Birding at Tokyo Port Wild Bird Park in summer

I went birding at Tokyo Port Wild Bird Park in August 2021.   For that type of photography, I needed to carry my big and heavy Fujifilm 100-400 mm lens.  It was worth doing that, even though it was a hot, sticky summer day.  I got some good pictures to take home.

Even going to the park is good.  I get to see and do things differently from my daily routine.  The first is the monorail which is something I rarely use.  And I also like the fifteen-minute walk through the warehouse area of Tokyo.  It puts me in a good mood, especially on warm sunny days.

For this photoshoot, I started with the number three and four huts.  The huts are tiny with basic amenities, but that is all bird photographers need.  Unfortunately, the birds were missing.  I spent an uneventful thirty minutes there and decided to head to the big pond.  Oh well.     

A move to the other side of the park improved my shots.  In the big pond, there were lots of birds!  I saw great cormorants, egrets, and great white herons.  Quite a few ducks were around too.

At the end of my time in the park, I was happy with my pictures. The birds were quite cooperative.  Some of them came near my camera.  Still, they weren’t perfect, of course.  So, after I arrived home, I self-critiqued to see how I could improve.

How to improve bird photography

1. Get a bird-watching scope!  They are lightweight and small, making them easier to use than heavy lenses on cameras.  That would make it quicker to see birds hiding in the upper branches of trees.

2. Birds move fast and in all directions.  That can make capturing them difficult.  Lots of practice is needed to get a good image of a bird in flight.

3. Birding at Tokyo Port Wild Bird Park in summer is hard.  It is harder when you carry around a lot of gear.  You need to keep in the shade and hydrated.

4. I need a bigger lens!  Yes, I got lucky today, but that won’t happen every time.  And cropping photos for when they are further away isn’t the best option.  Hopefully, Fujifilm will have its 150-600 mm lens out one day.
5. Keep the light on the birds’ eyes. That will make more attractive photographs.

So that is it for this story!  I made some improvements from this trip, or that is how I feel.  And that is a good thing.  But, there is room for more.  I might do some more birding in places closer to home.  

A walk along the Kanda River might be good.  And I’ve heard Aoyama Cemetery can be good for birdwatching, too (which I didn’t know).  And please look at my main article about Tokyo Port Wild Bird Park.  If you have any questions or comments, please leave them below.