I don't really remember what the weather was like during April. It snowed about 20 cm while we were away during the first week, and then there were no significant events. Since we were able to go birding, I guess it wasn't raining on weekends.
Naturally, several breeding species arrived. This was the first year we were able to make comparisons (with last year). Most species seemed to arrive at about the same time, give or take only a few days. Wintering species, however, seemed to hang on longer. Possibly this year is the normal one, and last year, the El Nino winter, was abnormal for birds departing earlier than normal.
On the 24th, we made the pilgrimage to see the famous cherry blossoms in Hirosaki. They were a spectacle. So were the hundred or so night herons which kept passing overhead, as if they'd forgotten the location of their roost. This wasn't primarily a birding trip, but I wound up taking a lot more photos of the Mandarins (Oshidori) than of the cherry blossoms. We knew in advance that we'd see Mandarins because last year we passed through there and saw a few females with their broods. There were at least 6 pairs on the grounds of the castle, most concentrated in one corner of the moat system. They'd obviously become accustomed to people, and to being tossed food.
This non-birding trip also produced our highlight sighting of the month, a pair of Hodgson's Hawk-Eagles (Kuma-taka) circling over the road just east of Kuroishi, which is just east of Hirosaki. They were our first. As we continued east towards Towada-Ko and home, we noticed a couple of persons stationed at different vantage points armed with scopes. We theorized that they were monitoring raptors, perhaps the hawk-eagles specifically.
Another highlight was a brief seawatch on the 25th at various coastal points from Shiriyazaki on south. Immense numbers of Short-tailed Shearwaters (Hashiboso-mizunagidori) were moving north, destined for the Bering Sea. I estimated about 1000+ individuals per minute over the course of about 70 minutes. A few (less than 2%) were backtracking. One can do a little multiplication and only imagine the millions of birds that must be involved in this migration. There was also an impressive flight of Black-legged Kittewakes (Mitsuyubi-kamome). In the list below, any seabirds with a date of 4/25 were noted on this seawatch.
Arctic Loon (4/25(15)) Ohamu Gavia arctica Little Grebe Kaitsuburi Podiceps ruficollis Eared Grebe Hajiro-kaitsuburi Podiceps nigricollis Horned Grebe (->4/25(8)) Mimi-kaitsuburi Podiceps auritus Red-necked Grebe (->4/25(1)) Akaeri-kaitsuburi Podiceps grisegena Great Crested Grebe Kanmuri-kaitsuburi Podiceps cristatus Streaked Shearwater (4/25(1)->) Mizunagidori Calonectris leucomelas Short-t Shearwater (4/25(100000+)) Hashiboso-mizunagidori Puffinus tenuirostris Great Cormorant Kawa-u Phalacrocorax carbo Temminck's Cormorant Umi-u Phalacrocorax filamentosus Pelagic Cormorant Hime-u Phalacrocorax pelagicus Black-cr. Night Heron (4/24(100)) Goi-sagi Nycticorax nycticorax Great Egret (4/28(1)) Dai-saga Egretta alba Gray Heron Ao-sagi Ardea cinerea Mute Swan Kobu-hakucho Cygnus cygnus Whooper Swan O-hakucho Cygnus olor Bewick's Swan (1) Ko-hakucho Cygnus bewicki Mandarin Duck (4/24(12)) Oshidori Aix galericulata Mallard Ma-gamo Anas platyrhynchos Spot-billed Duck Karu-gamo Anas poecilorhyncha Common Teal Ko-gamo Anas crecca Falcated Duck Yoshi-gamo Anas falcata Gadwall Okayoshi-gamo Anas strepera Eurasian Wigeon Hidori-gamo Anas penelope Northern Pintail Onaga-gamo Anas acuta Northern Shoveler Hashibiro-gamo Anas clypeata Pochard Hoshi-hajiro Aythya ferina Tufted Duck Kinkuro-hajiro Aythya fuligula Greater Scaup Suzu-gamo Aythya marila Common Scoter Kuro-gamo Melanitta nigra Velvet Scoter (4/25(100)) Birodo-kinkuro Melanitta ?? Harlequin Duck Shinori-gamo Histrionicus histrionicus Common Goldeneye Hojiro-gamo Bucephala clangula Smew Miko-aisa Mergus albellus Red-breasted Merganser Umi-aisa Mergus serrator Common Merganser Kawa-aisa Mergus merganser Osprey Misago Pandion haliaetus Black Kite Tobi Milvus migrans White-tailed Eagle (4/1(2)) Ojiro-washi Haliaeetus albicilla Steller's Sea-Eagle (4/1(2)) Owashi Haliaeetus pelagicus Eurasian Sparrow Hawk (2) Hai-taka Accipiter nisus Common Buzzard Nosuri Buteo buteo Hodgson's Hawk-Eagle (4/24(2)) Kuma-taka Spizaetus nipalensis Asian Marsh Harrier Chuhi Circus spilonotus Peregrine Falcon (2) Hayabusa Falco peregrinus Merlin (2) Ko-chogenbo Falco columbaris Green Pheasant Kiji Phasianus colchicus Eurasian Coot O-ban Fulica atra Little Ringed Plover (4/26(1)->) Ko-chidori Charadrius dubius Kentish Plover (4/26(9)) Shiro-chidori Charadrius alexandrinus Snipe, sp. (4/22(2)) ?-shigi Gallinago gallinago Pomarine Jaeger (4/25(8)) Tozokukamome Stercorarius pomarinus Common Black-headed Gull Yuri-kamome Larus ridibundus Herring Gull Seguro-kamome Larus argentatus vegae Glaucous-winged Gull Washi-kamome Larus glaucescens Glaucous Gull Shiro-kamome Larus hyperboreus Slaty-backed Gull O-seguro-kamome Larus schistisagus Mew Gull Kamome Larus canus Black-tailed Gull Umineko Larus crassirostris Black-legged Kittiwake (4/25(5-10000)) Mitsuyubi-kamome Larus tridactylus Spectacled Guillemot (4/25(8)) Keimafuri Cepphus carbo Ancient Murrelet (4/25(2)) Umisuzume Synthliboramphus antiquus Rhinoceros Auklet (4/25(30)) Utou Cerorhinca monocerata Rufous Turtle Dove Kiji-bato Streptopelia orientalis Common Kingfisher Kawasemi Alcedo atthis Great Spotted Woodpecker Aka-gera Dendrocopus major Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker Ko-gera Dendrocopos kizuki Skylark Hibari Alauda arvensis Barn Swallow Tsubame Hirundo rustica Asiatic House Martin (4/24->) Iwa-tsubame Delichon ?? Gray Wagtail (4/30->) Ki-sekirei Motacilla cinerea Black-backed Wagtail Haku-sekirei Motacilla lugens Japanese Wagtail Seguro-sekirei Motacilla grandis Water Pipit (50) Tahibari Anthus spinoletta Brown-eared Bulbul Hiyodori Hypsipetes amaurotis Bull-headed Shrike Mozu Lanius bucephalus Brown Dipper Kawagurasu Cinclus pallasi Wren Misosazai Troglodytes troglodytes Stonechat No-bitaki Saxicola torquata Blue Rock Thrush Isohiyodori Monticola solitarius Brown Thrush (4/28->) Akahara Turdus chrysolaus Dusky Thrush Tsugumi Turdus naumanni Bush Warbler Uguisu Cettia diphone Japanese Marsh Warbler (4/22->) O-sekka Megalurus pryeri Narcissus Flycatcher (4/30->) Ki-bitaki Ficedula narcissina Long-tailed Tit Enaga Aegithalos caudatus Willow Tit Ko-gara Parus montanus Coal Tit Hi-gara Parus ater Varied Tit Yama-gara Parus varius Great Tit Shiju-kara Parus major Nuthatch Goju-kara Sitta europaea Meadow Bunting Hojiro Emberiza cioides Japanese Reed Bunting Ko-jurin Emberiza yessoensis Gray-headed Bunting (4/28->) Hoaka Emberiza fucata Rustic Bunting Kashiradaka Emberiza rustica Black-faced Bunting (4/28->) Aoji Emberiza spodocephala Reed Bunting (200) O-jurin Emberiza schoeniclus Brambling Atori Fringilla montifringilla Oriental Greenfinch Kawara-hira Carduelis sinica Siskin (4/29(1)) Ma-hiwa Carduelis spinus Hawfinch Shime Coccothraustes coccothraustes Eurasian Tree Sparrow Suzume Passer montanus Red-cheeked Myna (4/21->) Ko-mukudori Sturnus philippensis Gray Starling Mukudori Sturnus cineraceus Jay Kakesu Garrulus glandarius Azure-winged Magpie Onaga Cyanopica cyana Carrion Crow Hashiboso-garasu Corvus corone Jungle Crow Hashibuto-garasu Corbus macrorhynchos Good Birding, Mike