Hello Kantorians,

March has been a very mild month up here, often windy, but warm and nearly snowless - only one 6-inch snowfall mid-month. Nearly all of the snow of January and February has been turned into streams and ponds and soggy pastures. In spite of this, sea-eagles (washi) have persisted up to March 29, although in very diminished numbers. There had been a sudden and dramatic incursion of both species March 1, peaking at 14 Steller's (O-washi) and 11 White-tailed (Ojiro-washi) at a single location, more than we saw on any given day in Hokkaido in February! Waterfowl continue to stream through, although at month's end there are decidedly fewer Falcated Ducks (Yoshi-gamo), Smew (Miko-aisa), Goosanders (Kawa-aisa) and swans (hakucho). Two Garganeys (Shimaaji) appeared March 28. Geese (gan) completed their passage by mid-month, scarcely filling a two-week window. Loons, which were fairly numerous from end of February through mid-month, are also now seemingly gone. All 5 grebes (kaitsuburi) continue to month's end. The flight of Rhinoceros Auklets (Utou), spectacular mid-month, has now slowed to a trickle. Spectacled Guillemots (Keima-furi) appeared March 1 off Shiriyazaki, I suppose staging for nesting, but at month's end have not moved in as far as I can see. Two Spotted Redshanks (Tsuru-shigi) appeared March 14, and by March 28 there were 6, plus two Common Redshanks (Akaashi-shigi) and the first Little Ringed Plover (Ko-chidori). Skylarks (Hibari) and Reed Buntings (O-jurin) arrived in numbers late-month, with hundreds of the latter passing overhead March 29, and the first Japanese Reed Buntings (Ko-jurin) were noted March 29.

March produced two unexpected rarities (at least I think they were rarities ..); an Oriental White Stork (Konotori) on March 15, and a Hoopoe (Yatsugashira) on the 28th. We observed 77 species on March 28.

March 1998

All observations are from the most northeasterly 90 km of Honshu coastline (between Misawa and Shiriyazaki), all essentially at sea-level. A preceding '-' indicates 5 or less individuals seen during the month, while '+' indicates 100 or more, and '!' indicates 1000 or more. Maximize the size of your mail window to view this message in a reasonable format.


-Arctic Loon			Gavia arctica			Ohamu
-Pacific Loon			Gavia pacifica			Shiroeri-ohamu
-Red-throated Loon		Gavia stellata			Abi
Great Crested Grebe		Podiceps cristatus		Kanmuri-kaitsuburi
Red-necked Grebe		Podiceps grisegena		Akaeri-kaitsuburi
Horned Grebe			Podiceps auritus		Mimi-kaitsuburi
Eared Grebe			Podiceps nigricollis		Hajiro-kaitsuburi
Little Grebe			Podiceps ruficollis		Kaitsuburi
Great Cormorant			Phalacrocorax carbo		Kawa-u
Temminck's Cormorant		P.	filamentosus		Umi-u
Pelagic Cormorant		P.	pelagicus		Hime-u
Mute Swan			Cygnus olor			Kobu-hakucho
+Whooper Swan			C. cygnus			O-hakucho
Bewick's Swan			C. columbianus			Ko-hakucho
-Brant				Branta bernicla (nigrescens)	Koku-gan
!Gr. White-fronted Goose	Anser albifrons			Ma-gan
+Bean Goose			Anser fabalis			Hishikui
+Mallard			Anas platyrhynchos		Ma-gamo
+Spot-billed Duck		Anas poecilorhyncha		Karu-gamo
Northern Shoveler		Anas clypeata			Hashibiro-gamo
+Common Teal			Anas crecca			Ko-gamo
-Garganey			Anas querquedula		Shimaaji
Falcated Duck			Anas falcata			Yoshi-gamo
Gadwall				Anas strepera			Okayoshi-gamo
+Northern Pintail		Anas acuta			Onaga-gamo
+Eurasion Wigeon		Anas penelope			Hidori-gamo
+Common Pochard			Aythya ferina			Hoshi-hajiro
+Common Goldeneye		Bucephala clangula		Hojiro-gamo
+Tufted Duck			Aythya fuligula			Kinkuro-hajiro
+Greater Scaup			Aythya marila			Suzu-gamo
Harlequin Duck			Histrionicus histrionicus	Shinori-gamo
+Smew				Mergus albellus			Miko-aisa
Red-breasted Merganser		Mergus serrator			Umi-aisa
Common Merganser		Mergus merganser		Kawa-aisa
-Common Murre (Guillemot)	Uria aalge			Umigarasu
-Thick-billed Murre (Brunnich's G)Uria lomvia			Hashibuto-umigarasu
Spectacled Guillemot		Cepphus carbo			Keima-furi
Ancient Murrelet		Synthliboramphus antiquus	Umisuzume
+Rhinoceros Auklet		Cerorhinca monocerata		Utou		
+Slaty-backed Gull		Larus schistisagus		O-seguro-kamome
Herring Gull			Larus argentatus vegae		Seguro-kamome
Black-tailed Gull		Larus crassirostris		Umineko
Glaucous-winged Gull		Larus glaucescens		Washi-kamome
Glaucous Gull			Larus hyperboreus		Shiro-kamome
!Common Gull			Larus canus			Kamome
+C. Black-headed Gull		Larus ridibundus		Yuri-kamome
-Black-legged Kittewake		Larus tridactylus		Mitsuyubi-kamome
Great Egret			Egretta alba			Dai-sagi
Gray Heron			Ardea cinerea			Ao-sagi
-Oriental White Stork		Ciconia ciconia(?)		Konotori
+European Coot			Fulica atra			O-ban
-Little Ringed Plover		Charadrius dubius		Ko-chidori
-Kentish Plover			Charadrius alexandrinus		Shiro-chidori
-Dunlin				Calidris alpina			Hama-shigi
Sanderling			Crocethia alba			Miyubi-shigi
Spotted Redshank		Tringa erythropus		Tsuru-shigi
-Common Redshank		Tringa totanus			Akaashi-shigi
White-tailed Eagle		Haliaeetus albicilia		Ojiro-washi
Steller's Sea-Eagle		Haliaeetus pelagicus		O-washi
+Black Kite			Milvus migrans			Tobi
Common Buzzard			Buteo buteo			Nosuri
-Northern Harrier		Circus cyaneus			Haiiro-chuhi
-Northern Goshawk		Accipiter gentilis		O-taka
-European Sparrowhawk		Accipiter nisus			Hai-taka
-Peregrine Falcon		Falco peregrinus		Haya-busa
-Merlin				Falco columbarius		Ko-chogenbo
-Com. (Green) Pheasant		Phasianus colchicus		Kiji
Rufous Turtle Dove		Streptopelia orientalis		Kiji-bato
-Hoopoe				Upupa epops			Yatsugashira
Great Spotted Woodpecker	Dendrocopus major		Aka-gera
Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker	Dendrocopos kizuki		Ko-gera
Skylark				Alauda arvensis			Hibari
-Gray Wagtail			Motacilla cinerea		Ki-sekirei
+Black-backed Wagtail		Motacilla lugens		Haku-sekirei
-Japanese Wagtail		Motacilla grandis		Seguro-sekirei
Brown-eared Bulbul		Hypsipetes amaurotis		Hiyodori
-Bull-headed Shrike		Lanius bucephalus		Mozu
-Wren				Troglodytes troglodytes		Misosazai
-Daurian Redstart		Phoenicurus auroreus		Jo-bitaki
-Blue Rock Thrush		Monticola solitarius		Isohiyodori
Dusky Thrush			Turdus naumanni			Tsugumi
Goldcrest			Regulus regulus			Kikuitadaki
Willow Tit			Parus montanus			Ko-gara
Coal Tit			Parus ater			Hi-gara
Great Tit			Parus major			Shiju-kara
-Varied Tit			Parus varius			Yama-gara
Long-tailed Tit			Aegithalos caudatus		Enaga
Meadow Bunting			Emberiza cioides		Hojiro
Rustic Bunting			Emberiza rustica		Kashira-daka
Japanese Reed Bunting		Emberize yessoensis		Ko-jurin
+Reed Bunting			Emberiza schoenicius		O-jurin
Oriental Greenfinch		Carduelis sinica		Kawara-hiwa
-Siskin				Carduelis spinus		Ma-hiwa
Brambling			Fringilla montifringilla	Atori
-Long-tailed Rose Finch		Uragus sibiricus		Beni-mashiko
Hawfinch			Coocothraustes coccothraustes	Shime
+Eurasian Tree Sparrow		Passer montanus			Suzume
+Gray Starling			Sturnus cineraceus		Mukudori
Jay				Garrulus glandarius		Kakesu
Azure-winged Magpie		Cyanopica cyana			Onaga
Carrion Crow			Corvus corone			Hashiboso-gara
+Jungle Crow			Corvus macrorhynchos		Hashibuto-garasu


Mike

Aomori-ken March 31, 1998