Also in the park was this male Siberian Rubythroat. Unlike the Narcissus Flycatchers this was just passing through………..
Also around in the same park the last couple of days were: Oriental Cuckoo, Narcissus and Asian Brown Flycatchers, Wryneck, 3 other woodpecker species including Grey-headed, Olive-backed Pipit, Grey Wagtail, Hawfinch, Eastern Crowned Warbler, Dusky, Brown-headed and Japanese Thrushes, Common Crossbill, Russet Sparrow, Varied and Coal Tits……………etc.
I’ve just had 8 days off in what is usually the best birding time of the year. The last day, today, was very dark and rainy. All shots are with high ISOs and low shutter speeds.
2020 wasn’t a vintage year birds in for Golden Week: let’s hope things improve as May progresses.
This afternoon we were on one of the capes east of town. As well as the resident woodpeckers there were a few migrants around including this bedraggled looking Siberian Rubythroat. Not a great photo but one of my 2 favourite passerine species.
I photograph this species every summer on its breeding grounds in north Hokkaido. Will I be able to get up there this summer with all this Covid19 chaos? This might be the only shot I get in 2020.
My other favourite passerine species is Common Crossbill and there were 3 of them at the cape too. Not often I see both species on the same day in the same place. In fact maybe today was a first in that regard.
Again, a lousy photo after the glut of Crossbills I had earlier this year. But this species occurs very erratically so I don’t know when the next shot will be.
At Shibunotsunaiko there were several Siberian Rubythroat nests deep in the hamanasu bushes………….
Crows were watching and I saw a weasel running around too. Tough times to raise chicks…………..
There were 3 or 4 singing Siberian Rubythroat at Omusaro. This one was very tame and allowed approach down to a few feet. This was taken a ona cool overcast morning. Maybe it was just cold and tired……………..
After a few days in the east of Hokkaido we headed to the Ohotsku coast to the grasslands and wild flower parks by the sea. Siberian Rubythroats were as common as ever, the above one was at Omusaro.
Kiritappu is well-known for summer fog but the first 2 days we were there the weather wasn’t too bad…………….and on the second afternoon the sun even came out.
Some more Siberian Rubythroats from Kiritappu…….
Last week was spent in the east of Hokkaido. The first stop was at Cape Kiritappu. On cue when we arrived was the first of many Siberian Rubythroats……….
We don’t see this species much near Hakodate (a few pass through in spring/autumn) but once you head northeast they seem to be on every cape and headland.