parts of the mountains by car.

We visited the first the forest around the old and interesting temple Yaku-ou-in above the artificial lake on the west flank of Tsukuba-san. The temple itself with all the old statues, buildings, woodwork and man-size geta is beautiful and interesting. The surrounding trees are old and impressive. Attractive to birds: besides a pair of Siberian bluechats we had a perfect view of a flock of Ikaru's feeding between the fallen leaves on a rock and hidding in the deciduous trees.

After a excellent soba-lunch we checked the area below and south of the Amabiki temple near Kaba-san. Aogera was the long sought for reward.

We topped the day off with brief visits to Ottonuma and Dohou-koen. The end of the day was bone chilling cold for some reason.

Alas, it was Neils Off-day. On Friday night he went to the office, he spotted a Fukuro in the garden, posted this observation to Kantori, worked the whole night and was asleep behind his desk when he was supposed to go out to be picked up by Ikenaga-san, without whom this day would have been impossible.

Weather

Overcast. Around Tsukuba-san and Kaba-san at many places snow and ice could be seen. Yet during most of the day in the shelter of mountains tyhe temperature felt ok, probably 5 C. The more exposed ponds at the end of the afternoon were cold and windy.

Participants

Fujikubo Mariko, Stefan Gleisberg, Ikenaga Hiroshi and Fer-Jan de Vries. 

Missing

Neil and Hans.

Observations

  1. Little grebe Podiceps ruficollis [Kaitsuburi]

    2. Tsukushiko
    Ottonuma
  2. Whistling (Bewick) Swan Cygnus columbianus jankowskii [Ko-hakuchou]

    3. Ottonuma: 36 ex. Highest total seen this winter so far.
  3. Mallard Anas Platyrhynchos [Ma-gamo]

    4. Tsukushiko
    Ottonuma
    Dohou-koen
  4. Spot-billed duck Anas poecilorhyncha [Karu-gamo]

    5. Tsukushiko
    Ottonuma
    Dohou-koen
  5. Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata [Hashibiro-gamo]

    6. Ottonuma
  6. Green-winged Teal Anas crecca crecca [Ko-gamo]

    7. Tsukushiko
    Dohou-koen
  7. Falcated Teal Anas falcata [Yoshi-gamo]

    8. Ottonuma
  8. Gadwall Anas strepera [Okayoshi-gamo]

    9. Ottonuma
  9. Northern Pintail Anas acuta [Onaga-gamo]

    10. Tsukushiko
    Ottonuma
    Dohou-koen
  10. Eurasian Wigeon Anas penelope [Hidori-gamo]

    11. Ottonuma
  11. Eurasian x American Wigeon Anas penelope x americana [Hidori-gamo x Amerika-hidori-gamo]

    12. Ottonuma: one group of 5 individuals.
  12. Pochard Aythya ferina [Hoshi-hajiro]

    13. Ottonuma: 1 ex.
  13. Black-crowned night-heron Nycticorax nycticorax [Goi-sagi]

    14. Amabiki-yama
    Ottonuma
  14. Little egret Egretta garzetta [Ko-sagi]

    15. Ottonuma
  15. Coot Fulica atra [Ou-ban]

    16. Ottonuma
  16. Common Gallinule Gallinula chloropus [Ban]

    17. Ottonuma
  17. Common buzzard Buteo buteo [Nosuri]

    18. Yahu-ou-in
  18. Eurasian sparrowhawk Accipter nisus [Haitaka]
    Yahu-ou-in
  19. Bamboo partridge Bambusicola thoracica [Kojukei]
    Amabiki-yama
  20. Rufous turtle dove Streptopelia orientalis [Kiji-bato]

    21. Yahu-ou-in
    Amabiki-yama
    Ottonuma
    Dohou-koen
  21. Japanese green woodpecker Dendrocopos awokera [Aogera]
    Amabiki-yama
  22. Japanese pygmy woodpecker Dendrocopos kizuki [Ko-gera]
    Yahu-ou-in
    Ottonuma
  23. Skylark Alauda arvensis [Hibari]
    Ottonuma
  24. Common Kingfisher Alcedo atthis [Kawa-semi]

    25. Yahu-ou-in
    Ottonuma
  25. White wagtail Haku-sekirei [Motacilla alba]

    26. Amabiki-yama
  26. Japanese wagtail Motacilla grandis [Seguro-sekirei]

    27. Amabiki-yama
  27. Brown-eared bulbul Hypsipetes amaurotis [Hiyodori]

    28. Yahu-ou-in
  28. Bull-headed shrike Lanius bucephalus [Mozu]

    29. Yahu-ou-in
  29. Winter wren Troglodytes troglodytes [Misosazai]
    Amabiki-yama
  30. Daurian redstart Phoenicurus auroreus [Joobitaki]
    Yahu-ou-in
  31. Siberian bluechat Tarsiger cyanurus [Ruri-bitaki]
    Yahu-ou-in
  32. Brown thrush Turdus chrysolaus [Akahara]
    Amabiki-yama
  33. Pale thrush Turdus pallidus [Shirohara]
    Yahu-ou-in
    Amabiki-yama
    Ottonuma
    Dohou-koen
  34. Dusky thrush Turdus naumanni [Tsugumi]

    35. Yahu-ou-in
  35. Bush warbler Cettia diphone [Uguisu]
    Yahu-ou-in
  36. Great tit Parus major [Shijuu-kara]

    37. Yahu-ou-in
  37. Long-tailed tit Aegithalos caudatus [Enaga]

    38. Yahu-ou-in
    Ottonuma
  38. Japanese White-eye Zosterops japonica [Mejiro]
    Yahu-ou-in
  39. Siberian meadow bunting Emberiza cioides [Hoojiro]

    40. Yahu-ou-in
  40. Black-faced bunting Emberiza spodocephala [Aoji]
    Yahu-ou-in
  41. Oriental greenfinch Carduelis sinica [Kawarahiwa]

    42. Yahu-ou-in
  42. Japanese grosbeak Eophona personata [Ikaru]
    Yahu-ou-in: about 16 -20 ex.
  43. Hawfinch Coccothraustes coccothraustes [Shime]
    Yahu-ou-in
  44. Tree sparrow Passer montanus [Suzume]

    45. Yahu-ou-in
  45. Gray starling Sturnus cineraceus [Mukudori]
    Amabiki-yama
  46. Jay Garrulus glandarius brandtii [Kakesu]
    Yahu-ou-in
  47. Carrion crow Corvus corone [Hashiboso-garasu]

    48. Amabiki-yama
  48. Jungle crow Corvus macrorhynchos [Hashibuto-garasu]

    49. Yahu-ou-in
    Back to Birds in Japan and Asia Last modified: Februari 11, 1998. Fer-Jan de Vries, ferjan@etl.go.jp