Birding in Kiyosato

We were eager to see a Crested Kingfisher （Yamasemiヤマセミ) so we were off to a reservoir called 'Kiyosato-ko'(Lake Kiyosato) on New Year's Eve.

a male Goosander (Kawaaisaカワアイサ)

Black-eared Kite (Tobiトビ)

Grey Wagtail (Kisekireiキセキレイ)

Japanese Wagtail (Segurosekireiセグロセキレイ)

We were not so lucky with the kingfisher that day...

Around the reservoir, thousands of Bramblings (Atoriアトリ) were foraging in the forest. We had never seen so many of them at one time!

There were quite a few buntings in the thicket.

Meadow Bunting (Hojiroホオジロ)

 Rustic Bunting (Kashiradakaカシラダカ)

female Daurian Redstart (Jobitakiジョウビタキ）

We asked a bird-guide in Kiyosato to take us to a place where the Ural Owls (Fukuroフクロウ） winter. Towards the end of the 3-hour birding, we finally saw one coming out from the woods and starting to hunt. It was too dark and too far for a photo but we were able to see him quite clearly through our binoculars. During the 3-hour tour, we saw Eastern Buzzard (Nosuriノスリ), Japanese Green Woodpecker (Aogeraアオゲラ), Jay (Kakesuカケス) and Dusky Thrush (Tsugumiツグミ). Our guide, Mr Saito, spotted a Short-eared Owl but we were a bit too late...


All in all, it was a great short holiday in Kobuchizawa & Kiyosato. We would like to go back in summer for breeding birds there one day.

Birding in Nagano-ken

A small flock of Common Crossbill (Isukaイスカ) were seen in the area where the Pallas's Rosefinch was wintering.

We had never seen Crossbills so close! They seemed to come down to the lower branches to eat some snow.


Large mixed flocks were flying by in the fir trees.

Coal Tit (Higaraヒガラ)

Varied Tit (Yamagaraヤマガラ)

a lone Siskin (Mahiwaマヒワ)

Long-tailed Rosefinch (Benimashikoベニマシコ） a bit far...

In and around the same area, we saw Steller's Sea Eagle (Oowashiオオワシ), Peregrine (Hayabusaハヤブサ), who tried to flick a black-headed gull with its claws!!, Thick-billed Crow (Hashibutogarasuハシブトガラス), Carrion Crow (Hashibosogarasuハシボソガラス), Grey Heron (Aosagiアオサギ), Cormorant (Kawauカワウ), Black-headed Gull (Yurikamomeユリカモメ), Pintail (Onagagamoオナガガモ), Mallard (Magamoマガモ), Spot-billed Duck (Karugamoカルガモ), Pochard (Hoshihajiroホシハジロ), Tufted Duck (Kinkurohajiroキンクロハジロ), Greater Scaup (Suzugamoスズガモ), Goosander (Kawaaisaカワアイサ), Coot (Oobanオオバン), Common Kingfisher (Kawasemiカワセミ), Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker (Kogeraコゲラ), Brown-eared Bulbul (Hiyodoriヒヨドリ), White-cheeked Starling (Mukudoriムクドリ), Eastern Great Tit (Shijukaraシジュウカラ), Willow Tit (Kogaraコガラ), Long-tailed Tit (Enagaエナガ), Tree Sparrow (Suzumeスズメ), White Wagtail (Hakusekireiハクセキレイ), Brown-headed Thrush (Akaharaアカハラ), Daurian Redstart (Jobitakiジョウビタキ)

Pallas's Rosefinch

The owner of the B&B we stayed in was a bird watcher and he took us to see one of our target birds on this trip - Pallas's Rosefinch (Oomashikoオオマシコ).


We spotted a flock immediately after we arrived at the place. Yay!

We saw more later alongside the footpath, this time closer.

 It was a flock of 7 but the very-red male didn't come out into the open, which was a shame.

But we had enough time to observe him/them through our bins before they disappeared into the thicket.




I will not publish the exact location where we observed them to protect the birds.

Birding in Kobuchizawa

Kobuchizawa, which is about 130 miles from Chiba, is a town at the bottom of the Yatsugatake Mountains (Yatsugatake-Rempoh八ヶ岳連峰).

Local people told us it had been warm this winter so there hadn't been much snow apart from on the mountain ridges. The town itself is located at about 1,000m above sea level and, as you can imagine, the atmosphere was very chilly!!

Anyway, from the B&B's window where we spent 2 nights at the very end of the year 2016, we were able to see many woodlands birds:) which was excellent because we didn't have to go out to be exposed in the frosty air!



Great Spotted Woodpecker (Akageraアカゲラ)

Hawfinch (Shimeシメ)

Brambling (Atoriアトリ)

Oriental Greenfinch (Kawarahiwaカワラヒワ)

A Japanese Grosbeak (Ikaruイカル) turned up and the Greenfinches were panicked!

You certainly would not like to be pecked with THAT beak if you were a little bird!

Varied Tit (Yamagaraヤマガラ)

We also saw Eastern Great Tit (Shijukaraシジュウカラ), Long-tailed Tit (Enagaエナガ), Black-eared Kite (Tobiトビ), Thick-billed Crow (Hashibutogarasuハシブトガラス), and Tree Sparrow (Suzumeスズメ).

Chiba University Campus

a huge flock of Bramblings (Atoriアトリ) feeding on Zelkova (Japanese Elm/Keyakiケヤキ) seeds on the university campus

drinking water from the gutter

This one had his own water supply!

Sonnoh-no-Mori Koen

I have been back to Sonnoh-no-Mori Koen to see if there would be more wintering birds in the woods.

a family of Azure-winged Magpie (Onagaオナガ) were having a feast on wild-rose berries

Why aren't you joining your friends?

Two Little Egret (Kosagiコサギ) were keeping a distance from each other

A female Bull-headed Shrike (Mozuモズ) just chased away a Dusky Thrush (Tsugumiツグミ)

Two Kingfisher (Kawasemiカワセミ) were chasing each other persistently and neither seemed to give up. (thankfully, for the observers, there were a lot of opportunities to see them back and forth along the stream)

It was so windy it was quite difficult to spot small birds in the woods, but this Varied Tit (Yamagaraヤマガラ) made a loud call. Gotcha!!

He popped out from the bush by the footpath when I was about to leave.
Japanese Bush Warbler (Uguisuウグイス) are one of the commonest birds in Chiba, yet one of the hardest to see!