Field Note in Japan

Prior to December 2000

Date /Time
December 17, 2000 / 7:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Site Name
Ibaraki-benten (IB) - Mt. Myoken (MY) - Kawanishi (KW) - Mino Kinen-no-mori (MK) - Ota (OT) - Ai River (AR)
Weather cloudy/rain
Species observed
1. Little Egret  2. Grey Heron  3. Mandarin Duck 9 (OT)  4. Mallard  5. Spot-billed Duck  6. Green-winged Teal  7. Wigeon  8. Pintal  9. Northern Shoveller  (AR)  10. Common Pochard (OT)  11. Grey-headed Lapwing (AR)  12. Northern Lapwing  (AR)  13. Common Sandpiper 1 (AR)  14. Solitatry Snipe 1(KW)  15. Common Black-headed Gull (AR)  16. Mew Gull 1 (AR)  17. Oriental Turtle-Dove  18. Common Kingfisher (call only: AR)  19. Japanese Pygmy-Woodpecker  20. Grey Wagtail  21. Pied Wagtail  22. Japanese Pied Wagtail  23. Olive-backed Pipit (IB)  24. Water Pipit 1 (call: AR)  25. Brown-eared Bulbul  26. Bull-headed Shrike  27. Winter Wren 1 (MY)  28. Japanese Accentor (call: MY)  29. Orange-flanked Bush-Robin  30. Daurian Redstart 1 (AR)  31. Pale Thrush  32. Dusky Thrush  33. Japanese Bush-Warbler  34. Goldcrest (IB & MY)  35. Long-tailed Tit  36. Coal Tit (MY)  37. Varied Tit   38. Great Tit  39. Japanese White-eye  40. Siberian Meadow Bunting  41. Rustic Bunting  42. Yellow-throated Bunting (MY)  43. Black-faced Bunting  44. Brambling (IB & MY)  45. Oriental Greenfinch  46. Long-tailed Rosefinch 1 (MY)  47. Bullfinch (call: MY)  48. Eurasian Tree Sparrow  49. Grey Starling  50. Eurasian Jay  51. Carrion Crow  52. Jungle Crow
Comments Although the weather was not good, we were able to see Mandarin Duck, Solitatry Snipe and Orange-flanked Bush-Robin. There were calls of Japanese Accentor and Bullfinch. However, arrival of winter mingants seem to be bit late in this winter.
Date /Time December 16, 2000 / AM 9:00 - PM 4:30
Site Name Nishi-ike pond (near Lake Biwa: NI) - Onoe, Lake Biwa (ON) - Kaizu Osaki, Lake Biwa (KO) - Shin-Asahi, Lake Biwa (SA) - Ikejiri, Kameoka (IK)
Weather mainly fine, drizzling
Species observed
1. Little Grebe  2. Eared Grebe (SA)  3. Great Cormorant  4. Great Egret  5. Little Egret (SA & IK)  6. Grey Heron  7. Bean Goose (NI & ON)  8. Bewick's Swan (ON)  9. Mallard  10. Green-winged Teal   11. Spot-billed Duck  12. Baikal Teal 4+ (NI)  13. Falcated Teal  (SA & IK)  14. Gadwall  15. Wigeon  16. Pintail  17. Northern Shoveller  18. Common Pochard  19. Tufted Duck  20. Greater Scaup (ON)  21. Common Goldeneye (ON)  22. Smew  23. Red-breasted Merganser (SA)  24. Common Merganser  25. Black Kite  26. European Sparrowhawk 1 (near ON)  27. Green Pheasant 1 male (near Sanzen-in, northern Kyoto City)  28. Moorhen  29. Coot  30. Long-billed Plover (IK)  31. Grey-headed Lapwing (SA)  32. Common Black-headed Gull  33. Mew Gull (SA)  34. Oriental Turtle-Dove  35. Common Kingfisher (call only)  36. Grey Wagtail  37. White (Pied) Wagtail  38. Japanese Pied Wagtail  39. Water Pipit  40. Brown-eared Bulbul  41. Bull-headed Shrike  42. Daurian Redstart 1 (call only: NI)  43. Orange-flanked Bush-Robin 2 (call only: NI)  44. Dusky Thrush 1 (near NI)  45. Japanese Bush-Warbler (call only)  46. Long-tailed Tit (call only: IK)  47. Coal Tit (NI)  48. Varied Tit (NI)  49. Great Tit (call only)  50. Japanese White-eye (call only)  51. Siberian Meadow Bunting 52. Rustic Bunting (NI & IK)  53. Reed Bunting 1 (SA)  54. Black-faced Bunting (call only?)  55. Oriental Greenfinch  56. Eurasian Tree Sparrow  57. Grey Starling  58. Carrion Crow  59. Jungle Crow
Comments Guiding for an American guest. We went to northern parts of Lake Biwa. A great view for Baikal Teals and Falcated Teals while we had some bonus species, such as Green Phesant, Grey-headed Lapwing and Coal Tit.
It seems that no Steller's Sea-Eagle has arrived while Scaly-sided Merganser unlikely occur in this winter because of more fishing boats.
Date/Time December 13 / AM 9:00 - AM 10:00
Site Name Ibaraki Benten
Weather Fine
Species observed Mallard, Spot-billed Duck, Wigeon, Pintail, Shoveller, Rufous Turtle Dove, Greater Spotted Woodpecker, Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker, Olive-backed Pipit, Brown-eared Bulbul, Bull-headed Shrike, Orange-flanked Bush-robin, Pale Thrush, Japanese Bush Warbler, Varied Tit, Great Tit, Siberian Meadow Bunting, Rustic Bunting, Black-faced Bunting, Brambling, Oriental Greenfinch, Jay, Large-billed Crow
Comments A windy and freezing day. Not may birds in the forest. A male Pale Thrush was seen very well.
Date/Time December 2, 2000 / AM 9:30 - PM 2:30
Site Name Osaka Nanko Yacho-en (NY) - Koshien-hama (KH)
Weather fine
Species observed Red-throated Loon 3 (KH), Pacific Loon 1 (KH), Black-necked Grebe, Great Crested Grebe, Great Cormorant, Little Egret, Grey Heron, Spot-billed Duck, Green-winged Teal, Gadwall, Wigeon, Northern Shoveler, Common Pochard, Tufted Duck, Greater Scaup, Osprey 2, Black Kite, Coot, Common Black-headed Gull, Black-tailed Gull, Herring Gull, Ancient Murrelet 11 (KH), Oriental Turtle-Dove, White Wagtail, Blue Rock Thrush1 (NY) , Eurasian Tree Sparrow, Grey Starling
Comments More than 15 birdwatchers assembled at a lighthouse, near Osaka Nanko Yacho-en because of a news of Franklin's Gull. While my friend is a twitcher, I joined with him for looking for a boring gull.... While we needed to wait for another friend, we stayed inside of observatory for an hour. During an hour, we rather enjoyed to observe twitchers at the lighthouse, approx. 500m away from the observatory. They were chattering, crouching and yawning.... Yeah, we did not see the gull finally.
We stopped birding at the sanctuary about 11:30, then we went to Koshien-hama. Surprisingly, only few birdwatchers were there despite the fine weather. I am again surprised with their network. (Means, almost all birdwatchers in the Kansai area have already seen loons within this two weeks.) Loons are not close as last time. However, we were lucky to see Ancient Murrelets and a Pacific Loon.
A friend of mine came with his baby. While he was looking for loons, he carried his baby on his back. It was a first time for me to see a birdwatcher with his/her baby.... Yeah, Japanese birders are so keen!!
Date/Time December 1, 2000 / AM 9:30 - AM 11:00
Site Name Ibaraki Benten (lowland secondary forest)
Weather fine
Species observed Grey Heron1, Mallard, Wigeon, Common Pochard, White-bellied Green Pigeon 1, Greater Spotted Woodpecker 2, Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker, Olive-backed Pipit, Bull-headed Shrike, Orange-flanked Bush Robin 4, Japanese Bush Warbler, leaf-warbler sp. 1, Great Tit, Varied Tit, Japanese White-eye, Rustic Bunting, Yellow-throated Bunting, Black-faced Bunting, Brambling, Carrion Crow, Jungle Crow
Comments A fine and warm day. Ibaraki-benten is located only 10 minutes walk from my house. The secondary forest is a good habitat for common bush birds in western Japan. Because of warm weather in this winter, migrant's arrival is bit later than usual. However, I was able to see Yellow-throated & Rustic Bunting and Orange-flanked Bush Robin (including a male) firstly in this season. The highlight was a male White-bellied Green Pigeon. The pigeon is normally shy. So, today's view (within 10 meter!) was very nice!!
Date/Time November 26, 2000 / AM 10:00 - PM 3:00
Site Name Nishi-ike (NI)- Onoe (ON) - Rivermouth of Iemune River (IR) - Miami Beach (MB) - Imahama (IM), Lake Biwa, Shiga Prefecture (freshwater pond & lake)
Weather fine
Species observed Little Grebe, Black-necked Grebe, Great Crested Grebe, Great Cormorant, Great Egret, Little Egret, Grey Heron, Bean Goose (ON), Bewick's Swan (IR), Spot-billed Duck, Mallard, Green-winged Teal, Gadwall, Falcated Teal, Eurasian Wigeon, American Wigeon 1 (ON), Pintail, Northern Shoveller, Red-crested Pochard 1 (MB), Pochard, Baer's Pochard 1 (IM), Tufted Duck, Greater Scaup, Common Goldeneye, Smew (NI), Red-breasted Merganser (MB), Common Merganser, Black Kite, Eastern Marsh Harrier 1, Common Moorhen, Kentish Plover (IR), Northern Lapwing, Dunlin (IR), Common Sandpiper, Common Black-headed Gull, Mew Gull, Herring Gull, Oriental Turtle-dove, Skylark, Grey Wagtail, White Wagtail, Japanese Pied Wagtail, Olive-backed Pipit, Water Pipit, Brown-eared Bulbul, Bull-headed Shrike, Daurian Redstart, Dusky Thrush, Japanese Bush Warbler, Great Tit, Siberian Meadow Bunting, Black-faced Bunting, Oriental Greenfinch, Eurasian Tree Sparrow, Grey Starling, Jay, Carrion Crow, Large-billed Crow
Comments A fine warm day. Four of us left Osaka before 8:00 a.m. Although our objective to go to Lake Biwa was looking for a male Red-crested Pochard, I was also interested in looking for Baikal Teal. We arrived at Nishi-ike, about 10:00 a.m. The small pond is often a good place to see Baikal Teal (I heard) but I have never seen it there. Likely before, we failed to see the teal. We stopped birding there after 10 minutes while we saw nothing much there. Then, we dropped in Onoe. A flock of Bean Goose was nice to see for us. In the afternoon, we stopped at Iemune River where Red-crested Pochard has been observed. There was nothing much however.... We found a large flock of Common Pochard about 1km from there. The place is called Miami Beach (not really related with Miami, Florida!). So, at the Miami Beach, we finally saw the pochard. On the way back, we dropped at Imahama, Moriyama City. In another large flock of Pochard, we found an eclipse male Baer's Pochard.
Date/Time November 23, 2000/ AM 11:00 - PM 1:30
Site Name Koshien-hama, Nishinomiya City, Hyogo Pref.(sandy coast/reclamation land)
Weather mainly fine
Main Species Observed Red-throated Loon4+, Great Crested Grebe (many), Black-necked Grebe (many), Great Cormorant (many), Eurasian Wigeon, Pintail, Marbled Murrelet 2(photo left), Japanese White Wagtail, Great Reed Bunting, Penduline Tit
Comments I was wondering whether I should have taken my camera & lens when my friend told me that Red-throated Loons were closely observed. But, yeah, I was right when I found an immature loon was seen only 10meter from me! There were hundreds of birders and twitchers.... I was rather surprised with their network. About 10 years ago, we only obtained information of rare/uncommon birds after a week or more. Never mind, time goes by so fast! For twitchers, Marbled Murrlet was more attractive. While I have seen it more than 5 times, it was not so twitching for me. However, obviously, it was first time for me to see the small see bird within 20meter!!
Although we saw nothing else particular, it was a great day for us.

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