I got up early to check the tiny local park near my place but not much about. Eurasian Siskin was the most noteworthy. The starlings posed nicely. As you can see, the cherry blossoms are in full bloom.
Golden Week 2024 # 2
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Golden Week 2024 #1
A sedate start to Golden Week, don’t think I’ll be doing too much this year.
So this is what they eat when they run out of pinecones…
Quiet just west of town today; Vega Gull, Red-breasted Merganser, Gadwall, Russet Sparrow, Little Ringed Plover, Chestnut-eared Bunting…and this small flock of crossbills…
Spring break upon us
I have a few days off coming up…
Lots of this species around now. These photos are from near my apartment this morning.
I also saw Blue-and-white Flycatcher and Eastern Crowned Warbler, a few Common Crossbill, lots of Coal Tit…
A quiet week in mid to late April
A very quiet week…a few common birds only around town; just 1 Common Crossbill, Japanese Bush Warbler, Masked Bunting, Asian House Martin, Bull-headed Shrike and a few Coal Tits.
In Yakumo today there were a few waders; Kentish Plover, Common Snipe, Pacific Golden Plover and this lone Red-necked Stint being the most noteworthy.
Also around were the Greater White-fronted Geese flock, various common ducks, lots of Stonechat and my first Chestnut-cheeked Starling of the year.
Passing through
There were 3 of these, presumably stragglers from the big flocks. Also Gadwall, Mandarin and various other common ducks and several species of gulls including these 2 looking nice in summer plumage.
Tap turned off
Some one turned the tap off; no more crossbills or other interesting birds near my flat anymore…
The last 2 days saw beautiful weather with a few birds around west of town. I was waiting for a Red-necked Grebe in summer plumage to come close. It didn’t but some of its common relatives did.
Over
The on-tap parade of photogenic local birds seems to have dried up. Onuma had both swans and Greater White-fronted Geese yesterday but was otherwise a bit quiet.
No crossbills for several days now. Just a few Dusky Thrush around and the resident woodpeckers…
Spring migration is just around the corner at least.
Spring for sure
Lots of osprey around yesterday and also the first Stonechats of the year, the first singing Japanese Bush Warblers, the first Little Ringed Plover…
There was a flock of 100 or so Greater White-fronted Geese at Yakumo, Gadwall, Shoveler and some sunset swans…
Fog briefly clears
The fog cleared briefly…
Dehazed grebes
The fog meant I used the dehaze slider a lot on these…
Still foggy…
I changed to my big lens but it was still foggy…
More f/11 foggy birds
There were lots of Slavonian Grebes around in various stages of transition…
The only one that came close was still in winter plumage of course.
Amazingly I get my first ever grebe BIFs…
