March 1st, 1997: Ibaraki-birdathon


Starting at sunrise and finishing at sunset we visited
  • Yamato-mura: Archaic landscape on the western slopes of Tsukuba-san and Kaba-san. Lost of forests. Is supposed to be a good area to observe migration. We missed the Japanese accentor that our anonymous local guide had seen the day before.
  • Ottonuma: former marsh land south of Tsukuba. Joban expressway is build over it, jet Bewick-swans and Falcated teals still winter in the remaining lake. The nearby reedbeds are still in favor with the migrating Reedbuntings.
  • Kotoku-numa in Urizuramachi: small artificial lake at the highest side of a valley. Partly surrounded by forest. Meant to be the waterreservoir for the lower ricepaddies. The local farmers started feeding the swans (a popular way of bird protection in Japan) instead of hunting them. A relatively big numbers of swans is acctracted to the lake every winter.
  • Pacific coast along Nakaminato-shi and Kotoku-numa in Oarai-machi: near Mito there are some rocky outcrops in an otherwise sandy coast. Good place for seabirds.
  • Hinomako: large lake south of Mito, close to the ocean. White tailed eagle is supposed to winter there. We did not see it, but instead saw a beautiful Goshawk hunting the abundant Green winged teals. Brackish water. Many waterbirds and splendid landscape.
  • Edosaki: mouth of the river Onogawa in Kasumigaura, the big lake east of Tsukuba. The ricefields along the wide rivermouth attract waderbirds, Beangeese and many birds of prey. Locals fight to make the fields in a permanent nature reserve. Elsewhere the Beangeese can be hunted, but on these fields they are protected. The number of geese seems to be growing. There is no feeding, yet. Forbiding the hunting of geese all around Kasumigaura is perhaps another way of protection...
  • Ukishima: the banks of the broad Shintonegawa, where it flows into Kasumigaura, the big lake east of Tsukuba. The large reedbed is perfect for Reedbuntings and Harriers.
  • In total we saw some 80 birdspecies, which is a good total for Ibaraki.

    Participants: Hiroshi Ikenaga-san, Neil Fergusson, Douglas MacNeil, ?, Norito Kawaji-san and Fer-Jan de Vries.

    Weather: overcast, most of the time dry, rather windy, 3-8 degrees Celsius


    1. Artic loon Gavia artica [Ouhamu] ?
    2. Great crested grebe Podiceps cristatus [Kanmuri-kaitsuburi]
    3. Eared grebe Podiceps nigricollis [Hajiro-kaitsuburi]
    4. Little grebe Podiceps ruficollis [Kaitsuburi]
    5. Great cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo [Kawa-u]
    6. Temminck's cormorant Phalacrocorax filamentosus [Umi-u]
    7. Whooper Swan Cygnus cygnus [Ou-hakuchou]
    8. Whistling (Bewick) Swan Cygnus columbianus jankowskii [Ko-hakuchou]
    9. Bean goose Anser fabalis middendorffi [Ou-hishikui]
    10. Mallard Anas Platyrhynchos [Ma-gamo]
    11. Spot-billed duck Anas poecilorhyncha [Karu-gamo]
    12. Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata [Hashibiro-gamo]
    13. Green-winged Teal Anas crecca crecca [Ko-gamo]
    14. Falcated Teal Anas falcata [Yoshi-gamo]
    15. Gadwall Anas strepera [Okayoshi-gamo]
    16. Northern Pintail Anas acuta [Onaga-gamo]
    17. Eurasian Wigeon Anas penelope [Hidori-gamo]
    18. Pochard Aythya ferina [Hoshi-hajiro]
    19. Common goldeneye Bucephala clangula [Hojiro-gamo]
    20. Tufted duck Aythya fuligula [Kinkuro-hajiro]
    21. Greater scaup Aythya marila [Suzu-gamo]
    22. Harlequin duck Histronicus histronicus [Shinori-gamo]
    23. Common merganser Mergus merganser [Kawa-aisa]
    24. Ancient murrelet Synthliboramphus antiquus [Umi-suzume]
    25. Slaty-backed gull Larus schitisagus [Ou-seguro-kamome]
    26. Herring gull Larus argentatus [Seguro-kamome]
    27. Black-tailed gull Larus crassirostris [Umineko]
    28. Glaucous gull Larus hyperboreus [Shirokamome]
    29. Mew gull Larus canus [Kamome]
    30. Black-headed Gull Larus ridibundus [Yuri-kamome]
    31. Little egret Egretta garzetta [Ko-sagi]
    32. Intermediate egret Egretta intermedia [Chuu-sagi]
    33. Great egret Egretta alba [Dai-sagi]
    34. Grey heron Ardea cinerea [Ao-sagi]
    35. Coot Fulica atra [Ou-ban]
    36. Common Gallinule Gallinula chloropus [Ban]
    37. Snowy plover Charadrius alexandrinus [Shiro-chidori]
    38. (Northern) Lapwing Vanellus vanellus [Tageri]
    39. Dunlin Caladris alpina [Hama-shigi]
    40. Sanderling Crocethia alba [Miyubi-shigi]
    41. Common sandpiper Tringa hypoleucos [Iso-shigi]
    42. Common snipe Gallinago gallinago [Ta-shigi]
    43. Black kite Milvus migrans [Tobi]
    44. Common buzzard Buteo buteo [Nosuri]
    45. Eastern Marsh harrier Circus aeruginous [Chuuhi]
    46. Northern goshawk Accipter gentilis [Ou-taka]
    47. European sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus [Hai-taka]
    48. Merlin Falco columbarius [Ko-chougenbou]
    49. Eurasian Kestrel Falco tinnunculus [Chougenbou]
    50. Short eared owl Asio flammeus, Komimi-zuku. [Komimi-zuku]
    51. Bamboo partridge Bambusicola thoracica [Kojukei]
    52. Common pheasant Phasianus colchicus [Kiji]
    53. Rufous turtle dove Streptopelia orientalis [Kiji-bato]
    54. Rock pigeon Columbia livia [Hata]
    55. Common kingfisher Alcedo atthis [Kama-semi]
    56. Japanese green woodpecker Dendrocopos awokera [Aogera]
    57. Great spotted woodpecker Dendrocopos major [Akagera]
    58. Japanese pygmy woodpecker Dendrocopos kizuki [Ko-gera]
    59. Skylark Alauda arvensis [Hibari]
    60. White wagtail Haku-sekirei [Motacilla alba]
    61. Japanese wagtail Motacilla grandis [Seguro-sekirei]
    62. Water pipit Anthus spinoletta [Tahibari]
    63. Brown-eared bulbul Hypsipetes amaurotis [Hiyodori]
    64. Bull-headed shrike Lanius bucephalus [Mozu]
    65. Brown thrush Turdus chrysolaus [Akahara]
    66. Dusky thrush Turdus naumanni [Tsugumi]
    67. Bush warbler Cettia diphone [Uguisu]
    68. Great tit Parus major [Shijuu-kara]
    69. Coal tit Parus ater [Hi-gara]
    70. Varied tit Parus varius [Yama-kara]
    71. Siberian meadow bunting Emberiza cioides [Hoojiro]
    72. Rustic Bunting Emberiza rustica [Kashiradaka]
    73. Black-faced bunting Emberiza spodocephala [Aoji]
    74. Reed bunting Emberiza schoeniclus [Ou-jurin]
    75. Oriental greenfinch Carduelis sinica [Kawarahiwa]
    76. Tree sparrow Passer montanus [Suzume]
    77. Gray starling Sturnus cineraceus [Mukudori]
    78. Jay Garrulus glandarius [Kakesu]
    79. Carrion crow Corvus corone [Hashiboso-garasu]
    80. Jungle crow Corvus macrorhynchos [Hashibuto-garasu]

    Back to previous page Last modified: March 3, 1997. Fer-Jan de Vries, ferjan@etl.go.jp