Bad roads were also our excuse for not going to see the Ivory Gull on the Sea of Japan coast.
On February 21, ahead of last year's appearance, the first Bean Geese appeared just outside Misawa, a flock of 60 serrarostris. Also, throughout the month, many Black-tailed Gulls in fine breeding plumage arrived. There are now throngs around Hachinohe, where the species nests abundantly.
At the end of the month we left for a week in Hokkaido. That writeup exists separately. The return ferry trip produced several interesting birds in Aomori waters, which will be mentioned in the March report.
Little Grebe (2) Kaitsuburi Podiceps ruficollis Eared Grebe (1) Hajiro-kaitsuburi Podiceps nigricollis Horned Grebe Mimi-kaitsuburi Podiceps auritus Great Crested Grebe Kanmuri-kaitsuburi Podiceps cristatus Great Cormorant Kawa-u Phalacrocorax carbo Temminck's Cormorant Umi-u Phalacrocorax filamentosus Pelagic Cormorant Hime-u Phalacrocorax pelagicus Great Egret Dai-saga Egretta alba Gray Heron Ao-sagi Ardea cinerea Bean Goose (2/21(60 serrarostris)) Hishikui Anser fabalis Mute Swan Kobu-hakucho Cygnus cygnus Whooper Swan O-hakucho Cygnus olor Bewick's Swan (2) Ko-hakucho Cygnus bewicki Mandarin Duck (1f Oirase Gorge) Oshidori Aix galericulata Mallard Ma-gamo Anas platyrhynchos Spot-billed Duck Karu-gamo Anas poecilorhyncha Falcated Duck (2/21(5)) Yoshi-gamo Anas falcata Gadwall (1) Okayoshi-gamo Anas strepera Eurasian Wigeon Hidori-gamo Anas penelope Northern Pintail Onaga-gamo Anas acuta Pochard Hoshi-hajiro Aythya ferina Tufted Duck Kinkuro-hajiro Aythya fuligula Greater Scaup Suzu-gamo Aythya marila Common Scoter Kuro-gamo Melanitta nigra Harlequin Duck Shinori-gamo Histrionicus histrionicus Oldsquaw (2 Hachinohe) Kori-gamo Clangula hyemalis Common Goldeneye Hojiro-gamo Bucephala clangula Bufflehead Hime-hajiro Bucephala albeola Smew Miko-aisa Mergus albellus Common Merganser Kawa-aisa Mergus merganser Black Kite Tobi Milvus migrans White-tailed Eagle (1-2) Ojiro-washi Haliaeetus albicilla Steller's Sea-Eagle (1-2) Owashi Haliaeetus pelagicus Eurasian Sparrow Hawk Hai-taka Accipiter nisus Common Buzzard Nosuri Buteo buteo Merlin (1) Ko-chogenbo Falco columbaris Eurasian Coot O-ban Fulica atra Dunlin Hama-shigi Calidris alpina 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 Rufous Turtle Dove Kiji-bato Streptopelia orientalis Great Spotted Woodpecker Aka-gera Dendrocopus major Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker Ko-gera Dendrocopos kizuki Black-backed Wagtail Haku-sekirei Motacilla lugens Japanese Wagtail (1) Seguro-sekirei Motacilla grandis Water Pipit Tahibari Anthus spinoletta Brown-eared Bulbul Hiyodori Hypsipetes amaurotis Bull-headed Shrike (1) Mozu Lanius bucephalus Brown Dipper (2 Oirase Gorge) Kawagurasu Cinclus pallasi Pale thrush (1) Shirohara Turdus pallidus Dusky Thrush Tsugumi Turdus naumanni Goldcrest Kikuitadaki Regulus regulus 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 Japanese White-Eye Mejiro Zosterops japonica Rustic Bunting Kashiradaka Emberiza rustica Black-faced Bunting (2/6(1) Hachinohe) Aoji Emberiza spodocephala Brambling (100+) Atori Fringilla montifringilla Oriental Greenfinch Kawara-hira Carduelis sinica Siskin Ma-hiwa Carduelis spinus Hawfinch Shime Coccothraustes coccothraustes Eurasian Tree Sparrow Suzume Passer montanus 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