A common sight at this time of year is Great Egrets snaffling tiny fish in the local park…
Very springlike mild weather. Oriental Greenfinch and Eastern Great Tit singing everywhere, lots of Dusky Thrush hopping around. In Kamiiso a couple of days ago I had my first Osprey of the year as well 000’s of Common Gull, 3 species of grebe and various passage duck including Smew and Gadwall.
Someone very kindly lent me his 600 f11 lens when he heard about my dodgy shoulder.
It was a nice sunny day today so I took it out for a spin. It might take a bit of getting used to but it seems pretty reasonable for a walk about lens…
No exciting birds around, the injured long-staying Whooper and a few common ducks and lots of Dusky Thrush.
The snow is starting to melt in places; this Dusky Thrush was behind a snow drift on an open piece of grass foraging on fallen berries….
It’s been a long winter.
Small winter passerines have been very thin on the ground this winter, no idea why.
So it was nice to see this male Long-tailed Rosefinch near my apartment today. Difficult to get a clear view (unlike summer when they sing atop bushes well to the north and east of here).
Not many passerines around anywhere, and Hakodate is no exception.
Just a few Dusky Thrush. Hope they leave a few berries for any waxwings that may wander this way…
A Great Egret in town a couple of days ago. Several species of duck around including a pair of Common Goldeneye, my first Daurian Redstart of the season but not much else.
The first Steller’s Sea Eagle were at Yakumo last weekend but way too far off for a photo. Still very autumnal, wonder when winter will start?
Very autumnal in Hakodate. Some birds around too: 3 Great Egret on the river near my place as well as Brown Dipper, Grey Wagtail and Hawfinch. Lots of common ducks around as well.
And the winter gulls are here…
Some more low-key birding around town…
There were 7 species of duck including a small flock of Pintail and a couple of Shoveler…and the long-staying Whooper Swan too.
And 3 species of heron…
This Slaty-backed Gull had found a salmon-like fish to try and eat. I think its’ a salmon but not sure. I think there are 2 or 3 kinds in Hokkaido.
A pretty quiet time in town…
A common sight in autumn: Black-crowned Night Herons hiding in the bushes next to the small river near my apartment.
Lots of Stonechat passing through on the same river. Also around recently have been Eurasian Teal, Northern Pintail, Masked Bunting, Grey Wagtail, Common Kingfisher, Hawfinch and Bull-headed Shrike….
Cool enough for a jacket today too.
Some birds from town today…a grey, foggy,humid Sunday afternoon in mid June.
Pretty quiet now in town. The Chestnut-cheeked Starlings (male above, from this afternoon) are busy feeding their young but not much else about. In the past week or 2 I didn’t take my camera out when going for a walk. Black-crowned Night Heron and Peregrine were the most noteworthy birds.