From Onogawa to Edosaki along the Onogawa on Januari 3, 1998


Another bik trip along the Onogawa. I followed the small river until the big Buddha. Then I went north via the racetracks and stables of Miho, numerous hills and yatsu's to the Painted Snipe spot at Kausigaura. Alas, perhaps due to the rice planting no Tamashigi. Lots of other snipes, most Common, but one Uncommon snipe, with no white trailing wing edges. Lots of nice flowers in the forests on the hills.
  1. Little grebe Podiceps ruficollis [Kaitsuburi] 2 ex calling in Kasumigaura.
  2. Spot-billed duck Anas poecilorhyncha [Karu-gamo] At least 4 ex.
  3. Green-winged Teal Anas crecca crecca [Ko-gamo] 250 roosting on the wooden bars which support the fishing nets in Kasumigaura.
  4. Chinese Little Bittern Ixobrychus sinensis [Yoshi-goi] Presumably two ex, "barking" after dark near Ami.
  5. Black-crowned night-heron Nycticorax nycticorax [Goi-sagi] Many flying around after dark. At least 30 along Kasumigaura.
  6. Little egret Egretta garzetta [Ko-sagi] 5 ex.
  7. Intermediate egret Egretta intermedia [Chuu-sagi] 3 ex.
  8. Great egret Egretta alba [Dai-sagi] 1 ex.
  9. Common Gallinule Gallinula chloropus [Ban] A few.
  10. Water rail Rallus aquaticus [Kuina] 1 ex flying for cover along Onogawa, 4 km south of Railroad.
  11. Little ringed plover Charadrius dubius [Kochidori] At least 10 ex.
  12. Pacific Golden Plover Pluvialis Vulva [Munaguro] Almost 80, at various locations (even near my house.)
  13. Common snipe Gallinago gallinago [Ta-shigi] At least 20 ex.
  14. Uncommon snipe Gallinago spec. [?-shigi]
  15. Painted snipe Rostratula benghalensis [Tama-shigi] None.
  16. Gray-faced buzzard-eagle Butastur indicus [Sashiba] 1 ex just south of railroad bridge over Onogawa. Hunting in ricepaddies apparently for frogs, moving from high point to high point. It approached its preys not via a steep dive but it glides low over the field using low obstacles to remain out of sight... While I watched, it spotteds two frogs from its high point and approaches them at distances of 30 meters. It caught one.
  17. Rufous turtle dove Streptopelia orientalis [Kiji-bato] Many.
  18. Bamboo partridge Bambusicola thoracica [Kojukei] 1 ex calling near Miho
  19. Common pheasant Phasianus colchicus [Kiji] 1 ex calling near Miho
  20. Japanese pygmy woodpecker Dendrocopos kizuki [Ko-gera] 2 ex.
  21. Skylark Alauda arvensis [Hibari] Could be heard at manyplaces.
  22. lark Alauda [?] One rather dark brownish lark, without white trailing wing edge.
  23. Barn swallow Hirundo rustica [Tsubame] At least 30 ex. At several places.
  24. Japanese wagtail Motacilla grandis [Seguro-sekirei] Several.
  25. Bull-headed shrike Lanius bucephalus [Mozu] 1 ex.
  26. Dusky thrush Turdus naumanni [Tsugumi] A few. (less than 10)
  27. Bush warbler Cettia diphone [Uguisu] At many places singing.
  28. Fan-tailed warbler Cisticola juncidis [Sekka] Singing at sveral places.
  29. Great reed warbler Acrocephalus arundinaceus [Ou-yoshikiri] Singing at many places.
  30. Great tit Parus major [Shijuu-kara] 2 ex.
  31. Siberian meadow bunting Emberiza cioides [Hoojiro] At least 15 ex.
  32. Oriental greenfinch Carduelis sinica [Kawarahiwa] At least 30 ex, at various places along the small river.
  33. Tree sparrow Passer montanus [Suzume] At many places individuals.
  34. Gray starling Sturnus cineraceus [Mukudori] Everywhere.
  35. Carrion crow Corvus corone [Hashiboso-garasu] At least 8. One nest.
Mammals Butterflies Reptiles and amphibians Flowers (but I am not a botanist and choose the name of an similar plant)
Birds in Japan and Asia Last modified: April 29, 1998. Fer-Jan de Vries, ferjan@etl.go.jp