Tokyo is a huge bustling city. Its frenetic. People wearing crazy outfits roam the streets. Lights flicker everywhere. But in Tokyo there are some peaceful areas hidden away form the bustling part of the city, such as the Daikanyama neighborhood we were stayed, and the park adjacent to the Mejhi Shrine, a peaceful forest in the middle of the one of the world's biggest cities.
We were all interested in seeing a sumo wrestling match, but there were no matches happening that month so we found a place to watch the wrestlers practice. It was more violent than we expected. Two fat men charge at each other, grab just about any body part, and win by violently pushing their opponent out of the ring. It was cool to watch, but I wish I had known more about the rules.
On our first full day in Tokyo I went on a great birding trip - the perfect way to start off a new country. We met up with Chris Cook at Kasai Rinkai Koen, a park on Tokyo Bay. Chris is a fellow birder we found via a website called Birding Pals; he also happens to be the editor for the Japan Times. I was excited that we picked this park because of the Slaty Backed Gull, a bird often seen here. The Slaty Backed Gull has been my nemesis bird ever since February 2014 when there was a sighting at the Lake County Fairgrounds in Illinois. I happened to be out birding that day at the IOS (Illinois Ornotholohgical Society) Gull Frolic, in northern Illinois where birders meet to spot rare wintering gulls. When someone reported a sighting ONLY 40 MINUTES AWAY everyone at the event left. I was a naïve birder then and was still learning about Chicago's birds, so I stayed because it was a little bit far (my dad didn't understand the significance either). But, aside from not realizing how rare it was, I also didn't stop to think how convenient it would be to simply drive the 40 minutes in Illinois versus flying to all the way to Japan. Ironically, after I left the event, the Slaty showed up at the Gull Frolic. I remember asking Matthew Cvetas, the leader of my birding club, "what was the best bird you have ever seen in the United States?" His reply: the Slaty Backed Gull! Missing that mega-rarity was the biggest mistake of my life, and I had been regretting it ever since. So you can understand when I say my hopes were high.
We started our walk, and we spotted this WHITE CHEEKED STARLING, near the entrance.
We started our walk, and we spotted this WHITE CHEEKED STARLING, near the entrance.
Then Chris spotted my life bird DUSKY THRUSH!
We arrived at the river, where we saw this Little Egret.
Then, ahead of me over the bay, I saw several gulls flying. Chris put his scope on one resting on a pylon. We'd found it, the SLATY BACKED GULL, the bird I have wanted for so long. What's more, this was my 500th bird! Here's a picture of one we saw on the beach.
In the river, we saw this female TUFTED DUCK, my first ever! This duck is often diving underwater, where it feeds on the seeds of the buds of aquatic plant, and sometimes amphibians and small fish.
We walked to a pier, and spotted some birds, such as GREAT CRESTED GREBE, SKYLARK, and my first EURASION WIGEON. I ran down to the end of the pier, and got good looks at this EURASIAN CURLEW. This is the largest wader in its range, with a wingspan stretching up to 35 to 42 inches.
These GREAT CORMORANTS were common around the bay.
EARED GREBES! This bird is sometimes found in Illinois as a rarity. The birds kept flying around, and Chris said perhaps they are practicing for migration. I have never seen so many birds so close before. I would estimate that there are 30 in this group. This is actually the most abundant grebe in the world.
We saw so many waders that day. COMMON SANDPIPER, DUNLIN, SANDERLING, BAR TAILED GODWIT, LESSER SAND PLOVER, and the best of all, a GREAT KNOT. We made our way to a group of ponds where we almost walked right past this KENTISH PLOVER. This bird has got to be the smallest wader I have ever seen, since its smaller than a robin.
We arrived at the ponds, where I saw my life bird REED BUNTING.
Ducks were everywhere in the ponds, COMMON POCHARD, LITTLE GREBE, GADWALL, NORTHERN SHOVELER, etc. The overall trip was fantastic, and we saw over 50 species, about 20 more than I thought I would get. And, best of all, I got the one bird I wanted, the SLATY BACKED GULL! Thanks for a great trip, Chris! Here's a picture of me and Chris on the train back into downtown Tokyo.
With my family we took a trip to the Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden and had a picnic one of the days. After I ate, I excused myself and did some more birding. I ran into some other birders by the ponds. I couldn't seem to find out what they were looking at, but then a COMMON KINGFISHER flew over, an electric blue bird with an orange belly. To bad I didn't get good looks. Though, I did get good looks at this JAPENESE TIT (Great Tit in Europe).
I also got good looks at this VARIED TIT, my favorite bird that day.
After Tokyo, we took the train to Nara, and stayed one night at a Buddhist temple outside of town. This was my favorite part about Japan. I had learned a little about Buddhism in Thailand. The monks were nice and welcoming and showed us to our room, a small place with rice paper walls and sliding doors. There were mats and blankets in the corner; we would be sleeping just like the monks. I liked it (except, that the pillow was as hard as a rock).The chef cooked us a feast, and the next morning we went straight to the morning prayer service. The monks prayed, chanted, meditated, and burned sticks with wishes on them, which is how they send these wishes to the gods. After breakfast, we hiked up the mountain behind the temple passing through all these orange Shinto gates. It was quite peaceful.
Along the way I saw this NARCISSUS FLYCATCHER, a bird I have always wanted to see.
After a night at the temple, we went down south to Kyoto. We stayed in the old neighborhood of Kyoto called Gion. The streets were lined with traditional Japanese houses, old shops, and temples. The oddest thing about Kyoto is that tourists rent kimonos (traditional Japanese dresses) and paint their faces white so they look like Geishas and take pictures of themselves in front off all the shrines. I liked Kyoto more than Tokyo because it felt more cultural and manageable. We spent two of the days exploring the windy streets of our neighborhood, but one day we took a train ride to a forest entirely made out of Bamboo!
I saw these two birds near the bamboo forest. If you know these birds, please let me know.
Barn Swallows wove their way around the streets, people, and in and out of stores. They got really close, and as you can see I got some really close up shots.
We went to go see Kyomizu Temple one day. There was a manmade "waterfall", and the water is said to be healing. There were the love stones, where if you walked from one stone to the next with your eyes closed it is said that you will find true love. It was pretty awful, and is more of a playground for tourists, which takes the beauty out of the temple. Plus, the whole love stone waterfall nonsense seemed kind of stupid. Surprisingly, this makes the top 100 things to do before you die list.
Japan was cool and I hope to come back someday. I'd especially like to visit that Buddhist temple again. Everywhere we went, even in Tokyo, there was a place where I could find peace and birds.
Bird List For Japan Life List 511 (16 life birds in Japan)
Japanese Tit X
Varied Tit X
Common Kingfisher 1
Narcissus Flycatcher 2 life bird!
Gadwall 2
Eurasian Wigeon 1 life bird!
Eastern Spot Billed Duck 8
Northern Shoveler 4
Green Winged Teal 15
Common Pochard 12 life bird!
Tufted Duck 14 life bird!
Greater Scaup 4
Red Breasted Merganser 1
Little Grebe 2
Great Crested Grebe 6
Eared Grebe 40 life bird!
Great Cormorant 8
Grey Heron 3
Little Egret 1
Eurasian Moorhen 3
Eurasian Coot 3
Eurasian Oystercatcher 20
Lesser Sand Plover 1 life bird!
Kentish Plover 2
Little Ringed Plover 1
Common Sandpiper 2
Whimbrel 8 life bird!
Eurasian Curlew 1
Bar Tailed Godwit 7
Ruddy Turnstone 2 (additional species seen by Chris Cook)
Great Knot 3 life bird!
Sanderling 12
Dunlin 12
Black Headed Gull X
Mew Gull 1
Herring Gull 2
Slaty Backed Gull 2 life bird!
Little Tern 6 life bird!
Common Tern 3 life bird!
Rock Pigeon 25
Oriental Turtle Dove 3
Pygmy Woodpecker 1
Azure Winged Magpie 1
Carrion Crow 1
Large Billed Crow 5 life bird!
Sky Lark 2
Barn Swallow 13
Brown Eared Bulbul 6
Zitting Cisticola 1
Japanese White Eye 4
Pale Thrush 1 life bird!
Dusky Thrush 4 life bird!
White Cheeked Starling 8
White Wagtail 2
Black Faced Bunting 3 life bird!
Reed Bunting 3 life bird!
Eurasian Tree Sparrow 5
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