Trip Report: Japan, September 22-29, 200

Background

This was a fairly intensive business trip on to which I managed to add a couple of days bird watching. The general notes and comments included in my trip report of a similar visit to Japan in October 1999 are also relevant to this trip.

Books

As last year, I relied upon A Birdwatcher's Guide to Japan by Mark Brazil and The Field Guide to the Birds of Japan by the Wild Bird Society of Japan. The Brazil guide is still very useful, but with the passing of time some of the information is becoming dated. The Field Guide is dated and not up to the standard of modern field guides available for other areas, particularly Europe. There appears to be more up to date site guides and field guides in Japanese.

Sites

Yatsu-Higata (Brazil Site 5)

An excellent site for shorebirds. The directions in Brazil are still accurate, but there is now a large and good information centre with extensive viewing facilities equipped with telescopes and interpretive displays. It has a good café serving hot meals at very reasonable prices. It is worth finding out about tides and timing a visit to coincide with a rising tide.

Upper Tamagawa (Brazil Site 7)

Allow time if you wish to cover the whole area; this is more extensive than appears from Brazil's description. If you travel by train from Shinjuku you can save time by using a limited express which cuts out a lot of the stations. I had no trouble in finding Long-billed Plover by crossing over Sekito-bashi from Seisekisakuragaoka and walking east along the riverbank to the first large area of shingle.

Kyoto

I had half a day to spare while in Kyoto. I took the subway from Kyoto station north to Kokusaikaikan, the northern terminus. From there I walked through Takaragaike Park (there are numerous paths through the less well used parts) to the western gate. From there I turned left down the road and by keeping to the right at all junctions, skirted round the hill and easily found the small reserve at Midorogaike Pond. From there it was a straightforward walk to the Botanical Gardens which are next to Kitayama subway station giving an easy return back to Kyoto station.

Schedule

22nd September		Arrived Tokyo via Narita. Afternoon visit to Tokyo Bay Wild Bird Park.
23rd September		Visited Meiji Jingu arriving at about 8.00am and leaving at 9.30am. Travelled to the upper reaches of the Tamagawa and then to Yatsu-Higata arriving there at high tide.
24th September		Returned in the morning to Yatsu-Higata for low tide and then across to Tokyo Port Wild Bird Park.
25th September		By Shinkansen to Kyoto for business meetings.
26th September		In the morning travelled on subway to the terminus at Kokusaikaikan and walked through Takaragaike Park and on to Midorogaike Pond and then to Kyoto Botanical Gardens before returning to central Kyoto for business meetings.
27th September		Kyoto to Tsuruga for business meeting.
28th September		Shinkansen from Kyoto to Tokyo. Business meetings.
29th September		Business meetings followed by mid afternoon visit to Meiji Jingu.

Species List

TPWBP = Tokyo Port Wild Bird Park

1. Little Grebe - Tachybaptus ruficollis
   4 TPWBP 22nd September; 3 TPWBP 24th September; 1 Takaragaike Park 26th September

2. Great Cormorant - Phalacrocorax carbo
   150 TPWBP 22nd September; 20 Upper Tamagawa River 23rd September; 25+ Yatsu-Higata 23rd September; 30 Yatsu-Higata 24th September; 100+ TPWBP 24th September

3. Eurasian Wigeon - Anas penelope
   7 Yatsu-Higata 23rd September; 4 Yatsu-Higata 24th September

4. Eurasian Teal - Anas crecca
   5 TPWBP 22nd September; 8 Yatsu-Higata 23rd September; 30+ Yatsu- Higata 24th September

5. Mallard - Anas platyrhynchos
   2 TPWBP 22nd September; 6 Yatsu-Higata 23rd September; 1 TPWBP 24th September; 10 Takaragaike Park 26th September; 3 Kyoto Botanical Garden 26th September

6. Spot-billed Duck - Anas poecilorhyncha
   50+ TPWBP 22nd September; 8 Upper Tamagawa River 23rd September; 12 Yatsu-Higata 23rd September; 28 Yatsu-Higata 24th September; 80+ TPWBP 24th September; 2 Midorogaike Pond 26th September; 3 Kyoto Botanical Garden 26th September

7. Northern Pintail - Anas acuta
   2 TPWBP 22nd September; 72 Yatsu-Higata 23rd September; 100 Yatsu-Higata 24th September; 30+ TPWBP 24th September

8. Little Egret - Egretta garzetta
   12 TPWBP 22nd September; 40 Upper Tamagawa River 23rd September; 20 Yatsu-Higata 23rd September; 15+ Yatsu-Higata 24th September; 12 TPWBP 24th September; 2 Takaragaike Park 26th September

9. Intermediate Egret - Mesophoyx intermedia
   3 Yatsu-Higata 24th September

10. Gray Heron - Ardea cinerea
    5 TPWBP 22nd September; 1 Upper Tamagawa River 23rd September; 8 Yatsu-Higata 23rd September; 10+ Yatsu-Higata 24th September; 10 TPWBP 24th September; 1 Takaragaike Park 26th September

11. Great Egret - Ardea alba
    3 TPWBP 22nd September; 6 Upper Tamagawa River 23rd September; 9 Yatsu-Higata 23rd September; 15 Yatsu-Higata 24th September; 8 TPWBP 24th September; 1 Takaragaike Park 26th September

12. Cattle Egret - Bubulcus ibis
    1 Upper Tamagawa River 23rd September; 1 TPWBP 24th September

13. Black-crowned Night-Heron - Nycticorax nycticorax
    2 juv TPWBP 22nd September; 3 juv Yatsu-Higata 23rd September; 2 adults Yatsu-Higata 24th September; 4 juv TPWBP 24th September

14. Black Kite - Milvus migrans
    1 Upper Tamagawa River 23rd September; 10 from Shinkansen 25th September; 16 seen from the train between Kyoto and Tsuruga and 6 in Tsuruga 27th September; 12 from Shinkansen 28th September

15. Common Buzzard - Buteo buteo
    1 from train between Kyoto and Tsuruga 27th September

16. Raptor species
    1 Tokyo 22nd September

17. Common Moorhen - Gallinula chloropus
    2 TPWBP 22nd September; 1 Yatsu-Higata 23rd September; 2 Yatsu-Higata 24th September; 1 TPWBP 24th September

18. Eurasian Coot - Fulica atra
    2 TPWBP 24th September

19. Black-tailed Godwit - Limosa limosa
    2 TPWBP 24th September

20. Bar-tailed Godwit - Limosa lapponica
    18 TPWBP 22nd September; 5 Yatsu-Higata 24th September; 18 TPWBP 24th September

21. Whimbrel - Numenius phaeopus
    2 Yatsu-Higata 23rd September

22. Eurasian Curlew - Numenius arquata
    3 Yatsu-Higata 23rd September; 1 Yatsu-Higata 24th September

23. Far Eastern Curlew - Numenius madagascariensis
    2 Yatsu-Higata 23rd September; 1 Yatsu-Higata 24th September

24. Marsh Sandpiper - Tringa stagnatilis
    1 TPWBP 22nd September

25. Common Greenshank - Tringa nebularia
    2 TPWBP 22nd September; 12 TPWBP 24th September

26. Terek Sandpiper - Xenus cinereus
    11 TPWBP 22nd September; 2 Yatsu-Higata 23rd September; 4 Yatsu-Higata 24th September; 10 TPWBP 24th September

27. Common Sandpiper - Actitis hypoleucos
    2 TPWBP 22nd September; 1 Upper Tamagawa River 23rd September; 1 Yatsu-Higata 23rd September; 3 TPWBP 24th September

28. Gray-tailed Tattler - Heteroscelus brevipes
    4 Yatsu-Higata 23rd September

29. Ruddy Turnstone - Arenaria interpres
    3 Yatsu-Higata 23rd September; 2 Yatsu-Higata 24th September

30. Red-necked Stint - Calidris ruficollis
    15 Yatsu-Higata 24th September

31. Dunlin - Calidris alpina
    11 Yatsu-Higata 24th September

32. Black-winged Stilt - Himantopus himantopus
    10 TPWBP 22nd September; 9 Yatsu-Higata 23rd September; 9 Yatsu-Higata 24th September; 10 TPWBP 24th September

33. Black-bellied Plover - Pluvialis squatarola
    1 Yatsu-Higata 23rd September; 110+ Yatsu-Higata 24th September

34. Long-billed Plover - Charadrius placidus
    2 Upper Tamagawa River 23rd September

35. Snowy Plover - Charadrius alexandrinus
    4 Yatsu-Higata 23rd September; 6 Yatsu-Higata 24th September

36. Mongolian Plover - Charadrius mongolus
    17 Yatsu-Higata 24th September

37. Gray-headed Lapwing - Vanellus cinereus
    1 flushed by Black Kite and seen from train between Kyoto and Tsuruga 27th September

38. Black-tailed Gull - Larus crassirostris
    3 TPWBP 22nd September; 100+ Yatsu-Higata 23rd September; 200+ Yatsu-Higata 24th September; 1 TPWBP 24th September

39. Vega Gull - Larus vegae
    1 Tsuruga 27th September

40. Rock Dove/Feral Pigeon - Columbia livia
    Common and widespread

41. Oriental Turtle-Dove - Streptopelia orientalis
    4 TPWBP 22nd September; 1 Meiji Jingu 23rd September; 2 Upper Tamagawa River 23rd September; 3 Yatsu-Higata 23rd September; 1 Yatsu-Higata 24th September; 1 TPWBP 24th September; 1 Midorogaike Pond 26th September; 11+ Kyoto Botanical Garden 26th September; 1 Meiji Jingu 29th September

42. House Swift - Apus nipalensis
    2 TPWBP 22nd September; 2 TPWBP 24th September; 1 Takaragaike Park 26th September

43. Common Kingfisher - Alcedo atthis
    1 TPWBP 22nd September; 1 Takaragaike Park 26th September; 2 Midorogaike Pond 26th September

44. Pygmy Woodpecker - Dendrocopos kizuki
    1 Kyoto Botanical Garden 26th September

45. Azure-winged Magpie - Cyanopica cyana
    2 Yatsu-Higata 24th September; 18 including one flock of 15 TPWBP 24th September

46. Carrion Crow - Corvus corone
    5 Takaragaike Park 26th September; 2 Kyoto Botanical Garden 26th September

47. Large-billed Crow - Corvus macrorhynchos
    15+ TPWBP 22nd September; 20+ Meiji Jingu 23rd September; 5 Yatsu-Higata 24th September; 10+ TPWBP 24th September; 20+ Takaragaike Park 26th September; 6+ Kyoto Botanical Garden 26th September; 200+ Meiji Jingu 29th September

48. Bull-headed Shrike - Lanius bucephalus
    1 near TPWBP 24th September; 1 Midorogaike Pond 26th September

49. White-cheeked Starling - Sturnus cineraceus
    1 TPWBP 22nd September

50. Asian Brown Flycatcher - Muscicapa dauurica
    1 Kyoto Botanical Garden 26th September

51. Long-tailed Tit - Aegithalos caudatus
    6 Kyoto Botanical Garden 26th September

52. Barn Swallow - Hirundo rustica
    1 Midorogaike Pond 26th September

53. Red-rumped Swallow - Hirundo daurica
    10 Upper Tamagawa River 23rd September; 6 Midorogaike Pond 26th September

54. Asian Martin - Delichon dasypus
    2 Midorogaike Pond 26th September

55. Brown-eared Bulbul - Ixos amaurotis
    4 TPWBP 22nd September; 10+ Meiji Jingu 23rd September; 1 Yatsu-Higata 24th September; 10+ Takaragaike Park 26th September; 3 Midorogaike Pond 26th September; 20+ Kyoto Botanical Garden 26th September: 4 Meiji Jingu 29th September

56. Japanese White-eye - Zosterops japonicus
    2 Meiji Jingu 23rd September; 4+ Yatsu-Higata 24th September; 20+ TPWBP 24th September; 15+ Takaragaike Park 26th September; 4 Midorogaike Pond 26th September; 20+ Kyoto Botanical Garden 26th September;10+ Meiji Jingu 29th September

57. Black-browed Reed-Warbler - Acrocephalus bistrigiceps
    2 TPWBP 22nd September

58. Eastern Crowned-Warbler - Phylloscopus coronatus
    1 TPWBP 22nd September

59. Great Tit - Parus major
    2 TPWBP 22nd September; 3 Meiji Jingu 23rd September; 2 TPWBP 24th September; 2 Takaragaike Park 26th September; 3 Kyoto Botanical Garden 26th September; 9 Meiji Jingu 29th September

60. Varied Tit - Sittiparus varius
    2 Meiji Jingu 23rd September; 3 Meiji Jingu 29th September

61. Eurasian Tree Sparrow - Passer montanus
    3 TPWBP 22nd September; 100+ Upper Tamagawa River 23rd September; 3 Yatsu-Higata 23rd September; 3 Yatsu-Higata 24th September; 9 TPWBP 24th September; 4 Midorogaike Pond 26th September; 10 Kyoto Botanical Garden 26th September; 30 Meiji Jingu 29th September

62. White Wagtail - Motacilla alba
    1 Yatsu-Higata 24th September

63. Japanese Wagtail - Motacilla grandis
    2 Upper Tamagawa River 23rd September; 3 Takaragaike Park 26th September; 2 Midorogaike Pond 26th September; 5 Kyoto Botanical Garden 26th September

64. Gray Wagtail - Motacilla cinerea
    1 Meiji Jingu 23rd September

65. Oriental Greenfinch - Carduelis sinica
    10+ TPWBP 22nd September; 6+ Meiji Jingu 23rd September; 4+ TPWBP 24th September; 3 Meiji Jingu 29th September

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