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First time Birdwatching at Kasai Rinkai Park
It was my first time birdwatching at Kasai Rinkai Park. I was excited about going there. Over the past few weeks, I had shot many Brown-eared bulbuls in Suginami Ward, but they’re small and hide in trees. Now, I wanted to photograph something bigger and more exotic. Going to one of Tokyo’s beaches seemed perfect. My target was to capture something flying over water.
Some birdwatching websites had recommended the park. According to the information, it would be an opportunity to photograph the birds I wanted. With some luck, I’d get an osprey or kestrel.
On a Sunday afternoon, after I finished work, I got on the train. The park is near Disneyland, in Edogawa Ward, which makes it far for me. It was more than an hour’s travel time for me. Still, it was good to see the beach.
The park isn’t only about birds. It has a Ferris Wheel and an aquarium. Expect to see plenty of people picnicking there in the warmer months. It’s family-oriented.
I enjoyed the views. The following were visible from the beach:
- Tokyo Gate Bridge
- city skyline
- huge ships and pleasure boats on the water.
- Disneyland and DisneySea
- Chiba Prefecture on the far side of the bay
With such a backdrop, Kasai Rinkai Park is great for bird photography. On the grounds is a bird-watching center which is currently closed. It has ponds that contain ducks.
The other option is the beach. It isn’t a place for swimming, but people use it for activities such as flying kites and playing baseball. If you go for birdwatching, you’ll need to work around them.
And this is where you’ll need to go if you don’t want to photograph the ducks in the ponds. There are two islands. The east one is a bird reserve, so you won’t be able to use it. That’s a pity because from afar it looks interesting.
That leaves you with the west island. You can walk across a bridge to it. On my first visit, I found its east side to be the best. Some of the birds I photographed were:
- Eurasian Coots
- Great cormorants
- Great egrets
- Grey herons
- White-cheeked starlings
Where is Kasai Rinkai Park?
It is on the east side of Tokyo, not from Disneyland. The closest station is Kasai-Rinkai Park. The following train lines go there:
- Keiyo
- Musashino
You can see it here on Google Maps.
Opening hours
The park is open twenty-four hours a day, but the bridge to West Island closes at 5 pm.
Wrapping up
Kasai Rinkai Park was great. I learned something, though. Birding blogs showed that goshawks, harriers, and kestrels visit it. They weren’t there.
I skipped one fact when doing research. Many are seasonal. Of course, they won’t be there all year round. I’ll remember that next time.
And next time, I’ll go straight to the beach. I like ducks, but I’d rather spend my time looking for bigger birds. The ponds don’t offer enough to hold my interest.
Anyway, I had a great time. The views were amazing. They add something to the photographs. I’ll go again for sure. Please leave your questions and comments below.
For more birding articles, look at:
External related website:
- Kasai Rinkai Park (official website)