![](http://www.hakodatebirding.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/MG_6822-Enhanced-NR.jpg)
It started raining just before we left…
![](http://www.hakodatebirding.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/MG_6840-Enhanced-NR.jpg)
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It started raining just before we left…
Maybe better luck next year…
Some more birds snapped whilst waiting in vain for the Brown Shrikes to come closer…
The same ringed bird as last year? One of several singing males…
And the same tame Black-browed Reed Warbler was singing in the same spot…
We headed north towards Ishikari and got this surprise Cattle Egret roadside in Naganuma…
At Ishikari the target bird was Brown Shrike and although it was easy to find it was too hard to get close to for any decent shots.
We planned to go back to the Brown Shrike location at sunrise the next day to get better lighting…
But it was foggy and we were tired after the first night in the car so we slept in at the hotel. By the time we got to the spot the harsh bright sunshine had returned.
There was pair of Wryneck at least.
Shame about the lighting. Very soft images.
My target bird for the trip was Brown Shrike. I have seen this species in Japan a couple of times before but didn’t have any photos. It is now very scarce in Hokkaido but there is a well-known spot near Sapporo where a few pairs breed.
Not great photos as they were heavily backlit.