Shiga

Bird Watching around Lake Biwa

See snowy egrets, herons, ducks, geese and more

Cathy Cawood Nov 12, 2014 - 1 min read

<p>White egrets congregating on a rocky outcrop</p>

<p>Water birds wading in a river mouth  </p>

<p>A pair of white egrets in the early morning stillness of a small bay</p>

<p>Of course birds are not the only wildlife to be seen - if you look carefully enough!</p>

<p>Pale blue islands floating in the lake</p>

<p>Egret standing on the stumps of a ruined jetty</p>

<p>Crows gathering on power lines at sunset near Omi-Hachiman</p>

Just over the hills from Kyoto lies Lake Biwa, the largest body of fresh water in Japan. Its shores are rich with natural beauty as well as steeped in history. The lake attracts about 5000 migratory water birds every year, including several species of egrets and herons, many different kinds of ducks, geese, cormorants and gulls. Although I'm not a bird watcher myself, and I don't have the equipment to photograph them well, I still can't resist taking photos of them on my cycling trips around the lake. My favorites are the snowy egrets.

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Find out more about Lake Biwa.

Cathy Cawood @cathy.cawood

I came to Japan in 2003 to teach English. I lived in Shiga prefecture for 1 year, and it still holds a special place in my heart. I lived in Kyoto for 9 years, then moved to Machida, Tokyo in 2014 after meeting my Japanese partner. I love to take photos, and my Japan in Pictures Facebook page ha...