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.
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Little grebe
Podiceps ruficollis
[Kaitsuburi] Tozaki, 27 April, 97.
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Spot-billed duck
Anas poecilorhyncha
[Karu-gamo] Tozaki, 27 April, 97.
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Green-winged Teal
Anas crecca crecca
[Ko-gamo] O-ike, 27 April, 97.
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Black-headed Gull
Larus ridibundus
[Yuri-kamome] Tozaki, 27 April, 97.
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Little egret
Egretta garzetta
[Ko-sagi] Tozaki, 27 April, 97.
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Intermediate egret
Egretta intermedia
[Chuu-sagi] Tozaki, 27 April, 97.
- Coot
Fulica atra
[Ou-ban] Tozaki, 27 April, 97.
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Common Gallinule
Gallinula chloropus
[Ban] Tozaki, 27 April, 97.
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Little ringed plover
Charadrius dubius
[Kochidori] Tozaki, 27 April, 97.
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Gray-faced buzzard-eagle
Butastur indicus
[Sashiba] Oike, 27 April, 97.
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Japanese green pigeon
Sphenurus sieboldii
[Ao-bato] Tsukuba-san, 27 April, 97.
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Oriental cuckoo
Cuculus saturatus
[Tsutsudori] Nantai-san, April 26, 97. Tsukuba-san, 27 April, 97.
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Japanese green woodpecker
Dendrocopos awokera
[Aogera] Tsukuba-san, 27 April, 97.
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Japanese pygmy woodpecker
Dendrocopos kizuki
[Ko-gera] Nantai-san, April 26, 97. Tsukuba-san, 27 April, 97.
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Skylark
Alauda arvensis
[Hibari] Nantai-san, April 26, 97.
- 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.
- What the difference between the European Delichon urbica
and the Asian Delichon dasypus. Is this easy to see in flight?
- 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.
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Barn swallow
Hirundo rustica/
[Tsubame] Breeding at Iwama, Kasama and the station of Tomobe, April 26, 97.
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Yellow wagtail
Motacilla flava
[Tsumenaga-sekirei] Tozaki, April 27, 97.
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White wagtail
Motacilla alba
[Haku-sekirei] Tozaki, April 27, 97.
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Brown-eared bulbul
Hypsipetes amaurotis
[Hiyodori] Nantai-san, April 26, 97. Tsukuba-san, 27 April, 97. Tozaki, April 27, 97.
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Winter wren
Troglodytes troglodytes
[Misosazai] Tsukuba-san, 27 April, 97.
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Bush warbler
Cettia diphone
[Uguisu] Nantai-san, April 26, 97. Tsukuba-san, 27 April, 97. Tozaki, April 27, 97.
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Short-tailed bush warbler
Cettia squameiceps
[Yabusame] Nantai-san, April 26, 97. Tsukuba-san, 27 April, 97.
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Crowned willow warbler
Phylloscopus occipitalis
[Sendai-mushikui] Tsukuba-san, 27 April, 97.
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Narcissus flycatcher
Ficedula narcissina
[Ki-bitaki] Tsukuba-san, 27 April, 97.
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Blue and white flycatcher
Cyanptila cyanomelana
[Ou-ruri] Tsukuba-san, 27 April, 97.
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Great tit
Parus major
[Shijuu-kara] Nantai-san, April 26, 97. Tsukuba-san, 27 April, 97.
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Coal tit
Parus ater
[Hi-gara] Tsukuba-san, 27 April, 97.
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Varied tit
Parus varius
[Yama-kara] Tsukuba-san, 27 April, 97.
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Japanese White-eye
Zosterops japonica
[Mejiro] Tsukuba-san, 27 April, 97.
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Siberian meadow bunting
Emberiza cioides
[Hoojiro] Nantai-san, April 26, 97. Tsukuba-san, 27 April, 97.
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Oriental greenfinch
Carduelis sinica
[Kawarahiwa] Tsukuba-san, 27 April, 97.
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Tree sparrow
Passer montanus
[Suzume] Nantai-san, April 26, 97. Tsukuba-san, 27 April, 97. Tozaki, April 27, 97.
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Gray starling
Sturnus cineraceus
[Mukudori] Nantai-san, April 26, 97. Tozaki, 27 April, 97.
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Jay
Garrulus glandarius brandtii
[Kakesu] Tsukuba-san, 27 April, 97.
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Azure winged magpie
Cyanopica cyana
[Onaga] Nantai-san, April 26, 97
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Nutcracker
Nucifraga caryocatactes
[Hoshy-garasu] Tsukuba-san, 27 April, 97.
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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.
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.
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Last modified: April 30, 1997.
ferjan@etl.go.jp