Simply returned from a three-week journey to Japan. Not a birding journey however I snuck in some birdwatching after I may. Principally visiting cities and cities and villages, I had a have a look at a number of parks and gardens. Japanese gardens are engaging, neat, and clear, however maybe overly so. One of many components of Japanese backyard design is to “keep away from litter.” Properly, the gardens actually do this. It was widespread to see gardens with bushes naked of branches and no leaves besides on the exterior edges and high, few or no shrubs, and both naked floor or very low floor cowl. The gardens have been greater than maintained, they have been manicured.
Ornithologists have recognized for years that foliage top range is said to chicken species range. That’s, the extra layers of vegetation there are, the larger the variety of chicken species. That is sensible as a result of the extra layers of vegetation there are the extra meals, nesting and roosting websites, and locations to cover from predators and the climate there are. So householders excited about having extra birds round are inspired to keep up messy landscapes as typical city panorama administration strives for a tidy look. In Japan, with such orderly and clear landscapes, there are few birds in such environments. There’s nearly no place to nest and meals is scarce with few seeds and bugs.
Within the picture at left, you’ll be able to see the branches having been stripped off the cedar bushes and mendacity on the bottom. The cedars solely have foliage on the very high.
However it’s not simply gardens that appear to lack birds. In the future on a several-hour hike of about 4 miles by what gave the impression to be a comparatively unscathed forest atmosphere, I noticed nothing however an occasional Japanese Crow and Black Kite. No birds flitting from the bottom or the bushes, no birds flying overhead, aside from these few kites and crows. A web site known as Hen-watching in Japan says little about common bird-watching however emphasizes all of the completely different locations within the nation you’ll be able to go to see this or that chicken. However on an on a regular basis stroll, the rewards are minimal.
Driving house from the San Francisco airport, I seen birds all over the place alongside or above the roadsides. Not a minute glided by between chicken sightings. In Japan, hours would go by earlier than I noticed something completely different than a Japanese Crow. Metropolis folks of Japan are lacking out on one of many pleasures of nature, birds of their yard.
Now I don’t need to go away you with a destructive impression of Japan. It’s a great fashionable society with well mannered, hospitable, pleasant, completely satisfied, and wholesome individuals who care about their nation. In three weeks I noticed nearly no litter, graffiti, or homeless. The whole lot, and I imply every part, is in good to glorious situation and every part works extraordinarily effectively.
Two-thirds of Japan is mountainous and solely about ten % is residential, so wildlife is just about restricted to the mountains, having been pushed out of the closely maintained city areas. If I ever return, I’ll head for the hills.
