I visited the Oi Wild Bird Park for what was probably the least impressive bird showing since I started going. I was told that high tide was best, but frankly, it was not good. Strong, gusty winds probably hurt the birding as well. There were still a dozen species to be seen, but most were standards, especially for winter. Cormorants, Grey Herons, and Ducks (Tufteds, Pochards, Mallards, Wigeons, Spot-billeds). There were a few Little Grebes and Eurasian Coots, a lone Common Sandpiper. That’s about it.

On the way in, I got better birding done along the Tama River, to be honest. Spotted a bird of prey that might have been a Kestrel (no time to get a photo), and there were large flocks of Egrets, Black-headed Gulls and Great Cormorants. I saw many ducks including Eurasian Wigeons, and got a nice snapshot of a couple:

At the Oi Park, though, I did see something I hadn’t spotted before. Not a new species, but a new color variation of a Cormorant, from what I understand, their breeding colors:

If the weather holds, the wind dies down a bit and I feel up to it, I’m going to give it another try tomorrow, cutting through Fuchu from Seiseki to maybe Kichijoji, depending.