Wryneck and Bufflehead but no Steller's eagle

Hinuma, Februari 12, 2000

We did not see the supposed highlight of the trip, the Stellers Eagle(s!?) that currently is/are visiting the lake Hinuma in northern Ibaraki. We missed it by half an hour. The photographers saw it just after we had left for the eastern side of the lake to see the Bufflehead. That Bufflehead we did see. In fact for Ikenaga-san it was the sixth consecutive winter to see a Bufflehead at Hinuma: presumably it is one and the same bird.

Instead of the Stellers Eagle we saw three Ospreys and -perhaps even more spectacular- we could see a Wryneck in the western-most corner of the lake (not far from the greenhouse...)

After the Bufflehead we went to Oarai, where the Pacific ocean was in a quiet winter state: almost no birds and lots of surfers enjoying the sun and the cold water. An Umi-u and Great-crested Grebes plus some gulls, that seemed all.

Before returning to Hinuma birding we had an extra large Shijime-ramen lunch. When we returned to the eagle photographers, we learned that a Steller's Eagle had passed and left already in the morning. We had to be happy with Buzzard and Marsh harrier.

In total we had some 55 species over the whole day.

Participants: Ikenaga Hiroshi, Paula Severi and Fer-Jan de Vries.

Weather: perfect. Sun, in the end of the afternoon some wind from sea. In the morning groundfrost, but day temperature felt mild.


  1. Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus [Kanmuri-kaitsuburi] Hinuma (at least 20 ex) and Oarai 3 ex.
  2. Eared Grebe Podiceps nigricollis [Hajiro-kaitsuburi] Hinuma
  3. Little Grebe Podiceps ruficollis [Kaitsuburi] Hinuma
  4. Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo [Kawa-u] Hinuma
  5. Temminck's Cormorant Phalacrocorax filamentosus [Umi-u] Oarai
  6. Mallard Anas Platyrhynchos [Ma-gamo] Hinuma
  7. Spot-billed Duck Anas poecilorhyncha [Karu-gamo] Hinuma
  8. Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata [Hashibiro-gamo] Hinuma
  9. Green-winged Teal Anas crecca crecca [Ko-gamo] Hinuma
  10. Gadwall Anas strepera [Okayoshi-gamo] Hinuma
  11. Pochard Aythya ferina [Hoshi-hajiro] Hinuma
  12. Common Goldeneye Bucephala clangula [Hojiro-gamo] Hinuma
  13. Bufflehead Bucephala albeola [Hime-hajiro] Hinuma 1 ex.
  14. Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula [Kinkuro-hajiro] Hinuma
  15. Greater Scaup Aythya marila [Suzu-gamo] Hinuma
  16. Smew Mergus albellus [Miko-aisa] 1 ex Hinuma
  17. Common Merganser Mergus merganser [Kawa-aisa] 15 ex, Hinuma
  18. Herring Gull Larus argentatus [Seguro-kamome] Hinuma: 15 ex.
  19. Black-tailed Gull Larus crassirostris [Umineko] Oarai: less than 10 ex.
  20. Glaucous Gull Larus hyperboreus [Shiro-kamome] Hinuma: 1 ex, almost adult: only immature pale bill with dark dot on lower mandible.
  21. Black-headed Gull Larus ridibundus [Yuri-kamome] Hinuma
  22. Little Egret Egretta garzetta [Ko-sagi] Hinuma
  23. Great Egret Egretta alba [Dai-sagi] Hinuma
  24. Gray Heron Ardea cinerea [Ao-sagi] Hinuma
  25. Common Coot Fulica atra [Oo-ban] Hinuma
  26. Common Gallinule Gallinula chloropus [Ban] Hinuma
  27. (Northern) Lapwing Vanellus vanellus [Tageri] Hinuma
  28. Osprey Pandion haliaetus [Misago] Hinuma: 3 ex.
    Steller's sea Eagle Haliaeetus pelagicus [Oo-washi] Hinuma: it visited Hinuma around 10.30 am, but we missed it.
  29. Black Kite Milvus lineatus [Tobi] Hinuma, at least 12 ex.
  30. Common Buzzard Buteo buteo [Nosuri] Hinuma
  31. Eastern Marsh Harrier Circus aeruginosus [Chuuhi] Hinuma
  32. Rufous Turtle Dove Streptopelia orientalis [Kiji-bato] Hinuma
  33. Rock Pigeon Columba livia [Do-bato] Hinuma
  34. Common Kingfisher Alcedo atthis [Kawa-semi] Hinuma
  35. Eurasian Wryneck Jynx torquilla [Arisui] 1 ex, Hinuma, Februari 12, 2000. The somewhat raucous alarm call reminded me of Bull-headed shrike. According a bird cd from Europe, this might have been a female bird.
  36. Japanese Skylark Alauda japonica [Hibari] Hinuma
  37. White Wagtail Motacilla alba [Haku-sekirei] Hinuma
  38. Japanese Wagtail Motacilla grandis [Seguro-sekirei] Hinuma
  39. Water Pipit Anthus spinoletta [Tahibari] Hinuma
  40. Brown-eared Bulbul Hypsipetes amaurotis [Hiyodori] Hinuma
  41. Bull-headed Shrike Lanius bucephalus [Mozu] Hinuma
  42. Daurian Redstart Phoenicurus auroreus [Joobitaki] Hinuma
  43. Dusky Thrush Turdus naumanni [Tsugumi] Hinuma
  44. Bush Warbler Cettia diphone [Uguisu] Hinuma
  45. Great Tit Parus major [Shijuu-kara] Hinuma, 1 ex
  46. Siberian Meadow Bunting Emberiza cioides [Hoojiro] Hinuma
  47. Rustic Bunting Emberiza rustica [Kashiradaka] Hinuma
  48. Black-faced Bunting Emberiza spodocephala [Aoji] Hinuma
  49. Reed Bunting Emberiza schoeniclus [Oo-jurin] Hinuma, 1 ex
  50. Oriental Greenfinch Carduelis sinica [Kawarahiwa] Hinuma
  51. Long-Tailed Rosefinch Uragus sibiricus [Beni-mashiko] Hinuma
  52. Hawfinch Coccothraustes coccothraustes [Shime] Hinuma, 2 ex
  53. Tree Sparrow Passer montanus [Suzume] Hinuma
  54. Gray Starling Sturnus cineraceus [Mukudori] Hinuma
  55. Carrion Crow Corvus corone [Hashiboso-garasu] Hinuma
  56. Jungle Crow Corvus macrorhynchos [Hashibuto-garasu] Hinuma
    Birds in Japan and Asia
    Last modified: Februari 14, 2000.