Niigata City is based on the Shinano River. The Shinano is the longest river in Japan. It has all the features of rivers of moderns cities. Shipping ports at the mouth, walkways/bike paths and gardens with cherry trees and beds of tulips, public toilets and bridges.
Sadly, I noticed a big gap along the river just a couple of k's from the city centre. All the wild trees and shrubs have been cleared. I knew most of the birds to be found in the trees. A family of Azure-winged Magpies was resident all year - In the thick of the green in the summer and at the tree tops in the snow of winter. A week after the trees went I found them in a single tree in a river-side residence along with the local Grey Starlings. It is very quiet there now. Both the magpies and starlings have gone.
Usually Durian Redstarts appeared in early March in the bushes just above the water and warblers came for the summer. I also found Common and Rough-leeged Buzzards in some of the trees in the winter. I don't know where the summer's dragonflies will come from. The ducks that hid behind the trees are now easily seen but nervous.
8 comments:
The same happened on the river near my house, probably on a smaller scale than your river.
It just seems so utterly pointless. I mean it doesn't look any better and whilst they were down there chopping down the trees they ignored all the garbage that the locals dump there, now all you can see are tree stumps and trash. I hate to say it but I'm afraid the Japanese (for the most part) just don't give a s**t about 'nature'.
It's a real sad sight.
Looks like a thoughtless thing to have done.... is there anyone you can appeal to ? I mean to stop them doing it next time ..
Agree with what you and Stu wrote. Guess the same thing happens everywhere. Shrubs along Oita River also get cut down every once in a while. Shrubs are ok, I guess, since they'd grow back quite quickly but big trees like those in your photos, that'd take a lot of decades to grow back. Wonder what are they going to do with those woods.
Oh dear...
It is heartbreaking and and I can well understand how you feel!
What a pity...
Humanity is going besirk destroying its only home planet along with our magnificent fauna and flora...
What will be left for future generations?...
And nothing really can b done against administration decisions, unfortunately.
Cheers
....and now for me all the blogs I view end blospot.jp....even yours!
As I mentioned at the end of my article, unfortunately, there is not much we can do, this will be the norm from now on for each country.
It will allow the authorities to shut down any blog or website they wish if the content doesn't suit them...
The only thing we can do to regain access to the Gadget tools from the blog instead of going back into the administration is remove .au or .fr or .whatever country and change it to .com/ncr
But all the same, if someone types: http://russelljenkinsstoop.blogspot.com they will access your blog anyway!
Hope that helps!!
Cheers and happy birding!
That is so sad! It is so sad for the trees and even worse for the poor birds whose habitats have disappeared.
Very sad indeed, I don't know when people are going to take wildife habitat seriously! It is so disheartning. no different in Aus i'm afraid.
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