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Ibaraki Benten's Birds

Eastern Crowned Warbler

Ibaraki-Benten is located in Ibaraki City, between two large cities, namely Osaka and Kyoto, in western Honshu. Ibaraki-Benten itself is budism temple but holds a relatively large lowland secondary forest. The forest has been my "home ground" for birding. I have been birding more than ten years.

Spring is doutbtlessly the best season in the forest. Some uncommon and irregular winter migrants drop in the forest before departing to their breeding grounds. Japanese Waxwing flies accross above the forest with the weak call while (Oriental) Bullfinch quietly feeds buds of cherry blossum. After "cherry blossum flower festival", summer migrants start arriving. The ealiest migrant is normaly Eastern Crowned Warbler (cover photo in this page) or Short-tailed Bush Warbler. After their arrival, I start visiting the forest nearly every morning. Blue-and-white Flycatcher is also an early migrant. Pale-legged Warbler, Narcissus Flycatcher, Brown Thrush, Japanese & Siberian Blue Robin are also seen in the same period.
Middle of April is also a good season to hear the song of winter migrants. Brambling, Siskin　(photo below left), Hawfinch, Rustic and Yellow-throated Buntings sing unfamiliar songs before leaving. Dusky and Pale Thrush's songs are particular confusing with other thrushes, such as Brown, Siberian Ground and Japanese Grey.

In the "Golden Week" (we have a week which has three public holidays from late April to early May), I always check a species. Japanese Yellow Bunting (photo right) normally arrives before the Golden Week and stay in the forest. The small bunting is always seen in the broad leave forest and often feed the flowers. Around the week, less common migrants are also sometimes recorded. Oriental Cuckoo, Hodgson's Hawk Cuckoo, Siberian Rubythroat , Mugimaki Flycatcher and Eye-browed Thrush are some of the example.
Arctic Warbler is always the last species of the migratory season. After that, the forest becomes quiet for a while.

Because of the low elevation, there are very few birds in the forest during summer. However, migration starts from late summer, August. In September, some flycatchers, such as Asian Brown and Spotted, and warblers, mainly Arctic, are seen time to time by early November.

Cold Siberian high pressure not only informs end of autumn but also carry winter migrants into Japan. Squeaky call of Dusky Thrush and shadow of Daurian Restart in the cold morning are typical sceneries of early winter in Japan. Olive-backed Pipit, and Black-faced Bunting (photo top left) are two of other representative species in the forest. They keep in the bush unlikely the breeding season. Yellow-throated Buting, though it has been decreasing, and Rustic Buntings are seen at the forest edge from late November.  Siskin (see an above photo), Brambling and Goldcrest (see a right photo) are all relatively late winter migrants. Some cold winter, I had opportunities to see more montaneous Japanese Accentor. Although there are less birds than spring, winter is still an exciting season for birding in Ibaraki-Benten.

Ibaraki Benten Area's Bird List:

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