An April Morning in Douhou-koen

  • Douhou-koen in Tsukuba in Ibaraki

    April 18, 1999: 6-9 am.

    Below a report of a brief sunday morning visit to Douhou-koen with Miyabe-san and two collegae of him. It was their first birding experience. I realized how difficult it is to let newcomers to birdwatching actually see the birds. Douhou-koen is both a good and a difficult place to start birdwatching. A good place, because most of the birds there seem to accept the close presence of human beings; and a difficult place because the vegetation allows many birds to remain partially or completely hidden. I hope they could enjoy it, despite the early hour:-)
    Participants: Kimoto Kenji, Kouma Takashi, Miyabe Keisuke Miyabe and Fer-Jan de Vries.
    Weather: Dry, mild, overcast.

    Observed species

    1. Spot-billed Duck Anas poecilorhyncha [Karu-gamo]
    2. Green-winged Teal Anas crecca crecca [Ko-gamo]
    3. Common Gallinule Gallinula chloropus [Ban]
    4. Bamboo Partridge Bambusicola thoracica [Kojukei]
    5. Common Pheasant Phasianus colchicus [Kiji]
    6. Rufous Turtle Dove Streptopelia orientalis [Kiji-bato]
    7. Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker Dendrocopos kizuki [Ko-gera]
    8. Japanese Skylark Alauda japonica [Hibari]
    9. Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica [Tsubame]
    10. Japanese Wagtail Motacilla grandis [Seguro-sekirei]
    11. Indian Tree Pipit Anthus hodgsoni [Binzui]
    12. Brown-eared Bulbul Hypsipetes amaurotis [Hiyodori]
    13. Brown Thrush Turdus chrysolaus [Akahara]
    14. Pale Thrush Turdus pallidus [Shirohara]
    15. Dusky Thrush Turdus naumanni [Tsugumi]
    16. Bush Warbler Cettia diphone [Uguisu]
    17. Great Tit Parus major [Shijuu-kara]
    18. Long-tailed Tit Aegithalos caudatus [Enaga]
    19. Japanese White-eye Zosterops japonica [Mejiro]
    20. Siberian Meadow Bunting Emberiza cioides [Hoojiro]
    21. Black-faced Bunting Emberiza spodocephala [Aoji]
    22. Oriental Greenfinch Carduelis sinica [Kawarahiwa]
    23. Tree Sparrow Passer montanus [Suzume]
    24. Gray Starling Sturnus cineraceus [Mukudori]
    25. Azure-winged Magpie Cyanopica cyana [Onaga]
    26. Carrion Crow Corvus corone [Hashiboso-garasu]
    27. Jungle Crow Corvus macrorhynchos [Hashibuto-garasu]
    Birds in Japan and Asia
    Last modified: April 18, 1999.