Bird watching at Mount Fuji, Japan - July 2024

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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.

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คุณพูดภาษาไทยได้ไหม ไม่มีปัญหา ถ้าคุณต้องการไปหน้าถัดไป ให้กดปุ่ม “Next” ข้างบนนี้

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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.

July 2024 - Day 2

Itinerary - Day 2

04:39 - Sunrise
05:00 - Hotel Seikei Check-out
Drive to Kita-fuji Military Base 30min, 10km
05:30 - Kita-fuji Military Base Birding - 1.5hrs, 10km
07:00 - Drive to Mizugatsuka Park - 1.5hr, 40km
08:30 - Mizugatsuka Park - Birding - 1hr, 2km
09:30 - Drive to Nishiusuzuka - 10min, 6km
Nishiusuzuka Birding - 1 hr, 1km
10:30 - Drive to Juriki - 30min, 20km
11:00 - Juriki area Birding - 2hrs, 2km
13:30 - Drive to Mishima Station - 1hr, 30km
15:24 - Mishima Station Bullet train to Shinagawa Station
16:11 - Shinagawa Station
16:24 - Shinagawa Station Narita Express to Narita Airport
17:29 - Narita Airport
18:00 - Narita Airport Hotel shuttle bus to Narita Tobu Hotel Airport
18:58 - Sunset

Friday 12 ^th of July 2024 and my alarm went off at 4 o'clock. I enjoyed some salmon wrapped in seaweed that I had bought back in Tokyo before having my shower.

My Guide was waiting at the car when I came out at 5 o'clock and we were soon on our way towards the first birding area. It is a military exercise area and it is also an eBird hotspot: (立入禁止区域/restricted area) 富士吉田市--自衛隊北富士演習場 (Fujiyoshida--JSDF Kitafuji Training Grounds) so this will be exciting to see.

I had been very happy with the hotel, well, except for the kettle. Otherwise, I would not mind to stay here again.

We are alone when we leave Hotel Seikei and there are no people along the water front when we drive along Lake Yamanaka. When we arrived yesterday the water front had been full of tourists. But now they are sleeping this time of the day.

Starting the eBird app at 05:17 and we will see for how long we can look for birds. The clouds are very low and it will start to rain according to the weather forecast.

The area is only accessible during weekends as the army is training during the weekdays.

The first birds to report are two Eurasian Tree Sparrows and a Stonechat sitting on the wire. And then we can report five Chestnut-cheeked Starlings foraging next to the road.

Chestnut-cheeked Starling

Chestnut-cheeked Starling

Early morning at Fujiyoshida--JSDF Kitafuji Training Grounds

Early morning at Fujiyoshida--JSDF Kitafuji Training Grounds

Early morning at Fujiyoshida--JSDF Kitafuji Training Grounds

Singing Chestnut-eared Bunting

Singing Chestnut-eared Bunting

Listen to the Chestnut-eared Bunting

Sound from www.xeno-canto.org

Remarks from the Recordist

Recorded with my mobile phone using the Merlin app. High Pass Filter applied with Audacity.

One lonely bird on top of a pine tree singing.

We get out of the car and we walk along the gravel road. We spot one Chestnut-eared Bunting sitting in top of a pine tree. Too far up in the tree for good pictures. But I managed to get a recording of the bird as well.

The pictures turned out to be OK so I got both picture and a recording of the Chestnut-eared Bunting, first time I see this bird so that was very good. We walk along the gravel road and we can hear a lot of birds, but not many options for any pictures.

Actually, zero photo opportunity. My Guide turned around to go get the car and I continued along the gravel road.

My Guide flushed one Green Pheasant and I turned around when I heard the sound of the bird. No pictures.

My Guide pick me up and we continue along the gravel road. The lightning condition is not very good. Gloom and grey for long as I can see. Black clouds approaching and we will soon have rain.

Mount Fuji is covered in clouds and fog

Chestnut-eared Bunting

Chestnut-eared Bunting

Going down the gravel road

Oriental Reed Warbler

I managed to get a picture of the Oriental Reed Warbler and this is also a new bird for me, early morning and already three new birds.

Chestnut-eared Bunting
Chestnut-cheeked Starling
Oriental Reed Warbler

Gloom and grey so my pictures leave a lot to wish for but I am happy to get at least some pictures. And as I told my Guide, it is a beautiful area and it is a nice morning even if we do not manage to get any pictures.

Mount Fuji

Masked Bunting

Eurasian Skylark

Amur Stonechat

Mount Fuji

Chestnut-eared Bunting

Chestnut-eared Bunting

Chestnut-eared Bunting

Masked Bunting

Black-browed Reed Warbler

We spotted several Black-browed Reed Warbler and I was surprised to find it as a “RED” bird in my eBird app, never reported before. Strange, but I wanted to have pictures of the bird for my eBird report. But they were too far away for any good pictures.

OK for ID if anyone question that we had really seen the Black-browed Reed Warbler. And I accepted a lot of pictures of the other birds as well, most of them were “ORANGE”, infrequent so I needed pictures that was good enough for ID.

We had rain drops on the wind shield every now and then but no rain and I could get out of the car to try to get pictures and I tried to make several recordings and I got three recordings of the Black-browed Reed Warbler.

So, I was very happy when we continued leaving the Black-browed Reed Warblers behind.

Gloom and grey for long as we can see

Singing Black-browed Reed Warbler

Singing Black-browed Reed Warbler

Listen to the Black-browed Reed Warbler

Sound from www.xeno-canto.org

Sound from www.xeno-canto.org

Sound from www.xeno-canto.org

Remarks from the Recordist

Recorded with my mobile phone using the Merlin app. High Pass Filter applied with Audacity.

Sitting in the reeds along the gravel road.

Eurasian Skylark was the bird I could report most of, 15 of them. And they are just like the ones we see in Europe, foraging along the gravel roads. There were a lot of stonechats and warblers along the roads as well.

We were slowly driving back towards where we had started and we can see how the rain is approaching. So, the birding for the rest of the day does not look very good.

There are some stonechats close to the road, one young stone chat and I manage to get pictures. We spot the Oriental Turtle Dove, but now the bird is called Rufous Turtle Dove.

We spot on cuckoo in a dead tree, but way too far away for any proper ID so we report the bird as a cuckoo sp. (Cuculidae sp.) in my eBird app.

Young Amur Stonechat

Male Amur Stonechat

Bad weather is approaching

Rufous Turtle Dove

cuckoo sp. (Cuculidae sp.)

eBird Report

(立入禁止区域/restricted area) 富士吉田市--自衛隊北富士演習場 (Fujiyoshida--JSDF Kitafuji Training Grounds), Yamanakako, Yamanashi, JP
Jul 12, 2024 05:17 - 07:21
Protocol: Traveling
9.37 kilometer(s)
18 species (+1 other taxa)

Green Pheasant 6
Rufous Turtle Dove 4 This bird is known to me and my Guide as the Oriental Turtle Dove. Looked to be two pairs spotted maybe 10 minutes apart.
Lesser Cuckoo 2 Heard only all around the area. At least two of them
Common Cuckoo 4 Two seen and two heard only
cuckoo sp. (Cuculidae sp.) 1 Got picture, but to far away for proper ID. Perching in a tree with the back against us
Great Spotted Woodpecker 2
Bull-headed Shrike 1
Large-billed Crow 2
Eurasian Skylark 15
Zitting Cisticola 2
Black-browed Reed Warbler 5
Oriental Reed Warbler 3
Japanese Bush Warbler 6 Heard only and they could be heard all over the area
Chestnut-cheeked Starling 11
Amur Stonechat 9
Eurasian Tree Sparrow 2
Chestnut-eared Bunting 7
Meadow Bunting 2
Masked Bunting 4

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S186524932

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)

Today's track at JSDF Kitafuji Training Grounds

I turn off my eBird app and we continue to the next birding site, Mizugatsuka Park. But it is raining and we leave again.

I told my Guide that I was very happy with my two days here and he did not need to feel any pressure to see any birds.
- We cannot do anything about the weather, I said.

I could see that he was becoming a wee bit desperate, he wanted to give his customer a good experience. I was happy and we could as well go to have lunch. I told him that I would treat him for lunch and that I could take an earlier train to Narita International.

We made on more stop and I told him that I did not want to get out of the car, it was raining and it would be too dark in the forest for any pictures.
- Let's go for lunch and then you can get back home to your wife a couple of hours earlier than planned, I said.

Raining while we looking for birding sites

Raining while we looking for birding sites

I will take the train from Mishima Station and I can report on Grey Heron going there. We stopped at a red light and the bird was flying across the road. This was the last bird from Japan this time. The rain had shortened my bird watching trip, but I was happy.

According to my eBird trip report I have:

10 Species lifer:First time that someone observes a species in their life

5 Photo lifer:First time that someone photographs a species in their life

8 Audio lifer:First time that someone audio records a species in their life

eBird Trip Report - Japan July 2024

Since April 2023 eBird offer a new feature, to create Trip Reports. At least this is when I first heard of this feature and I have decided to make the eBird Trip Reports instead of my list of OBSERVED birds.

And of course, this also means that I will HAVE TO go back and do the same for my old birding adventures, WHEN I HAVE THE TIME!

Today's Trip Report: | Click HERE

Download | PDF

Lifers
Icons for lifers used in the eBird trip reports

Species lifer:First time that someone observes a species in their life

Photo lifer:First time that someone photographs a species in their life

Audio lifer:First time that someone audio records a species in their life

Exotic species
Exotic species flags differentiate locally introduced species from native species.

Naturalized:Exotic population is self-sustaining, breeding in the wild, persisting for many years, and not maintained through ongoing releases (including vagrants from Naturalized populations). These count in official eBird totals and, where applicable, have been accepted by regional bird records committee(s).

Provisional:Either: 1)member of exotic population that is breeding in the wild, self-propagating, and has persisted for multiple years, but not yet Naturalized; 2)rarity of uncertain provenance, with natural vagrancy or captive provenance both considered plausible.

When applicable, eBird generally defers to bird records committees for records formally considered to be of "uncertain provenance". Provisional species count in official eBird totals.

Escapee:Exotic species known or suspected to be escaped or released, including those that have
bred but don't yet fulfill the criteria for Provisional. Escapee exotics do not count in official eBird totals.

We reach Mishima at 10 o'clock and the restaurant we stopped at did not open until 11 o'clock. So, we were driving around and we found one restaurant that opened 10 thirty and we arrived at 10:31. We were happy to discover an open restaurant.

We went inside and it looked to be a nice restaurant. Looking at the menu and I got a wee bit worried, seems like it is only fish. But there was other food and I ordered a pork filet with some potato pancake and a Carre Udon.

Chocholate cake to finish the meal. My Guide dropped me at the Mishima Station and now I will get the chance to ride the bullet train for the first time in my life.

Mishima Station to Shinagawa Station will be by the bullet train and I will take the Narita Express to Narita Airport from Shinagawa Station. I buy the ticket and it sets me back by 7630¥ and I walk to platform #6.

11:54 and there is a train taking of to Tokyo, stopping at all stations. But my bullet train will depart at 11:58 with only one stop before the Shinagawa Station

My train will leave at 11:58

Mishima Station

11:50 train arrives

11:50 train departure

11:54 my train arrives

I am on my way to Tokyo

Killing time waiting for my train and I take a few videos. My train arrives in time and I board the train. Car #13 is for reserved seats and I had reserved a window seat to make sure not to miss any action on my way to Tokyo.

As my guide told me about the 600km/h train, it is mostly through tunnels. And now I understand the reason, there are mountains all the way. So, my excitement over riding the bullet train was soon turning in to a disappointment.

We were going through tunnels most of the time with a few seconds of open area between the mountains. But I managed to make one video with a longer gap between the mountains.

Well, now I have done it and I could get off at Shinagawa Station 39 minutes later.

Changing platform at Shinagawa Station and the Narita Express will depart at 12:55 but it was delayed by about 20 minutes.

Narita Express arriving late

Narita Express arriving late

On my way to Narita International

Arriving to Narita International

Arriving to Narita International

First stop at Narita is Terminal 2 & 3 and I will get off there to take a taxi to Narita Tobu Hotel Airport. They have a free shuttle but I will not bother trotting around Narita International to look for the free bus, so taxi it is.

Escalators up to ground level, or level 2 where the bus and taxi stands are. I got in to a taxi and I stepped in to Narita Tobu Hotel Airport 1400¥ and 10 minutes later.

I had paid 50 $ or so for the hotel so I had not expected much more than a hut. But it was a big hotel and it looked very nice. I checked-in and I found my room to be very nice.

Going down to buy milk at the convenient store at the reception and I had the kettle on coming back to my room.

My room

My room

My room

Going for the dinner buffet at 7 o'clock, and as a guest they gave me a 20% discount. The buffet, well, it is not any Marriot Sukhumvit Soi 2 standard. But it was very good for the price. They had BBQ beef that was very good.

Back in my room and I spent the rest of the evening there before going to bed early with the alarm set to go off at 4 o'clock. The airport shuttle leaves at 9 thirty for my Thai Airways flight TG 643 to Bangkok.

+++++++++++++++
Saturday 13 ^th of July 2024 and I was in the reception 20 minutes past 9 and there was a lot of people waiting for the airport shuttle. I asked the reception to call me a taxi and I was on my way 10 minutes later.

Checking-in online really makes sense if you do not have any check-in luggage. I only have carry on so I went straight to the security and immigration and I was very happy to discover that they had an Star Alliance Gold Member Fast Track

I ask if they have any empty seats at boarding and they tell me that the flight is almost full. So it was not possible to get an empty seat next to me. Well, this was not what I had been hoping for, but I suspected it as all seats were occupied at the online seat selection when I checked-in.

Boarding completed and I had two passengers next to me and they had checked-in online as well. They had selected window seat for the child and there were no windows in our row.

They moved around some people and they found them a window seat and I had 3 seats for myself.

The flight is almost full

I get my own row

6 hours to Bangkok and I did not enjoy the flight, but it was OK. Watching 2 movies and the food was OK. I had a couple of cups of tea.

Retarding the clock by 2 hours and we landed in Bangkok at 4 o'clock in the afternoon. I was off the plane 20 minutes past 4 and I was home less than one hour later.

My friend was supposed to have gone with me to Japan, but changes in his work schedule made him cancel. He was not happy to have missed Japan. I went to Tops Market to buy groceries and Ibought some salmon sashimi.

My friend came over and we had salmon sashimi for dinner so at least my friend got the taste of Japanese food.

Healthy food, but I cannot wait to get back to Chaiyasit Muay Thai Gym for my daily sessions with The Red Devil (ปีศาจแดง ก.กุมานนท์)

Two hours’ time difference between Japan and Thailand so it was almost midnight (Japanese Time) before I got to bed. And even though I was tired I had a hard time falling asleep.

Rainy season in Thailand so I am not sure when I can go look for birds again. But if you click HERE you will find out if there is any chance for bird watching.

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