(Whoops) Omelet emergency: Bird-flu problem ctd.

I planned to continue telling my adventure with DNA monitoring this week, but the bird-flu thing (my post on January 13 and January 27) and has come very near to our table. So, I show you the below photo for this week.

You see? No egg for supermarkets in Yokohama now. Lots of chicken were infected, and so died or killed … we have omelet-emergency every morning … Please take care wherever you are. Does your breakfast go peacefully?

Spring is coming ...

If you find environmental issues in Kanagawa Prefecture, please make a contact with Kanagawa Natural Environment Conservation Center 神奈川県自然環境保全センター

657 Nanasawa, Atsugi City, 243-0121
〒243－0121　厚木市七沢657
Phone: 046-248-0323

You can send an enquiry to them by clicking the bottom line of their homepage at http://www.pref.kanagawa.jp/div/1644/

Bird Flu, ctd

 

It might be just me … it seems to me many warbling white eyes are dying in the northern part of Yokohama. The other day, I’ve met another sad bird lying on the asphalt. Dead. The reason why Kanagawa Prefecture does not inspect dead warbling white eyes is simple economics. Those large migratory birds with flu viruses are easy to spot when they mingle with chickens. And chickens are a source of income for chicken farmers. Thus, the Office records the incidences of dying large birds. But I’ve heard there is no definite answer if small birds, like warbling white eyes, can carry pathogens ... By the way, is it definite COVID-19 came from bats? … It would be better to prepare for the contingencies. First, when we try to know the latest of large outbreaks of bird flu in Japan, please check here, the HP of Ministry of Environment who compiles the national data of such things. And here is another doc from the Ministry to deal practically with bird flu in Japan.

Poor creature …

Wild Bird Society of Japan calls for attention regarding bird flu this year. Their blog details what to do with flu-death of birds. They recommend the flu-free way of birdwatching, like

1. Don’t go near the shore where many bird poops are accumulated;

2. After watching, wash the soles of your shoes and sanitize them with alcohol.

3. Don’t detour to chicken farms and zoo after birdwatching;

4. Don’t visit several birdwatching sites in one day;

5. Don’t do bird-watching in a place near an outbreak.

In any case, when you find a dead bird, call the nearby city office to report the incident. Also, NEVER touch dead birds. We know COVID has started (blah-blah-blah … sigh*) …

Nests of Asian house martin in Yadoriki.
Will they come back this spring?

Then, last weekend I’ve been to Yadoriki and met lots of healthy birds singing, flying, and doing the things birds’ do. It may be Yadoriki is still bird-flu free. Let’s keep our fingers crossing …

Japanese wagtail, a Japanese endemic species, in Yadoriki.
They are designated as “Bird of Town” by Matsuda Town.

Black-backed wagtail in Yadoriki.
Yadoriki community is home for lots of wagtails.
That day we also met Grey wagtail.
In Saitama Prefecture,
people found Black-backed wagtails are
robbing the breeding ground for
Japanese wagtail and Grey wagtail ... concerned ...

If you find environmental issues in Kanagawa Prefecture, please make a contact with Kanagawa Natural Environment Conservation Center 神奈川県自然環境保全センター

657 Nanasawa, Atsugi City, 243-0121
〒243－0121　厚木市七沢657
Phone: 046-248-0323

You can send an enquiry to them by clicking the bottom line of their homepage at http://www.pref.kanagawa.jp/div/1644/

Fall of Icarus: Bird-flu?

 

All of a sudden, it fell from the sky. On New Year’s day, mom and I were chatting, sitting in a sunroom of our house. Then, suddenly, a tiny bird came down from the heaven. “Oh, my …” I went out and found it was a warbling white eye. It was difficult to mistake its bright-green body. I poked it a bit with a garden tong. No motion. Its eyes are empty in a small white circle. It was dead.

A young grey heron in Niiharu Citizen Forest.
Hey, you eat a lot and stay well, won‘t you?

I asked my forest instructor senior who worked for Tokyo Metropolitan Government, specialized for dealing with such matters. She said each municipality should have an office to deal with animal death with suspicious cause. This time, it might be by bird-flu. But she pointed out it was not frequent for small birds dying with the pandemic. So, we first have to check that office then to inquire bureau of public cleaning how to deal with the matter, she advised me. For Kanagawa Prefecture, the first port of call was

Natural Environment Conservation Division 神奈川県自然環境保全課 

Phone 045-210-1111 (main switchboard number)

Narathura japonica

I telephoned that number and asked the personnel what to do. She said warbling white eye was not on the list for checking bird-flu so I could call the city office for dealing with the dead body. I next called Yokohama’s Resources and Waste Recycling Bureau. … er, its contact phone number differs from Ward to Ward so that I called the number for an office where I live. When you have a body of dead animal in Yokohama, a dead wild bird or your beloved pooch, it does not matter, please ask the way to deal with it to the Ward Office or the local office of Recycling Bureau of your neighborhood. The list of Recycling Bureau‘s contact address can be found here … The other end of the telephone line instructed me to pack the poor bird in a plastic bag and leave it in front of our house, with a memo indicating to the contracted waste disposal company that the content was what I asked the city to deal with. I did just that, and the person from that firm came to pick it up. The funeral for a warbling white eye was completed. Sad.

As of January 8th, Kanagawa Prefecture has not yet suffered an outbreak of bird-flu. Though, in another prefectures, it ravaged lives of poultry farmers (; the latest can be found from the HP of Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries). Have you noticed skyrocketing price of eggs in Japan? Several years back, I met a veteran birdwatcher on the shore of Sagami River 相模川. She said when bird-flu was rife, the number of birds came to an observation spot drastically became smaller … I hope we do not have such things this year … My dad said a warbling white eye was a regular for our family’s garden. But since that incident, he has not met one. It’s really sad.

When you find a similar situation,
NEVER touch it barehanded
as it may carry deadly viruses.
Do you remember the beginning of COVID-19?

If you find a problem in the greenery of north-half of Yokohama, please make a contact with

Office for the Park Greeneries in the North
北部公園緑地事務所
Yokohama Municipal Government Creative Environment Policy Bureau
横浜市環境創造局
Phone: 045-311-2016 

FAX: 045-316-8420