Hibarayashi Day

Shishitsuka-ike, Ottonuma, Doho-koen, Edosaki and Ukushima

Januari 4 1998 was a day on behalf of Kanae Hirabayashi. She is an experienced birder from Chicago who could finally find the time to make a pilgrimage to the birds of the country of her childhood. On this second day of her trip in Japan it was big fun to show her lots of lifers.

We met Kanae Hirabayashi at Tsuchiura station. First we got wet at Shishi-tsuka-ike (Meat-mound pond), then we birded in the rain around Ottonuma. Around lunch-time we had a brief stroll in Doho-koen, and the afternoon was spent with a visit to the Bean geese of Edosaki and the female Chuuhi's of Ukushima and a perfect colored male Merlin

Weather: The weather was varied. It was rainy until lunch, then it cleared up, and eventually the day ended cloudy with a moderate but chilling wind.
Participants: Kanae Hirabayashi, Ikenaga Hiroshi and Fer-Jan de Vries.

Shishitsuka-ike

  1. Mallard Anas Platyrhynchos [Ma-gamo]
  2. Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata [Hashibiro-gamo]
  3. Green-winged Teal Anas crecca crecca [Ko-gamo]
  4. Gadwall Anas strepera [Okayoshi-gamo]
  5. Eurasian Wigeon Anas penelope [Hidori-gamo]
  6. Little egret Egretta garzetta [Ko-sagi]
  7. Common kingfisher Alcedo atthis [Kawa-semi]
  8. Japanese pygmy woodpecker Dendrocopos kizuki [Ko-gera]
  9. White wagtail Motacilla alba [Haku-sekirei]
  10. Japanese wagtail Motacilla grandis [Seguro-sekirei]
  11. Brown-eared bulbul Hypsipetes amaurotis [Hiyodori]
  12. Bull-headed shrike Lanius bucephalus [Mozu]
  13. Daurian redstart Phoenicurus auroreus [Joobitaki]
  14. Bush warbler Cettia diphone [Uguisu]
  15. Great tit Parus major [Shijuu-kara]
  16. Long-tailed tit Aegithalos caudatus [Enaga]
  17. Japanese White-eye Zosterops japonica [Mejiro]
  18. Hawfinch Coccothraustes coccothraustes [Shime]
  19. Siberian meadow bunting Emberiza cioides [Hoojiro]
  20. Black-faced bunting Emberiza spodocephala [Aoji]
  21. Gray starling Sturnus cineraceus [Mukudori]
  22. Jay Garrulus glandarius brandtii [Kakesu]
  23. Jungle crow Corvus macrorhynchos [Hashibuto-garasu]

Ottonuma

  1. Little grebe Podiceps ruficollis [Kaitsuburi]
  2. Great cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo [Kawa-u]
  3. Whistling (Bewick) Swan Cygnus columbianus jankowskii [Ko-hakuchou] 18 ex. (Some spectacular 'fighting' (wingflapping and chases) between the old group of 9 birds and 9 newly arrived birds...)
  4. Mallard Anas Platyrhynchos [Ma-gamo]
  5. Spot-billed duck Anas poecilorhyncha [Karu-gamo]
  6. Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata [Hashibiro-gamo]
  7. Falcated Teal Anas falcata [Yoshi-gamo] 45 (some of them on the green like the wigeons...)
  8. Gadwall Anas strepera [Okayoshi-gamo]
  9. Northern Pintail Anas acuta [Onaga-gamo]
  10. Eurasian Wigeon Anas penelope [Hidori-gamo]
  11. Smew Mergus albellus [Miko-aisa] 1 female.
  12. Little egret Egretta garzetta [Ko-sagi]
  13. Coot Fulica atra [Ou-ban]
  14. Common Gallinule Gallinula chloropus [Ban]
  15. Common snipe Gallinago gallinago [Ta-shigi] 2 ex.
  16. Common kingfisher Alcedo atthis [Kawa-semi] 2 ex.
  17. White wagtail Motacilla alba [Haku-sekirei]

Doho Koen

  1. Spot-billed duck Anas poecilorhyncha [Karu-gamo]
  2. Northern Pintail Anas acuta [Onaga-gamo]
  3. Common pheasant Phasianus colchicus [Kiji]
  4. Rufous turtle dove Streptopelia orientalis [Kiji-bato]
  5. Japanese pygmy woodpecker Dendrocopos kizuki [Ko-gera]
  6. Brown-eared bulbul Hypsipetes amaurotis [Hiyodori]
  7. Bull-headed shrike Lanius bucephalus [Mozu]
  8. Dusky thrush Turdus naumanni [Tsugumi]
  9. Bush warbler Cettia diphone [Uguisu]
  10. Great tit Parus major [Shijuu-kara]
  11. Long-tailed tit Aegithalos caudatus [Enaga]
  12. Siberian meadow bunting Emberiza cioides [Hoojiro]
  13. Black-faced bunting Emberiza spodocephala [Aoji]
  14. Gray starling Sturnus cineraceus [Mukudori]
  15. Carrion crow Corvus corone [Hashiboso-garasu]
  16. Jungle crow Corvus macrorhynchos [Hashibuto-garasu]

Ami-coast of Kasumigaura

  1. Great crested grebe Podiceps cristatus [Kanmuri-kaitsuburi]
  2. Little grebe Podiceps ruficollis [Kaitsuburi]
  3. Mallard Anas Platyrhynchos [Ma-gamo]
  4. Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata [Hashibiro-gamo]
  5. Green-winged Teal Anas crecca crecca [Ko-gamo]
  6. Falcated Teal Anas falcata [Yoshi-gamo]
  7. Little egret Egretta garzetta [Ko-sagi]
  8. Intermediate egret Egretta intermedia [Chuu-sagi]
  9. Herring gull Larus argentatus [Seguro-kamome]
  10. Mew gull Larus canus [Kamome]
  11. Black-headed Gull Larus ridibundus [Yuri-kamome]

Edosaki

  1. Great cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo [Kawa-u]
  2. Bean goose Anser fabalis middendorffi [O-hishikui]
  3. Eurasian Kestrel Falco tinnunculus [Chougenbou] 1 female
  4. Bamboo partridge Bambusicola thoracica [Kojukei]
  5. Skylark Alauda arvensis [Hibari]
  6. Rustic Bunting Emberiza rustica [Kashiradaka]
  7. Oriental greenfinch Carduelis sinica [Kawarahiwa]
  8. Tree sparrow Passer montanus [Suzume]

Ukushima

  1. Eastern Marsh harrier Circus aeruginous [Chuuhi] 7 ex. All females. One rather white on neck, head and shoulders. Rather broad winged compared to others...
  2. Merlin Falco columbarius [Ko-chougenbou] 1 male!
  3. Eurasian Kestrel Falco tinnunculus [Chougenbou] 1 female
  4. Little egret Egretta garzetta [Ko-sagi]
  5. Intermediate egret Egretta intermedia [Chuu-sagi]
  6. Great egret Egretta alba [Dai-sagi]
  7. Gray heron Ardea cinerea [Ao-sagi]
  8. Water pipit Anthus spinoletta [Tahibari] more than 80 ex.
  9. Fan-tailed warbler Cisticola juncidis [Sekka]
  10. Reed bunting Emberiza schoeniclus [Ou-jurin]
  11. Siberian meadow bunting Emberiza cioides [Hoojiro]
  12. Tree sparrow Passer montanus [Suzume] More than 200.
  13. Gray starling Sturnus cineraceus [Mukudori]
  14. Jungle crow Corvus macrorhynchos [Hashibuto-garasu]
Birds in Japan and Asia
Last modified: Januari 21, 1998.