Yatsu tidal flat - homepage!

Description to appear: see Mark Brazil's "A birdwatcher's guide to Japan" for the mean time. There is a comfortable Yatsuhigata Nature Observation Centre which has a restaurant, competent staff and various scopes.
Yatsu higata in Narashino-city can be reached from Tokyo-station by the Keiyoo line: get off at Minami-funabashi. Alternatively, but a bit slower: take Keisei main-line from Ueno to Yatsu-station (in the direction of Narita). From Tsukuba: Joban line to Kashiwa, take local to Shin-matsudo, followed by Musashino line to Minami-funabashi. About 1:30. Yatsu Higata Nature Observation Center: their new homepage.

A: visit April 5, 1997. Low tide, Cold spring weather, but the initial heavy rain stopped complete. Tide came in. Visit between 1 pm and at 4 pm. Together Atsushi MATSUI.

B: visit April 19, Participants: Atsushi Matsui and Fer-Jan de Vries.
Weather: sunny (18 degrees celsius) after rain in the very early morning. Time: Yatsu 13.00-16.30. Sanbanze: 17.30-18.30.

C: visit May 11, Participants: Fer-Jan de Vries.
Weather: sunny (20 degrees celsius). High tide: Yatsu 8.00.


  1. Little grebe Podiceps ruficollis [Kaitsuburi]: A
  2. Great cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo [Kawa-u]: A,B,C
  3. Spot-billed duck Anas poecilorhyncha [Karu-gamo]: A,B,C
  4. Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata [Hashibiro-gamo]: A,B
  5. Green-winged Teal Anas crecca crecca [Ko-gamo]: A,B
  6. Gadwall Anas strepera [Okayoshi-gamo]: A,B
  7. Northern Pintail Anas acuta [Onaga-gamo]: A,B,C
  8. Eurasian Wigeon Anas penelope [Hidori-gamo]: A,B
  9. Pochard Aythya ferina [Hoshi-hajiro]: A
  10. Tufted duck Aythya fuligula [Kinkuro-hajiro]: A
  11. Herring gull Larus argentatus [Seguro-kamome]: A
  12. Black-headed Gull Larus ridibundus [Yuri-kamome]: A,B,C>20
  13. Little tern Sterna albifrons [Ko-ajisashi] B,C>10
  14. Little egret Egretta garzetta [Ko-sagi]: A,C>5
  15. Great egret Egretta alba [Dai-sagi]: A,C>3
  16. Gray heron Ardea cinerea [Ao-sagi] B,C=1
  17. Common Gallinule Gallinula chloropus [Ban]: C>3
  18. Little ringed plover Charadrius dubius [Kochidori]: A, B,C
  19. Long-billed ringed plover Charadrius placidus [Ikaru-chidori]: A
  20. Snowy plover Charadrius alexandrinus [Shiro-chidori]: A,B,C>10
  21. Mongolian plover Charadrius mongolus [Medai-chidori] B, at least 80. C>20
  22. Black-bellied plover Pluvialis squatarola [Daizen]: A Several 100's, B,C>5
  23. Lesser golden plover Pluvialis dominica [Daizen] B
  24. Rufous-necked stint Caladris ruficollis [Tounen]: A (1 ex, according to Matsui-san it has wintered at Yatsu), B,C>150
  25. Dunlin Caladris alpina [Hama-shigi]: A (About 3000 ex, according to Matsui-sans morning count),C
  26. Great knot Calidris tenuirostris [Oba-shigi] B
  27. Gray-tailed tatler Tringa brevipes [Kiashi-shigi]: C >90,
  28. Black-tailed godwit Limosa limosa [Ou-guro-shigi]: B
  29. Bar-tailed godwit Limosa lapponica [Ou-sorihashi-shigi]: A (several ten's), B,C>50
  30. Long-billed dowitcher Limnodromus scolopaceus [Ouhashi-shigi]: A
  31. (Eurasian) curlew Numenius arquata [Dai-shaku-shigi]: A (3 ex)
  32. Eastern curlew Numenius madagascariensis [Houroku-shigi]: A (1 ex), B(1 ex),C(1 ex)
  33. Terek sandpiper Xenus cinereus [Sorihashi-shigi]: C>2
  34. Rudy turnstone Arenaria interpres [Kyoujo-shigi]: B,C>30
  35. Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus [Chuushaku-shigi]: B,C>2
  36. Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus [Seitaka-shigi]: A,B,C>10
  37. Rufous turtle dove Streptopelia orientalis [Kiji-bato]: A,B,C
  38. Skylark Alauda arvensis [Hibari]: A,B,C
  39. Barn swallow Hirundo rustica [Tsubame]: A,C
  40. White wagtail Haku-sekirei [Motacilla alba]: A,B
  41. Japanese wagtail Motacilla grandis [Seguro-sekirei]: A
  42. Brown-eared bulbul Hypsipetes amaurotis [Hiyodori]: A
  43. Bull-headed shrike Lanius bucephalus [Mozu]: A,C
  44. Daurian redstart Phoenicurus auroreus [Joobitaki]: A
  45. Dusky thrush Turdus naumanni [Tsugumi]: A
  46. Great reed warbler Acrocephalus arundinaceus [Ou-yoshikiri]: C>5
  47. Japanese White-eye Zosterops japonica [Mejiro]: A
  48. Black-faced bunting Emberiza spodocephala [Aoji]: A
  49. Oriental greenfinch Carduelis sinica [Kawarahiwa]: A,C>1
  50. Tree sparrow Passer montanus [Suzume]: A,B,C
  51. Gray starling Sturnus cineraceus [Mukudori]: A,B,C>10
  52. Azure winged magpie Cyanopica cyana [Onaga]: A
  53. Carrion crow Corvus corone [Hashiboso-garasu]: A,B
  54. Jungle crow Corvus macrorhynchos [Hashibuto-garasu]: A,B,C
    Back to Birds in Japan and Asia Last modified: Januari 14, 1998. Fer-Jan de Vries, ferjan@etl.go.jp