A Quick Stop at Kasai Rinkai Koen

Location: Kasai Rinkai Koen, Edogawa, Tokyo

Access: Shinjuku Station to Tokyo Station - JR Chuo Line. Tokyo Station to Kasai Rinkai Koen Station - JR Keiyo Line

Weather: Clear, Hot, Humid, Light Breeze

Time: 12.30pm - 2.30pm

Birds: Great Cormorant, Yellow Bittern, Little Egret, Great Egret, Grey Heron, Spot-billed Duck, Black-winged Stilt, Little Ringed Plover, Common Greenshank, Common Sandpiper, Rock Dove, White Wagtail, Brown-eared Bulbul, Grey Starling, Eurasian Tree Sparrow

Comments: The heat and humidity were enough to even keep away the usual hordes of 'retired salary men with big cameras'! Of note... one Yellow Bittern in juvenile plumage.

2006 Japan Bird Count: 115 Species

After a Small Hiatus...

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: Cloudy, Warm - Hot, Humid, Light Breeze

Time: 9.30am - 11.30am

Birds: Little Grebe, Great Cormorant, Black-crowned Night Heron, Little Egret, Great Egret, Grey Heron, Spot-billed Duck, Black-winged Stilt, Common Greenshank, Terek Sandpiper, Grey-tailed Tattler, Ruddy Turnstone, Black-tailed Gull, Rock Dove, White Wagtail, Brown-eared Bulbul, Grey Starling, Eurasian Tree Sparrow

Comments: Braving the summer heat and humidity we descended upon Yatsuhigata having seen reports of Cattle Egret and Sanderling on the Yatsuhigata web site. We arrived at high tide, and from the observation center we observed large numbers of Grey-tailed Tattler on the mud flat immediately below, amongst which were scattered small numbers of Common Greenshank, Terek Sandpiper and occasional Ruddy Turnstone.