Natsume-no-seki (Haccho-seki Reservoir)

One of the famous places for wintering ducks & swans in Chiba is Natsume-no-seki 夏目の堰 Reservoir in Tonosho-machi. The reservoir itself is not so large and located in a rather remote area from any train lines or major roads, which could be one of the factors why birds gather there. 

You can see all the tiny dots on the water, all of which are ducks!! 

The sign board by the water written a few years earlier says there are approximately 3,000 waterfowl wintering here but the number must have gone up to 10-fold, estimated around 30,000 birds on the water this winter.

Lots and lots of Mallard (magamoマガモ), Pintail (Onagagamoオナガガモ), Eurasian wigeon (Hidorigamoヒドリガモ), Baikal teal (Tomoegamoトモエガモ), fewer Spot-billed duck (Karugamoカルガモ), Northern shoveler (Hashibirogamoハシビロガモ), Common pochard (Hoshihajiroホシハジロ), Smew (Mikoaisaミコアイサ), Tufted duck (Kinkurohajiroキンクロハジロ), 

and Great-crested grebe (Kammuri-kaitsuburiカンムリカイツブリ), Little grebe (Kaitsuburiカイツブリ), Eurasian coot (Oobanオオバン)... 

Bewick's swan (Kohakuchoコハクチョウ)

cygnets too😍

Sometimes birds of prey, such as a Goshawk (Ootakaオオタカ) and a Buzzard (Nosuriノスリ) flew right over the water and the ducks were spooked by them. 

If you are a uk birdwatcher, you'd think the birds in this photo are Starlings...

but actually they are Baikal teals.

The way Baikal teals fly is totally different from the ones other ducks do.

very interesting!!

As the day went by, more and more swans were coming back from their feeding grounds,

and the ducks, which were resting during the day, were becoming more and more restless.

About half an hour after sunset, there was a whoosh sound in the almost darkness, which meant the ducks flew up at the same time heading for their feeding grounds at night. 

Interestingly, on that day, the Baikal teals went first, then the Pintails and the last was the Mallard. 

The swans stayed behind on the water.

I didn't know this coming in of swans and going out of ducks are happening every dawn and dusk! 

so fascinating!!