A Bullfinch east of town today, one of a group of 4. Also around were lots of Crossbill but I could get nowhere near enough for any shots……………
A female
Author: Stuart Price
Scruffy ones
The local Steller’s Sea Eagle sat in its tree all day out east and the Mountain Hawk-Eagle made a very distant fleeting appearance only.
Several rather scruffy White-tailed Eagles came a bit closer………….
Not much in the port: a few gulls, common ducks and this Black-necked Grebe.
First tick of 2021
Not a great photo but the first addition to my J-list of the year. A Long-eared Owl to the east of town this afternoon. It was very dark and late in the afternoon but the Owl stayed on the wire just about long enough for me to get the tripod out and fire off a few record shots. First time I’d seen this species since the mid 80’s near Preston………….
The local Steller’s Sea Eagle was around as were several White-tailed Eagle and the usual common ducks and gulls…………..
Some local Eagles
Some White-tailed Eagles from a few miles outside town this morning………………
There were 4 of them on a river west of town.
Also around were Japanese Wagtail, Great Egret, Sparrowhawk, Whooper Swan, Brambling and Long-tailed Rosefinch. On the sea there were hundreds of Great Crested Grebe and thousands of Common Gull………….
Just out of town
I was surprised to see 20 or so Great Cormorants to the west of town today: I thought they were summer visitors?
Also around were large numbers of Common Gull as well as Glaucous Gull, Whooper Swan, Great Egret, Black-necked Grebe and the usual common winter ducks.
In town
A few interesting birds in town today. The above Great Egret was fishing in the river and there were was also a flock of Japanese Waxwing around.
Lots of Dusky Thrush too. All these passerines attracted this male Goshawk.
Quiet up north
Hardly any Eagles in Yakumo: this roadside Steller’s was near Oshamanbe.
Other stuff around included Japanese Waxwing, Common Crossbill and Peregrine. A very quiet (and cold) Monday all in all.
Quiet out east
A quiet Sunday east of town. 2 Steller’s Sea Eagles, 4 or 5 White-tailed Eagles, 1 Mountain Hawk-Eagle, Harlequin Duck, Great Egret, Common Crossbill, Whooper Swan, Buff-bellied Pipit, Brent Goose and a few common species like the above Nuthatch……………
And it was freezing cold again.
Where have they all gone?
Not many Eagles at all at Yakumo today. Barely 20 or so. In recent years the eagle season has been shortening (possibly due to decline in the salmon runs) but we’re not even in the middle of January yet.
This one was a nice flyby but there really weren’t many of them around at all.
Still bitterly cold and loads and loads of snow. Not much else around: Smew and Japanese Waxwing were the most interesting.
Maybe they were hunkered down somewhere waiting for milder weather…………
The Funny Side
Even with the global pandemic and all the nonsense going on in America over the last 2 months this Scaup still found the time to have a good laugh today.
A few more of the Rosy Finch
One of my fave species……………
Empty ports
The ports were all very quiet: not much fishing activity so hardly any gulls. A couple of Black-necked Grebes, a few Goldeneye: that was about it.