Wajiro is not only famous for the striking oystercatcher, but it is also well known for Common Shelduck (Tadorna tadorna). My first visit to Wajiro on March 3 saw me taking photos of a flock of 8 Common Shelducks that was resting on a sandy beach at high tide. They were certainly not tame, but fortunately there was a wall for me to hide behind, so I could take photos of them at really close range.
Non-breeding male Common Shelduck
An immature female
Adult female
With a Common Coot drinking water in the background
I was a bit disappointed to see that none of the drakes was in breeding plumage. I was hoping to see a drake with large red knob on the bill but all of them were still in non-breeding plumage with buffish fringes on the head and no red knob. All of them were sleeping and bathing in shallow water. I took few videos of them while bathing. It was interesting to see that they were also drinking (fresh?) water that was running into the sea. Lots of Common Coots were joining the drinking party as well.
Drinking (fresh?) water
Enjoying afternoon bath
It was really difficult to get the green of its head and speculum
An adult non-breeding male
Another male with buffish fringes on the head
Wajiro seems to be a really good place for birding only if the tide is low. I've been there twice and the tide was high on both visit, yet birds were still considerably good. There were lots of Northern Pintails, Greater Scaups and other common ducks in the water. Few Black-necked and Great Crested Grebes were seen as well. Small flocks of waders have already arrived by the time I visited the place. There were Grey Plovers, Dunlins, Bar-tailed Godwits and 2 species of curlews.
Just a few days before I left Japan, I visited a place called Wajiro (和白), a famous birding site in the eastern part of Hakata Bay in Fukuoka. It's my second time visiting the place. As I arrived early in the morning, I felt a bit disappointed as the tide was quite high and there were not many birds in the bay. This place is famous for being one of the best places in Japan to see the Eurasian Oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus). I didn't expect to see it since the the tide was high and birds were really quiet. But as I was scanning through a flock of sleeping ducks far on the west side of the bay, I was amazed to see 2 oystercatchers resting along with 2 Far Eastern Curlews, 1 Eurasian Curlew and a Bar-tailed Godwit. It's my last Japanese lifer before I left the country.
My first view of the Eurasian Oystercatchers
Jumping on one leg!
They didn't seem to get along well.
I couldn't get much closer to the birds since the noisy Eurasian Curlew kept calling its alarm call and the oysterchatchers would wake up and become more aware of me when the curlew called. The oystercatcher's call is a loud, high pitched, single-note call. They constantly gave the call when they noticed me trying to approach them. As the time went by, the tide began to slowly go down revealing the mud flat where shorebirds come to feed. The oystercatchers became a bit more active and one of them often started a fight by chasing the other bird around.
With 2 Far Eastern Curlews and a Bar-tailed Godwit
Calling
Showing upperwing pattern
I stopped approaching them once I got the above shots and decided to wait for the birds to fully awake and start feeding. However, all the birds were flushed by an old guy who came jogging along the shore. The oystercatchers flew out and disappeared in the distance. I was really upset but gave it a try waiting for them to come back. In the end, no bird came back to the same area and I just had to leave the place.
A view of mudflat at Wajiro
Far Eastern Curlew showing its underwing coverts
Bar-tailed Godwit moulting into breeding plumage
A relatively short-billed Eurasian Curlew
Showing its distinct white rump
I just love the information boards along the footpath.
A quick sketch of the oystercatcher I made while watching them.
