Songbirds near Tsukuba-san in Ibaraki-ken, April 26-27, 1997

The aim was songbirds, but of course we happened to see and hear other birds as well as well. On Saturday, April 26, I walked with friends from Iwama via Nantai-san to Fuguhara. On Sundaymorning I visited the top of Tsukuba-san with Kabaya-san and his wife (one of the makers of the cd's with 333 birdcalls from Japan), Ikenaga-san, Kamiyama-san and two others. In the afternoon of Sunday, April 26 we had a look at Oike on the border of Tsukuba and Tsuchiura, followed by a visit to Tozaki at the north coast of the Tsuchiura part of Kasumigaura. Weather was unexpected warm. Almost summer.
  1. Little grebe Podiceps ruficollis [Kaitsuburi] Tozaki, 27 April, 97.
  2. Spot-billed duck Anas poecilorhyncha [Karu-gamo] Tozaki, 27 April, 97.
  3. Green-winged Teal Anas crecca crecca [Ko-gamo] O-ike, 27 April, 97.
  4. Black-headed Gull Larus ridibundus [Yuri-kamome] Tozaki, 27 April, 97.
  5. Little egret Egretta garzetta [Ko-sagi] Tozaki, 27 April, 97.
  6. Intermediate egret Egretta intermedia [Chuu-sagi] Tozaki, 27 April, 97.
  7. Coot Fulica atra [Ou-ban] Tozaki, 27 April, 97.
  8. Common Gallinule Gallinula chloropus [Ban] Tozaki, 27 April, 97.
  9. Little ringed plover Charadrius dubius [Kochidori] Tozaki, 27 April, 97.
  10. Gray-faced buzzard-eagle Butastur indicus [Sashiba] Oike, 27 April, 97.
  11. Japanese green pigeon Sphenurus sieboldii [Ao-bato] Tsukuba-san, 27 April, 97.
  12. Oriental cuckoo Cuculus saturatus [Tsutsudori] Nantai-san, April 26, 97. Tsukuba-san, 27 April, 97.
  13. Japanese green woodpecker Dendrocopos awokera [Aogera] Tsukuba-san, 27 April, 97.
  14. Japanese pygmy woodpecker Dendrocopos kizuki [Ko-gera] Nantai-san, April 26, 97. Tsukuba-san, 27 April, 97.
  15. Skylark Alauda arvensis [Hibari] Nantai-san, April 26, 97.
  16. House martin Delichon urbica/dasypus [Iwa-tsubame] Breeding at Tomobe station, April 26, 97. In fact this was the first time, that I saw House martins breeding in Japan. Somehow they are not really common.
    1. What the difference between the European Delichon urbica and the Asian Delichon dasypus. Is this easy to see in flight?
    2. Does Delichon urbica breed on Honshu? Or weeker, can it be seen at Honshu?
    I am puzzled, as I understand that the answer to the last question should be NO, yet, the Housemartins which I saw had a pure white throat, when I saw them looking out of their nest. Also, during flight, the breast and belly appeared to be white, as well as the rump. However, seeing them at short range with their high speed I find it difficult to be 100% sure about this observation.
  17. Barn swallow Hirundo rustica/ [Tsubame] Breeding at Iwama, Kasama and the station of Tomobe, April 26, 97.
  18. Yellow wagtail Motacilla flava [Tsumenaga-sekirei] Tozaki, April 27, 97.
  19. White wagtail Motacilla alba [Haku-sekirei] Tozaki, April 27, 97.
  20. Brown-eared bulbul Hypsipetes amaurotis [Hiyodori] Nantai-san, April 26, 97. Tsukuba-san, 27 April, 97. Tozaki, April 27, 97.
  21. Winter wren Troglodytes troglodytes [Misosazai] Tsukuba-san, 27 April, 97.
  22. Bush warbler Cettia diphone [Uguisu] Nantai-san, April 26, 97. Tsukuba-san, 27 April, 97. Tozaki, April 27, 97.
  23. Short-tailed bush warbler Cettia squameiceps [Yabusame] Nantai-san, April 26, 97. Tsukuba-san, 27 April, 97.
  24. Crowned willow warbler Phylloscopus occipitalis [Sendai-mushikui] Tsukuba-san, 27 April, 97.
  25. Narcissus flycatcher Ficedula narcissina [Ki-bitaki] Tsukuba-san, 27 April, 97.
  26. Blue and white flycatcher Cyanptila cyanomelana [Ou-ruri] Tsukuba-san, 27 April, 97.
  27. Great tit Parus major [Shijuu-kara] Nantai-san, April 26, 97. Tsukuba-san, 27 April, 97.
  28. Coal tit Parus ater [Hi-gara] Tsukuba-san, 27 April, 97.
  29. Varied tit Parus varius [Yama-kara] Tsukuba-san, 27 April, 97.
  30. Japanese White-eye Zosterops japonica [Mejiro] Tsukuba-san, 27 April, 97.
  31. Siberian meadow bunting Emberiza cioides [Hoojiro] Nantai-san, April 26, 97. Tsukuba-san, 27 April, 97.
  32. Oriental greenfinch Carduelis sinica [Kawarahiwa] Tsukuba-san, 27 April, 97.
  33. Tree sparrow Passer montanus [Suzume] Nantai-san, April 26, 97. Tsukuba-san, 27 April, 97. Tozaki, April 27, 97.
  34. Gray starling Sturnus cineraceus [Mukudori] Nantai-san, April 26, 97. Tozaki, 27 April, 97.
  35. Jay Garrulus glandarius brandtii [Kakesu] Tsukuba-san, 27 April, 97.
  36. Azure winged magpie Cyanopica cyana [Onaga] Nantai-san, April 26, 97
  37. Nutcracker Nucifraga caryocatactes [Hoshy-garasu] Tsukuba-san, 27 April, 97.
  38. Jungle crow Corvus macrorhynchos [Hashibuto-garasu] Tsukuba-san, 27 April, 97. Tozaki, April 27, 97.

Former cage birds

The soundscape on top of Tsukuba-san was dominated by Peking robins. They are a recent, noisy and abundant enrichment of the local avifauna. No mention of them yet in the Fieldguides on Japanese birds, yet, it seems. If my memory does not play tricks on me, I believe I heard them also the day before in the forest around Nantai-san.
  • Red-billed Leiothrix, Pekin Robin Leiothrix lutea [Soushicho] Short, wide red beak. Overal appearance olive green. However yellow throat and orange breast as well as some red/yellow on top of secondaries. Tsukuba-san, 27 April, 97.

  • Cage birds

    In the neighborhood of Fugahara station I encountered some birds kept in tiny cages. The owner was a happy smiling guy, perhaps 50 years old. He explained that he had received them as presents from a friend... I understood that they were caught in the Tsukuba-san Kaba-san area. The birds seemed to be in good condition. Boxes were kept in a small shadow gap between two houses. This is not supposed to be legal.
  • Japanese waxwing
  • Bohemian waxwing
  • Bush warbler
  • Japanese white eye (perfect brown flanks)

  • Back to previous page Last modified: April 30, 1997. ferjan@etl.go.jp