Jougashima

Location: Jougashima, Miura, Kanagawa Prefecture

Weather: Clear, Warm, Light Breeze

Time: 9.30am - 12.30pm

Birds: Temminck's Cormorant, Pelagic Cormorant, Grey Heron, Black Kite, Common Sandpiper, Common Black-headed Gull, Black-tailed Gull, Herring Gull, Slaty-backed Gull, Buff-bellied Pipit, White Wagtail, Brown-eared Bulbul, Blue Rock Thrush, Japanese White-eye, Bull-headed Shrike, Carrion Crow, Eurasian Tree Sparrow, Black-faced Bunting, Siberian Meadow Bunting

Comments: From the final bus stop at the western end of the island we observe large flocks of Common Black-headed Gull and a few White Wagtail, before heading through town past the lighthouse, and down on to beach. From here, you can take boat trips around the island to see close hand the Cormorants that gather on the cliffs of this island.

Walking along the southern edge of the island, over the rocky beach, we see a male and female Blue Rock Thrush, a Buff-bellied Pipit, and a Common Sandpiper. We are disappointed to not find Eastern Reef Egret, which are commonly found here. Overhead circle large numbers of Black Kite, and in the low scrub and trees on the slopes at the top of the beach - Japanese White-eye, Bull-headed Shrike, Eurasian Tree Sparrow, Black-faced Bunting, and Siberian Meadow Bunting.

Climbing the stairs at the end of the beach onto the cliffs, we walk to the "Umiu Tenboudai" (Temminck's Cormorant Viewing Platform) - hundreds of Temminck's Cormorant find space to rest on the cliff faces (see picture), while another brilliantly coloured male Blue Rock Thrush looks down over the whole scene from a nearby vantage point, before being 'buzzed' by a Black Kite.

The cliffs are also home to Pelagic Cormorant, but on this first pass we are unable to locate any. Before returning home however we take another look. Amongst a group of sleeping Temminck's, I locate one bird preening itself - slighter in stature than the others, with a thinner bill, and the only bird without the distinctive white face; I have located the much less common Pelagic.

Near the bus stop under the bridge which gives access to the island, we spot a Grey Heron resting on a factory roof. In the harbour - Black-tailed Gull, Herring Gull, and one Slaty-backed Gull.

Links: Interactive Map (Japanese)

2006 Japan Bird Count: 70 Species

Eurasian Kestrel

Location: Mouchibenten Camp Ground, Sagamihara, Kanagawa Prefecture

Access: Shinjuku Station to Hashimoto Station - Keio Line. Bus from South Exit to Mouchibenten Camp Bus Stop. Walk 10 minutes to Camp Site

Weather: Clear, Warm, Light Breeze

Time: 3.00pm - 5.00pm

Birds: Great Cormorant, Little Egret, Great Egret, Grey Heron, Eurasian Wigeon, Common Teal, Black Kite, Eurasian Kestrel, Buff-bellied Pipit, White Wagtail, Japanese Wagtail, Dusky Thrush, Brown-eared Bulbul, Bull-headed Shrike, Jungle Crow, Eurasian Tree Sparrow, Oriental Greenfinch, Black-faced Bunting, Siberian Meadow Bunting

Comments: The popular Mouchibenten Camp Ground in Sagamihara, on the banks of the Sagamigawa, is deserted at this time of year but for a few fitness fanatics and fishermen. From the camp ground a high bank runs between the river and a flat plain of rice fields, which in turn, abuts a steep and thickly wooded hill - the fringe of Sagamihara's urban sprawl.

Few birds are on the river except for a close knit group of four Little Egret, and small groups of Eurasian Wigeon and Common Teal. The exposed grey pebble river bed of the Sagamigawa is always home to large numbers of Wagtails, while the dry brown reeds on the banks are popular with Siberian Meadow Bunting and Black-faced Bunting.

In the rice fields, criss-crossed with narrow roads, can be found Buff-bellied Pipit and Bull-headed Shrike; while the wooded slopes are home to large numbers of Jungle Crow and one Eurasian Kestrel (our 65th species for the year) - distinctive by its size and shape, rufous back with black wingtips, a single black bar at the end of a white tail, and black 'tear' under the eye.

A small variety of other common species add to the list, while a gentleman flying a remote-control aircraft buzzes too closely to the highest tree tops and finds his shiny white aircraft suddenly stuck at an impossible to reach position - we leave shortly after as he contemplates the futility of it all!

Links: map (Japanese)

2006 Japan Bird Count: 65 Species

Field Guides to the Birds of Japan

Looking for an English language field guide to the birds of Japan? Hop on over to Amazon and you will find the only English edition of "A Field Guide to the Birds of Japan", by the Wild Bird Society of Japan, published 1985, available from three sellers from US$178.99 to US$180.00 a copy! A little more than I'm willing to spend.

As only about 17 species are endemic to Japan, there is the option of purchasing books focusing on Korea, China and other Asian locations - a hassle in anyones book (pun intended)!

Consequently, the choice is narrowed down to guides written in Japanese and published within Japan. Many of the photographic guide books, of which there is a wide selection, provide bird names and/or scientific names in English; but generally, the quality of the photographs are surprisingly low and often birds are depicted in less than ideal conditions, often in breeding plumage only, and usually of only one sex. I have never been an advocate of photographic guidebooks and own none.

The seminal guide to Japans bird life, using artists illustrations is "A Field Guide to the Birds of Japan" by the Wild Bird Society of Japan (see picture left). Apart from the useful English title on the cover, this guide is printed entirely in Japanese but for the birds scientific names. The book is arranged with the text facing a plate of illustrations, and details every bird that has been recorded in Japan. Small maps show colour coded seasonal distributions of individual birds across the wider Asian area.

The book runs to 340 pages and, unless you have large pockets, is not suitable for field work. Further, given the large number of birds pictured which are rarely seen in Japan, identifying a bird in the field can take a great deal of time. Many of the illustrations are also poorly executed and coloured. Worth obtaining, but as a desk top reference only.


For field work, the newer 'handy guides' (see pictures above) - "Shin Mizube no Tori" (The New Birds of the Waterside) and "Shin Sanya no Tori" (The New Birds of the Countryside) - translations my own - also published by the Wild Bird Society of Japan, are far superior.

Both of these volumes slip easily into any coat pocket, weighing next to nothing at only 64 pages each, and cost just 524 Yen a copy. Updated and superior artist illustrations detail only the most commonly seen birds, with summer and winter migrants clearly marked with sun or snowman icons respectively. Transitory birds are also marked with a green 'flying bird' icon, and birds found only in the northern or southern areas of Japan are marked with the Kanji symbols for North and South accordingly - thereby eliminating the need for maps.

No English is used in either guide. Only Japanese bird names are provided, and only in Katakana (a form of Japanese script). No scientific names are given, and only the barest of details useful for identification in the field are provided for each bird. Arrows point to key identification features on the illustrations, and in "Shin Sanya no Tori" the most commonly seen birds are found at the front of the book as well as within the main body of the guide. "Shin Mizube no Tori" provides an index to both guides.

While learning Kanji is a long-term commitment, learning to read and write Katakana and Hiragana can be accomplished in only a couple of evenings given the right level of commitment - enabling anyone to quickly read the names of each bird from these guides. Then using Japanese-English Checklists (such as this) users can quickly arrive at their English equivalents. These are the guides I carry and which I see most Japanese birders using in the field.

For good coverage of Japans Sandpiper and Plover population I carry the 1,200 Yen "Shigi - Chidori-rui Handobukku" ("Sandpiper - Plover Handbook") by Osao Ujihara and Michiaki Ujihara (see picture left). This is a glossy, thin 66 page volume that slips easily into a coat pocket, and covers 75 species that have been recorded in Japan.

Most species are depicted with several illustrations covering plumage variations and species variants. The illustrations are excellent, with each illustrator having his own unique style: Michiaki Ujihara - angular lines and broad brush strokes, Osao Ujihara - smooth lines and fine detail. Common and scientific names are provided in English, but the text is completely in Japanese.

Sagamigawa

Location: Sagamigawa, Sagamihara, Kanagawa Prefecture

Access: Shinjuku Station to Ebina Station - Odakyu Line. Ebina Station to Shimomizo Station - JR Sagami Line. Walk 300m to river

Weather: Clear, Cold, Strong Breeze

Time: 3.30pm - 4.30pm

Birds: Little Grebe, Great Cormorant, Eurasian Wigeon, Common Teal, Mallard, Spot-billed Duck, Eurasian Coot, Oriental Turtle Dove, White Wagtail, Japanese Wagtail, Dusky Thrush, Brown-eared Bulbul, Bull-headed Shrike, Carrion Crow, Eurasian Tree Sparrow, Black-faced Bunting, Siberian Meadow Bunting, Rustic Bunting

Comments: A poor showing from the Sagamigawa (Sagami River) this afternoon as the sun begins to set and a cold breeze cuts right through several layers of thick clothing. Little Grebe, White Wagtail and Japanese Wagtail are in abundance; while Egret and Heron, almost always found around the rapids of the 'water control area', are conspicuous by their absence. Seeing nothing new we begin our walk back to the station when my wife pulls up suddenly in front of shrubbery high on the river bank, near the walking path - a small group of winter visitors, Rustic Bunting, sit huddled together on the lowest branches against the cold.

Links: map (Japanese)

2006 Japan Bird Count: 64 Species

The Usual Suspects

Location: Sagamihara Chosuichi, Sagamihara, Kanagawa Prefecture

Access: Shinjuku Station to Sagamiono Station - Odakyu Line. Sagamiono Station to Joshibi University of Art and Design (last stop) - Bus 60 from Stand 3. Walk from University Bus Stop through Sagamihara Koen to Sagamihara Chosuichi

Weather: Clear, Cold, Strong Breeze

Time: 1.45pm - 2.50pm

Birds: Little Grebe, Great Cormorant, Mandarin Duck, Eurasian Wigeon, Falcated Teal, Gadwall, Common Teal, Mallard, Spot-billed Duck, Northern Pintail, Northern Shoveler, Common Pochard, Tufted Duck, Eurasian Coot, Common Black-headed Gull, Oriental Turtle Dove, White Wagtail, Brown-eared Bulbul, Dusky Thrush, Bull-headed Shrike, Azure-winged Magpie, Carrion Crow, Eurasian Tree Sparrow, Oriental Greenfinch

Gyotoku Bird Observatory

Location: Gyotoku Bird Observatory, Ichikawa, Chiba

Access: Shinjuku Station to Tokyo Station - JR Chuo Line. Tokyo Station to Ichikawa-shiohama Station - JR Keiyo Line. Walk to Gyotoku Bird Observatory - 30 minutes

Weather: Clear becoming cloudy, Warm, Light Breeze

Time: 1.00pm - 3.30pm

Birds: Little Grebe, Great Crested Grebe, Great Cormorant, Black-crowned Night Heron, Little Egret, Great Egret, Grey Heron, Mute Swan, Mallard, Spot-billed Duck, Northern Pintail, Northern Shoveler, Tufted Duck, Greater Scaup, Common Buzzard, Common Moorhen, Eurasian Coot, Common Snipe, Common Sandpiper, Common Black-headed Gull, Herring Gull, Oriental Turtle Dove, Common Kingfisher, Buff-bellied Pipit, White Wagtail, Brown-eared Bulbul, Daurian Redstart, Dusky Thrush, Bull-headed Shrike, Carrion Crow, Grey Starling, Eurasian Tree Sparrow, Common Reed Bunting

Comments: From the second floor of the three-storey Gyotoku Bird Observatory we look over the bird reserve "Ichikawa Yachou no Rakuen" - loosely translated as "Ichikawa Wild Bird Heaven". Immediately in front of the observatory is a pond, home to a Mute Swan, various ducks, and 27 Black-crowned Herons - I count 13 juveniles and 14 adult birds, and I suspect there are more hiding in the reeds.

An older Japanese man beckons me to look through his scope (one of many that are fixed at regular intervals on the long desk that stretches the length of the picture window) - a Common Buzzard sits alone atop a distant tree. We are told that earlier in the day a Northern Goshawk had taken a Black-crowned Heron directly in front of the observatory, much to the horror (and fascination) of the gallery!

The Ichikawa Wild Bird Heaven is completely fenced off to the public, but every Sunday and National Holiday, at 1.30pm the Gyotoku Bird Observatory opens the gates to "Heaven" and takes visitors on an escorted tour through the reserve. We put down our name for the tour and join the gathering group outside. Wearing only sand shoes, we are warned of the boggy conditions - given the heavy rain the day before - and are taken down the side of the building where dozens of pairs of gumboots are kept for ill-prepared "Heaven" newbies such as ourselves.

Suitably shod, we spend two hours in the reserve. Highlights include a female Daurian Redstart, a Common Snipe which is startled on a side path and takes flight immediately, Greater Scaup which mingle with Tufted Ducks on the largest pond, and countless Great Cormorants building and tending nests on its banks - in the trees and especially constructed bamboo scaffolds - against the backdrop of industry.

Links: map (Japanese)

2006 Japan Bird Count: 63 Species

Yatsuhigata Tidal Flat

Location: Yatsuhigata Tidal Flat, Narahino, Chiba Prefecture

Access: Shinjuku Station to Tokyo Station - JR Chuo Line. Tokyo Station to Minami-Funabashi Station - JR Keiyo Line. Walk to Observation Centre from North side of Minami-Funabashi Station - 20 minutes

Weather: Clear, Cool - Warm, Light Breeze

Time: 9.30am - 12.00pm

Birds: Little Grebe, Black-crowned Night Heron, Eurasian Wigeon, Common Teal, Spot-billed Duck, Northern Pintail, Black-winged Stilt, Dunlin, Common Sandpiper, Common Black-headed Gull, Rock Dove, Oriental Turtle Dove, Common Kingfisher, White Wagtail, Brown-eared Bulbul, Pale Thrush, Japanese White-eye, Eurasian Tree Sparrow, Common Reed Bunting

Comments: The Yatsuhigata park area sits at an extreme end of Tokyo Bay and covers 42.0ha, with 41.2ha a National Wildlife Protection Area. It was designated as a RAMSAR site in 1993 - one of 33 such sites in Japan. Subject to the ebb and flow of Tokyo Bay, it is the home of large numbers of resident and migratory shorebirds.

Arriving at the junction closest to the walkover from the station, at the western edge of the main reserve, we follow the footpath leading to the Nature Observation Centre. From this vantage point we immediately pick up Black-winged Stilt, Dunlin, Common Teal and a Common Kingfisher. Along the pathway, in the thick line of trees separating the path from the reserve, we observe the ubiquitous Brown-eared Bulbul, Oriental Turtle Dove and a single Pale Thrush staying close to the ground in the heaviest shrubbery.

Arriving at 9.30am, with 4 hours until low tide, we pay 300 Yen to enter the Nature Observation Centre and look through the scopes lining the large picture windows. The mudflats beneath the building contain a solitary Common Sandpiper and an immature Black-crowned Night Heron standing at the edge of where the reeds meet open ground at the western end.

The high tide concentrates the majority of the shorebirds in the far north-eastern corner of the flat, so we walk a part of the 3.5km footpath that surrounds the reserve for a closer view. Here are large numbers of Dunlin in winter plumage, together with a variety of ducks and Common Black-headed Gulls.

Along the footpath, following the northern side of the reserve Japanese White-eye are found in almost every tree, while in the tall reeds in the north-western corner we have excellent views of Common Reed Bunting.

Links: Yatsuhigata Homepage (English)

2006 Japan Bird Count: 56 Species

Coming of Age Day Birds #2

Location: Tama River (Komae Area), Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture

Access: Shinjuku Station to Noborito Station - Odakyu Line

Weather: Cloudy, Cool, Light Breeze

Time: 12.00pm - 1.30pm

Birds: Little Grebe, Great Cormorant, Little Egret, Great Egret, Grey Heron, Eurasian Wigeon, Common Teal, Mallard, Spot-billed Duck, Northern Pintail, Northern Shoveler, Tufted Duck, Eurasian Coot, Long-billed Plover, Common Snipe, Common Sandpiper, Common Black-headed Gull, Rock Dove, Buff-bellied Pipit, Grey Wagtail, White Wagtail, Japanese Wagtail, Brown-eared Bulbul, Bull-headed Shrike, Carrion Crow, Jungle Crow, Eurasian Tree Sparrow, Siberian Meadow Bunting

Comments: The best birding is to be found east of the bridge. The path and man-made banks along the southern side of the river provide excellent viewing points to the northern side, where natural banks and rock pools provide the best habitat for waders. From the map (link below) - the rock pools opposite Inada Junior High School (稲田中) provided four Long-billed Plover, one Common Snipe, and one Common Sandpiper.

Links: map (Japanese)

2006 Japan Bird Count: 51 Species

Coming of Age Day Birds #1

Location: Ikuta Ryokuchi Park, Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture

Access: Shinjuku Station to Mukogaoka-yuen Station - Odakyu Line. Walk 10-15 minutes to Park Entrance

Weather: Cloudy, Cold, Light Breeze

Time: 8.30am - 11.30am

Birds: Spot-billed Duck, Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker, Oriental Turtle Dove, Rock Dove, White Wagtail, Brown-eared Bulbul, Red-flanked Bluetail, Dusky Thrush, Japanese Bush Warbler, Great Tit, Varied Tit, Long Tailed Tit, Japanese White-eye, Eurasian Tree Sparrow, Carrion Crow, Hawfinch, Black-faced Bunting

Comments: Monday, January 9th, was a public holiday in Japan - Coming of Age Day (Seijin no hi) - where Japanese men and women who have turned 20 years-of-age in the last year dress in formal and traditional attire to attend municipal ceremonies. It was also a grey and cold morning.

The Ikuta Ryokuchi Park in Kawasaki is a 10-15 minute walk from Mukogaoka-yuen Station on the Odakyu Line in Kanagawa Prefecture. Entrance to the park is free and various paths lead visitors through the undulating Tama Hills - woodland dominated by oak - bordering residential zones, and the Kawasaki Kokusai Golf Course to the south. In the northwest arm of the park, wooden walkways lead through open woodland, rice fields, grassland, and a small bamboo forest. Various ponds and water courses are found throughout the park.

Immediately on entering the park, near the main entrance, we find large numbers of Great Tit and a single Red-flanked Bluetail by a small waterfall in an area named Shoubu-en. Walking then into Funsui-ike, at the centre of the park, we find flocks of Eurasian Tree Sparrow, White Wagtail and Rock Dove by the frozen fountain/pond. At another frozen nearby pond, Okuno-ike, a couple of Spot-billed Ducks.

From here the paths lead up into the undulating Tama Hills - Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker, Oriental Turtle Dove, Great Tit, Long Tailed Tit, Japanese White-eye, Brown-eared Bulbul and Carrion Crow are easily found; while a single Varied Tit, Dusky Thrush and Hawfinch, and a pair of Black-faced Bunting are harder won.

Descending down wooden stairs into the valley in the northwest arm of the park, we locate a pair of Japanese Bush Warbler on the slope - after spending a lot of time following their rustling in heavy scrub. Along the wooden walkways we meet a local birder who tells us of a reported Yama-shigi (Eurasian Woodcock) in the area - however we were unable to find it. Locate one pair of Black-faced Buntings in shrubbery by a rice field before emerging back into the housing area.

Links: Ikuta Ryokuchi Website (English) and map (Japanese)

2006 Japan Bird Count: 44 Species

Kera no Kuni

Location: Kodomo no Kuni, Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture

Access: Shinjuku Station to Chuo-Rinkan Station - Odakyu Line. Chuo-Rinkan Station to Nagatsuta Station - Tokyu Denentoshi Line. Nagatsuta Station to Kodomonokuni Station - Kodomonokuni Line

Weather: Mainly Clear, Cool, Still

Time: 12.30pm - 3.30pm

Birds: Black Kite, Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Japanese Green Woodpecker, Oriental Turtle Dove, Rock Dove, White Wagtail, Brown-eared Bulbul, Dusky Thrush, Great Tit, Long Tailed Tit, Japanese White-eye, Eurasian Tree Sparrow, Carrion Crow, Jungle Crow

Comments: While the correct name for the park is Kodomo no Kuni (translated roughly as Children's Land or Kid's Country), we dubbed it Kera no Kuni - Woodpecker Country - after seeing more woodpeckers than any other type of bird in the field today.

Entrance to the park costs 600 Yen per adult, and the park is open from 9.30am to 4.30pm. Various walking paths extend throughout the park and through a variety of habitats. We elected to take the path that leads around the perimeter of the park through forest and scrub.

Japanese Pygmy Woodpeckers were the most conspicuous species along the path, with single birds and couples easily found every 50m to 100m. One Great Spotted Woodpecker was found near and right of the entrance gate, in tall trees on a hill overlooking the mini-railway. A second was found along the perimeter path near a group of wooden chalets. Further along the path, which follows the top of a hill surrounding the park, a single Japanese Green Woodpecker was found high in a tree overlooking the childrens farm area in the valley below.

Links: Kodomo no Kuni (Japanese)

2006 Japan Bird Count: 39 Species

Shinobazu Pond

Location: Shinobazu Pond, Ueno Park, Ueno

Access: Shinjuku Station to Ueno Station - JR Yamanote Line. Access Shinobazu Pond (SW side of Ueno Park) via Park Exit

Weather: Cloudy, Cold, Breezy

Time: 3.45pm - 4.45pm

Birds: Great Cormorant, Mallard, Spot-billed Duck, Northern Shoveller, Northern Pintail, Common Pochard, Tufted Duck, Eurasian Coot, Rock Dove, Common Black-headed Gull, Eurasian Tree Sparrow, Jungle Crow

Comments: With dusk falling and a cold breeze blowing off the water, my bird watching on Shinobazu Pond was only ever going to be cursory. Amongst the homeless, the new year devotees at Bintendo Temple, and a few lingering tourists, I marched the footpath leading around the lake. Famous for its lotuses, now brown and dormant in the winter - perches for flocks of Eurasian Tree Sparrows, the pond was deserted but for a lone couple in a swan-shaped paddle boat; and a myriad of commonly seen ducks and flocks of Common Black-headed Gulls.

The ducks are virtually tame, well fed with bread, and easily approached by cameras. Northern Pintail seemed to be the most common species on the water, with the Tufted Duck coming a close second. A single Great Cormorant, resplendent in breeding plumage, brought notice to himself by 'clacking' repeatedly with his bill as he preened himself on an unsteady branch overhanging the water; and white geese, escapees from the adjoining Ueno Zoo, competed with Mallard for the share of crusts being handed out by a bag-lady.

2006 Japan Bird Count: 34 Species

Tokyo Port Wild Bird Park

Location: Tokyo Port Wild Bird Park, Ota, Tokyo

Access: Shinjuku Station to Hamamatsucho Station - JR Yamanote Line. Transfer to Tokyo Monorail. Hamamatsucho Station to Ryutsu-Senta Station - Tokyo Monorail (Local Service). Walk 10-15 minutes to Park Entrance. (Bus service from Omori Station also available)

Weather: Cloudy, Cool-Cold, Light Breeze

Time: 12.30pm - 2.30pm

Birds: Little Grebe, Great Cormorant, Mallard, Spot-billed Duck, Northern Shoveller, Northern Pintail, Common Pochard, Tufted Duck, Grey Heron, Eurasian Coot, Northern Goshawk, Oriental Turtle Dove, Rock Dove, White Wagtail, Brown-eared Bulbul, Bull-headed Shrike, Great Tit, Japanese White-eye, Reed Bunting, Jungle Crow

Comments: This was my first visit to the Tokyo Port Wild Bird Park. Largely deserted by people, it offered up two interesting species...

Northern Goshawk (Accipiter gentilis) - one on a branch on the far side of East Freshwater Pond. This was a juvenile with the distinctive white superciliary above a yellow eye (juv.) and rufous/brown streaking on the underside (juv.)

Reed Bunting (Emberiza schoeniclus) - several in winter plumage in the reeds on East Freshwater Pond

Links: Map (Satellite Image)

2006 Japan Bird Count: 33 Species

Sagamihara Chosuichi Dam

Sagamihara Chosuichi Dam (map) is located in Sagamihara, Kanagawa; adjacent to Sagamihara Park and a short walk from the Joshibi University of Art and Design. The dam was built in 1952 with a water surface area of 12ha and an effective storage capacity of 700,000 cubic meters. It is a popular site for ducks and, of course, bird watchers.

A tall fence surrounds the dam, but it is along the southern edge (closest to Sagamihara Park) that provision has been made for birders, with gaps provided for binoculars and scopes. This is also the best vantage point for birders to view the whole dam.

Inside the dam, the western concrete bank is currently a favourite hangout for Common Teal, Mallard and Mandarin Duck. Common Teal also inhabit the southern bank, while Tufted Duck, and the occasional Spot-billed Duck and Northern Pintail enjoy the south-eastern corner. Along the northern banks Eurasian Wigeon, Northern Pintail and Northern Shoveler hold court, while in the center of the dam Grey Heron and Great Cormorant rule.

Along the southern side, a walkway extends out into the dam to a deck; and while this can not be accessed by the public, around the base is a prime spot for Falcated Teal, Madarin Duck, Mallard and Common Teal.

Gadwall, Common Pochard and Eurasian Coot are found in far less numbers, at any one of these locations on any day. White Wagtail and Common Sandpiper are also commonly seen along any of the banks. Little Grebe are most often seen out in the center of the dam.

The Japanese Wagtail is usually spotted from a dirt road along the western side of the dam. On the western side of this road are allotments and open country. The Japanese Wagtail likes to spend time flitting between both environments. This location is also popular with Bull-headed Shrike, Azure-winged Magpie, Siberian Meadow Bunting and Oriental Greenfinch.

Common Starling are often located in large numbers near the main entrance to the dam on the northern side. The small and ubiquitous Eurasian Tree Sparrow, which travel in large flocks, is to be found anywhere around the perimeter. The Oriental Turtle Dove are ocassionally seen in small numbers on surrounding telephone wires, as are Carrion and Jungle Crows.

New Years Day Birds

Location: Sagamihara Koen / Sagamihara Chosuichi, Sagamihara, Kanagawa

Access: Shinjuku Station to Sagamiono Station - Odakyu Line. Sagamiono Station to Joshibi University of Art and Design (last stop) - Bus 60 from Stand 3. Walk from University Bus Stop through Sagamihara Koen to Sagamihara Chosuichi

Weather: Overcast, Cool, Light Breeze

Time: 1.30pm - 3.00pm

Birds: (Sagamihara Koen) Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker, Japanese White-eye, Jungle Crow; (Sagamihara Chosuichi) Great Cormorant, Mandarin Duck, Common Teal, Mallard, Spot-billed Duck, Falcated Teal, Eurasian Wigeon, Gadwall, Northern Shoveler, Northern Pintail, Tufted Duck, Eurasian Coot, Little Grebe, Azure-winged Magpie, Great Tit, Carrion Crow, Brown-eared Bulbul, Grey Starling, Eurasian Tree Sparrow, Bull-headed Shrike, Oriental Turtle Dove, White Wagtail, Japanese Wagtail, Siberian Meadow Bunting, Oriental Greenfinch

Notes: One Eurasian Wigeon drake, near full breeding plumage (almost uniform colouring to the flanks), displays a distinctive green patch near the eye (as per the American Wigeon). This is a noted colour variation in "A Field Guide To The Birds Of Japan" and apparently common in East Asia (source)

2006 Japan Bird Count: 28 Species