Penduline-Tits and Assorted Plovers

Location: Tama River Mouth (Tamagawakakou), Kawasaki, Kanagawa

Access: Kojimashinden Station (Keihin-Kyuko Daishi Line)

Weather: Overcast, Cold, Strong Wind

Time: 9.00am - 10.30am

Birds: Great Cormorant, Little Egret, Grey Heron, Eurasian Wigeon, Spot-billed Duck, Tufted Duck, Greater Scaup, Little Ringed Plover, Kentish Plover, Pacific Golden Plover, Common Black-headed Gull, Herring Gull, Rock Dove, White Wagtail, Dusky Thrush, Chinese Penduline-Tit, Carrion Crow, Grey Starling, Eurasian Tree Sparrow, Common Reed Bunting

Comment: With a cold wind (minor gale) blowing; we walked along the banks of the Tama River from the cable-stayed Daishi Bridge, separated from the river by tall reeds. Eurasian Tree Sparrows drank from small muddy puddles, joined by the occasional Dusky Thrush. In the reeds we spot a Common Reed Bunting and close by a couple of slightly smaller birds which were immediately recognisable as Chinese Penduline-Tits.

Where the reeds thinned to give access to the mudflats, we wander out across the mud to focus on three small separate groups of waders, each consisting of 3 birds each. A larger group makes close passes to the shore but never settle and are soon lost to sight as they fly to the opposite bank. The first group are Pacific Golden Plover, the second Kentish Plover, the third Little Ringed Plover. The Pacific Golden Plover face the wind unmoving until we approach, but the other plovers are very active - finding plenty of worms in the mud.

On the water are two separate large groups of duck - Tufted Duck and Greater Scaup. There are smaller numbers Eurasian Wigeon.

Link: Map

2006 Japan Bird Count: 82 Species