Wow that was a hot one. And it looks set to continue into September.
Yesterday was bearable in Yakumo; a bit of a cool breeze and under 30 at least. Lots of waders around including Great Knot and Long-toed Stint but not much posong for photos.
2 Common Terns flew past at Yakumo. I don’t see many terns in Hokkaido so this was a nice surprise.
Hakodate had its hottest every day last week but amazingly we had another cool Monday (the high temps will return later this week…again).
The above Kestrel at Yakumo was a nice find; not a bird I often see in Hokkaido.
The storms were pushing the waves right up the beaches so it was tricky to find waders; only 3 species around today. And terrible conditions once again for photos.
Wow it’s been a hot humid summer this year. I’ve hardly left the house in the last 5 or so weeks…
But today the temperature dipped below 30 for the first time in what seems like ages and it was even breezy with low clouds. The waders had returned to the beaches anyway.
Hot temps will return tomorrow or the day after according to the forecast.
I might even get a get a good night’s sleep in this lull.
Also around were Red-necked Stint, Whimbrel and Kentish Plover as well as Eastern Marsh Harrier and lots of Great Egret.
We hung around long enough to see the Osprey grab a (small) fish…
We stopped at Yakumo on the way back from our trip…
An Osprey was fishing just offshore.
Not great conditions for BIfs.
2 Eurasian Spoonbills were seen at Yakumo so we went for a look. I saw one standing in the middle of the river, went back to the car to get my camera (with 2X T/C attached) but the bird flew off. I snapped the above warbler and then got the portable 600 f/11 and walked around trying to relocate the spoonbill but no joy.
Quite a lot of birds around though…
A lens I struggle with for BIFs.
Other stuff around included Pacific Swift, Mandarin Duck, Garganey, White-fronted Goose, lots of singing Sakhalin Leaf Warblers, Common Cuckoo etc…
But no spoonbill pics.
A dreary overcast afternoon in Yakumo and hard work with the RF 600 f/11…
A pair of Garganey were present as were several Northern Shoveler, Great and Little Egret, Eurasian Curlew (presumably the same bird as 3 weeks ago) and about 200 White-fronts…
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.
Not only ducks, grebes and divers…
It was still there on the way back…
A difficult bird to photograph!
I could sneak up quite close to it but it was very skittish.
