AICHI NARRATIVES
Aichi Prefecture in Winter
November 2004
By November 7th, good numbers of ducks have begun to filter into the Kisa/Nagara River area on the border of Aichi/Mie/Gifu—Mostly Mallards and Tufted Ducks with good numbers of Common Pochards and Common Teal, with a few Eurasian Wigeon and Northern Shovelers. No Baikal Teal or Bewick's Swans, though many ducks present on that date were missed. Two observations of note were 26 Pacific Golden Plovers in a field in the area and 25 Common Coot feeding in an inlet (I had not observed this species at this locale before). Two earlier winter firsts near my apartment in Nisshin-shi, Aichi: On October 23rd, I observed my first Daurian Redstart and on November 12th I heard my first Dusky Thrush. Also, wagtail (Black-backed, Japanese and Grey) activity has greatly increased over the past couple of weeks near the stream by my apartment.
December 2004
Araike in Nagoya was a pleasant surprise on December 22nd. In addition to about 20 Mandarin Duck (I didn't see any at this location last year), several Falcated Teal (no observations last year), and about 30 Smew (a sizable increase from last year; 2 were males), the numbers of remaining waterfowl were similar to last year (Mallard, Spot-billed Duck, Eurasian Teal, Northern Shoveler, Common Pochard, and Tufted Duck, all represented in small numbers). Also observed this year but not last year included Long-tailed Rosefinch and Common Reed Bunting. I was also surprised to find other birders during my visit. Apparently, a Northern Goshawk has been hanging around the pond, though it didn't make an appearance during my visit.
Birds at FUJIMAE-HIGATA in the Nagoya Port area on January 4th included: a single Eared Grebe, Great Crested Grebe (common), Great Cormorant, Little Egret, Grey Heron, Mallard, Spot-billed Duck, Eurasian Teal, Eurasian Wigeon, Common Pochard (common), Tufted Duck (common), Greater Scaup (common), a single Osprey (I don't think I've ever visited this locale without seeing one), a couple of Eastern Marsh Harriers, a couple of Common Sandpipers, approximately 30 Common Snipe, several Vega Gull, several Mew Gull, 1 immature Saunders's Gull, several Black-headed Gull, along with the common passerines. This was the first visit that I failed to see a Peregrine Falcon, perhaps because its usual perch (an electrical tower) was missing.
At NAGASHIMA between the Kiso and Nagara Rivers on January 4th there were: Great Crested Grebe (common), Great Cormorant, Grey Heron, 3 Tundra Swans (2 adults, 1 sub-adult), Mallard, Spot-billed Duck, Common Teal, Eurasian Wigeon, Northern Pintail (common), Northern Shoveler, Common Pochard (common), Tufted Duck (common), Greater Scaup (common), an immature Northern Goshawk, a couple of Eastern Buzzards, an Eastern Marsh Harrier, several Vega Gull, several Black-headed Gull, Grey-headed Lapwing, Northern Lapwing, as well as the common passerines (Japanese Skylark, Common Reed Bunting, Dusky Thrush, Fan-tailed Warbler, Meadow Bunting, Rustic Bunting—all seem to be common here this time of year). What I didn't see were Baikal Teal, though their absence may easily have been due to the fact that I didn't have a scope (most of the time that I've seen them here, a scope has been required, since they tend to gather a distance from the river banks at this locale). I feel as if I'm not seeing the numbers of Dusky Thrush that I did last year, also.
January 2005
On the 14th I hit southern Aichi-ken in hopes of finding the avocets in Ishiki-cho, but no luck on this day. Nothing very unusual at SHIOKAWA HIGATA. Unfortunately, it appears that they are filling in a couple of the farm ponds near the dike. The birds: Great Cormorant, Great Egret, Grey Heron, Spot-billed Duck, Eurasian Teal, Common Pochard, Common Goldeneye, Greater Scaup, Black Kite, two female Eastern Marsh Harriers, Peregrine Falcon, Green Pheasant, Grey-headed Lapwing, about 30 Northern Lapwing, Common Sandpiper, a couple of Vega Gulls, Rufous Turtle Dove, Rock Dove, Japanese Skylark, Black-backed (White) Wagtail, Japanese Wagtail, Brown-eared Bulbul, Bull-headed Shrike, Daurian Redstart, Dusky Thrush, Meadow Bunting, Rustic Bunting, Black-faced Bunting, Common Reed Bunting. Oriental Greenfinch, Long-tailed Rosefinch, Eurasian Tree Sparrow, Grey Starling, Large-billed Crow, and Carrion Crow.
Next stop was LAGUNA GAMAGORI in Gamagori-shi. One Eared Grebe, Great Crested Grebe, Great Cormorant, Great Egret, Grey Heron, Spot-billed Duck, Eurasian Teal, one group of a couple of hundred Eurasian Wigeon and Northern Pintail, and a similarly-sized group of Common Pochard and Greater Scaup, Black Kite, one Kentish Plover working the beach, one Vega Gull, several dozen Black-headed Gull, Oriental Turtle Dove, Rock Dove, Black-backed Wagtail, Brown-eared Bulbul, two Brown-headed Thrush (a pleasant surprise), Pale Thrush, Dusky Thrush, Japanese White-eye, Oriental Greenfinch, Eurasian Tree Sparrow, Grey Starling, and Carrion Crow.
And at ISHIKI-CHO: Little Grebe, one Eared Grebe, Great Cormorant, Great Egret, Grey Heron, Spot-billed Duck, Common Teal, Eurasian Wigeon, Northern Pintail, Northern Shoveler (including 2 males with very orange breasts), Common Pochard, Tufted Duck, Greater Scaup, three Osprey, Black Kite, Green Pheasant, Grey-headed Lapwing, about 10 Northern Lapwing, Kentish Plover, a flock of Dunlin, two Common Snipe, a few Black-tailed Gull, a few Vega and Slaty-backed Gull, one adult Saunders's Gull, Black-headed Gull (common), Oriental Turtle Dove, Rock Dove, Common Kingfisher, Black-backed Wagtail, Brown-eared Bulbul, Bull-headed Shrike, Dusky Thrush, Black-faced Bunting, Common Reed Bunting, Oriental Greenfinch, one Hawfinch, Eurasian Tree Sparrow, and Carrion Crow.
I birded KAMINOGAIKE in Nagoya on the 25th: 5 Little Grebe, 2 Great Crested Grebe, 6 Great Cormorant, 1 Black-crowned Night Heron, 4 Little Egret, 1 Great Egret, several Grey Heron, 6 Mallard, 6 Spot-billed Duck, 6 Falcated Teal, 6 Gadwall, 20 Eurasian Wigeon, 30 Northern Pintail, 2 Common Pochard, 2 Tufted Duck, 8 Smew, several Eurasian Coot, 2 Common Moorhen, 25-30 Black-headed Gull, Oriental Turtle Dove, Rock Dove, 1 Common Kingfisher, 2-3 Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker, 2-3 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 2 Black-backed Wagtail (1st-yr male coming into breeding plumage & probable 1st-yr female), 1 Grey Wagtail, 1 Japanese Wagtail, Brown-eared Bulbul, 1 Bull-headed Shrike, 2 Red-flanked Bluetail (1 of each sex), 1 female Daurian Redstart, 1 Scaly Thrush, 4-5 Pale Thrush (1 female), 2-3 Dusky Thrush (at least 1 male), Long-tailed Tit, Varied Tit, Great Tit, Japanese White-eye, Black-faced Bunting, Oriental Greenfinch, Eurasian Tree Sparrow, Grey Starling, 4-5 Eurasian Jay (I hadn't seen them here before), several Carrion Crow, and 2 Large-billed Crow.
I also had a new 'yard bird': Common Snipe in the small stream by our apartment in the middle of the day resting on a mud bar. Unexpected this far into the city.
Mike Yough, Aichi (Chubu/Tokai)
November 2004
By November 7th, good numbers of ducks have begun to filter into the Kisa/Nagara River area on the border of Aichi/Mie/Gifu—Mostly Mallards and Tufted Ducks with good numbers of Common Pochards and Common Teal, with a few Eurasian Wigeon and Northern Shovelers. No Baikal Teal or Bewick's Swans, though many ducks present on that date were missed. Two observations of note were 26 Pacific Golden Plovers in a field in the area and 25 Common Coot feeding in an inlet (I had not observed this species at this locale before). Two earlier winter firsts near my apartment in Nisshin-shi, Aichi: On October 23rd, I observed my first Daurian Redstart and on November 12th I heard my first Dusky Thrush. Also, wagtail (Black-backed, Japanese and Grey) activity has greatly increased over the past couple of weeks near the stream by my apartment.
December 2004
Araike in Nagoya was a pleasant surprise on December 22nd. In addition to about 20 Mandarin Duck (I didn't see any at this location last year), several Falcated Teal (no observations last year), and about 30 Smew (a sizable increase from last year; 2 were males), the numbers of remaining waterfowl were similar to last year (Mallard, Spot-billed Duck, Eurasian Teal, Northern Shoveler, Common Pochard, and Tufted Duck, all represented in small numbers). Also observed this year but not last year included Long-tailed Rosefinch and Common Reed Bunting. I was also surprised to find other birders during my visit. Apparently, a Northern Goshawk has been hanging around the pond, though it didn't make an appearance during my visit.
Birds at FUJIMAE-HIGATA in the Nagoya Port area on January 4th included: a single Eared Grebe, Great Crested Grebe (common), Great Cormorant, Little Egret, Grey Heron, Mallard, Spot-billed Duck, Eurasian Teal, Eurasian Wigeon, Common Pochard (common), Tufted Duck (common), Greater Scaup (common), a single Osprey (I don't think I've ever visited this locale without seeing one), a couple of Eastern Marsh Harriers, a couple of Common Sandpipers, approximately 30 Common Snipe, several Vega Gull, several Mew Gull, 1 immature Saunders's Gull, several Black-headed Gull, along with the common passerines. This was the first visit that I failed to see a Peregrine Falcon, perhaps because its usual perch (an electrical tower) was missing.
At NAGASHIMA between the Kiso and Nagara Rivers on January 4th there were: Great Crested Grebe (common), Great Cormorant, Grey Heron, 3 Tundra Swans (2 adults, 1 sub-adult), Mallard, Spot-billed Duck, Common Teal, Eurasian Wigeon, Northern Pintail (common), Northern Shoveler, Common Pochard (common), Tufted Duck (common), Greater Scaup (common), an immature Northern Goshawk, a couple of Eastern Buzzards, an Eastern Marsh Harrier, several Vega Gull, several Black-headed Gull, Grey-headed Lapwing, Northern Lapwing, as well as the common passerines (Japanese Skylark, Common Reed Bunting, Dusky Thrush, Fan-tailed Warbler, Meadow Bunting, Rustic Bunting—all seem to be common here this time of year). What I didn't see were Baikal Teal, though their absence may easily have been due to the fact that I didn't have a scope (most of the time that I've seen them here, a scope has been required, since they tend to gather a distance from the river banks at this locale). I feel as if I'm not seeing the numbers of Dusky Thrush that I did last year, also.
January 2005
On the 14th I hit southern Aichi-ken in hopes of finding the avocets in Ishiki-cho, but no luck on this day. Nothing very unusual at SHIOKAWA HIGATA. Unfortunately, it appears that they are filling in a couple of the farm ponds near the dike. The birds: Great Cormorant, Great Egret, Grey Heron, Spot-billed Duck, Eurasian Teal, Common Pochard, Common Goldeneye, Greater Scaup, Black Kite, two female Eastern Marsh Harriers, Peregrine Falcon, Green Pheasant, Grey-headed Lapwing, about 30 Northern Lapwing, Common Sandpiper, a couple of Vega Gulls, Rufous Turtle Dove, Rock Dove, Japanese Skylark, Black-backed (White) Wagtail, Japanese Wagtail, Brown-eared Bulbul, Bull-headed Shrike, Daurian Redstart, Dusky Thrush, Meadow Bunting, Rustic Bunting, Black-faced Bunting, Common Reed Bunting. Oriental Greenfinch, Long-tailed Rosefinch, Eurasian Tree Sparrow, Grey Starling, Large-billed Crow, and Carrion Crow.
Next stop was LAGUNA GAMAGORI in Gamagori-shi. One Eared Grebe, Great Crested Grebe, Great Cormorant, Great Egret, Grey Heron, Spot-billed Duck, Eurasian Teal, one group of a couple of hundred Eurasian Wigeon and Northern Pintail, and a similarly-sized group of Common Pochard and Greater Scaup, Black Kite, one Kentish Plover working the beach, one Vega Gull, several dozen Black-headed Gull, Oriental Turtle Dove, Rock Dove, Black-backed Wagtail, Brown-eared Bulbul, two Brown-headed Thrush (a pleasant surprise), Pale Thrush, Dusky Thrush, Japanese White-eye, Oriental Greenfinch, Eurasian Tree Sparrow, Grey Starling, and Carrion Crow.
And at ISHIKI-CHO: Little Grebe, one Eared Grebe, Great Cormorant, Great Egret, Grey Heron, Spot-billed Duck, Common Teal, Eurasian Wigeon, Northern Pintail, Northern Shoveler (including 2 males with very orange breasts), Common Pochard, Tufted Duck, Greater Scaup, three Osprey, Black Kite, Green Pheasant, Grey-headed Lapwing, about 10 Northern Lapwing, Kentish Plover, a flock of Dunlin, two Common Snipe, a few Black-tailed Gull, a few Vega and Slaty-backed Gull, one adult Saunders's Gull, Black-headed Gull (common), Oriental Turtle Dove, Rock Dove, Common Kingfisher, Black-backed Wagtail, Brown-eared Bulbul, Bull-headed Shrike, Dusky Thrush, Black-faced Bunting, Common Reed Bunting, Oriental Greenfinch, one Hawfinch, Eurasian Tree Sparrow, and Carrion Crow.
I birded KAMINOGAIKE in Nagoya on the 25th: 5 Little Grebe, 2 Great Crested Grebe, 6 Great Cormorant, 1 Black-crowned Night Heron, 4 Little Egret, 1 Great Egret, several Grey Heron, 6 Mallard, 6 Spot-billed Duck, 6 Falcated Teal, 6 Gadwall, 20 Eurasian Wigeon, 30 Northern Pintail, 2 Common Pochard, 2 Tufted Duck, 8 Smew, several Eurasian Coot, 2 Common Moorhen, 25-30 Black-headed Gull, Oriental Turtle Dove, Rock Dove, 1 Common Kingfisher, 2-3 Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker, 2-3 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 2 Black-backed Wagtail (1st-yr male coming into breeding plumage & probable 1st-yr female), 1 Grey Wagtail, 1 Japanese Wagtail, Brown-eared Bulbul, 1 Bull-headed Shrike, 2 Red-flanked Bluetail (1 of each sex), 1 female Daurian Redstart, 1 Scaly Thrush, 4-5 Pale Thrush (1 female), 2-3 Dusky Thrush (at least 1 male), Long-tailed Tit, Varied Tit, Great Tit, Japanese White-eye, Black-faced Bunting, Oriental Greenfinch, Eurasian Tree Sparrow, Grey Starling, 4-5 Eurasian Jay (I hadn't seen them here before), several Carrion Crow, and 2 Large-billed Crow.
I also had a new 'yard bird': Common Snipe in the small stream by our apartment in the middle of the day resting on a mud bar. Unexpected this far into the city.
Mike Yough, Aichi (Chubu/Tokai)