Yatsuhigata Nature Observation Centre

The weather was just miserable but we decided to head for the Yatsuhigata Nature observation Centre again because it'd be nice and warm in the Centre and possibly not many people would be there in that horrible weather. When we got to the path, the tide was coming in and we could see some waders quite closely (in a downpour...).

A Bar-tailed Godwit (Oosorihashishigiオオソリハシシギ) looked at a loss... He was in a beautiful summer plumage.

A Grey Plover (Daizenダイゼン) flew even closer towards us:) We got excited because we thought he was a Great Knot (which we've never seen) but later we were told he was a Grey Plover in his winter plumage.

Daizen has got a black tail and a stubby beak, we now know!

Rain was dripping from a lone Black-winged Stilt (Seitakashigiセイタカシギ)... Poor soul. He looked so ridiculously unbalanced when his loooooong legs were exposed over the water:) but lovely birds!

A pair of Mongolian Plover (or Lesser Sandplover) (Medaichidoriメダイチドリ) were busy going back and forth on the mudflat near the path.

Looking-glass???

The Centre is about 15-20 min walk from the Minami-funabashi Station and we were absolutely soaked (happy birders though;) by the time we reached the Centre.

More than 10 Great Egrets (Daisagiダイサギ) and Little Egrets (Kosagiコサギ) in total were on the mudflat. Although people said they have seen the Intermediate Egrets there this season already, still no luck for us...

Young Black-headed Gulls (Yurikamomeユリカモメ) were squabbling over something... They have a black line on the very end of their tail feathers. We were told BH Gulls don't breed around the Chiba area and that almost all the the adults have gone to their breeding sites already. Only non-breeding young ones are around there in summer. 

We were glad we went there on that particular day as it turned out the 3rd Sunday of every month is a birding day organised by the members of the Wild Bird Society of Japan. Thanks to the helpful and knowledgeable members, we learnt a lot about some of the birds we didn't see in the UK. We would like to join some of their birding events in the near future:)