Wintering Water birds visits Japan

Prepared by Kyle Young Low

Prof. Kozo and his new friends

​Prof. Kozo Watanabe, Miku, and I took a trip to the Tohoku region to look at some wintering water birds. Between December 2nd and the 7th, together with our Tohoku University counterpart, we've started a new study on the "Impact of transboundary water bird migration on introducing non-native viruses into wetland waters".

​Being a foreigner, I am absolutely clueless when it comes to the major lakes and wetlands found in Japan. Thankfully, I have Prof. Sano and Prof. Omura from Tohoku University to help in that matter, and they've settled on a Ramsar-designated wetland at Kurihara town, Miyagi, called Izu-numa & Uchi-numa lake. The site is only an hour's drive away from the major city center of Sendai city, where we were based. Joining us were the two professors and a master's student, Yasugi.  

From left: Miku, Prof. Daisuke Sano, Yasugi, Prof. Tatsuo Omura, some random tourist, and me surveying the site at Izu-numa and Uchi-numa wetland.

Upon arriving, we were greeted by a flock of friendly ducks that aren't camera shy.  Not one to waste a good opportunity, Prof. Kozo took a selfie (the picture featured above) to commemorate the start of a good sampling trip. 

Prof. Omura walking towards the site as the friendly ducks waddled along to make space for their visitors.

Prof. Sano seen here describing the type of sites we should access while Prof. Omura and I listen on.

Since the birds move freely along the wetlands, choosing sites with high sightings of these birds is key. After a quick discussion followed by a drive around the site, we have identified five areas and an additional low bird density area from a neighbouring lake: Lake Naga-numa.

​It was reported that about 101,310 wintering birds visited the wetland in December. We certainly felt their presence there. Miku had firsthand experience capturing this natural phenomenon on camera while using a spotting scope. 

Miku spotting birds in the distant.

Ducks, swans, and geese were spotted.

Although the birds are the highlight of our trip, equally important are the associated viruses and microbes that these wintering water birds bring. So, we sampled the water wherever the birds went. The work was grueling under the rainy weather, but thankfully, I had great help from Yasugi and Miku. 

Once we got all the samples we needed. We packed our stuff and headed straight back to our collaborator's lab at Tohoku University. There, we've processed the wetland water samples using the equipment and chemicals graciously provided by Prof. Sano's team at Environmental Water Quality Lab and by another long-time collaborator, Dr. Takahashi. 

Dr. Takahashi seen here guiding Miku on the experimental set-up at Prof. Sano's Lab.

While processing the water samples at an unfamiliar lab, I felt cold, made worse by the frigid weather and the flu that I had caught a week earlier. 

Yet, the help, generosity, and friendship given by everyone made the sampling trip a resounding success. Research is already tough on its own, and without friends, many things simply could not be done. 

This sentiment was also echoed by Miku. 
​

"In Izunuma and Uchinuma, where I visited for sampling, I observed many bird species. It was challenging to photograph moving birds with a telescope. In the lab, I performed environmental DNA filtration and virus concentration. Carrying 20L of water samples was tough, but with assistance from Tohoku University, I managed to conduct the experiments myself. I believe this experience will be valuable for my future research at Ehime University."

- Miku

Having gained the ability to access faraway facilities and execute experiments is definitely a positive experience for us. I felt that inter-lab collaboration programs like this are an opportunity that could expand the range of research I could do while building up my network. 

My knowledge range on delicious Japanese food  has also expanded (left: Pork nabe hot-pot, right: takoyaki).

​I am grateful that MEcoH has laid the foundation for collaborations like this and hope that I, too, could one day return the favor by expanding its collaborative range further.