TWEETERS:



This summer, I spent a month in northern Honshu, Japan.

Eurasian Tree Sparrows (Passer montanus) were in abundance there.

The friend I stayed with had them nesting above her deck, where her

clothesline and only method of clothes drying was located. On

Saturday I received an e-mail from her which included the

following:



>Do you think this would be a good time to remove the sparrow

>(weaver finch, I mean) nests from my eaves? If so, do you have

>any hints for minimizing their distress?



I would appreciate input on this. I will forward any responses.



Following is a list of species I positively identified while there.



JUNGLE CROW (CORVUS MACRORYNCHOS)

TREE SPARROW (PASSER MONTANUS)

GREY HERON (ARDEA CINEREA)

BARN SWALLOW (HIRUNDO RUSTICA) Pure white breast, not buff

WHITE WAGTAIL (MOTACILLA ALBA)

BLACK KITE (MILVUS MIGRANS) Extremely common

CARRION CROW (CORVUS CORONE)

BLACK-TAILED GULL (LARUS CRASSIROSTRIS)

GREAT-CRESTED GREBE (PODICEPS CRISTATUS)

BROWN-EARED BULBUL (HYPSIPETES AMAUROTIS) Noisy, but well hidden

SPOT-BILLED DUCK (ANAS POECILORHYNCHA)

GRAY STARLING (STURNUS CINERACEUS)

SIBERIAN MEADOW BUNTING (EMBERIZA CIOIDES)Singing from a high perch

HOUSE MARTIN (DELICHON URBICA)

WHITE-RUMPED SWIFT (APUS PACIFICUS)

VARIED TIT (PARUS VARIUS) Beautiful rust and steel gray colors

LONG-TAILED TIT (AEGITHALOS CAUDATUS)

JAPANESE PYGMY WOODPECKER (DENDROCOPOS KIZUKI)

ORIENTAL GREENFINCH (CARDUELIS SINICA) Reminiscent of Pine Siskin

RUSSET SPARROW (PASSER RUTILANS)

LITTLE GREBE (PODICEPS RUFICOLLIS) Swimming w/ducks in city park

GREAT CORMORANT (PHALACROCORAX CARBO)

COMMON GALLINULE (GALLINULA CHLOROPUS)

RUFOUS TURTLE DOVE (STREPTOPELIA ORIENTALUS)



In addition, there were ten more birds I saw which I was unsure of

identification (in varying degrees).



My friend and I also encountered four mustelids one afternoon,

which due to language barriers and lack of field guide we are

unsure if they were Siberian Weasels or Japanese Martens. The

latter is apparently decreasing in number, but most written

descriptions seem to fit what we saw.



In the same area were numerous swallow tailed butterflies, black

with some dark blue. Very much Steller's Jay colors and absolutely

gorgeous.

Local tree frogs do not hesitate to swim in bedside cups of water,

as my sleepy, thirsty friend discovered one morning. A real eye

opener.



Michael Brown

mbeb1215 at delphi.com

Puyallup, WA