Birds

Okazaki City, Japan

As I’m still not on a normal sleeping schedule, I wake up at about 3:30 or 4:00 each morning. I try to stay in bed as long as possible in an attempt to normalize my sleep patterns, but once I start thinking about all the Japanese I have to learn, it’s time to get up. This morning I was up at about 4:30 and worked on my homework and studying until almost 6:30. Then I decided to take a walk. It’s a beautiful, clear, sunny morning here today and at 6:30 it was not too hot. I took my passport, binoculars and camera and headed out. The passport, I learned two days ago, is a must. It is illegal for me to be without official identification while in Japan (as an alien) and this is all I have that would qualify. I could be fined or thrown out for violating this rule.

At 6:30 there were already a number of people out and about, mostly getting morning exercise, but also sitting around and going to work and school. I took a loop around both the ponds I have become familiar with, each with it’s own character and wild life. I skirted the first, which I call Swan Lake for the two white beauties that seem to live there, and headed for the prettier lake with the shade giving trees and bamboo arching over it’s wide walks. I’ve noticed that unlike a western park pond, there is no bench or sitting place anywhere. These public spaces are designed for walking. Most of the Japanese people, and I only meet Japanese people on these walks, are older, some clearly retired, people doing their daily exercise regime. They seem to be fairly serious about it. They are all going much faster than me, as I stop for bird watching and picture taking and generally gawking at all the new plants and styles of architecture.

This morning, being earlier than usual, gave me the opportunity to see some new and wonderful creatures in and at the ponds. I’m guessing, once the day gets hot, many take shelter from the heat in the cool depth or the dark woods. But today I saw two different species of duck on Shady Pond, as well as several other, as yet unidentified, birds, including one that looked like a magpie. Returning by Swan Lake, I was thrilled to see a pair of the little diving duck whose bills make them look more like tiny loons, with pale golden eyes that look straight ahead. They are about the size of a gosling, but are clearly adults with iridescent coppery necks and brown green backs. (I’ve since found them on the web and they are Little Grebes.) While looking at these through the binoculars I discovered a turtle poking it head out of the water. It had a red ear stripe and yellow stripes on its head and when it dove I could see its shell was longer than I had expected. It appeared to be about a foot long. While looking at the turtle, who hung in the water with its head out for quite some time, I noticed a whiting blur in the water. Soon a large white carp became visible beneath the surface. The fish swam around slowly for many minutes and, when I approached the railing to look more closely, it came right to the surface and seemed to look right back at me. It was as though it expected me to do something, but clearly it is against the rules for people to feed the fish. I haven’t seen anyone feeding the ducks or swans either, although they sometimes approach as if they expecting to be fed. Perhaps the city park people feed them at certain times? There are numerous other fish in the ponds, but till now all have been the usual dull brownish color. Shiroi, (white in Japanese), was about two feel long and really stood out.

Well, at this point I am desperate for a bird book in English or Hiragana. Kanji would be beyond me. Anyone know of a good one? Ja mata, じゃ、また。