The large flocks of scoters are still present at the north end of Hachinohe, but we continue to not see the Surf Scoters seen earlier by others.
The highlight of the month was our first "successful" trip to Wakinosawa, the famous Snow Monkey hangout at the Southwest tip of the Shimokita peninsula. "Successful" mainly means that we weren't driven back by snow and ice as on previous attempts. After the depressing spectacle of captive monkeys at the so-called Wild Monkey Park, we were pleased to find two separate groups of truly wild monkeys, and to have the opportunity to photograph them in natural surroundings. Well, "natural" sometimes meant strolling through town, sitting on roofs, and hanging from utility wires, but there we are.
Here's the bird list:
Little Grebe Kaitsuburi Podiceps ruficollis Horned Grebe Mimi-kaitsuburi Podiceps auritus Red-necked Grebe Akaeri-kaitsuburi Podiceps grisegena Great Crested Grebe (25+) Kanmuri-kaitsuburi Podiceps cristatus Great Cormorant Kawa-u Phalacrocorax carbo Temminck's Cormorant Umi-u Phalacrocorax filamentosus Great Egret Dai-saga Egretta alba Gray Heron Ao-sagi Ardea cinerea Brant (2 Mutsu Bay) Koku-gan Branta bernicla Mute Swan Kobu-hakucho Cygnus cygnus Whooper Swan O-hakucho Cygnus olor Mallard Ma-gamo Anas platyrhynchos Spot-billed Duck Karu-gamo Anas poecilorhyncha Common Teal Ko-gamo Anas crecca Falcated Duck Yoshi-gamo Anas falcata 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 ?? Velvet Scoter Birodo-kinkuro Melanitta ?? Harlequin Duck Shinori-gamo Histrionicus histrionicus Oldsquaw (1 Hachinohe) Kori-gamo Clangula hyemalis Common Goldeneye Hojiro-gamo Bucephala clangula Smew Miko-aisa Mergus albellus Red-breasted Merganser Umi-aisa Mergus serrator Common Merganser Kawa-aisa Mergus merganser Black Kite Tobi Milvus migrans Steller's Sea-Eagle (2 adults) O-washi Haliaeetus pelagicus Eurasian Sparrow Hawk (4) Hai-taka Accipiter nisus Rough-legged Hawk (1) Keashi-nosuri Buteo lagopus Common Buzzard Nosuri Buteo buteo Peregrine Falcon Hayabusa Falco peregrinus Eurasian Kestrel (1) Chogenbo Falco tinnunculus Green Pheasant (2) Kiji Phasianus colchicus Eurasian Coot O-ban Fulica atra Kentish Plover Shiro-chidori Charadrius alexandrinus Dunlin Hama-shigi Calidris alpina Sanderling Miyubi-shigi Crocethia alba 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 Mitsuyubi-kamome Larus tridactylus Rufous Turtle Dove Kiji-bato Streptopelia orientalis Great Spotted Woodpecker Aka-gera Dendrocopus major Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker Ko-gera Dendrocopos kizuki Skylark (2) Hibari Alauda arvensis Black-backed Wagtail Haku-sekirei Motacilla lugens Water Pipit Tahibari Anthus spinoletta Brown-eared Bulbul Hiyodori Hypsipetes amaurotis Wren Misosazai Troglodytes troglodytes Blue Rock Thrush (2) Isohiyodori Monticola solitarius Pale thrush (1/8,9(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 Meadow Bunting Hojiro Emberiza cioides Rustic Bunting (50+) Kashiradaka Emberiza rustica Brambling (30) 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
Back to Birds in Japan and AsiaLast modified: Feb 5, 1999. g