Grey Heron in Sakura Petal Shower

Other Birds in Kasai Rinkai Koen

In the pond at Kasai Rinkai Koen Bird Observatory, wintering ducks were still seen as well as the resident birds.

 female Pochard (Hoshihajiroホシハジロ)

 Male Tufted Ducks (Kinkurohajiroキンクロハジロ)

 male Tufted duck & male Teal (Kogamoコガモ)

 female Tufted duck & female Pochard

 male Teal

 Moorhen (Banバン)

 a Great Egret (Daisagiダイサギ) flew in

a pair of Spot-billed Ducks (Karugamoカルガモ)

 

Spot-billed Ducks usually breed in this park and we will see cute ducklings in a month or so:)

Kasai Rinkai Koen by the sea

Kasai Rinkai Koen, which is one of the best birding places in Tokyo, was my destination today to see a friend, who was in England when I was in Wales, and for her to see some Oystercatchers in the park.

We spotted an Oystercatcher (Miyakodoriミヤコドリ) within the first 10 minutes after we met each other!

At the seaside part of the park, we saw ...

Black-tailed Gull (Uminekoウミネコ)

Little Egret (Kosagiコサギ)

Grey Heron (Aosagiアオサギ)

a Great Crested Grebe (Kanmurikaitsuburiカンムリカイツブリ)
and Greater Scaups (Suzugamoスズガモ) resting & preening on the sand

Little Grebe (Kaitsuburiカイツブリ)

Red-necked Grebe (Hajirokaitsuburiハジロカイツブリ)

Many people with huge canon-like cameras were lining up on the spit and we later found out that a wintering Black-faced Spoonbill was their target.

The Sumida River

One hot and humid morning (well, it is the norm in Japan in July), I decided to go for a walk on the Sumida River in eastern Tokyo to look for Black-tailed Gulls (Uminekoウミネコ).

A few Black-tailed gulls were flying up and down over the river.

This one was there for a long time, its head against the wind.

Yanagibashi Bridge over the Kandagawa canal

On both sides under the concrete embankment, 2 Grey Herons (Aosagiアオサギ) and a Great Egret (Daisagiダイサギ) were standing still like decoys.

Grey Herons and Cormorants (Kawauカワウ) were resting on a concrete slab.

Two Thick-billed Crow (Hashibutogarasuハシブトガラス) fledglings were waiting for their parent to bring food for them on the girder of the motorway.

A Blue Rock Thrush (Isohiyodoriイソヒヨドリ) fledgling was hunting insects on its own. It still had a little bit of yellow on the side of its beak.

It was really hot (over 30 degrees) but strong winds were blowing over the river and as long as the winds kept blowing it was not too bad for walking.

It looks as if there is no life at all in the hostile-looking environment, but, if you look for it, interesting lives are everywhere! 

Daurian Redstart

A female Daurian Redstart (Jobitakiジョウビタキ) was very busy hunting tiny, tiny flying insects by the moat around the Imperial Palace, Tokyo.

The Moat of the Imperial Palace II

For some reason, the ducks were flushed and kept flying round and round above our heads.

And eventually this flock disappeared into the other side of the palace.

On the Hirakawa Bridge (Hirakawa-bashi平川橋), one of the bridges over the moat, a White Wagtail (Hakusekireiハクセキレイ) just landed.

Hirakawa Bridge

Quite a few Cormomrants (Kawauカワウ) were resting, fishing and flying in and around the moat.

Shimizu Gate (Shimizu-mon清水門) - one of the Edo Castle gates, which was built in 1658 and which people can walk through.

Behind the gate, the roof of Nippon Budokan (日本武道館) was dominating the view.

On the other side of Shimizu Bridge, the level of water looked higher and Tufted Ducks (Kinkurohajiroキンクロハジロ) were resting peacefully.

Towards the end of my walk, there was a lone Mute Swan (Kobuhakuchoコブハクチョウ) foraging amongst the dabbling ducks.

When I was just about to turn around towards the station, something caught my eye.
It was a lovely female Daurian Redstart (Jobitakiジョウビタキ), jumping up and down to catch tiny flying insects.

I delayed my leave (of course!) and enjoyed her company for a little longer.