My second godwit species of the week…
Golden Week 2023 #11
Category: Shorebirds
Golden Week 2023 #10
This bird was at a tidal pool we often go to. The tide was out but the sun was in the wrong place for photos…
We returned later but the tide had come in and there was no exposed mud anywhere.
Lots of waders scattered around yesterday; in addition to the stilt there were Ruddy Turnstone, Grey Plover, Eurasian Curlew, Grey-tailed tattler, Wood Sandpiper, Little Ringed Plover and Bar-tailed Godwit.
Plus a flock of Sanderling.
Golden Week 2023 #9
The Kentish Plovers were picking up tiny fish that has been washed ashore…
Not often I get to see a male in breeding plumage so close.
Golden Week 2023 #8
I was waiting for a fishing Osprey that never showed up…
There were Red-necked grebe and Pacific Diver offshore and a couple of male Kentish Plovers on the shore. The angle wasn’t great (we were looking down at it) and the light wasn’t great either but the pics weren’t so bad all things considered.
Golden Week 2023 #3
A fairly scarce species in SW Hokkaido…
Up the beach
The curlew wasn’t the only wader around. There were also Black-winged Stilt, Little Ringed Plover and Northern Lapwing. Other stuff on Sunday at Yakumo included my first Barn Swallow of the year, my probable last local White-tailed eagle, lots of Whooper Swan, a lone White-front, lots of Common Gull and a few Glaucous too.
Spring port birds…
Not only ducks, grebes and divers…
Late afternoon Curlew
It was still there on the way back…
Tag-free
The wintering Dunlin flock are showing some summer colours…
The tagged individual (from NE Siberia) didn’t return this winter sadly…
Some more of the Curlew
I could sneak up quite close to it but it was very skittish.
A scarce one
Only my 2nd ever Eurasian Curlew in Japan…
Of course I’ve seen loads of them in the UK but in Hokkaido it seems pretty uncommon. Eastern Curlew is the ‘default’ one here.
A preener
