One for the road

On our second last day in Japan, we decided to visit Ueno Park on the outskirts of Tokyo. Come to think of it, it is more like our last day because we have to catch a very early flight home tomorrow and I hope Japan will provide a memorable parting gift to me by providing a few more lifers. Apparently, Ueno Park is a great place for waterbirds especially ducks but the trip did not start off well. Dark clouds and occasional drizzle threatened to spoil our plans for the day. As we got off the train and made our way to the park, not only did the weather not improved but strong winds decided to join in the foray. And I fear that my birding excursion at Ueno Park will be short lived. I intended to spend more time at the lake area for the waterbirds and with the current weather, it could well be my sole salvation.

The first bird that greeted us as we walked along the access trail that cuts through the lake was this lone Grey Heron. I am aware of the saying that the grass is always greener on the other side but I find the Grey Herons here in Japan more attractive than the ones back home in Malaysia. Perhaps happy birds tend to be more appealing. This one certainly does not have to worry about its home being destroyed in the name of development and it certainly does not need to look over its shoulder every minute just be sure to be there is no catapult or gun-totting human sneaking up on it.

I have been trying to obtain good photographs of the Great Cormorant ever since I saw my first one a few days back. Each time I tried the distance between me and this fascinating waterbird was just too great. When I saw one drying itself just next to the trail, I said a silent prayer and approached with caution. I cannot be certain if it was the prayer or this individual was confiding but I was elated that I managed to obtain the type of photos I have been dreaming of.

I took my time with the cormorant and captured a few more images to satisfy my obsession. Thanks, bud...

Yours truly enjoying his last day out in the field for this trip...

My presence near the water’s edge did not go unnoticed. It is quite certain that the birds at this lake are used to human handouts despite the presence of notice boards that forbid the feeding of birds. A flock of Tufted Ducks made a bee line to my position and they appeared like birds with a mission. I was a little taken aback from this bold behaviour.

A few years ago, I had to drive 200km to see my first ever Tufted Duck in Malaysia. Today, I had to actually step back in order to get the whole duck into frame easier. At this close, one can truly appreciate the true beauty and vibrancy of the Tufted Duck. They even had my wife’s attention for quite a long while. It is not surprising. The striking black and plumage with a tinge of iridescent on the face would have won over anyone. And let’s not forget the wicked tuft of a crest...

The female Tufted Ducks lacks the striking colours of the male birds and the crest. I did intentionally ignore them but they were greatly outnumbered by the males.

Although the main bloom is over here, there are still some traces of how spectacular it must have been – much to the delight of my better half. At least I did not made feel so bad for exposing her to nasty weather so that I can spend some time to observe and photograph birds.

There is a small island in the lake and it is full of reeds. Not surprising I saw some of the commoner rails like this Common Moorhen foraging at the edge of the reeds.

A few Eurasian Coots were also present and I took a few shots of the one that was resting nearest to where I had position myself. To be honest, I expected to find more waterbirds. There is a notice that depicts at least half a dozen species of ducks that supposedly occur here but so far, I have only seen one. Anyway, that is birding and this unpredictability can sometimes truly test your mettle as a birder.

One bird that you will not miss at this lake is the Black-tailed Gull. Found in good numbers and having literally no fear of humans, shooting this species was a walk in the park. I do realise that is only a bleeding gull but it is one bleeding beautiful gull. Did I mention it has three colours on its bill?

The short concrete poles that hold the rope barrier at the water’s edge is one of their favourite perches. Shooting a predominantly white bird can be a challenge especially in strong light. Today’s overcast sky was a blessing in disguise as it made the exposure rather ideal.

Judging from the number of Black-tailed Gulls present here, I assume life is good for these highly adaptable birds as well. I think it is safe to say it is good for all the other bird as well.

There were quite a number of Black-headed Gulls present on these poles as well but inevitably, they were overshadowed by the much larger Black-tailed Gulls. It was only recently that a couple of Black-headed Gulls started to winter regularly in Malaysia along the northern shoreline of mainland Penang. So, seeing them in such numbers takes a little getting used to. I even have the liberty to pick and choose which one I want to photograph and I decided to get obtain the plumage differences found in the gulls present. Here is a juvenile...

This is an adult in winter plumage...

Despite a careful search, I failed to find one in its striking summer plumage. The closest were a few individuals that were starting to moult into summer plumage.

I expected to see Spot-billed Ducks as they are quite common throughout Tokyo. I guess they like to make an entrance and came fashionably late to greet me.

I thought the Tufted Ducks were determined when they zeroed in on me like crocodiles on the hunt but the Spot-billed Ducks, took a step further. They left the water and walked right up to me!

There were very few “land” birds present due to the strong winds and drizzle. A few White-cheeked Starlings were foraging on the grassy patches. The weather conditions probably made the starlings a little sluggish and I got some decent close up shots that were not affected by motion blur. The amount of white on the head region of the males seem to vary and I am not sure if it is age related. Some have just enough white to appear normal to me.

Some have nearly completely white heads and the black piercing eyes give them a slightly eerie look.

I enjoyed observing these starlings as I do watching the mynas back home. Starlings and mynas are closely related and I feel some starlings appear and behave more like mynas than starlings. The White-cheeked Starling is one of them. Full of character and mischievous, they are the best remedy to get over gloomy skies like today. This is the first time we experienced rain in Japan. I thought I left the rain back home when we left tropical Malaysia. Looks like I was wrong.

To wrap things up for my excursion to Ueno Park and since it will be my last bit on birding in Japan, I present to you one of the commonest birds in Japan – the feral Pigeon. This is yet another bird that will approach you and not the other way round. They will stroll between your feet and even stop and beg for food – much like a cat or a dog. I find it cute but I could not give in to their antics. They are a feral species and if their population is not kept in check, the native birds will be affected.

I bet this one just had a hearty breakfast...

My wife and I spend eight days exploring Tokyo and Kyoto and their surrounding areas. The cold climate, high standard of living and the language barrier are some of the drawbacks that we faced. However, the drawbacks are quite insignificant compared to all the memorable and wonderful experiences we obtained during our short stay here. And I was a real happy man. The birding was incredible. Some of the encounters were truly remarkable. But time flies when you are having a good time and soon, it will be back to the humid and pest-infested birding in my beloved tropical Malaysia.

Tit watching...

This post is not as provocative as what the title may imply. It has got absolutely nothing to do with a revered part of the female human’s anatomy but a family of small and colourful birds which despite being confiding are often difficult to photograph because of their active nature. The ryokan accommodation that we stayed at Kyoto was located near a wooded park that even had a pond – the type of place that I can sneak off to at dawn for a couple of hours of birding.  So, I decided to swing by Maruyama Park with my wife in tow after our sight seeing itinerary to satisfy my curiosity for the place. It does have all the potential of a good local patch. Lush green landscaping with a small stream running into a pond.

The pond had a few Grey Herons resting on the ornamental rocks and they seemed to be oblivious of all human presence and activities all around them. Grey Herons are common back home but never have I ever seen them at such close proximity. They were so tame that initially I thought they were captive birds with clipped wings.

This is one of the few rare occasions where I could have my photo taken together with my beloved birds. One more thing, semi-military attire is not a requirement when birding in green areas within the cities of Japan as most of the birds are confiding. You will probably get the same results wearing a fluorescent pink shirt (not that I own one).

From the pond, I followed a trail upstream. I made a mental note not to lose track of time even if the birding was good. There is a limit how long the Cherry Blossoms and blissful atmosphere near the pond can keep my better half occupied. After only a few strides into the trail, I came across a small birdwave. This is my first trip to Japan. The few hours of birding experience in Japan that I have gained prior to this moment could not have prepared me for this. It was a birdwave for God’s sake and overwhelmed is the word. I am sure I missed out on a few species. Most were small and hyperactive birds. But the one that got my undivided attention were the Varied Tits. Here comes the part where I watched tits with my mouth slightly ajar. As soon as I saw the striking black and white head, I was transfixed with the bird. Nothing else could take my eyes off it. Not even the other birds in the birdwave. But the Varied Tits were a difficult bunch of birds to follow. They hardly stood still and the fading light was not much help either.

I may be new to birding in this part of the world but I seen enough photos and documentaries on the Long-tailed Tit to know how it looks like. And that cute-looking bird right in front of me that has just caught a caterpillar was definitely a Long-tailed Tit. Again I could only managed only one reasonable shot as it was extremely active. It was about then that the land of the rising sun had to endure a stream of profanity from a frustrated Malaysian birder.

One thing I noticed during my site recce of Maruyama Park was the number of Jungle Crows present near the pond area. Here, they appeared to be even bolder than the ones I encountered in the capital. I guess crows worldwide have a bad reputation but if one can look beyond that, you will see an intelligent and sleek member of the avian family.

I set my alarm for 4:30am the next day as it is already bright by then. Other than a lone Great Cormorant that flew off as soon as I reached the site, the pond was void of any life. No sight of even the Grey Herons that looked so comfortable here last evening. I did not have to walk far into the trail to get my first lifer of the day. Finches can be confusing and I must admit I did not do my homework well enough to be able to identify this Black-faced Bunting immediately. I knew it was a finch and hoped that the three shots that I fired (from the same angle) will be good enough for me or my friends to identify later. And they were – thanks, Dave.

Before the Black-faced Bunting, the only finch-like bird I encountered were the ever-abundant Eurasian Tree-Sparrows. But here at Maruyama Park there are quite a lot of finch-like birds and not all of them were sparrows – that much I was sure. I do not seem to have much luck with these birds and like the Black-faced Bunting, I could only muster one shot of this Oriental Greenfinch (thanks, Masahiko San for the identity of this lifer) before it vanished from sight.

I have seen enough Pale Thrushes to recognise this species by jizz alone. This time, it was foraging on a grassy patch.

Later in the morning, I think I came across a second individual as it looked slightly different. I followed its movements until we came to dry riverbed. It was gloomy but the thrush was rather receptive of my presence and went about its business and that made the encounter a moment to be treasured.

Then came the tits – much to my delight as I have a chance to improve on my images. Unlike that evening, there was no birdwave. For that I am truly grateful as I can focus on one species at a time. Maybe I did not stress how stunning the Varied Tit truly is. Kyoto is full of fair maidens clayed in kimonos and looking absolutely lovely but I, will rather have a cooperative Varied Tit any day.

Although I managed more photos this time, I had to work hard to obtain them. These images with the tit foraging on a flowering tree are among the multitude of little treasures that I managed to bring back home digitally to be enjoy for many years to come.

The Long-tailed Tit also made me sing for my supper. I was constantly on the move as I tried to keep up with the bird’s rapid movements. I stumbled over steps, ignored the stares of curious morning walkers, trying to focus my camera on tiny bird that never ever stops moving and all that time, be aware of the direction of the light. People say you tend to appreciate something more if it took a whole lot of effort to obtain it and they are right. The Long-tailed Tit together with the Varied Tit are some of the main highlights of my trip to Japan.

As I was recovering from all the excitement from the tit watching endeavours, a small woodpecker alighted briefly in front of me. Lucky for me, my reflex action was quick enough to ensure that I did not come out empty-handed from this short but sweet encounter. It was a Pygmy Japanese Woodpecker and describing it as adorable would be an understatement.

When the birding pace dropped a gear, I decided to head back to the pond and I found myself in the company of four Mallards. The thing was each of them sported a different plumage. Since there was only one female, she will be given the honour to start off the encounter...

This rather dull looking individual is an eclipsed male...

The third is a male moulting into breeding plumage...

I saved the best for last – a male in full breeding plumage and he is a stunning specimen. I know that this species is common here and some other parts of the world but it does not occur naturally in my homeland. I am a sucker for waterbirds and the Mallard is one beautiful and confiding waterbird. That makes it irresistible to me.

As I was making my way out, I finally spent some time observing the Jungle Crows. Just like last evening, they were loitering around the entrance to the park.

In Japan, there are two species of crows. One is the Jungle Crow which I have come to know quite well as it occurs everywhere in the capital city and the other is the Carrion Crow which supposedly only occurs in more rural areas. Effort is required to distinguish the two just like the Large-billed and Slender-billed Crows back home. It also boils down to habitat, shape of the bill and head and the overall size for the crows here in Japan as well. Except for the first factor, it can be a bit of a challenge to pick out a Carrion Crow and that is the reason why I try to scrutinize every crow I see outside the city. The last crow I photographed before calling it a day here certainly fits the bill – literally. Thanks to Dave and Masahiko, I could tick Carrion Crow in my life list without any sense of guilt.

This city park has provided me with a rewarding and memorable birding experience that honestly, was not expected. I am grateful I stumbled upon this little piece of birding paradise and I should have known it was one. People do not erect tall statues of a bird next to a park for no reason. Thank you for the memories, Kyoto City.