Waders at the South coast of Kasumigaura: April 25, 1998,

Despite the rain we (that is Ikenaga Hiroshi, Izumita Tomoko and Fer-Jan de Vries on this occasion) left Tsukuba at 10:30 am by car. The rain was light but luckely not non-stop. As a result not too many people along the south coast of Kasumigaura: just the local farmers and some hardcore fishermen.

The rice fields were being prepared for planting. Many fields which were dry last week were now inundated. The fields further away from the lake (and usually more dry) were sometimes freshly ploughed.

Compared to one week ago this resulted in less Golden Plovers, and less Common Snipes. The Reed Warblers were now everywhere singing actively. The number of Dusky thrushes seemed to have become smaller since last week.

Highlights were a Water rail and in total 12 wader species including a Temminck sandpiper, a pair of Painted snipes, Marsh Sandpiper and a Ruff.

Despite the rain the birding turned out to be contagious: when Izumita-san left for home she was newly outfitted with binoculars and fieldguides and expert advice by Ikenaga-san.

Weather: Heavily clouded, often light rain. Quite warm (20-25) and hardly any wind. Reasonable visibility.
  1. Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo [Kawa-u] At least 4.
  2. Spot-billed duck Anas poecilorhyncha [Karu-gamo] At least 10.
  3. Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata [Hashibiro-gamo] At least 30 ex.
  4. Green-winged Teal Anas crecca crecca [Ko-gamo] At least 30.
  5. Falcated Teal Anas falcata [Yoshi-gamo] At least 8 ex.
  6. Eurasian Wigeon Anas penelope [Hidori-gamo] At least 15 birds.
  7. Black-headed Gull Larus ridibundus [Yuri-kamome] At least 20 ex.
  8. Black-crowned night-heron A group of them might live Nycticorax nycticorax [Goi-sagi] 1 ex near Ukishima.
  9. Cattle egret Bubulcus ibis [Ama-sagi] 1 ex.
  10. Little egret Egretta garzetta [Ko-sagi] 5 ex.
  11. Intermediate egret Egretta intermedia [Chuu-sagi] 12 ex.
  12. Gray heron Ardea cinerea [Ao-sagi] 5 ex in Ukishima.
  13. Coot Fulica atra [Ou-ban] 6 ex.
  14. Common Gallinule Gallinula chloropus [Ban] 10 ex.
  15. Water rail Rallus aquaticus [Kuina] 1 ex walking.
  16. Little ringed plover Charadrius dubius [Kochidori] At least 23 ex.
  17. Snowy plover Charadrius alexandrinus [Shiro-chidori] At least 4 ex.
  18. Pacific Golden Plover Pluvialis Vulva [Munaguro] Almost 60, at 4 different locations,
  19. Temminck's stint Caladris temminckii [Ojiro-tounen] 1 ex near Ami.
  20. Ruff Philomachus pugnax [Erimaki-shigi] 1 ex near Ukishima.
  21. Marsh sandpiper Tringa stagnatilis [Ko-ao-ashi-shigi] 1 ex near Ukishima.
  22. Common sandpiper Tringa hypoleucos [Iso-shigi] 1 ex near Ami.
  23. Rudy turnstone Arenaria interpres [Kyoujo-shigi] 3 ex.
  24. Spotted redshank Tringa erythropus [Tsuru-shigi] 12 ex near Ukishima.
  25. Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus [Chuushaku-shigi] 1 ex near Ukishima.
  26. Common snipe Gallinago gallinago [Ta-shigi] At least 12 ex. Less than last week, it seemed. Perhaps they don't like the ricefields which have been made ready for riceplanting. No other "smaller" snipes like last week.
  27. Painted snipe Rostratula benghalensis [Tama-shigi] One female and one male. Not calling. At first walking on top of a rather wet grassy field, later on resting in the middle on adjacent ricepaddy, which was rather wet with a very spars grassy vegetation, located in the corner of the roads. at the same spot as previous week and year.
  28. Eastern Marsh harrier Circus aeruginous [Chuuhi] 1 ex near Ukishima.
  29. Rufous turtle dove Streptopelia orientalis [Kiji-bato] Few.
  30. Common pheasant Phasianus colchicus [Kiji] 1 ex near Edosaki
  31. Skylark Alauda arvensis [Hibari] Could be heard at various places. At least 15 ex.
  32. Barn swallow Hirundo rustica [Tsubame] At least 50 ex. At many places, Sometimes gathering mud.
  33. White wagtail Motacilla alba [Haku-sekirei] At least 2 ex.
  34. Japanese wagtail Motacilla grandis [Seguro-sekirei] Several.
  35. Brown-eared bulbul Hypsipetes amaurotis [Hiyodori] Several.
  36. Bull-headed shrike Lanius bucephalus [Mozu]
  37. Dusky thrush Turdus naumanni [Tsugumi] At some places, but more near Edosaki and Ukishima, at least 30 ex.
  38. Bush warbler Cettia diphone [Uguisu] At various places calling.
  39. Japanese marsh warbler Megalurus pryeri [Ou-sekka] Several ex near Ukishima.
  40. Fan-tailed warbler Cisticola juncidis [Sekka] At least 20 ex calling.
  41. Great reed warbler Acrocephalus arundinaceus [Ou-yoshikiri]At least 20 ex calling.
  42. Siberian meadow bunting Emberiza cioides [Hoojiro] 1 ex. singing.
  43. Black-faced bunting Emberiza spodocephala [Aoji] 1 ex.
  44. Japanese reed bunting Emberiza yessoensis [Ko-jurin] Several
  45. Reed Bunting Emberiza schoeniclus [Ou-jurin] 1 ex.
  46. Tree sparrow Passer montanus [Suzume] At various places, at 40 ex.
  47. Gray starling Sturnus cineraceus [Mukudori] Everywhere, at least 100 ex.
  48. Jungle crow Corvus macrorhynchos [Hashibuto-garasu] Several.
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