Birding Hotspot 3: Hamakoshien, Nishinomiya

General Description
One of the few remaining tidal flats in the region, Hamakoshien is an important feeding ground and stopover point for migratory birds--primarily ducks in the cooler months and shorebirds from April to May.  The site is a nationally designated Wildlife Sanctuary in Nishinomiya city.  At least 89 bird species have been recorded at Hamakoshien (see species list below).

 

The west side of Hamakoshien in January, 2016.  

The east side of Hamakoshien in January, 2016.  Around 2000 ducks were wintering here at this time.

Getting There
I'm fortunate that Hamakoshien is part of my local birding patch, and I can be there in less than 10 minutes on my bicycle.  For others coming from Osaka or Kobe, the closest train station is Naruo Station on the Hanshin Line.  From Naruo Station it's about a 15-minute walk south to Naruo estuary and the tidal flats.

The area in the foreground in front of the blue fence is protected and off limits during April and May.  However, there are excellent tidal flats that are unprotected and get lots of people walking across them during the same time of year (the area beyond the fence).  Few birds have access to these feeding grounds due to disturbance by people and their pets.  Sadly, unleashed dogs are a common sight on the beaches around Nishinomiya.

Finding Birds
The best areas to look for birds are the tidal flats.  High tides bring the ducks in closer between October and March.  Between April and May, low tides are good for observing feeding shorebirds, although, as with the ducks, high tides bring the shorebirds in closer, making it easier to observe and photograph them.  In winter it is not unusual to see 10 or 11 duck species together, with less common ducks like Garganey and Baikal Teal occasionally turning up.  Five species of grebe have been spotted here, but Black-necked Grebes are the most common grebe here in winter.  Winter is also good for gulls, with Vega, Black-tailed, Black-headed and Common Gulls all present.  As the weather warms up in April/May, Ruddy Turnstones, Grey-tailed Tattlers and Whimbrels are easy to spot, particularly at the entrance to the Naruo estuary in the east.  Look for Little Ringed Plovers, Lesser Sand Plovers and Kentish Plovers feeding along the shoreline.  Occasionally, Eurasian Curlews, Pacific Golden Plovers and Sharp-tailed Sandpipers stop over at Hamakoshien.

Tufted Duck

Falcated Duck

Grey-tailed Tattler

Greater Scaup

Red-breasted Merganser 

Black-tailed Gulls

Little Ringed Plover

Whimbrel

Ruddy Turnstone feeding on barnacles

Striated Heron

Bird Species List for Hamakoshien (Source: 甲子園浜の野鳥情報  and personal observations)
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Some Golden Week Birding around Sanda

If you're reading this post from Japan, you'll know all about the cluster of public holidays between April 29 and May 5 known as Golden Week.  Basically, we don't get many long holidays here.  For many people, Golden Week is the longest vacation period of the year.  For bird nerds, it's even better: great spring weather and lots of migrants arriving or passing through.  

So with some time on my hands, I headed out to one of my favorite local birding locations: Sanda.  With a 45-minute train ride from my home in Nishinomiya, Sanda is about as far as I'm usually willing to go to for birding.  Although Sanda city itself is nothing to write home about, the rice fields, forested hills, rocky gorges, and dams that surround the city all provide good habitat for a large variety of birds, and it's not difficult to see over 50 bird species in a morning around Sanda



My intended destination for the day was Dojo, just south of the city.  However, on an impulse, I hopped off the train at Takedao, one stop before Dojo.  Right in the middle of the Muko River Gorge, Takedao is best known for its onsen and the old, abandoned JR Fukuchiyama train line and tunnels that are popular with hikers on the weekends.  I was more interested in the resident Crested Kingfishers though.  I had heard (but not seen) one on a visit to Takedao earlier in the year.  

As I walked out of the station and proceeded to get out my binos and camera, I heard that familiar call again...this time right in front of me, perhaps 10 meters away.  I looked up and there it was (and wasn't for long) ... a ヤマセミ, a Crested Kingfisher.  As I raised the camera, it was gone, flying upstream along the river until I lost sight of it.  A minute later a Common Kingfisher, the Crested's smaller and more garish cousin, shot past me flying in the opposite direction.

The Muko River at Takedao, just upstream of the train station.

I headed up the gorge, finding a few male Blue-and-white Flycatchers singing from the very top of the tallest trees...a habit that makes it difficult to get clear photos of these striking birds.  Apologies for the quality of the shot below...it was the best I could get at full optical zoom.

Blue-and-white Flycatchers were easy to find but difficult to photograph at Takedao.

After a few hundred meters, the road came to a dead end at the entrance to one of the abandoned train tunnels, so I headed back to the station, finding my first Northern Hawk-cuckoo on the way.  It was still early, only just after seven.  Time to move on to Dojo.

Nobody goes to Dojo.  They have no reason to. For most, there is nothing there--absolutely nothing. Not even a convenience store.  And that's a great thing...for bird nerds, at least.  For me, it's an awesome place to wander and bird, and, at this time of year, look for snakes.

This is Dojo. There is nothing here for non-birders.

This is a Tiger Keelback at Dojo.  It is both poisonous (glands on the neck) and venomous (fortunately, rear-fanged).  I know of only one fatality attributed to a Tiger Keelback.  I like these snakes.  I tried, unscuccessfully, to catch the snake in the photo. I'm finding it's a lot harder to catch snakes carrying both a camera and binos.

Leaving Dojo station, I headed straight for the Muko River again; finding both Common and Green Sandpipers on the river banks.  Little Ringed and Long-billed Plovers were easy to find here too.

A Green Sandpiper

A Little Ringed Plover

Birdsong filled the air, and an Oriental Cuckoo was calling from the treed slope behind me.  It would have been nice to see it, too.  Coming from the east coast of Australia where several species of cuckoo (especially the Fan-tailed) are easy to see, I'm surprised at how difficult it is to spot cuckoos in Japan.  Are they more secretive here?  Are there less cuckoos around?  I suspect it's the latter, and cuckoo declines have been documented  in other parts of the northern hemisphere.

Now it was time to head up into the hills along a dirt track through some secondary forest. Here I found Narcissus Flycatchers and lots of Eastern Crowned Warblers.  One male flycatcher was busy chasing away an immature male, while down the hill a male and female were in the same place I had seen the female collecting nesting material a week or two earlier.  

Narcissus Flycatchers are easy to spot in the hills around Dojo at the moment.

An Eastern Crowned Warbler

Returning to the Muko River, Oriental Reed Warblers were abundant along the riverside vegetation, while male Green Pheasants were in the usual places, busy displaying.  I know they are common, but pheasants are one of my favorite birds to watch.  Strutting and crowing raucously, the males are impossible to miss during the breeding season.

Oriental Reed Warblers are abundant in riparian vegetation around Dojo.

Green Pheasant in the grass.

The same Green Pheasant displaying and crowing.

I continued upstream for another kilometer, hoping that some Chestnut-cheeked Starlings that I'd seen a week earlier were still around.  They weren't, but a lone wader feeding in the shallows of the river caught my attention.  It was a Common Greenshank, giving me a much better view than the greenshanks I'd seen huddled on a tiny rock island at Koshienhama on the coast only a few days earlier.  Close up and in good light, they are quite an impressive bird.

Chestnut-cheeked Starling at Dojo in late April. They are passage migrants around here and I couldn't find them on this visit to Dojo.

Lone Common Greenshank along the Muko River

The same bird feeding in the shallows.

All in all, it was rewarding morning of birding.  I hope to get out that way again some time in the next few weeks.

Flycatcher Migration Happening Now! Nogyo Park, Amagasaki

After a hectic week at work with little time for birding, I decided to have a look around a small park close to home that I had read about on some local Japanese birding blogs.  The park has a reputation being reliable for passage migrants despite its small size and urban location.  Nogyo Park is located in Amagasaki city, but is actually closer to Itami city, not far from Itami Airport (see map below). 

After arriving at the park early in the afternoon, I was surprised to see a group of about eight or nine local birders with scopes and binoculars all aimed at something in the middle of a fenced bamboo grove.  Peering into the darkness between the towering bamboo stalks, I saw a tiny brown bird shoot past me just above ground level. "ヤブサメ," said someone next to me. It was an Asian Stubtail—a nice start to the afternoon.

Nogyo Park

The birding only got better, with two male Blue-and-white Flycatchers オオルリ taking everyone's attention away from the stubtail for a while.  In sunlight these birds are striking, and the "blue-and-white" in the common name doesn't really do justice to the beauty of these birds. The Japanese name does better, translating as "Great Ultramarine." Unfortunately, the only shots I could get of the flycatchers were from below when they were in the canopy, transforming their brilliant blue plumage into black.

A good afternoon of birding was topped off when a Brown-headed Thrush アカハラ (another unimaginatively named bird) made an appearance in the rose garden. 

My first clear shot of a Brown-headed Thrush 

In Japanese, the Brown-headed Thrush translates as "red belly."

The birding was good enough that I decided to return the following morning despite a less than promising weather forecast of rain and strong winds.  But as luck would have it, there was a short window of calm weather between the rain and strong winds at around 9:30.

After a 15-minute drive, I was back at Nogyo Park.  This time the park was virtually empty—yesterday's birders were nowhere to be seen.  Once again, the birding was good.  The Brown-headed Thrush was in the same area, this time feeding alongside its more common congeners: Dusky Thrush ツグミ and Pale Thrush シロハラ. 

Zitting Cisticolas セッカ and a Green Pheasant きじ were calling from the grassy banks of the river bordering the eastern edge of the park.  Walking back towards the center of the park, I saw a brilliant flash of orange.  I knew what it was immediately. I'd seen one a week earlier at Osaka-jo Park.  It was a male Narcissus Flycatcher キビタキ.  It was close; less than 3 meters away.  I was able to follow it for long enough to get a few shots.

Male Narcissus Flycatcher--highlight of the day!

Unlike its congener, the Brown-headed Thrush, Pale Thrush turn up everywhere in big numbers in Kansai during the cooler months.

Another thrush!  Dusky Thrush prefer more open, less-shaded places than the Pale Thrush.  

As predicted, the wind picked up and it was time to call it a day.  I'll definitely be heading out to Nogyo Park again. I'll keep you posted.

Birding Hotspot 2: Yodogawa Kasen Park, Ebie, Osaka

General Description
Noisy, drab, and right in middle of urban Osaka, Yodagawa Kasen Park near Ebie is a seemingly unlikely birdwatching destination.  However, between the concrete levee and the trash-laden bank of the Yodo River, lies one of the better and more accessible birding hotspots in Kansai, with extensive reed bed patches, ponds, and riparian habitat.  

The park is popular with local Japanese birders, and can even get crowded with groups of  birdwatchers on weekends and when something rare shows up.  At least 105 bird species have been recorded in Yodogawa Kasen Park (see list below). 

Reed beds along the edge of the Yodo River

A number of bridges cross the Yodo River in this area.  The bridges are a good place to look for perching gulls and raptors.

Getting There
Take the local train on the JR Gakkentoshi line to Ebie Station.  From Ebie Station it's a 10-minute walk to the Yodo River.  Walking north from here will take you through some of the better bird habitats in the park.

Common Reed Buntings are abundant in the reed beds throughout the cooler months.

Great Cormorants are common here throughout the year.

Eurasian Kestrels (the bird in the picture is a female) are usually easy to spot perched on the bridge crossing the Yodo River.

Northern Pintails resting on edge of the river.

Male Long-tailed Rosefinch

Common Sandpiper

Male Meadow Bunting 

Black-headed Gulls in April (some with summer plumage, some with winter plumage)

Bird Species List (Source: Wild Bird Society of Japan Osaka Branch and personal observations)

English Name	Japanese Name	Status
Gadwall	オカヨシガモ	Winter visitor
Falcated Duck	ヨシガモ	Winter visitor
Eurasian Wigeon	ヒドリガモ	Winter visitor
Ferruginous Duck	メジロガモ	Rare
Mallard	マガモ	Winter visitor
Common Pochard	ホシハジロ	Winter visitor
Eastern Spot-billed Duck	カルガモ	Resident
Northern Shoveller	ハシビロガモ	Winter visitor
Northern Pintail	オナガガモ	Winter visitor
Eurasian Teal	コガモ	Winter visitor
Greater Scaup	スズガモ	Winter visitor
Tufted Duck	キンクロハジロ	Winter visitor
Common Goldeneye	ホオジロガモ	Rare
Black Scoter	クロガモ	Rare
Common Merganser	カワアイサ	Winter visitor
Black-necked Grebe	ハジロカイツブリ	Rare
Little Grebe	カイツブリ	Resident
Great Crested Grebe	カンムリカイツブリ	Winter visitor
Black-crowned Night Heron	ゴイサギ	Resident
Eurasian Bittern	サンカノゴイ	Rare
Little Egret	コサギ	Resident
Great Egret	ダイサギ	Resident
Intermediate Egret	チュウサギ	Summer visitor
Grey Heron	アオサギ	Resident
Great Cormorant	カワウ	Resident
Black-headed Gull	ユリカモメ	Winter visitor
Black-tailed Gull	ウミネコ	Resident
Common Gull	カモメ	Winter visitor
Vega Gull	セグロカモメ	Winter visitor
Little Tern	コアジサシ	Summer visitor
Whiskered Tern	クロハラアジサシ	Rare
Osprey	ミサゴ	Resident
Black Kite	トビ	Resident
Eastern Buzzard	ノスリ	Winter visitor
Northern Goshawk	オオタカ	Resident
Eurasian Sparrowhawk	ハイタカ	Resident
Peregrine Falcon	ハヤブサ	Resident
Eurasian Kestrel	チョウゲンボウ	Winter visitor
Eastern Marsh Harrier	チュウヒ	Winter visitor
Eurasian Coot	オオバン	Winter visitor
Common Moorhen	バン	Resident
Ruddy-breasted Crake	ヒクイナ	Rare
Grey-headed Lapwing	ケリ	Resident
Eastern Water Rail	クイナ	Winter visitor
Little Ringed Plover	コチドリ	Summer visitor
Long-billed Plover	イカルチドリ	Resident
Common Sandpiper	イソシギ	Winter visitor
Wood Sandpiper	タカブシギ	Passage migrant
Terek Sandpiper	ソリハシシギ	Passage migrant
Grey-tailed Tattler	キアシシギ	Passage migrant
Dunlin	ハマシギ	Winter visitor
Kentish Plover	シロチドリ	Resident
Common Greenshank	アオアシシギ	Passage migrant
Red-necked Stint	トウネン	Passage migrant
Bar-tailed Godwit	オオソリハシシギ	Passage migrant
Eastern Black-tailed Godwit	オグロシギ	Passage migrant
Common Snipe	タシギ	Winter visitor
Whimbrel	チュウシャクシギ	Passage migrant
Oriental Turtle Dove	キジバト	Resident
Rock Dove	ハト	Introduced
Short-eared Owl	コミミズク	Winter visitor
Common Kingfisher	カワセミ	Resident
Eurasian Wryneck	アリスイ	Rare
Sand Martin	ショウドウツバメ	Passage migrant
Barn Swallow	ツバメ	Summer visitor
Eurasian Skylark	ヒバリ	Resident
Bull-headed Shrike	モズ	Resident
Daurian Redstart	ジョウビタキ	Winter visitor
Blue Rock Thrush	イソヒヨドリ	Resident
Brown-headed Thrush	アカハラ	Winter visitor
Pale Thrush	シロハラ	Winter visitor
Dusky Thrush	ツグミ	Winter visitor
Brown-headed Bulbul	ヒヨドリ	Resident
Japanese Bush Warbler	ウグイス	Resident
Asian Stubtail	ヤブサメ	Rare
Oriental Reed Warbler	オオヨシキリ	Summer visitor
Zitting Cisticola	セッカ	Resident
Siberian Stonechat	ノビタキ	Summer visitor
Arctic Warbler	メボソムシクイ	Summer visitor
Dusky Warbler	ムジセッカ	Rare
Eastern Crowned Warbler	センダイムシクイ	Summber visitor
Narcissus Flycatcher	キビタキ	Summer visitor
Asian Brown Flycatcher	コサメビタキ	Summer visitor
White Wagtail	ハクセキレイ	Resident
Japanese Wagtail	セグロセキレイ	Resident
Japanese Tit	シジュウカラ	Resident
Chinese Penduline Tit	ツリスガラ	Winter visitor
Japanese White-eye	メジロ	Resident
Meadow Bunting	ホオジロ	Resident
Rustic Bunting	カシラダカ	Winter visitor
Black-faced Bunting	アオジ	Resident
Chestnut-eared Bunting	ホオアカ	Winter visitor
Common Reed Bunting	オオジュリン	Rare
Oriental Greenfinch	カワラヒワ	Resident
Siskin	マヒワ	Winter visitor
Brambling	アトリ	Winter visitor
Long-tailed Rosefinch	ベニマシコ	Winter visitor
Hawfinch	シメ	Winter visitor
Eurasian Tree Sparrow	スズメ	Resident
White-cheeked Starling	ムクドリ	Resident
Chestnut-cheeked Starling	コムクドリ	Passage migrant
Crested Myna	ハッカチョウ	Introduced
Carrion Crow	ハシボソガラス	Resident
Large-billed Crow	ハシブトガラス	Resident