Aoba no Mori Koen

Leaves have started changing colours in mild Chiba, at last!

 very much autumnal everywhere

It was relatively early in the morning and sunny so the park was full of bird calls.

A Dusky Thrush (Tsugumiツグミ)! but he perched right at the top of a tree above me! 

and a Hawfinch (Shimeシメ) too!!  He was eating some kind of seed.

Both Dusky Thrushes and Hawfinches will come down on the ground later in the season but there are plenty of seeds/berries to eat high up in trees at the moment.

A Bull-headed Shrike (Mozuモズ) was making a shrieking call

he (she?) was on top of a tree on the other side of the lake but their call is unmistakeable!

Quite a few White Wagtails (Hakusekireiハクセキレイ) were foraging on the lawn and the paths in the park, which means there are still plenty of insects for them to eat.

Familiar calls by a Daurian Redstart (Jobitakiジョウビタキ) came from a tree nearby. A lovely female was eating seeds (or berries?).

She flew closer and

closer! 

Thick-billed Crows (Hashibutogarasuハシブトガラス) like to keep themselves clean:)

You can see their really thick bills!

After having a good wash, breakfast!

A great time for birdwatching has finally arrived in Chiba as we see more birds in parks and we don't have to wear long sleeves while sweating like crazy to avoid mosquitoes or other biting insects. I love autumn and winter here!

Tateyama Yacho no Mori

In the middle of the Minami Boso National Park, Tateyama Yacho no Mori covers about 55 acres of forest and has a couple of nature trails within its borders.

The climate in the Boso Peninsula is mild all year round so most trees are broad-leaved evergreens.

The leaflet shows quite a lot of birds in the forest but we saw more birds in the open area by the visitor centre than in the thick forest;)

The birds we saw/heard: Spotbilled Ducks (Karugamoカルガモ), Oriental Turtle Doves (Kijibatoキジバト), Bull-headed Shrikes (Mozuモズ), Thick-billed Crows (Hashibutogarasuハシブトガラス), Carrion Crows (Hashibosogarasuハシボソガラス), Japanese Pygmy Woodpeckers (Kogeraコゲラ), Black-eared Kites (Tobiトビ), a House Swift (Himeamatsubameヒメアマツバメ), Eastern Great Tits (Shijukaraシジュウカラ), Varied Tits (Yamagaraヤマガラ), Japanese White-eyes (Mejiroメジロ), Long-tailed Tits (Enagaエナガ), Japanese Bush Warblers (Uguisuウグイス), Grey Starlings (Mukudoriムクドリ), Brown-eared Bulbuls (Hiyodoriヒヨドリ), White Wagtails (Hakusekireiハクセキレイ), Japanese Wagtails (Segurosekireiセグロセキレイ), Daurian Redstarts (Jobitakiジョウビタキ), Black-faced Buntings (Aojiアオジ), Oriental Greenfinches (Kawarahiwaカワラヒワ), Tree Sparrows (Suzumeスズメ)
& Peafowls in the enclosure (Kujakuクジャク)





an Oriental Greenfinch (Kawarahiwaカワラヒワ) by the visitor centre

a Praying Mantis (Kokamakiriコカマキリ)














　　　　

the common Puffball （Hokoritakeホコリタケ)?　　

the Sickener (Dokubenitakeドクベニタケ)?

A view from the hill - we spotted a house swift and a few black-eared kites from there.

Information about Tateyama Yacho no Mori (in Japanese)
http://www.chiba-forest.jp/yachou/info.html



After the walk in Yacho no Mori, we saw a Kestrel (Chogemboチョウゲンボウ) perching on a wire by a field.

and two female Greater Scaups (Suzugamoスズガモ) were floating on the choppy water, a bit far out in the sea. They were diving many times but it was too far for us to see if they caught anything at all.

Big flocks (sometimes as many as 50 birds) of Cormorants (Kawauカワウ) frequently flew over Tateyama. Wonder where they were heading to...

On the Nagao

Two Spotbilled Ducks (Karugamoカルガモ) were waddling on the shingle.

They looked rather out of place:)

And so did the Reef Egret

Just below the foot-bridge over the Nagao, there was plenty to see.

Teals (Kogamoコガモ)

Mallards (Magamoマガモ) & a Teal

a Grey Heron (Aosagiアオサギ)

a Japanese Wagtail (Segurosekireiセグロセキレイ)

and our first Long-billed Plover (Ikaruchidoriイカルチドリ)

We also saw a Common Sandpiper (Isoshigiイソシギ), Great Cormorants (Kawauカワウ), Little Egrets (Kosagiコサギ), White Wagtails (Hakusekireiハクセキレイ), Oriental Greenfinches (Kawarahiwaカワラヒワ), Black-eared Kites (Tobiトビ), Thick-billed Crows (Hashibutogarasuハシブトガラス), Oriental Turtle Doves (Kijibatoキジバト) and many, many Brown-eared Bulbuls (Hiyodoriヒヨドリ).

The Rivermouth of the Nagaogawa

Even though the weather didn't improve much, at least the downpour turned to drizzle so we were finally able to get out of the car and stroll a bit.

A small flock of Black-tailed Gulls (Uminekoウミネコ) were bathing and preening where the river flows out into the sea.

A darker-coloured young one is in the middle.

Just a few yards away from the gulls, a Reef Egret (Kurosagiクロサギ) was motionless.

There was a path alongside the beach and we saw quite a few species during a short walk.

a male Blue Rock Thrush (Isohiyodoriイソヒヨドリ) 

a female Bull-headed Shrike (Mozuモズ)

a big flock of Meadow Buntings (Hoojiroホオジロ)

(a female, left, and a male)
a lovely male posing for me:)

We just happened to notice an Osprey (Misagoミサゴ) flying over us carrying his tea!

He is such an elegant bird!

Black-eared Kites in Sunosaki

Some of the Black-eared Kites (Tobiトビ) were resting on the telegraph poles in the downpour.

Except this tough guy!

When we were just about to leave the fishing port, we noticed something was going on outside.
The kites started to circle very low above our car and gulls and crows were making lots of noises.




ah-hah!

A fisherman had thrown some fish for the birds.

We were able to hear them swooping down to catch the fish. Exciting!

Well done you!

Only a couple of more to go...

All their eyes were on them.





Black-eared Kites are a common bird in Japan, especially near the sea where they can be fed by fishermen like in this place.

Sunosaki, Tateyama

In spite of the bad weather, there was plenty to see at a small fishing port in Sunosaki, Tateyama.

A Common Sandpiper (Isoshigiイソシギ) was foraging on a tiny patch of green by the port.

A White Wagtail (Hakusekireiハクセキレイ) came right up to our car.

A young Vega Gull (Segurokamomeセグロカモメ) was pecking something on the rock.

a male Meadow Bunting (Hoojiroホオジロ)

a female Meadow Bunting

Tree Sparrows (Suzumeスズメ) and Meadow Buntings were sharing the feeding ground.

Every time a fishing boat came back to the port from its day's work, gulls, crows and kites started circling above it.

There must have been nearly 100 of them all together.

It was a miserable day all day, I mean, weather-wise. Very unfortunate for bird-watching. sigh...