Great Crested Grebe 6
Black-necked Grebe 10
Cormorant 50
Little Egret 2
Grey Heron 10
Great White Egret 2
BLACK-FACED SPOONBILL 1 ex.
Wigeon 15
Falcated Duck 30
Gadwall 15
Teal 20
Mallard 50
Spot-billed Duck 25
Pintail 25
Shoveler 10
Pochard 2
Tufted Duck 20
Scaup 10
Goldeneye 2
Smew 2
Red-breasted Merganser 12
SCALY-SIDED MERGANSER 1 drake ex.
Osprey 5
Black-eared Kite 15
Hen Harrier 1 ringtail
Eastern Marsh Harrier 1
Sparrowhawk 1
Coot 2
Dunlin 1
SAUNDER'S GULL c.25
Black-headed Gull c.200
Kamchatka Gull 5
Vega Gull 10
Oriental Turtle Dove 5
Kingfisher 1
Crested Kingfisher 1 ex.
Bull-headed Shrike 1
Chinese Grey Shrike 1
Carrion Crow 10
Large-billed Crow 10
Skylark 5
Dusky Thrush 2
Daurian Redstart 2 male & female
Blue Rock Thrush 2
Brown Dipper 2
Tree Sparrow 20
Oriental Greenfinch 2
Meadow Bunting 5
Chestnut-eared Bunting 1
Reed Bunting 10
Dawn at the Iwakura Estuary
The tide plays a pivotal role in searching for Saunder's Gulls as they patrol the newly exposed mudflats on an ebbing tide.
Iwakura reedbeds
A flock of Little Grebes
Adult summer Little Grebe T.r. poggei at Iwakura
The form involved in east China, Russia, Korea and Japan is T.r. poggei that most notably has a pale yellow eye.
Chinese Grey Shrike Lanius sphenocercus sphenocercus at Iwakura
Larger, far longer tailed and shorter-winged than Great Grey Shrike with a narrow pale grey supercilum bordering its dark mask and an extensive white patch at the bases of its primaries.
Gulls starting to appear at Iwakura as the tide recedes
Exposed mudflats at Iwakura where we first found Saunder's Gulls
Adult-winter Saunder's Gull at Iwakura
Train heading for Negasa Station
River at Negasa Station
the perfect setting for ...
... an adult drake Scaly-sided Merganser at Negasa Station
Scaly-sided Merganser is considered Vulnerable by Birdlife who cite its small, declining population as a result of habitat loss, illegal hunting and disturbance. Unfortunately it is predicted that these threats will result in an accelerated rate of decline in the near future (TBW).
Female Crested Kingfisher near Nagasa Station
Some way downstream the Kintai Bridge crossing the Merganser's River
Palace/Shrine? atop an adjacent hillside to the Kintai Bridge
