Birding/ Bird watching in Japan - April 2019

OK, it has come to my knowledge that we have senior citizens visiting my web page. How hard can it be? So it's not very easy for them to see the blue coloured links to the next page.

Jiffy (also jiff)

noun [in SING.] informal a moment: we'll be back in a jiffy.

ORIGIN late 18th cent.: of unknown origin.

So as you understand, in a jiff pretty much depends on your internet.

So I put a “Next” button here and I hope that there isn't any problem to understand how to use that one. So just CLICK the “Next” button on your left hand side and you will be on the next page in a jiff!

Marunong ka mag-tagalog? Walang problema! Magpunta sa kabilang pahina pindutin ang “NEXT” button sa itaas

Faites vous parlez le français? Pas de problème! Pour arriver à la page suivante faites s'il vous plaît un déclic le bouton “Next” ci-dessus!

Haga usted dice el español? No hay problema! Ver la siguiente página sólo hacer clic el botón “Next” encima!

Farla parla l'italiano? Non problemi! Per vedere la prossima pagina lo scatto per favore giusto Il bottone “Next” sopra

Sprechen sie Deutsch! Kein problem! Wenn Sie die folgende Seite sehen wollen gerade klicken der Knopf “Next” oben!

คุณพูดภาษาไทยได้ไหม ไม่มีปัญหา ถ้าคุณต้องการไปหน้าถัดไป ให้กดปุ่ม “Next” ข้างบนนี้

Вы говорите по-русски? Просто нажмите синюю кнопку "Next" с левой стороны и Вы моментально переместитесь на следующую страницу!

E ni Svenskar och inte förstår Engelska så ska ni skämmas. J och Björn, med det menar jag inte att alla mina stavfel ska ältas varje gång vi träffas.

Well, the flag of Skåne, just a BONUS flag.

Birding/ Bird watching in Japan - Mount Takao

Tuesday 9 ^th of April 2019 and my alarm went off 5 minutes before 4 o´clock and they called from the reception 5 minutes later. I will go by train to Mount Takao and while I'm on the train you can have a look (if you want) at the bird checklists my guide sent me while I´m on the train. Bird check lists as pdf files below:
Tokyo Area bird check list - April

Miyake Island bird check list - April

My Guide have sent me an excellent itinerary so I don´t expect any problem getting to the cable car station at Mount Takao.
5:43 Takeshiba Station (Yurikamome Line) Train to Shinbashi 3 min.
5:56 Shinbashi Station (JR Yamanote Line Soto-mawar) *Platform No.4 Train to Shinjuku 28 min.
6:41 Shinjuku Station (Keio Line for Keio-Hachioji) *Platform No.3 Train to Kitano 43 min.
7:25 Kitano Station (Keio Line for Takaosankuchi) *Platform No.1 Transfer train to Takaosanguchi 13 min.
7:38 Takaosanguchi Station

Takeshiba Station from Bayside Hotel Azur Takeshiba

People waiting for the Keio-Hachioji train at Shinjuku Station

People waiting for the Keio-Hachioji train at Shinjuku Station

I will take the next train

I will take the next train

Changing to the train to Takaosanguchi at Kitano Station

My Guide is waiting for me at Takaosanguchi Station and we start the bird watching around the train station and while walking to the cable car station. And the station is an eBird hotspot.

八王子市--高尾山口駅 (Hachioji--Takaosanguchi Station)

There was a lot of Asian House Martins under the bridge and they were busy building nests

Listen to the Asian House Martin

Sound from www.xeno-canto.org

Remarks from the Recordist

Recorded with my ZOOM H5 Handy Recorder. High Pass Filter applied in Audacity

Maybe 50 birds building nest under the railway bridge. Looked like they birds were not sure where their nest was and when they approached someone else nest they were chased away with loud noises from the birds in the nest.

The recording starts with one of these calls to scare away a bird and at 5 sec we can here the bird calling in flight passing just over my recorder after being chased away.

Asian House Martin / イワツバメ scare away another bird

Asian House Martin / イワツバメ scare away another bird

Asian House Martin / イワツバメ

Asian House Martin / イワツバメ

There is a stream outside the Takaosanguchi Station and there was a Grey Wagtail, picture not good enough to make it to my list of observed birds. But I was lucky with the Brown-eared Bulbul. I have tried to get a picture of the bird since I came to Japan, and now the bird was sitting there. And the Brown-eared Bulbul didn´t cared about me at all.

Singing like there was no tomorrow, but as soon as I took out my ZOOM H5 Handy Reorder the bird stopped with the singing, but I was happy with the pictures.

Grey Wagtail / キセキレイ in the stream

Grey Wagtail / キセキレイ in the stream

Grey Wagtail / キセキレイ in the stream

There is a stream outside the station

Brown-eared Bulbul / ヒヨドリ

Brown-eared Bulbul / ヒヨドリ

Brown-eared Bulbul / ヒヨドリ

Brown-eared Bulbul / ヒヨドリ

Brown-eared Bulbul / ヒヨドリ

We reach the cable car station

We walk to the cable car station, we had discussed if we were going to walk up or to take the cable car. But as I decided that we should start one hour later today as we were back home pretty late from Miakejima yesterday evening we decided to take the cable car.

It is a 3 minutes ride up the mountain and we had a beautiful view from the cable car.

My eBird checklist from Hachioji - Takaosanguchi Stationcan be downloaded HERE
Or online on ebird´s web page, click HERE

Mount Takao The cable car

It is crowded

On our way

On our way

On our way

On our way

On our way

A car on the way down

On our way

On our way

On our way

Arriving to the en station

We get out of the car at the end station and I can start my ebirder for a new checklist. And we are really lucky with the weather. A very wise decision to swap the days. It was sunshine and a very comfortable temperature on Mount Takao.

八王子市--高尾山 (Hachioji--Mount Takao)

There are several trails to choose from and we choose trail #4, the Suspension Bridge Trail to take us to the summit of Mount Takao. It is 1,5 km to trek to the summit.

• Trail/Route 1—the Omotesando Trail—which is mostly paved and passes all of the major sightseeing spots. It’s the easiest option in terms of effort—both physical and in the planning sense. It can get busy though, so be prepared for a less-than-silent mountain experience. This route is actually the longest, at 3km, and is easy-to-medium in terms of difficulty.

• Trail 2—Kasumidai Loop:This is the easiest and shortest trail, only a 0.9 km stroll through forests.

• Trail 3—Katsura Woods Trail:A medium trail with a focus on nature, 2.4 km of streams, forests and views.

• Trail 4—Suspension Bridge Trail:A 1.5 km medium route through forests and crossing the Miyamabashi Bridge.

• Trail 5—Peak Loop Trail:An easy route of 0.9 km which is relaxing and allows hikers to admire the flowers.

• Trail 6—Biwa Waterfall Trail:The second longest at 3.3 km, and the most challenging. This is known as “the trail of water”. You can pass a waterfall—site of ascetic training—and enjoy the cool forest air.

• Inariyama Trail:A 3.2 km challenging trail via Mount Inari, this is known as the every-season trail as it always has flowers or leaves to admire.

• Iroha no Mori Trail:A medium but at times steep 1.5 km trail, which has trees whose initials form the 48-character ancient Japanese alphabet: the iroha.

• Jyataki Waterfall Trail:A medium 1.5 km trail which follows the water, this one is quiet and peaceful.

• Ura-Takao Trail:The longest at 4.7 km, but an easy stroll, this takes you through plum groves with over 10,000 trees. It does run along a road though, so be wary of fast cars.

Takao 599 Museum have a good page with the different trails Here

From www.travel-around-japan.com

We were a few minutes in to trail #4, the Suspension Bridge Trail when we spotted a group of about 20 Grosbeaks. Too far away for any pictures and I was disappointed. But, well, we need to save some birds for my next visit to Japan. But I managed to get a recording of the birds.

We walked along trail #4 and it was kind of flat until we reached the Suspension Bridge. Then it went pretty steep up the mountain towards the summit.

But we didn´t see any birds so it was just “huffin and puffin” all for nothing. Well, it was a gorgeous area with great view. So I enjoyed my trek

Grosbeak / コイカル

Listen to the Japanese Grosbeak

Sound from www.xeno-canto.org

Remarks from the Recordist

Recorded with my ZOOM H5 Handy Recorder

Walking along Nature Trail #4 and there is a big group of the Japanese Grosbeak. No one comes close enough for a good picture that I can put here. Only bad pictures at a distance

Mount Takao trail #4

Mount Takao trail #4

Mount Takao trail #4

Mount Takao trail #4

Mount Takao trail #4

Varied Tit / ヤマガラ

Picture for no use at all

Listen to the Varied Tit

Sound from www.xeno-canto.org

Remarks from the Recordist

Recorded with my ZOOM H5 Handy Recorder. High Pass Filter applied

Huffin and puffin up Mount Takao and I finally spot a Varied Tit. I make the recording and I´m surprised that the bird sitting next to me so I can get great pictures.

500kg bird watcher climbing the Nature Trail #4 and my dial had turned the shutter speed to 1/20000 and crazy ISO speed and the pictures were all garbage. When I discovered this the bird was long gone. DARN!!!!

Coming up towards the summit and we spot two Varied Tits and I was lucky, I got a few pictures of the bird just sitting 2 meters away from me. I was happy until I checked the pictures, “huffin and puffin” up the mountain and I had turned the shutter speed to 1/20000 and thus a crazy ISO speed and the pictures was very grainy and I could not use the pictures.

So I was not very happy when we continued towards the summit where I discovered noodle soup restaurants and vending machines for water. But first I wanted to take a few pictures of Mount Fuji, and excellent view from the summit.

Mount Fuji from Mount Takao summit

Mount Fuji from Mount Takao summit

Mount Fuji from Mount Takao summit

Mount Fuji from Mount Takao summit

Mount Fuji from Mount Takao summit

Mount Fuji from Mount Takao summit

Oriental Turtle Dove or Rufous Turtle Dove / キジバト

Oriental Turtle Dove or Rufous Turtle Dove / キジバト

Varied Tit / ヤマガラ

Varied Tit / ヤマガラ

Varied Tit / ヤマガラ

We eat lunch before start walking back down again. This time we choose the paved walk path and we leave the summit. I stop to get a few pictures of an Oriental Turtle Dove before we continue. We walk 50 meters or so and I run in to two Varied Tits and I can get a few pictures.

I was happy when we left the Varied Tit behind. We didn´t see any more birds on our way down to the cable car station. Most likely because we walked the “MAIN” walk path back and there was a lot of people going up and down.

My eBird checklist from Mount Takaocan be downloaded HERE

Or online on ebird´s web page, click HERE

Coming down from Mount Takao and we´re looking for birds while walking back to the train station. We see the Grey Wagtail again and I give it a try with the camera. We also see a White Wagtail and I decide to try to make a video of the birds.

A stream at the Cable car station in Takaosanguchi

Beautiful cherry tree at the cable car station in Takaosanguchi

White Wagtail / クセキレイ

White Wagtail / クセキレイ

Grey Wagtail / キセキレイ

South Asian Carrion Crow / ハシボソガラス

We were not lucky with the House Martins, they were most likely off to have a rest. We did not see one single House Martin. The last bird we spotted before going to the train was the South Asian Carrion Crow / ハシボソガラス. We walked back to the train and it is time to call it a day.

My Guide have showed me yet another gorgeous birding place and I was happy with the day.

My eBird checklist #2 from Hachioji - Takaosanguchi Stationcan be downloaded HERE
Or online on ebird´s web page, click HERE

Train back to Tokyo and I was back in my hotel room quite early, carrying 2 bottles of Pepsi 0. We have been looking for Diet Pepsi all over Japan and we have coming up with nothing. Today I discovered a vending machine at the hotel and they had Pepsi Special ZERO. OK, honestly it was not as good as I had been hoping for.

Pepsi Special Zero

Pepsi Special Zero

Pepsi Special Zero

In bed early with my alarm set to go off 5 minutes before 4 o´clock and a back-up call from the reception at 4 o´clock. Tomorrow is my last day and the weather forecast says rain, but I hope for the best. Click HERE to find out if we see any birds.

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