December 28th
The following is the list of species that park rangers observed today.

Gadwall、Mallard、Spot-billed Duck、Northern Shoveler、Teal、Common Pochard、Tufted Duck、Little Grebe、Great Cormorant、Grey Heron、Eurasian Coot、Common Sandpiper、Black  Kite、Eurasian Sparrowhawk、Northern Goshawk、Common Buzzard、Oriental Turtle Dove、Common Kingfisher、Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker、Bull-headed Shrike、Large-billed Crow、Japanese Tit、Brown-eared Bulbul、Japanese Bush Warbler、Japanese White-eye、White-cheeked Starling、Pale Thrush、Dusky Thrush、Daurian Redstart、Eurasian Tree Sparrow、White Wagtail、Oriental Greenfinch、Black-faced Bunting
　(33species)

Ranger's Activities
Research : Daily Surveys  and  updating records
Habitat management : Patrol、Plowing
Education : Providing visiter services at the Ranger Station
Other : Nothing to Report

Ranger’s blog yesterday (Dec 27th)

In the early afternoon a Goshawk stayed in the shallow water of East Freshwater Pond. The hawk strangled a duck under the water to kill.

After a while the Goshawk pulled the duck and landed on the island of the pond.   When the hawk began to feed the duck a Common Buzzard, a Black Kite and Large-billed Crows came around the hawk being attracted to the prey.

The movie covers a scene of feeding of the Goshawk.  Please be careful for watching the movie since it is a bit bloody.
MOVIE

The following is the list of species that park rangers observed today.

Gadwall、Northern Shoveler、Common Pochard、Tufted Duck、Greater Scaup、Little Grebe、Black-necked Grebe、Great Cormorant、Grey Heron、Great Egret、Eurasian Coot、Common Sandpiper、Herring Gull、Black  Kite、Northern Goshawk、Common Buzzard、Oriental Turtle Dove、Common Kingfisher、Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker、Bull-headed Shrike、Azure-winged Magpie、Large-billed Crow、Japanese Tit、Brown-eared Bulbul、Japanese Bush Warbler、Japanese White-eye、White-cheeked Starling、Pale Thrush、Dusky Thrush、Daurian Redstart、Eurasian Tree Sparrow、White Wagtail、Hawfinch、Black-faced Bunting、Reed Bunting
　(35species)

Ranger's Activities

Research : Daily Surveys  and  updating records、Vegetation Study

Habitat management : Patrol、Trail maintemance 、Trimming Bushes

Education : Providing visiter services at the Ranger Station

Other : Nothing to Report

Ranger’s blog yesterday (Dec 26th )

It was a pretty warm day.
The fallen leaves were rustling in the wind. 

On the trail from Observation Hut 1 to 2 another rustling sound was audible.  A Hawfinch was foraging on the ground. 

The Hawfinch, like thrushes, eagerly removed fallen leaves and probed seeds with its characteristic broad triangular shaped strong mandibles.

Ranger’s blog before yesterday (Dec 24th)

December 22nd was the winter solstice. Only a few is remaining this year.

Besides of the wintering birds, billion of insects in the park also manage their own measure for wintering. Some insects overwinter as adults and others as pupae or eggs.  Detecting wintering insects might be an alternative way to enjoy the bird park.

For examples mantises and Joro Spider Nephila clavate overwinter as eggs. Please find their oothecae and egg sacs in the western part and the central part of the park, although the number of wintering eggs currently are decreasing due to enthusiastic management work for gardening. 

(An ootheca of Japanese Giant Mantis Tenodera aridifolia in a planting at the central part of the park)

( An ootheca of Giant Asian Mantis Hierodula patellifera on a tree in Lawn Square)

(Cocoons of Joro Spider on a tree in Lawn Square)

(This egg sac of Joro Spider on a Winged Euonymus fixed and covered by leaf with spider silk)

For successful wintering they need to be blessed with some luckiness since they are satisfactory prey for many bird species. 

(A Great Tit attacks an ootheca of Japanese Giant Mantis: the phot was taken in February 2017)

December 24th
The following is the list of species that park rangers observed today.

Gadwall、Mallard、Northern Shoveler、Common Pochard、Tufted Duck、Greater Scaup、Little Grebe、Great Cormorant、Grey Heron、Great Egret、Eurasian Coot、Common Sandpiper、Black  Kite、Northern Goshawk、Common Buzzard、Oriental Turtle Dove、Common Kingfisher、Bull-headed Shrike、Azure-winged Magpie、Large-billed Crow、Japanese Tit、Brown-eared Bulbul、Japanese Bush Warbler、Japanese White-eye、White-cheeked Starling、Pale Thrush、Brown-headed Thrush、Dusky Thrush、Daurian Redstart、Eurasian Tree Sparrow、White Wagtail、Oriental Greenfinch、Black-faced Bunting、Reed Bunting
　(34species)

Ranger's Activities
Research : Daily Surveys  and  updating records、Conducting weekly surveys for Marsh birds
Habitat management : Patrol
Education : Providing visiter services at the Ranger Station
Other : Nothing to Report

Ranger’s blog yesterday (Dec. 23rd)

Reed Buntings are one of typical wintering birds in the park.  They used to stay in the reed bed and watching them is not necessarily easy work. 
Today a Reed Bunting came out from the reed bed near Nature Centre.  The visitors in the centre were able to observe the bird easily and leisurely through the provided telescopes and their own binoculars.

(A Reed Bunting on a reed)

The same is almost true in the case of the Pale Thrush, other member of wintering species in the park.  To detect their location is not necessarily difficult because of their loud foraging behaviour of removing fallen leaves.  However if you attempted to watch a bird through thick undergrowth you should be patient and persistent.

(A Pale Thrush in a thicket)

Besides of the birds, a stingray moved leisurely in the water under Nature Centre.

A great variety of wildlife manages their lives in the park.  Please come to the park and watch them.

The following is the list of species that park rangers observed today.

Gadwall、Mallard、Northern Shoveler、Common Pochard、Tufted Duck、Greater Scaup、Little Grebe、Great Cormorant、Grey Heron、Little Egret、Common Moorhen、Eurasian Coot、Common Sandpiper、Black  Kite、Northern Goshawk、Common Buzzard、Peregrine Falcon、Oriental Turtle Dove、Common Kingfisher、Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker、Azure-winged Magpie、Large-billed Crow、Japanese Tit、Brown-eared Bulbul、Japanese Bush Warbler、Japanese White-eye、White-cheeked Starling、Pale Thrush、Dusky Thrush、Daurian Redstart、Eurasian Tree Sparrow、White Wagtail、Black-faced Bunting、Reed Bunting
　(34species)

Ranger's Activities

Research : Daily Surveys  and  updating records
Habitat management : Patrol、Trail maintemance
Education : Providing visiter services at the Ranger Station
Other : Nothing to Report

Ranger’s blog yesterday (Dec. 22nd )
A Common Kingfisher stayed in the reed bed near Observation Hut 1.

(A Common Kingfisher in the reed bed)
 
(View from Observation Hut 1.  A red circle indicate the kingfisher)

“Shio-iri” Pond connects directory to Tokyo Bay via water channels, therefore the water level of the pond rise and down simultaneous with the ebb and flow of the tide.
The high tides are good occasions to observe Common Kingfishers.  At the time water reaches to the foot of reeds and shrubs along the shore, on which kingfishers look for prey.
If you are lucky you will be able to see their hunting of diving to the water in Nature Center and Observation Huts.

December 22nd

The following is the list of species that park rangers observed today.

Gadwall、Mallard、Spot-billed Duck、Common Pochard、Tufted Duck、Greater Scaup、Little Grebe、Great Cormorant、Grey Heron、Great Egret、Water Rail、Eurasian Coot、Common Sandpiper、Western Osprey、Black  Kite、Northern Goshawk、Common Buzzard、Oriental Turtle Dove、Common Kingfisher、Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker、Bull-headed Shrike、Carrion Crow、Large-billed Crow、Japanese Tit、Brown-eared Bulbul、Japanese Bush Warbler、Japanese White-eye、White-cheeked Starling、Pale Thrush、Dusky Thrush、Daurian Redstart、Eurasian Tree Sparrow、White Wagtail、Oriental Greenfinch、Hawfinch、Black-faced Bunting
　(36species)

Ranger's Activities
Research : Daily Surveys  and  updating records、Conducting Monthly Bird Census
Habitat management : Patrol
Education : Providing visiter services at the Ranger Station
Other : Nothing to Report、Monthly Rangerｓ Meeting

 

 

After a while this poor male begun to preen his feather with bill and foot, and then flapped his wings, provably as the displacement activities.. 

 ( A Sparrow Hawk)

The following is the list of species that park rangers observed today.

Gadwall、Mallard、Spot-billed Duck、Northern Shoveler、Baikal Teal、Teal、Common Pochard、Tufted Duck、Greater Scaup、Little Grebe、Great Cormorant、Grey Heron、Great Egret、Little Egret、Eurasian Coot、Common Sandpiper、Black  Kite、Northern Goshawk、Common Buzzard、Oriental Turtle Dove、Common Kingfisher、Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker、Bull-headed Shrike、Azure-winged Magpie、Large-billed Crow、Japanese Tit、Brown-eared Bulbul、Japanese Bush Warbler、Japanese White-eye、White-cheeked Starling、Pale Thrush、Dusky Thrush、Daurian Redstart、Eurasian Tree Sparrow、White Wagtail、Oriental Greenfinch、Black-faced Bunting
　(37species)

Ranger's Activities
Research : Daily Surveys  and  updating records
Habitat management : Patrol、Plowing、Control of invader planｔ
Education : Providing visiter services at the Ranger Station
Other : Nothing to Report、Meeting  regarding  'Park Festival'

Rangers blog yesterday(Dec.19th)

It was a nice and warm day. At sunny spots, here and there in the park, many birds were basking in the sun.


(A Grey Heron in sunbathing)

At East Observation Blind a male Pochard landed and stayed alone. He was likely to be sunbathing, but rather, taking account of the rarely landing nature of the species, there was a possibility that he could have been a poor physical condition.


(A male Pochard landed at East Observation Blind)