It warmed up considerably in the middle of the month, melting most of the snow, but just as we began to think maybe it was finally all over, it intermittently snowed 3 of the last 4 days. But that didn't stop a few spring arrivals: Skylarks and Reed Buntings came in throngs, as well as transient waterfowl. A few pipits, a single Osprey, Marsh Harrier, Spotted Redshank and Common Snipe and a couple of Japanese Reed Buntings at Hotokenuma rounded things out. Virtually all wintering species were still present, albeit in reduced numbers.
The third weekend of March on Takahoku-numa, we saw a Brown (?) Weasel among the rocks on the shoreline. It was attracted by the scattered little fish presumably discarded by the fishermen on the bank. The little guy was not exactly shy, and gave us a rare chance to observe at length closely.
Rarity-of-the-month honors would go to the single male Canvasback (O-hoshi-hajiro) on Ogawara-Ko 3/16, although the two Parakeet Auklets (Umiomu) seen from the ferry 3/8 (along with several other alcids prefixed below with a *) and a few breeding plumage Rhinoceros Auklets (Utou) off Wakinosawa were of greater interest to us.
Here's the list for March 99: Red-throated Loon (1) Abi Gavia stellata Arctic Loon (5) Ohamu Gavia arctica Little Grebe Kaitsuburi Podiceps ruficollis Eared Grebe (3) Hajiro-kaitsuburi Podiceps nigricollis Horned Grebe (10) Mimi-kaitsuburi Podiceps auritus Red-necked Grebe (10) Akaeri-kaitsuburi Podiceps grisegena Great Crested Grebe (30) Kanmuri-kaitsuburi Podiceps cristatus Laysan Albatross (*4) Ko-ahodori Diomedea immutabilis Great Cormorant Kawa-u Phalacrocorax carbo Temminck's Cormorant Umi-u Phalacrocorax filamentosus Pelagic Cormorant Hime-u Phalacrocorax pelagicus Black-cr. Night Heron (3/28(1)) Goi-sagi Nycticorax nycticorax Great Egret Dai-saga Egretta alba Gray Heron Ao-sagi Ardea cinerea Bean Goose (30 serrarostris) Hishikui Anser fabalis Mute Swan Kobu-hakucho Cygnus cygnus Whooper Swan O-hakucho Cygnus olor Bewick's Swan (3) Ko-hakucho Cygnus bewicki Mandarin Duck (3/27(2)) Oshidori Aix galericulata Mallard Ma-gamo Anas platyrhynchos Spot-billed Duck Karu-gamo Anas poecilorhyncha Common Teal Ko-gamo Anas crecca Falcated Duck (75+; more than last yr) Yoshi-gamo Anas falcata Gadwall (40) Okayoshi-gamo Anas strepera Eurasian Wigeon Hidori-gamo Anas penelope Northern Pintail Onaga-gamo Anas acuta Northern Shoveler (3/16(1)) Hashibiro-gamo Anas clypeata Pochard Hoshi-hajiro Aythya ferina Canvasback (3/16(1)) O-hoshi-hajiro Aythya valisineria Tufted Duck Kinkuro-hajiro Aythya fuligula Greater Scaup Suzu-gamo Aythya marila Common Scoter (100) Kuro-gamo Melanitta nigra Velvet Scoter (5) Birodo-kinkuro Melanitta ?? Harlequin Duck Shinori-gamo Histrionicus histrionicus Common Goldeneye Hojiro-gamo Bucephala clangula Smew (<50; fewer than last yr) Miko-aisa Mergus albellus Red-breasted Merganser (200) Umi-aisa Mergus serrator Common Merganser (25+) Kawa-aisa Mergus merganser Osprey (3/28(1)) Misago Pandion haliaetus Black Kite Tobi Milvus migrans White-tailed Eagle (5; ->3/28) Ojiro-washi Haliaeetus albicilla Steller's Sea-Eagle (5; ->3/28) Owashi Haliaeetus pelagicus Northern Goshawk (4) O-taka Accipiter gentilis Eurasian Sparrow Hawk (2) Hai-taka Accipiter nisus Common Buzzard Nosuri Buteo buteo Asian Marsh Harrier (3/28(1)->) Chuhi Circus spilonotus Peregrine Falcon (2 will nest Shiriya) Hayabusa Falco peregrinus Green Pheasant (1m) Kiji Phasianus colchicus Eurasian Coot O-ban Fulica atra Kentish Plover (5 Ominato) Shiro-chidori Charadrius alexandrinus Dunlin (50+ Ominato) Hama-shigi Calidris alpina Spotted Redshank (3/20(1),3/24(2)) Tsuru-shigi Tringa erythropus Common Snipe (3/27(1)) Ta-shigi Gallinago gallinago 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 (*200+) Mitsuyubi-kamome Larus tridactylus Common Murre (*1) Umigarasu Uria aalge Thick-billed Murre (*200) Hashibuto-umigarasu Uria lomvia Spectacled Guillemot (3/20(7) Keimafuri Cepphus carbo Ancient Murrelet (*13) Umisuzume Synthliboramphus antiquus Crested Auklet (*1) Etorofu-umisuzume Aethia cristatella Least Auklet (*2) Ko-umisuzume Aethia pusilla Parakeet Auklet (*2) Umiomu Aethis psittacula Rhinoceros Auklet (*1; 3/28(3)) Utou Cerorhinca monocerata Rufous Turtle Dove Kiji-bato Streptopelia orientalis Ural Owl (3/26(1 Misawa)) Fukuro Strix uralensis Great Spotted Woodpecker Aka-gera Dendrocopus major Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker (5) Ko-gera Dendrocopos kizuki Skylark (100+) Hibari Alauda arvensis Black-backed Wagtail Haku-sekirei Motacilla lugens Japanese Wagtail Seguro-sekirei Motacilla grandis Water Pipit Tahibari Anthus spinoletta Brown-eared Bulbul Hiyodori Hypsipetes amaurotis Bull-headed Shrike Mozu Lanius bucephalus Brown Dipper (Oirase R) Kawagurasu Cinclus pallasi Wren Misosazai Troglodytes troglodytes Blue Rock Thrush (1) Isohiyodori Monticola solitarius Dusky Thrush Tsugumi Turdus naumanni Goldcrest (2) Kikuitadaki Regulus regulus Long-tailed Tit (2) Enaga Aegithalos caudatus Willow Tit (3/27(1)) Ko-gara Parus montanus Coal Tit Hi-gara Parus ater Varied Tit Yama-gara Parus varius Great Tit Shiju-kara Parus major Meadow Bunting Hojiro Emberiza cioides Japanese Reed Bunting (3/28(2)->) Ko-jurin Emberiza yessoensis Rustic Bunting (50) Kashiradaka Emberiza rustica Reed Bunting (100+) O-jurin Emberiza schoeniclus Brambling Atori Fringilla montifringilla Oriental Greenfinch Kawara-hira Carduelis sinica Siskin (2) Ma-hiwa Carduelis spinus Long-tailed Rose Finch (5) Beni-mashiko Uragus sibiricus Hawfinch Shime Coccothraustes coccothraustes Eurasian Tree Sparrow Suzume Passer montanus Gray Starling Mukudori Sturnus cineraceus Jay (4) Kakesu Garrulus glandarius Azure-winged Magpie (10) Onaga Cyanopica cyana Carrion Crow Hashiboso-garasu Corvus corone Jungle Crow Hashibuto-garasu Corbus macrorhynchos Good birding, Mike