Gull-watching in Chooshi on Februari 21, 1998

Via a brief stop in Edosaki we went to the peninsula just north of Chooshi and the Tonegawa. Eight gull species were present. The sea was rough with big breaking waves. We crossed the Tonegawa, had lunch in a nice fish restaurant and continued and the southern peninsula. Here we had nine species of Gull. The sea south of this peninsula was comparatively quiet being more in the leeside of the strong and cold north-eastern wind.

Below a rather sketchy list of species: (iforgot to realize that the northern peninsula and the southern one are in different prefectures, north Ibaraki, south Chiba. A few species which I did not see myself I can not locate properly...

Participants: Asuka, Ikenaga, Katayama, Shiraishi, Takana, van Oostrom, de Vries and a number of other people whose name I don't know.
Weather: A cold and windy day. Dry. About 4 degrees Celsius, 100 percent clouds the whole day. Good visibility. Only south of the peninsula the sea was calm. As a result the gulls where sheltering on fields in the leeside of dykes and south of Chooshi also sheltering behind the braking waves in big groups on the sea.

Observations

  1. Great crested grebe Podiceps cristatus [Kanmuri-kaitsuburi]
    • southern peninsula
  2. Eared grebe Podiceps nigricollis [Hajiro-kaitsuburi]
    • northern peninsula
    • southern peninsula
  3. Temminck's cormorant Phalacrocorax filamentosus [Umi-u]
    • northern peninsula
    • southern peninsula
  4. Pelagic cormorant Phalacrocorax pelagicus [Hime-u]
    • northern peninsula
    • southern peninsula
  5. Bean goose Anser fabalis middendorffi [O-hishikui]
    • Edosaki: about 54 ex.
  6. Mallard Anas Platyrhynchos [Ma-gamo]
    • northern peninsula
    • southern peninsula
  7. Spot-billed duck Anas poecilorhyncha [Karu-gamo]
    • southern peninsula
  8. Northern Pintail Anas acuta [Onaga-gamo]
  9. Eurasian Wigeon Anas penelope [Hidori-gamo]
    • northern peninsula
  10. Pochard Aythya ferina [Hoshi-hajiro]
    • northern peninsula
  11. Common Goldeneye Bucephala clangula [Hojiro-gamo]
  12. Greater scaup Aythya marila [Suzu-gamo]
  13. Harlequin duck Histronicus histronicus [Shinori-gamo]
    • southern peninsula
  14. Red-breasted merganser Mergus serrator [Umi-aisa]
    • southern peninsula
  15. Slaty-backed gull Larus schitisagus [Ou-seguro-kamome]
    • northern peninsula
    • southern peninsula
  16. Vega Herring gull Larus argentatus vega [Seguro-kamome]
    • northern peninsula
    • southern peninsula
  17. Siberian gull?? Larus heuglini taimyrensis?? [??-kamome]
    • southern peninsula: one with yellow legs, its neighbor with yellow/pink legs. I did not note other decisive characters. Size was similar to the Vega-gulls.
  18. Black-tailed gull Larus crassirostris [Umineko]
    • northern peninsula
    • southern peninsula
  19. Glaucous-winged gull Larus glaucescenss [Washi-kamome]
    • northern peninsula
    • southern peninsula: including a few adults
  20. Glaucous Gull Larus hyperboreus [Shiro-kamome]
    • northern peninsula
    • southern peninsula: including a few adults
  21. Mew Gull Larus canus [Kamome]
    • northern peninsula
    • southern peninsula
  22. Black-headed Gull Larus ridibundus [Yuri-kamome]
    • northern peninsula
    • southern peninsula
  23. Black-legged Kittiwake Larus tridactylus [Mitsuyubi-kamome]
    • northern peninsula
    • southern peninsula
  24. Little egret Egretta garzetta [Ko-sagi]
    • northern peninsula
    • southern peninsula
  25. Great egret Egretta alba [Dai-sagi]
    • northern peninsula
  26. Gray heron Ardea cinerea [Ao-sagi]
    • northern peninsula
  27. Snowy plover Charadrius alexandrinus [Shiro-chidori]
    • southern peninsula
  28. Black-bellied plover Pluvialis squatarola [Daizen]
    • southern peninsula
  29. (Northern) Lapwing Vanellus vanellus [Tageri]
    • northern peninsula
  30. Dunlin Caladris alpina [Hama-shigi]
    • northern peninsula
    • southern peninsula
  31. Sanderling Crocethia alba [Miyubi-shigi]
    • northern peninsula
    • southern peninsula
  32. Black kite Milvus migrans [Tobi]
    • northern peninsula
  33. Rufous turtle dove Streptopelia orientalis [Kiji-bato]
    • southern peninsula
  34. White wagtail Motacilla alba [Haku-sekirei]
    • northern peninsula
    • southern peninsula
  35. Water pipit Anthus spinoletta [Tahibari]
    • southern peninsula
  36. Brown-eared bulbul Hypsipetes amaurotis [Hiyodori]
    • southern peninsula
  37. Blue rockthrush Monticola solitarius [Iso-hyodori]
    • southern peninsula
  38. Dusky thrush Turdus naumanni [Tsugumi]
    • northern peninsula
  39. Fan-tailed warbler Cisticola juncidis [Sekka]
    • southern peninsula
  40. Siberian meadow bunting Emberiza cioides [Hoojiro]
    • southern peninsula
  41. Black-faced bunting Emberiza spodocephala [Aoji]
    • southern peninsula
  42. Oriental greenfinch Carduelis sinica [Kawarahiwa]
    • southern peninsula
  43. Tree sparrow Passer montanus [Suzume]
    • southern peninsula
  44. Gray starling Sturnus cineraceus [Mukudori]
    • northern peninsula
  45. Carrion crow Corvus corone [Hashiboso-garasu]
    • northern peninsula
  46. Jungle crow Corvus macrorhynchos [Hashibuto-garasu]
    • northern peninsula
Birds in Japan and Asda Last modified: Februari 23, 1997.