Waders
Kasumigaura, Yatsu and Sanbanze: April 11,
1999.
When Ikenaga-san picked me up for the annual birding
with Doug MacNeil from New Jersey(?) at 7 am, he effectively picked up
four people. Fortunately, this surprise did not bother him. It was
raining, the sky held heavy clouds, and the forcast did not promis
improvement. The rain was mild enough to allow for good wader
watching: all in all we had 21 wader species. First we went to
the lotusfield along the Tozaki-coast of Kasumigaura, rougly speaking
some 7 km East of Tsuchiura. There were Ruffs among the 7 wader
species in Tozaki. Next we went to Yatsu, the tidal flat in
Funabashi that is completely surrounded by city. 12 wader species
were present. The Little Stints showed themselves beautifully next to
some Rufous-necked Stints. And like the last time when we were there
with Mike and Lee on Januari 17, there was a Longbilled Dowitcher.
After the birder curry we headed for Sanbanze despite the heavy
traffic. The reward was great: yellow legged herring gulls (Heuglin
Gulls ?)), a Common Ringed Plover and still 16 remaining
Oystercatchers. In total also 11 species. And because of the rain no
other humans to disturb the birds. On the way back we got stuck in the
traffic of the homegoing horse race spectators. They prevented us from
checking out the Bitterns in Imbanuma.
Participants: Stephan Shuichi Haupt, Ikenaga Hiroshi, Iwasaki Sanae, Douglas MacNeil, Nakashima Hiroshi, Fer-Jan de Vries.
Weather: Wet. Most of the day it was raining lightly. The temperature was mild, though. Hardly any wind. The Lotus fields around Tozaki were filled to the brim. When we reached Yatsu at about 12 pm it was high tide, and the tide was on the way down when we reached Sanbanze at about 14.00.
Observed species
-
Little Grebe
Podiceps ruficollis
[Kaitsuburi]
-
Great cormorant
Phalacrocorax carbo
[Kawa-u]
-
Spot-billed duck
Anas poecilorhyncha
[Karu-gamo]
-
Green-winged Teal
Anas crecca crecca
[Ko-gamo]
-
Gadwall
Anas strepera
[Okayoshi-gamo]
-
Eurasian Wigeon
Anas penelope
[Hidori-gamo]
-
Greater scaup
Aythya marila
[Suzu-gamo]
-
Pochard
Aythya ferina
[Hoshi-hajiro]
-
Red-breasted Merganser
Mergus serrator
[Umi-aisa]
-
Slaty-backed Gull
Larus schitisagus
[Oo-seguro-kamome]
-
Herring Gull
Larus argentatus vegae
[Seguro-kamome]
-
Heuglin Gull??
Larus heuglini taymilensis
[Hoigurin-kamome]
- Sanbanze: 5 ex. Dark eyes, and distinct yellow legs.
-
Mew Gull
Larus canus kamschatschensis
[Kamome]
-
Black-headed Gull
Larus ridibundus
[Yuri-kamome]
- Tozaki
- Yatsu: several groups of up to 50 ex flying high over Yatsu.
- Sanbanze
-
Little egret
Egretta garzetta
[Ko-sagi]
-
Intermediate Egret
Egretta intermedia
[Chuu-sagi]
-
Great egret
Egretta alba
[Dai-sagi]
-
Gray heron
Ardea cinerea
[Ao-sagi]
- Common Coot
Fulica atra
[Oo-ban]
-
Common Gallinule
Gallinula chloropus
[Ban]
-
Oystercatcher
Haematopus ostralegus
[Miyakodori]
-
Common Ringed Plover
Charadrius hiaticula
[Hajiro-kochidori]
-
Snowy plover
Charadrius alexandrinus
[Shiro-chidori]
-
Mongolian plover
Charadrius mongolus
[Medai-chidori]
-
Black-bellied plover
Pluvialis squatarola
[Daizen]
-
Pacific golden plover
Pluvialis vulva
[Munaguro]
-
(Northern) Lapwing
Vanellus vanellus
[Tageri]
-
Rufous-necked stint
Caladris ruficollis
[Tounen]
- Little Stint
Calidris minuta
[Yooroppa-toonen]
-
Dunlin
Caladris alpina
[Hama-shigi]
-
Sanderling
Crocethia alba
[Miyubi-shigi]
-
Ruff
Philomachus pugnax
[Erimaki--shigi]
- Rudy turnstone
Arenaria interpres
[Kyoujo-shigi]
-
Common Sandpiper
Tringa hypoleucos
[Iso-shigi]
-
Spotted Redshank
Tringa erythropus
[Tsuru-shigi]
-
Bar-tailed Godwit
Limosa lapponica
[Oo-sori hashi-shigi]
-
Long-billed Dowitcher
Limnodromus scolopaceus
[Oohashi-shigi]
-
(Eurasian) Curlew
Numenius arquata
[Dai-shaku-shigi]
-
Eastern curlew
Numenius madagascariensis
[Houroku-shigi]
-
Common Snipe
Gallinago gallinago
[Ta-shigi]
-
Black-winged Stilt
Himantopus himantopus
[Seitaka-shigi]
-
Rufous turtle dove
Streptopelia orientalis
[Kiji-bato]
-
Rock Pigeon
Columba livia
[Do-bato]
-
Skylark
Alauda arvensis
[Hibari]
-
Bank Swallow
Riparia riparia
[Shoodo-tsubame]
-
Barn Swallow
Hirundo rustica
[Tsubame]
-
Black-backed Wagtail
Motacilla lugens
[Haku-sekirei]
-
Japanese Wagtail
Motacilla grandis
[Seguro-sekirei]
-
Water Pipit
Anthus spinoletta
[Tahibari]
-
Brown-eared Bulbul
Hypsipetes amaurotis
[Hiyodori]
-
Dusky Thrush
Turdus naumanni
[Tsugumi]
-
Brown Thrush
Turdus chrysolaus
[Akahara]
-
Fan-tailed Warbler
Cisticola juncidis
[Sekka]
-
Siberian Meadow Bunting
Emberiza cioides
[Hoojiro]
-
Black-faced Bunting
Emberiza spodocephala
[Aoji]
- Reed Bunting
Emberiza schoeniclus
[Oo-jurin]
-
Oriental Greenfinch
Carduelis sinica
[Kawarahiwa]
-
Tree sparrow
Passer montanus
[Suzume]
-
Gray Starling
Sturnus cineraceus
[Mukudori]
-
Azure-winged Magpie
Cyanopica cyana
[Onaga]
-
Carrion crow
Corvus corone
[Hashiboso-garasu]
-
Jungle crow
Corvus macrorhynchos
[Hashibuto-garasu]
Birds in Japan and Asia
Last modified: April 14, 1999.