Waders at Yatsu, Sanbanze and Kasumigaura: April 19-20, 1997,
On Saturday I visited the Yatsu Tidal Flat. I arrived some 3 hours
before high tide. In contrast to the previous time the tidal flat was
initially rather empty: Atsushi Matsui-san told me why. "A peregrine
falcon had visited Yatsu half an hour earlier." While chatting
with Matsui-san I could see 5 waderspecies I had not yet seen this
season: Mongolian plover, Great knot, Turnstone, Whimbrel.
Matsui-san advised me not only to visit Yatsu, but also to have a look
at the nearby Sanbanze area. "An extensive complex of tidal flats and
shoals covering 1200 ha in the innermost part of Tokyo Bay, facing
Funabashi and Ichikawa cities," acoording to the brochure of the
Sanbanze Conservation Network. Before the land reclamation projects
took place Yatsu was part of the Sanbanze-system.
Like all
birdwatching sites in Tokyo Sanbanze is not a beautiful spot, nor an
entire natural spot anymore. Big ugly fences across the beach are
needed to protect the tidal flats and shoals to visitors both from the
land and the seaside. Concrete dams surround the area partly. In the
middle of Tokyo the water is remarkable clean, and support many
shellfish. Yet algae are a problem, it seems.
The brochure
explains that the highest numbers of Greater scaup, Common tern and
Little tern occur in Sanbanze. More than 100.000 Greater Scaup. This
must be a significant portion of the world population, and as such the
spot deserves protection.
Yet landfill and reclamation
projections threaten the Sanbanze from all sides. I am afraid it might
disappear faster than people can imagine: think of the bay of Tokyo as
half go-board: say roughly 20 x 10 = 200 squares. Then "only"
reclaiming the edge means 58 squares that is more than 55% in
surface... It probably means that in 30 year time Tokyo bay will be
filled.
Are the effects that closing a bay has on the fish
populations in the sea outside the bay well known? Large shallow bays
usually functions as breeding chamber for the fish of the open seas...
All around Japan the larger bays are slowly but surely reclaimed. What
will be the future of the fish in this fish eating country? I am not
an expert on these matters, I just express my worry.
On Sunday
Neil Fergusson and I had a look at Edosaki and Ukishima at the south
coast of Kasumigaura. It is some 50 km north of the northern part of
the bay of Tokyo. In Spring waders in the Tokyo bay will migrate north
and are almost bound to pass Kasumigaura. In the days that Kasumigaura
had an open connection to the sea and was not enclosed by dykes it
must have been a top location for wader migration as well. Now the
numbers are low, but still many different wader species can be
observed.
Apparently Lesser golden plovers like to rest along the south coast of
Kasumigaura. You can find them anywhere, from Ami-machi to
Sakuragawa-mura. Highlight of this Sunday morning were besides the problems we had with the snipes (I dare to bet we have seen "un"-common snipes, but which one...), a Wood sandpiper and a female PAINTED SNIP. The last was a new species for both of us. It is a curious looking bird. At first sight lacking elegance with its short bill and tail and bulky appearance. It is able to press itself almost entirely flat in the mud. Then it blends entirely with the background.
Song is peculiar loud repeated toad-like Poh, poh, poh, ... middle
high of pitch. There is also a softer shorter cal Poh, poh ,... which
is lower and less frequent. The bird produces the sound sitting or
perhaps more enthousiast standing. From flat low position it has to
raise it self. The whole body takes part in the calling: body grows
and shrinks in synchrony with the calls. The white lines om the wing
widen and thereby light up during the call. In the Fieldguide of the
Birds of Japan, the picture showing the back the female Painted Snipe
depicts apparently a calling female.
Yatsu tidal flat and Sanbanze, April 19, 97.
Participants: Atsushi Matsui and Fer-Jan de Vries.
Weather: sunny (18 degrees celsius) after rain in the very early morning.
Time: Yatsu 13.00-16.30. Sanbanze: 17.30-18.30.
-
Great cormorant
Phalacrocorax carbo
[Kawa-u]: Yatsu, 5 ex.
-
Spot-billed duck
Anas poecilorhyncha
[Karu-gamo] Yatsu, 2.
-
Northern Shoveler
Anas clypeata
[Hashibiro-gamo] Yatsu, 1.
-
Green-winged Teal
Anas crecca crecca
[Ko-gamo] Yatsu, at least 45.
-
Gadwall
Anas strepera
[Okayoshi-gamo] Yatsu, 2.
-
Northern Pintail
Anas acuta
[Onaga-gamo] Yatsu, 1.
-
Eurasian Wigeon
Anas penelope
[Hidori-gamo] Yatsu, 6.
-
Greater scaup
Aythya marila
[Suzu-gamo] Sanbanze, at least 15.
-
Black-headed Gull
Larus ridibundus
[Yuri-kamome]: Yatsu, at least 300.
-
Little tern
Sterna albifrons
[Ko-ajisashi] Yatsu, 3 ex.
-
Little egret
Egretta garzetta
[Ko-sagi]: Yatsu, several.
-
Great egret
Egretta alba
[Dai-sagi] Sanbanze, at least 10.
-
Gray heron
Ardea cinerea
[Ao-sagi] Yatsu, 2.
-
Common Gallinule
Gallinula chloropus
[Ban] Yatsu, 1.
-
Little ringed plover
Charadrius dubius
[Kochidori]: Yatsu, 2. Sanbanze, several.
-
Snowy plover
Charadrius alexandrinus
[Shiro-chidori]: Yatsu, 2.
-
Mongolian plover
Charadrius mongolus
[Medai-chidori] Yatsu, at least 80. Sanbanze, at least 60.
-
Black-bellied plover
Pluvialis squatarola
[Daizen]: Yatsu, at least 100. Sanbanze, several.
-
Lesser golden plover
Pluvialis dominica
[Munaguro] Yatsu, 1 male.
-
Rufous-necked stint
Caladris ruficollis
[Tounen]: Yatsu, 8 ex.
-
Dunlin
Caladris alpina
[Hama-shigi]: Yatsu, at least 900. Sanbanze, several.
-
Great knot
Calidris tenuirostris
[Oba-shigi]: Yatsu, 3.
-
Black-tailed godwit
Limosa limosa
[Ou-guro-shigi]: Yatsu, 3.
-
Bar-tailed godwit
Limosa lapponica
[Ou-sorihashi-shigi]: Yatsu, at least 90. Sanbanze, several.
- Rudy turnstone
Arenaria interpres
[Kyoujo-shigi] Yatsu, 5. Sanbanze, 1 ex.
-
Eastern curlew
Numenius madagascariensis
[Houroku-shigi]: Yatsu, 1.
-
Whimbrel
Numenius phaeopus
[Chuushaku-shigi] Yatsu, 3. Sanbanze, at least 10.
-
Black-winged Stilt
Himantopus himantopus
[Seitaka-shigi]: Yatsu, 14 ex.
-
Rufous turtle dove
Streptopelia orientalis
[Kiji-bato]: Yatsu, several.
-
Skylark
Alauda arvensis
[Hibari]: Yatsu, several.
-
White wagtail
Motacilla alba
[Haku-sekirei] Yatsu, several.
-
Tree sparrow
Passer montanus
[Suzume]: Yatsu, several.
-
Gray starling
Sturnus cineraceus
[Mukudori]: Yatsu, several.
-
Carrion crow
Corvus corone
[Hashiboso-garasu]: Yatsu, 1.
-
Jungle crow
Corvus macrorhynchos
[Hashibuto-garasu]: Yatsu, several.
South coast of Kasumigaura, April 20, 97
Participants: Neil Fergusson and Fer-Jan de Vries.
Weather: overcast, stiff NW wind (16 degree celsius)
-
Little grebe
Podiceps ruficollis
[Kaitsuburi] In total at least 30.
-
Great Cormorant
Phalacrocorax carbo
[Kawa-u] At least 5.
-
Spot-billed duck
Anas poecilorhyncha
[Karu-gamo] At least 10.
-
Mallard
Anas Platyrhynchos
[ Ma-gamo] At least 5.
-
Northern Shoveler
Anas clypeata
[Hashibiro-gamo] 2 ex.
-
Green-winged Teal
Anas crecca crecca
[Ko-gamo] At least 200.
-
Tufted duck
Aythya fuligula
[Kinkuro-hajiro] April 20, 4 ex.
-
Black-headed Gull
Larus ridibundus
[Yuri-kamome] In the middle of the lake at least 500 ex.
-
Little egret
Egretta garzetta
[Ko-sagi] Several.
-
Intermediate egret
Egretta intermedia
[Chuu-sagi] Several.
-
Great egret
Egretta alba
[Dai-sagi] Few.
-
Gray heron
Ardea cinerea
[Ao-sagi] 2 ex.
- Coot
Fulica atra
[Ou-ban] Several.
-
Little ringed plover
Charadrius dubius
[Kochidori] At least 7.
-
Snowy plover
Charadrius alexandrinus
[Shiro-chidori] 2 ex. near Sugazu.
-
Lesser golden plover
Pluvialis dominica
[Daizen] Almost 200, at 7 different locations, from Ami to Ukishima.
-
Wood sandpiper
Tringa glareola
[Takabu-shigi] 1 ex. Edosaki.
-
Common sandpiper
Tringa hypoleucos[Iso-shigi] 2 ex.
- Rudy turnstone
Arenaria interpres
[Kyoujo-shigi] 4 ex, near Edosaki. Three of them in field with Lesser Golden plover.
-
Common snipe
Gallinago gallinago
[Ta-shigi] At least 15 ex. Apparently less than a week ago.
-
Painted snipe
Rostratula benghalensis
[Tama-shigi] 1 female. In a "soaked" but not inundated field with some sparse grasses. (In field close to hillside and blue house, direct east of the channel, following the area with the landfill...)
-
Gray-faced buzzard-eagle
Butastur indicus
[Sashiba] 1 ex on wire along Route 125 near Edosaki.
-
Rufous turtle dove
Streptopelia orientalis
[Kiji-bato]
Few.
- Skylark Alauda arvensis [Hibari] Several
-
Barn swallow
Hirundo rustica
[Tsubame] Few.
-
White wagtail
Haku-sekirei
[Motacilla alba] Some.
-
Japanese wagtail
Motacilla grandis
[Seguro-sekirei] Several.
-
Water pipit
Anthus spinoletta
[Tahibari] At least 20.
-
Brown-eared bulbul
Hypsipetes amaurotis
[Hiyodori] Several.
-
Bull-headed shrike
Lanius bucephalus
[Mozu] 1 ex.
-
Dusky thrush
Turdus naumanni
[Tsugumi] Seemed to be in fewer number than one week ago. Still at many places.
-
Bush warbler
Cettia diphone
[Uguisu] Few.
-
Fan-tailed warbler
Cisticola juncidis
[Sekka] Several.
-
Siberian meadow bunting
Emberiza cioides
[Hoojiro]
1 ex. singing.
-
Black-faced bunting
Emberiza spodocephala
[Aoji] Several.
- Japanese reed bunting
Emberiza yessoensis
[Ko-jurin] 1 ex, Ukishima.
- Reed Bunting
Emberiza schoeniclus
[Ou-jurin] Several.
-
Oriental greenfinch
Carduelis sinica
[Kawarahiwa] Group of 30 ex.
-
Tree sparrow
Passer montanus
[Suzume] No large groups anymore.
-
Gray starling
Sturnus cineraceus
[Mukudori]
-
Jungle crow
Corvus macrorhynchos
[Hashibuto-garasu]
- Japanese Weasel Mustela itatsi [Itachi]
>Back to previous page
Last modified: April 20, 1997.