Kasai Rinkai Koen 1

We headed for the beach in Kasai Rinkai Koen, hoping to see some Little Terns (Koajisashiコアジサシ) even though we had expected a lot of people in the park as the weather was gorgeous and this week is Golden Week (a long holiday week) in Japan. Well, there were not just a lot of people but swarms of people... We knew there was no chance to see any terns on the beach so decided to hang around the bird-watching centre, which actually brought us great joy.

Our first Common Greenshank (Aoashishigiアオアシシギ).
Unfortunately, the colour of his legs are not clear in the photos but we saw his lovely greenish legs when they were in the sun.

Greenshanks are passage migrants in Japan, wintering in Australia or South-east Asia and breeding in Siberia. Such a long journey!

A Grey-tailed Tattler (Kiashishigiキアシシギ) was resting on a post. They are also passage migrants in Japan, fueling up to get to Siberia for breeding.

A Black-winged Stilt (Seitakashigiセイタカシギ) and a Greenshank.

A Great Egret (Daisagiダイサギ) and a Little Egret (Kosagiコサギ). As their names tell us, Great Egrets are a lot larger than their little cousins.

Synchronized hunting?

A Great Egret in flight. Rather graceful!

A Grey Heron (Aosagiアオサギ） got something in his beak and swallowed it. Wonder what it was, but couldn't work it out. A shell? A bulb?

A White Wagtail (Hakusekireiハクセキレイ) was just like sitting in a stall, watching all the other waders wading. Good view, sir?

Bird-watching Festival in Kasai Rinkai Koen during Golden Week (Japanese)
http://choruien2.exblog.jp/20159878/

Moorhen in Ecology Park

The lake in the Ecology Park looked completely empty on the 2nd May, apart from a couple of Swallows (Tsubameツバメ) feeding high above us, then suddenly, something caught our eye.

A Moorhen (Banバン)! This one was the first Moorhen we'd seen on this lake. We were told that Moorhens and Coots don't breed around here so we didn't expect to see one, especially at this time of year. What are you doing?

He was paddling around the far corner of the lake and then disappeared into the reedbed.

THEN!

After a couple of minutes, he reappeared with a fish dangling from his beak, and...

landed on the little island and gobbled it up!

We thought Moorhens were herbivores but apparently not. Is that usual behaviour for a moorhen? Interesting:)

Aoba no Mori Koen this week

As we've read many sighting reports of summer migrant birds, such as Blue-and-White Flycatchers (Ooruriオオルリ) and Narcissus Flycatchers (Kibitakiキビタキ) passing through the southern Kanto area, we were hopeful every time we went to the park, BUT! No luck whatsoever... just yet. Still, we saw other lovely birds and they cheered us up:)

A flock of Hawfinches (Shimeシメ) were foraging among the trees eating new buds.

A pair of Oriental Turtle Doves were pecking tiny ｇrass seeds.

A Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker (Kogeraコゲラ) is about the same size as a sparrow and moves really quick like a treecreeper but their calls are unmistakable!

A flock of Grey Starling (Mukudoriムクドリ) were happily having lunch, some were catching insects jumping up and down:) They are really vocal.

A White Wagtail (Hakusekireiハクセキレイ) landed just in front of me as I was holding the camera, just as if it was saying, 'You may take a photo of me!'

A Brown-headed Thrush (Akaharaアカハラ) was vigorously shaking his head with some leaves in his beak... This one was seen on the 26th April and we haven't seen any thrushes since then. Presumably they've gone back to their breeding sites somewhere in the mountains.

A lone Little Grebe (Kaitsuburiカイツブリ) was in Funada-ike lake in the ecology park.

Having a nice bath, eh?

A Bullfrog (Ushigaeruウシガエル) was resting or sunbathing?

A Lillacine Bushbrown (Kojanomeコジャノメ) - Janome in Japanese means 'the eye of a snake'.

A Common Bluebottle (Aosujiagehaアオスジアゲハ) has beautiful turquoise-coloured patterns on the wings:)

Izumi Shizen Koen (Izumi Nature Park)

As we are not familiar with lots of birds in Japan, we decided to go on a birding walk in Izumi Shizen Koen organised by the Wild Bird Society of Japan this weekend to learn a bit more about Japanese birds. And we were right! Even before the walk had started, the WBSJ members spotted a Grey-faced Buzzard (Sashibaサシバ), which we would have easily mistaken for a Sparrowhawk or a Goshawk.

Later on, we saw a Goshawk (Ootakaオオタカ) and a Grey-faced Buzzard soaring very close to each other.

GF Buzzard is on the right.

A magnificent Goshawk

It's really good to have pics because they are helpful to identify birds even after the birds have gone. And we were able to ask the WBSJ members for some advice:)

The park is famous for Mandarin Ducks (Oshidoriオシドリ), so we were told. Most of them were resting on low branches under cover, which made it difficult to spot them (and to take pics of them).  

A Black-crowned Night Heron (Goisagiゴイサギ) was hunting upside down:)

He gave up, went up the hill and disappeared...

I couldn't get many photos today but we saw/heard quite a few birds during the walk:
Mandarin Ducks (Oshidoriオシドリ), Mallards (Magamoマガモ), Spotbilled Ducks (Karugamoカルガモ), Little Grebes (Kaituburiカイツブリ), Black-crowned Night Heron (Goisagiゴイサギ), Grey Heron (Aosagiアオサギ), Goshawk (Oogakaオオタカ), Black-faced Buzzard (Sashibaサシバ), Kingfishers (Kawasemiカワセミ), Varied Tits (Yamagaraヤマガラ), Great Tits (Shiju-karaシジュウカラ), Swallows (Tsubameツバメ), Brown-eared Bulbuls (Hiyodoriヒヨドリ), Long-tailed Tits (Enagaエナガ), Oriental Turtle Doves (Kijibatoキジバト), Pale Thrush (Shiroharaシロハラ), Tree Sparrows (Suzumeスズメ), White Wagtails (Hakusekireiハクセキレイ), Black-faced Bunting (Aojiアオジ), Olive-backed Tree Pipit (Binzuiビンズイ), Grey Starlings (Mukudoriムクドリ),
(heard) Japanese Bush Warbler (Uguisuウグイス), Eastern Crowned Willow Warbler (Sendaimushikuiセンダイムシクイ), Oriental Greenfinch (Kawarahiwaカワラヒワ), Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker (Kogeraコゲラ), Chinese Bamboo Partridge (Kojukeiコジュケイ)


There were lots of frogs, lizards, butterflies, beetles and spiders as well.

Japanese Tree Frog (Nihon Amagaeruニホンアマガエル) (at least, I think that's what it is!)

 American Bullfrog (Ushigaeruウシガエル)

Can you see me??

Japanese Grass Lizard (Nihon Kanahebiニホンカナヘビ)

About the park (in Japanese)

http://www.city.chiba.jp/toshi/koenryokuchi/kanri/wakaba/izumitop.html

Yatsuhigata Nature Observation Centre

The weather was just miserable but we decided to head for the Yatsuhigata Nature observation Centre again because it'd be nice and warm in the Centre and possibly not many people would be there in that horrible weather. When we got to the path, the tide was coming in and we could see some waders quite closely (in a downpour...).

A Bar-tailed Godwit (Oosorihashishigiオオソリハシシギ) looked at a loss... He was in a beautiful summer plumage.

A Grey Plover (Daizenダイゼン) flew even closer towards us:) We got excited because we thought he was a Great Knot (which we've never seen) but later we were told he was a Grey Plover in his winter plumage.

Daizen has got a black tail and a stubby beak, we now know!

Rain was dripping from a lone Black-winged Stilt (Seitakashigiセイタカシギ)... Poor soul. He looked so ridiculously unbalanced when his loooooong legs were exposed over the water:) but lovely birds!

A pair of Mongolian Plover (or Lesser Sandplover) (Medaichidoriメダイチドリ) were busy going back and forth on the mudflat near the path.

Looking-glass???

The Centre is about 15-20 min walk from the Minami-funabashi Station and we were absolutely soaked (happy birders though;) by the time we reached the Centre.

More than 10 Great Egrets (Daisagiダイサギ) and Little Egrets (Kosagiコサギ) in total were on the mudflat. Although people said they have seen the Intermediate Egrets there this season already, still no luck for us...

Young Black-headed Gulls (Yurikamomeユリカモメ) were squabbling over something... They have a black line on the very end of their tail feathers. We were told BH Gulls don't breed around the Chiba area and that almost all the the adults have gone to their breeding sites already. Only non-breeding young ones are around there in summer. 

We were glad we went there on that particular day as it turned out the 3rd Sunday of every month is a birding day organised by the members of the Wild Bird Society of Japan. Thanks to the helpful and knowledgeable members, we learnt a lot about some of the birds we didn't see in the UK. We would like to join some of their birding events in the near future:)

Matsugaoka Shimin no Mori

I happened to learn about the existence of these woods (which look so tempting for a birdwatcher to have a wander in) while cycling in our new neighbourhood the other day, and today I determined to drag my husband, who had been suffering from social pressure (i.e. a hangover;), out for some fresh air:)

Matsugaoka Shimin no Mori is a patch of woodland managed by the Matsugaoka local residents. It's really green at this time of year, which is wonderful, but not great for birdwatchers as you can hear birds but can't see them... but I feel really grateful for the people who give their time to keeping this wood so lovely.

A flock of fast-moving Japanese White-eys (Mejiroメジロ) were foraging amongst the fresh leaves. Gorgeous little things they are.

A hard time for newly hatched caterpillars...

There was a flock of Hawfinches (Shimeシメ) flying through the trees, who started short sharp tick-tick calls almost like Robins' when they landed on top of the trees. As we are still not familiar with many of the Japanese birds' calls, we had to stop and investigate which bird was making a particular call. Not easy at all with all the thick leaves!

We think we now can recognise Hawfinches' calls, thanks to them showing themselves very well as they were making the calls.

Some mysterious birds were feeding on the ground but they flew up into the trees every time we came too close to them without knowing they were there. Finally, we spotted their distinct thick white eye brows through the binoculars so we are quite confident to say they were Olive-backed Tree Pipits (Binzuiビンズイ). Hope we can get their pics next time:)

We didn't see many birds today because of the unfriendly weather: chilly and showers. On the way back home, we went through Aoba no Mori Koen and saw more Hawfinches there.

There are still lots of blossoms in bloom in Aoba no Mori Koen and all the nector lovers and flower-eaters, such as Hawfinches and Brown-eared Bulbuls (Hiyodoriヒヨドリ) were having a feast.

Yatsuhigata Nature Observation Centre 3

A lone Little Grebe (Kaitsuburiカイツブリ) in full breeding plumage.

A Grey Plover (Daizenダイゼン) was foraging on his own near the path.

When we were having lunch at the cafe in the Centre, from which we could see swallows swishing over a small pond, hundreds of waders filled the sky!

We were not sure what they were or where they came from but later on, a ranger in the Centre told us that most of them were Dunlins (Hamashigiハマシギ) and that there was a peregrine on the mudflat. 

In the Observation Centre, scopes are set by the window and anybody can use them for free. There were two rangers in the Centre, who were very helpful with bird identification.  It is very hard to identify any particular bird from this pic but they were mainly Dunlins (Hamashigiハマシギ), Grey Plovers (Daizenダイゼン) and Bar-tailed Godwits (Oosorihashishigiオオソリハシシギ).

Peregrine again! We couldn't spot him/her though. 

He didn't seem to care at all. Well, he was catching flying insects on the small pool by the cafe, a bit too far away from the chaos:) Lucky you!

What we saw that day:
Teals (Kogamoコガモ), Wigeons (Hidorigamoヒドリガモ), Shovellers (Hashibirogamoハシビロガモ), Spot-billed Ducks (Karugamoカルガモ), Pintails (Onagagamoオナガガモ), Cormorants (Kawauカワウ), Coot (Oobahオオバン), Little Grebe (Kaitsuburiカイツブリ), Grey Herons (Aosagiアオサギ), Little Egrets (Kosagiコサギ), White Wagtails (Hakusekireiハクセキレイ), Grey Plover (Daizenダイゼン), Dunlins (Hamashigiハマシギ), Bar-tailed Godwits (Oosorihashishigiオオソリハシシギ), Black-winged Stilt (Seitakashigiセイタカシギ), Far Eastern Curlew (Hourokushigiホウロクシギ), Lesser Sand Plovers (Mongolian Plover)(Medaichidoriメダイチドリ), Tree Sparrows (Suzumeスズメ), Brown-eared Bulbuls (Hiyodoriヒヨドリ), Grey Starlings (Mukudoriムクドリ), Oriental Turtle Doves (Kijibatoキジバト), Great Tits (Shiju-karaシジュウカラ), Long-tailed Tits (Enagaエナガ), Swallows (Tsubameツバメ)
25 species + possibly Intermediate Egrets (Chuusagiチュウサギ)

We encountered a Sparrowhawk (Haitakaハイタカ) on our way back home, which was a great bonus:)