Chasing Lifers: At the Land of the Rising Sun - Tokyo

After two and a half days at Takayama, it was time to say goodbye and head back to Tokyo.  But two and a half days was simply not enough time to explore this beautiful and quaint city.  It is my idea of a vacation destination and I want to be able to go back, hopefully soon.  We arrived in Tokyo early evening, had a quick meal at a McDonald's (hey, we wanted to see a McDo in Japan), and explored the nearby Family Mart and Seven Eleven looking for a powdered Pokari Sweat because it was the "bilin" of a favorite niece (I have many favorite nieces!!! baka may mag protesta). 

Early the following morning, I went birding in Shinjuku Park which was located across our hotel.  After going inside, walking a bit and not hearing anything but crows, I began to doubt my decision to bird here (I was debating on going to another but farther site).  But I was already committed to this site so I kept walking about.  And as with most birding sorties, patience is often rewarded... a lifer right in front of me...within good shooting distance, nice bokeh and good light.  Oriental Turtle Dove, Japan Lifer # 6.

Oriental Turtle Dove, Japan Lifer # 6

Bouyed by the Oriental Turtle Doves, I continued birding.  On one part of the park, I found a temple and decided to explore its grounds (I could hear birds!).

On one of the trees just outside the fence, I found my 7th lifer in Japan - Japanese Tit, also known as Oriental Tit.

Japanese Tit, Lifer # 7 in Japan

I also saw the Chestnut-eared Bulbul again but was not able to get any shot worth posting. Sometime later, a mixed flock of small birds arrived, very noisy and very active, but difficult to photograph. Seeing movement on some branches, I let out a burst was able to get a docu shot of a Japanese White Eye, my 8th Japan Lifer, 

Japanese White Eye, Japan Lifer # 8.

The Japanese Tits were back in numbers but still very active. While trying to get a photo of them, I spotted this lone bird on a branch to my left so I just fired away. Black-faced Bunting, Japan Lifer # 9!

Black-faced Bunting, Japan Lifer # 9.

After the Bunting left, I turned back my attention to the tree where the Japanese Tits were converging and just started shooting at anything moving.  And somehow, I got another lifer, #10, Long-tailed Tit!

Long-tailed Tit, Japan Lifer # 10

A slightly better photo of the Japanese Tit

And a more open docu shot of a Japanese White Eye

I espied a few White Wagtails on the well manicured grass in the distance.  I tried to get closer but they would fly away.  As I was about to go back to our hotel, two of them perched in front of me.

White Wagtail

Not only did they perch, they also started strutting...

White Wagtail, strutting

And after putting on a show, it gave me a bow!  We were in Japan, after all...

White Wagtail, giving me a "bow"

After the Wagtail show, it was time to head back to the hotel (the buffet breakfast time was about to end!).  Anyway, five lifers in a quickie morning birding is not bad at all!

The rest of the day was spent shopping - mainly for our sons. Leon, wanted to check out Tokyo Hands, a big school, arts and office supplies store for his Archi stuff.  Next stop was Akihabara, the electronics district where Luis wanted to look for some things.  

Early the following morning, our last day in Japan, I decided to go for broke and visited Kasai Rinkai Park, a site recommended by a birder from a Japanese FB birding site.  The only problem was, it was an hour away by train.  But, its bird list on ebird was quite impressive so off I went to a destination I have never been to.  Fortunately, the Japanese train system is easy to figure out and super efficient.  I arrived at the site after one hour and ten minutes.  

Upon entering the park, a flock of birds flew into a bare tree but quickly left. I was able to snap a few docu shots.  White-cheeked Starling, Japan Lifer # 11.

White-cheeked Starling, Japan Lifer # 11.

It was a large park, (per google, it's 81 hectares!!!), and all the signs were in Japanese. Hence, determining where the birding spots were was a challenge.  So I just walked and kept my eyes and ears open.  I again saw the Chestnut-eared Bulbuls.  This time, with better photo opportunities.

Chestnut-eared Bulbul

I continued walking and looking for the coast as most of the birds listed in ebird were waterbirds.  Along the way, I saw a Hawfinch (Japan Lifer #12), perch briefly near the top of a tree. Luckily, i managed a docu shot. 

Hawfinch, Japan Lifer # 12

Soon, I reached the coast but unfortunately, access to it was restricted.  I did read somewhere that there was an area that was off limits to people so that the wild bird population will come back. Reading between the lines, one may deduce that this must have been a bird habitat that was disturbed when they built the Kasai Rinkai Park (and Aqua Park) but now there are efforts to bring back the birds.  

At one point, I could see plenty of birds in the distance.   

Nearer to the shore, I spotted several White-cheeked Starlings perched on some railings.

Docu shot of White-cheeked Starlings

A couple of large dark birds flew in the distance and I was able to get a very poor shot.  After some heavy cropping, these were identified by Rob Hutchinson as a pair of Black Cormorants. One of my target birds in this park.  Lifer # 13.  

Black Cormorants, Japan Lifer # 13

A bit closer were some white birds hovering near the water.  I assumed they were terns but after some cropping and enhancing, I guessed that they were Black-tailed Gulls.  My guess was confirmed by Mr Hutchinson.  Here is a docu shot of Lifer # 14.

Black-tailed Gull, Japan Lifer # 14.

By 8:30am, I started my way back to the park entrance (where the train station was).  It was a good twenty minutes walk away.  I needed to be at the hotel by 10am because we were checking out already. I passed by a large three-storey all glass building which turned out to be a bird observation deck complete with mounted telescopes (!) but it only opens at 9am.  So all I could do was look at it and imagine what lifers I could have seen through its powerful lenses.     

The bird observation deck/building

As I was walking towards the exit, I saw some ETS on a nice perch so I took a few photos.  I felt that it was only fitting that my last bird photo in this Japan trip is the same species as the first one I took four days earlier (in Takayama).

"Japanese" Eurasian Tree Sparrow

Birding wise, it was a satisfactory trip, given my limited time and knowledge of the birding sites.  It leaves me wanting for more, but then again, we birders are seldom satisfied. (hehehe).  But kidding aside, Japan is a beautiful country that I would always want to go back to.  Hopefully, I will get a chance to see and photograph the Cranes and the Stellar Sea Eagles.  

Domo Arigatogozaimashita Nihon! 

Big thank you to Mr. Robert Hutchinson for all the help in identifying these birds.

Birding at the Boulevard - 2015 edition

Going home to Coron on a short trip, with a four-day training to oversee meant very little time to bird.  However, I was not to be denied.  On the afternoon of my third day, I went to the area that we Coronians call the Boulevard.  Actually it is a reclaimed area that was meant to have a seaside boulevard. A project of our former governor.  In 2012, Manila based birders Bob and Cynthia Kaufman, was able to photograph several species of waterbirds in the area.  At that time, the place was empty.  In 2013 and 2014, I was able to see and photograph several lifers.  Although due to the increasing human presence (the public market was transferred at this site sometime in 2014), there were less birds in 2014 as compared to the two previous years.  So I didn't expect much this year.  On my first foray into the area, I saw a couple of Asian Golden Plovers near a puddle, plus a few other smaller birds. But the big flock of terns that was present in the past three years was nowhere to be seen. I also saw fellow bird photographer Al Linsangan III trying out  his drone.  I stopped by to chat with him for a while before going back to Darayonan to get my gear.

After getting my camera, I decided to go to Villa Khadine but after a few minutes of not seeing anything except a couple of Bulbuls and Starlings, I decided to go back to the reclaimed area.  There were still not many birds but there were about eight terns perched on the zipline cables.  I walked near the puddle, leaned on a lamp post and aimed at the Asian Golden Plovers. There were two of them on the far side of the puddle and one nearer to me.  As soon as my camera focused on the nearer one, I noticed it was a larger bird and not an Asian Golden Plover. I was not sure what it was although the size was similar to a Wood Sandpiper and a Common Greenshank.   Since it was only about five to six meters away, I took lots of shots.  It was only later when I asked for the bird to be identified by experts that I found out that this was a Ruff (the female is called a Reeve).  I once saw this bird from afar (through a scope), in Candaba. But it was so far that even looking through a scope, it was not that easy to distinguish the features. 

Ruff

Ruff

After several bursts, I took a couple of photos of the Asian Golden Plover, an immature Yellow Wagtail and a Kentish Plover. 

Asian Golden Plover

Yellow Wagtail (imm)

Kentish Plover

Then I took several more photos of the Ruff...

Ruff

Not finding any other birds, I climbed on the van and was about to leave when a group of whitish birds landed on the ground and was making some noise.  White Wagtails!  There were seven or eight of them and another four to five Yellow Wagtails making noise and darting about.  I encountered a similar flock on November 28, 2014 but it was already dusk so all my photos then were poorly exposed.  The light today was a better but it was still a challenge because these birds are so active. 

White Wagtail

White Wagtail, immature

Then I saw a bird standing motionless on top of a mound.  I ignored thinking that it was one of the Yellow Wagtails.  When the White Wagtails flew away, I snapped several shots and realized that this was not a Wagtail.  I have posted this photo in facebook and have asked for identification from the experts.  According to Desmond Allen, a renowned Ornithologist, this is definitely a Pipit but he is not sure if it is a Paddyfield or Richard's Pipit.  My friend Bob Kaufman has ID'ed it as a Paddyfield. But I am asking how come it is shorter and fatter than the Paddyfield Pipit that I normally see at YKR. 

A Pipit - either Paddyfield of Richard's

The White Wagtails came back and I was able to get a closer photo.

White Wagtail

I wanted to go back the following morning to get more shots of the unidentified Pipit but I was not able to (at this point, I still didn't know that I photographed a Ruff). Neither was I able to that afternoon as we had a staff meeting.  But the following morning, which was my last for the trip, I made a short trip to the boulevard.  By this time I already knew about the Ruff so I was hoping to see more of it.

The first bird I saw was a Scaly-breasted Munia taking a bath.

Scaly-breasted Munia sunning itself after a dip in the puddle

Then a group of noisy Eurasian Tree Sparrows dove into the puddle.

Group bath, ETS style

And the Asian Golden Plover followed took its turn.

Asian Golden Plover freshening up

Asian Golden Plover

I saw some birds perched on the zipline cables so I made my way to the water's edge and snapped a few photos.

Barn Swallows

Barn Swallow about to take-off

Before leaving, I made a couple of turns around the area and saw a Paddyfield Pipit on one of the mounds.  This is the Paddyfield Pipit that I am used to seeing. 

Paddyfield Pipit

I also managed a few pictures of the few terns.  I am assuming that this is a Whiskered Tern.

Whiskered Tern

On my last go around, I saw one bird that was different from Paddyfield Pipits scurrying about in the ground.  I noticed that it was slightly larger. At the time I took the photo, I thought it was an Oriental Skylark but Desmond Allen later identified it as a Ruby-throated Pipit on its first winter. According to the Kennedy Guide, it is generally rare. And of course it is a lifer for me.  My 39th for the year and 232nd overall. 

Ruby-throated Pipit on its first winter (per Desmond Allen)

I ended my birding trip on that positive note. 

This was my eighth (8th) lifer in this reclaimed area. Perhaps my last because according to the scuttlebut, the provincial government is looking for investors to develop said area.