Residence area

Okuyama-Atago Shrine

     A mountain range in the middle of Mie. The range is about 10 km long from north to south, and the average altitude is about 700 m. The top is rather flat, and is meadow with low trees, or mixed forest. A nice driveway runs through the range. Good seasons for bird watching are winter and early summer.

     Residential birds are Meadow Bunting, Pygmy Woodpecker, Japanese Woodpecker, White-backed Woodpecker, Jay, Coal Tit, and Gold Crest. Cuckoo, Oriental Cuckoo, and Lesser Cuckoo visit in summer. If you visit there at night in summer, the song of Jungle Nightjar can be heard. In a Valley near Atago Shrine, you can find Eurasian Wren, Blue-and-white Flycatcher, and Brawn Dipper. In winter, flocks of Siskin and/or Brambling sometimes stay on the top area. An alpine bird, Japanese Accentor overwinters in this range. Be careful of the frozen road surface in winter.