From Onogawa to Edosaki along the Onogawa on Januari 3, 1998
Another bik trip along the Onogawa. I followed the small river until the big Buddha. Then I went north via the racetracks and stables of Miho, numerous hills and yatsu's to the Painted Snipe spot at Kausigaura. Alas, perhaps due to the rice planting no Tamashigi. Lots of other snipes, most Common, but one Uncommon snipe, with no white trailing wing edges.
Lots of nice flowers in the forests on the hills.
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Little grebe
Podiceps ruficollis
[Kaitsuburi] 2 ex calling in Kasumigaura.
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Spot-billed duck
Anas poecilorhyncha
[Karu-gamo] At least 4 ex.
- Green-winged Teal Anas crecca crecca [Ko-gamo] 250
roosting on the wooden bars which support the fishing nets in
Kasumigaura.
- Chinese Little Bittern
Ixobrychus sinensis
[Yoshi-goi] Presumably two ex, "barking" after dark near Ami.
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Black-crowned night-heron
Nycticorax nycticorax
[Goi-sagi]
Many flying around after dark. At least 30 along Kasumigaura.
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Little egret
Egretta garzetta
[Ko-sagi] 5 ex.
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Intermediate egret
Egretta intermedia
[Chuu-sagi] 3 ex.
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Great egret
Egretta alba
[Dai-sagi] 1 ex.
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Common Gallinule
Gallinula chloropus
[Ban] A few.
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Water rail
Rallus aquaticus
[Kuina] 1 ex flying for cover along Onogawa, 4 km south of Railroad.
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Little ringed plover
Charadrius dubius
[Kochidori] At least 10 ex.
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Pacific Golden Plover
Pluvialis Vulva
[Munaguro] Almost 80, at various locations (even near my house.)
- Common snipe Gallinago gallinago [Ta-shigi] At
least 20 ex.
- Uncommon snipe Gallinago spec. [?-shigi]
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Painted snipe
Rostratula benghalensis
[Tama-shigi] None.
- Gray-faced buzzard-eagle Butastur indicus
[Sashiba] 1 ex just south of railroad bridge over Onogawa. Hunting
in ricepaddies apparently for frogs, moving from high point to high
point. It approached its preys not via a steep dive but it glides low
over the field using low obstacles to remain out of sight... While I watched, it spotteds two frogs from its
high point and approaches them at distances of 30 meters. It caught one.
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Rufous turtle dove
Streptopelia orientalis
[Kiji-bato]
Many.
- Bamboo partridge
Bambusicola thoracica [Kojukei] 1 ex calling near Miho
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Common pheasant
Phasianus colchicus
[Kiji] 1 ex calling near Miho
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Japanese pygmy woodpecker
Dendrocopos kizuki
[Ko-gera] 2 ex.
- Skylark Alauda arvensis [Hibari] Could be heard at manyplaces.
- lark Alauda [?] One rather dark brownish lark, without white trailing wing edge.
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Barn swallow
Hirundo rustica
[Tsubame] At least 30 ex. At several places.
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Japanese wagtail
Motacilla grandis
[Seguro-sekirei] Several.
-
Bull-headed shrike
Lanius bucephalus
[Mozu] 1 ex.
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Dusky thrush
Turdus naumanni
[Tsugumi] A few. (less than 10)
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Bush warbler
Cettia diphone
[Uguisu] At many places singing.
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Fan-tailed warbler
Cisticola juncidis
[Sekka] Singing at sveral places.
-
Great reed warbler
Acrocephalus arundinaceus
[Ou-yoshikiri] Singing at many places.
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Great tit
Parus major
[Shijuu-kara] 2 ex.
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Siberian meadow bunting
Emberiza cioides
[Hoojiro]
At least 15 ex.
-
Oriental greenfinch
Carduelis sinica
[Kawarahiwa] At least 30 ex, at various places along the small river.
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Tree sparrow
Passer montanus
[Suzume] At many places individuals.
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Gray starling
Sturnus cineraceus
[Mukudori] Everywhere.
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Carrion crow
Corvus corone
[Hashiboso-garasu] At least 8. One nest.
Mammals
- Japanese Weasel Mustela itatsi [Itachi]
Butterflies
- Papilio machaon [ki-ageha] (?)
- Papilio bianor dehaanii [Karasu-ageha] A large blackish one, flying over the rice fields
Reptiles and amphibians
- Red-eared SliderChrysemys scripta [Mishi shitsu pi- aka mimigame] (?) Water turtle with red ear patch and two yellow lines on face. Around hindleg the edge/inside of the shell appeared was yellow.
- Hyla japonica [Nihon-amagaeru]
- Rana japonica japonica [Nihon-akagaeru]
- Rana catesbeiana [Ushi-gaeru]
- others frogs /toads
Flowers (but I am not a botanist and choose the name of an similar plant)
- Astragalus sinicus [Genge] Paddies full!
- Nuphar japonicum in the Onogawa!
- Iris japonica [Shaga] Near Miho on top of hills in dark pine forest!
- Disporum sessile [Houchaku-sou] Under trees.
- Arisaema urashima[Urashima-sou] Spectacular dark brown flowers (bottom part of flower is whitish.
- Arisaema serratum[Mamushi-gusa] Similar green flowers (bottom part is white) higher than the leaves.
- Corydalis incisa [Murasaki-keman]
- Small palm trees with bunches of yellow fruit/flower?
Birds in Japan and Asia
Last modified: April 29, 1998.
Fer-Jan de Vries, ferjan@etl.go.jp