Black faced spoonbill in Kasai-rinkan Koen, Tokyo
Kasai-rinkan Koen is a rather new park along Tokyo bay. It can be reached in 10 minutes via the Keiyou-line from Tokyo Station. It is adjacent to Disney World. Entrance is free. The greens are crowded with young couples and families escaping the city. Apparently also some nature engineering (in contrast to WADERS-L:134 and WADERS-L:148) has been performed: the eastern part of the park consist of two ponds with mudflats and several hides. In the bay two crescent shaped islands have been build. As a result (?) the area attracts massive numbers of waterfowl.
I am grateful to Kieran Daly for informing me about this site and the wintering Black-faced spoonbill (One photo showing winter plumage and another one showing summer plumage of Black-faced spoonbills I found on the web).
A: visit Februari 8, 1997 (Slightly misty, mild sunny winterday. Not cold. A bit hasty visit between 4 pm and sunset at 5.15 pm.
B: visit Februari 15, 1997 Overcast, not cold, not a strong wind. Visit between 12 am and at 3 pm. Together with Neil Wingert.
C: visit April 5, 1997. Low tide, Cold spring weather, drizle followed by rain. Visit between 7.30 am and at 11 am. Together with Kieran Daly and local birder Paul Jaquith.
D: visit July 19, 1997. Low tide, warm summer weather. Sunny. Visit between 6.30 am and at 9.30 am. Together with Stephan Shuichi Haupt.
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Great crested grebe
Podiceps cristatus
[Kanmuri-kaitsuburi]: A, B
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Horned grebe
Podiceps auritus
[Mimi-kaitsuburi]: A
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Eared grebe
Podiceps nigricollis
[Hajiro-kaitsuburi]: A, B
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Little grebe
Podiceps ruficollis
[Kaitsuburi]: A, B, C, D
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Great Cormorant
Phalacrocorax carbo
[Kawa-u]: A, B, C, D
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Mallard
Anas Platyrhynchos
[Ma-gamo]: A, B, C
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Spot-billed duck
Anas poecilorhyncha
[Karu-gamo]: A, B, C, D
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Northern Shoveler
Anas clypeata
[Hashibiro-gamo]: A, B, C
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Green-winged Teal
Anas crecca crecca
[Ko-gamo]: A, B, C
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Gadwall
Anas strepera
[Okayoshi-gamo]: A, B, C
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Northern Pintail
Anas acuta
[Onaga-gamo]: A, B, C
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Eurasian Wigeon
Anas penelope
[Hidori-gamo]: A, B, C, D
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Pochard
Aythya ferina
[Hoshi-hajiro]: A, B, C
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Tufted duck
Aythya fuligula
[Kinkuro-hajiro]: (I guess I forgot to record it the previous two visits?) C
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Greater scaup
Aythya marila
[Suzu-gamo]: A, B On the bay there are some 15.000 ex present..., C (some 100's at most), D (several tens)
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Smew
Mergus albellus
[Miko-aisa]: A, B, C
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Slaty-backed gull
Larus schitisagus
[Ou-seguro-kamome]: A, B, D
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Herring gull
Larus argentatus
[Seguro-kamome]: A, B, C
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Black-tailed gull
Larus crassirostris
[Umineko]: D
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Mew gull
Larus canus
Kamome: B, C
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Black-headed Gull
Larus ridibundus
[Yuri-kamome]: A, B, C
- Chinese Little Bittern
Ixobrychus sinensis
[Yoshi-goi]: D (at least 3 ex)
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Little egret
Egretta garzetta
[Ko-sagi]: A, B, C, D (young seem to have yellow green legs: especially the kee is quite yellow)
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Intermediate egret
Egretta intermedia
[Chuu-sagi]: C
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Great egret
Egretta alba
[Dai-sagi]: A, B, C, D
- Gray heron Ardea cinerea [Ao-sagi]: A, B, C, D
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Black-faced spoonbill Platalea minor
[Kurotsura-herasagi]: A 1 adult in winter plumage feeding in the fresh
water pond. Apparently since at least a month present. B in close up
the slightly wrinkled structure of the bill surface was clearly
visible, as well as the red eye, however, at close range the black
mask revealed some colored details: a thin yellow eye stripe directly
above the eye and a wider yellow crescent below the eye. According to
the "Waterbirds in Asia" guide of the WBSJ, this indicates a
male. That guide also warns that the Royal spoonbill and Black-faced
spoonbill cannot be distinghuised in winter plumage, only on
range. So, what did we see?, C idem.
- Coot
Fulica atra
[Ou-ban]: A, B, C, D
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Common Gallinule
Gallinula chloropus
[Ban]: A, C (one sitting high at some reed stems...), D (with young)
- Little ringed plover Charadrius dubius
[Kochidori]: C (2 ex, showing interesting, for me new behavior:
standing on one leg, they made a rapid trembling movement on the rainy
mud with the other, slightly forwards reaching leg, followed by either
a quick peck or one or two steps forward and a quick peck. Atsushi MATSUI, birdwatcher
at Yatsu, seemed to be familiar with this behavior.)
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Mongolian plover
Charadrius mongolus
[Medai-chidori]: D (5 ex)
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Greenshank
Tringa nebulara
[Aoashi-shigi] D (2 ex)
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Common snipe
Gallinago gallinago
[Ta-shigi]: A, 4 ex feeding in the mudflats
of the western fresh water pond. B, C (at least 12)
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Black-winged Stilt
Himantopus himantopus
[Seitaka-shigi]: A, 9 ex, adults and immature. B, C (breeding plumage, active flying arround), D (only 1 ex)
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Eastern Marsh harrier
Circus aeruginous
[Chuuhi]: A 1 female, hunting over the reedcovered eastern crescent island in the bay.
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Rufous turtle dove
Streptopelia orientalis
[Kiji-bato]: A, B, C, D
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Skylark
Alauda arvensis
[Hibari]: C, D
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Barn swallow
Hirundo rustica
[Tsubame]: C, D
- House martin
Delichon urbica
[Iwa-tsubame]: D (nice dirty white birds, apart from to really white birds...)
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White wagtail
Haku-sekirei
[Motacilla alba]: A, B, C, D
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Japanese wagtail
Motacilla grandis
[Seguro-sekirei]: A
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Water pipit
Anthus spinoletta
[Tahibari] B
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Brown-eared bulbul
Hypsipetes amaurotis
[Hiyodori]: A, B, C, D
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Bull-headed shrike
Lanius bucephalus
[Mozu]: B, flying with a small mouse (grey back, white belly) in its beak. D.
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Daurian redstart
Phoenicurus auroreus
[Joobitaki]: A, B
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Brown thrush
Turdus chrysolaus
[Akahara]: B
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Dusky thrush
Turdus naumanni
[Tsugumi]: A, B, C
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Bush warbler
Cettia diphone
[Uguisu]: B
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Fan-tailed warbler
Cisticola juncidis
[Sekka]: B
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Japanese White-eye
Zosterops japonica
[Mejiro]: A, B, C
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Siberian meadow bunting
Emberiza cioides
[Hoojiro]: A
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Rustic Bunting
Emberiza rustica
[Kashiradaka]: A
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Black-faced bunting
Emberiza spodocephala
[Aoji]: A, B, C
- Reed bunting
Emberiza schoeniclus
[Ou-jurin]: B, C
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Oriental greenfinch
Carduelis sinica
[Kawarahiwa]: C, D
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Tree sparrow
Passer montanus
[Suzume]: A, B, C, D
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Gray starling
Sturnus cineraceus
[Mukudori]: A, B, C
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Azure winged magpie
Cyanopica cyana
[Onaga]: A, B, C, D
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Jungle crow
Corvus macrorhynchos
[Hashibuto-garasu]: A, B, C, D
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Last modified: April 5, 1997.
Fer-Jan de Vries, ferjan@etl.go.jp