Reedbeds

The Japanese Swamp Warbler (Osekkaオオセッカ) and the Japanese Reed Bunting (Kojurinコジュリン) are endemic to East Asia and found in local and restricted areas even in Japan. One of their few breeding grounds is the reedbeds by the Tonegawa in Chiba, so off we went to appreciate those rareities.


This kind of vast reedbeds are as rare as the birds as most of the riverbanks in Japan are embanked with concrete and the reedbeds were cut and drained for agriculture or housing.

The Japanese Swamp Warbler

Without their display flight, it would've been impossible for us to spot them but thankfully they were everywhere in the reeds and flew up singing their hearts out.

I was just waiting for one or two to land on a reed closer to us for a shot:) (Well, most of them landed miles away from us though.)

We moved to Kojurin Koen (literally means 'Park of the Japanese Reed Bunting') - the park is in the middle of nowhere and we got lost in the vast paddie fields. We drove on a tiny path between the fields and eventually got there. phew!

And there he was!

a male Japanese Reed Bunting

A male has a completely black hood down to his lower neck unlike the common reed bunting (which is a winter visitor around here).

Very lucky for us, he was feeding a fledgling on a path and left the young there on its own.

The young one looked a bit like a Black-headed Bunting (Aoji).

It hopped into the grass, which seemed very wise. On the path it was too exposed! 


We also saw/heard many, many Oriental Reed Warblers (Oyoshikiriオオヨシキリ), Black-browed Reed Warblers (Koyoshikiriコヨシキリ), Zitting Cisticolas (Sekkaセッカ), Skylarks (Hibariヒバリ), Great Egrets (Daisagiダイサギ), Little Egrets (Kosagiコサギ), Grey Herons (Aosagiアオサギ), Barn Swallows (Tsubameツバメ) and Sparrows (Suzumeスズメ), and some Cormorants (Kawauカワウ), Spotbilled Ducks (Karugamoカルガモ), Little Ringed Plovers (Kochidoriコチドリ), Grey Starlings (Mukudoriムクドリ), Japanese Bush Warblers (Uguisuウグイス), and a Great Crested Grebe (Kammurikaitsuburiカンムリカイツブリ), Moorhen (Banバン) and 3 unidentified raptors, which we think were Japanese Sparrowhawks.


Black-browed Reed Warblers

a lone Great Crested Grebe

a Grey Heron landed near a fisherman:) cheeky!

Skylarks

After Heavy Rain

It rained rather a lot in the morning, which cooled down the air a bit, so I decided to cycle to Inage Kaihin Park.

This Carrion Crow (Hashibosogarasuハシボソガラス) got a crab inbetween the rocks by the water.

Lots of fish were swirling just below the surface

and those ones poked their faces up!

Was that normal or happened because the oxygen level was low or something?

A White Wagtail (Hakusekireiハクセキレイ) was so into chasing insects that he didn't realise how close he got to me:)

A family of Azure-winged Magpies (Onagaオナガ) were noisy in the woods but this one was the only one who popped up.

and went down to look for food?

Grrrrr....
You can't get away from revolting views of Soga & Goi...

Kemigawa no Hama

I went back to see if any Little Terns (Koajisashiコアジサシ) had become interested in the patch by the Yacht Harbour.

http://birdinginjapan.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/ready-for-little-terns.html

and there she was!

and her partner standing a few yards away from her.

These were the only pair breeding within the protected area. I feared that they would not succeed to be honest...

Some plovers were near the little terns.

A Kentish Plover (Shirochidoriシロチドリ), looking like she was sitting on eggs.

6 more Kentish Plovers were in and around the area and I hope they will choose the area for their breeding ground.

a rare (on this particular beach) Lesser Sand Plover (Medaichidoriメダイチドリ)

A male Skylark (Hibariヒバリ) was singing in the air for more than half an hour while I was there. He touched down the ground and flew up singing vigorously again!

*** sad news ***
The Little Terns seemed to have abondoned their nest as there were no eggs left in it around 21/June. No one knows for sure about the disappearance of their eggs, perhaps by crows, cats, or rats? Who knows. Anyway, there is little hope for this season. Very sad.

Fledglings

5 Barn Swallow (Tsubameツバメ) chicks fledged one morning from a nearby nest and one of them perched just outside our flat.

A parent perched right next to him/her calling loudly.

They were sitting there for a while and all went towards the park.


Many Grey Starling (Mukudoriムクドリ) families were feeding on the ground.

The young ones were rather bold (or careless) and came very close towards me.

This mummy's boy was still begging for food.

Thick-billed Crow (Hashibutogarasuハシブトガラス) fledglings were quietly sitting in a tree, watching me cautiously watching him:)

 

This one got bored?

or hungry?

Young birds are everywhere at the moment. I know their survival rate is not so high but still I do hope they will do well.

Aoba no Mori Koen

Although the park was full of calls by fledglings, following their mums and dads or begging for food, green leaves make it almost impossible to see them closely.

The only bird which came very close to me voluntarily was a Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker (Kogeraコゲラ).

Is he/she a fledgling? The bottom of its beak looks rather yellowish.

Strong looking claws

He/she started preening just a few yards away from me!

It is always a great pleasure seeing one of them:) Thanks!


An Eastern Great Tit (Shijukaraシジュウカラ) family were very vocal and flying past over my head.

Has he got some snack?

Other very vocal bird families were Grey Starlings (Mukudoriムクドリ), which were in trees everywhere in the park. But all my attempts to get closer to them failed... They were the only ones which were visible! (The right one is a fledgling.)

It was rather a bird 'listening' walk than a bird watching walk but I rather enjoyed it.