Hakodate – Hakodate Birding

In town

January 21, 2021January 21, 2021 by Stuart Price, posted in Hakodate, Raptors

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.

That was 2020

December 31, 2020January 1, 2021 by Stuart Price, posted in Hakodate

Well thank god that year is over. 2021 has to be better, right?

Really cold and wintry here so not much birding done: the above Great Egret was near my apartment yesterday.

Autumn sunshine

October 19, 2020 by Stuart Price, posted in Esan, Gulls, Hakodate, Raptors, Wildfowl

Beautiful clear autumn weather the last few days and a clear change in some of the bird species. Harlequin Duck and Glaucous-winged Gulls gave reappeared on the coasts.

A flock of Whooper Swan were flying south yesterday as were lots of Eurasian Jay. Lots of common ducks on the rivers and Great Egrets are becoming more numerous. Northern Goshawk and Daurian Redstart were other noteworthy species near Esan.

Hakodate is pretty quiet: a flock of Rustic Bunting were in one of the local parks today and There are still some Night Herons on the river.

And the Esan area always seems to have a Peregrine…………..

Only 3

October 15, 2020 by Stuart Price, posted in Hakodate

I could only find 3 Night Herons on the local river yesterday.

They are quite good at hiding though.

A typical October sight

October 7, 2020 by Stuart Price, posted in Hakodate

The river near my apartment is a good place to see Night Herons in autumn.

Usually they just sit still hidden in the long grass but when one flies they all fly………….

This Large-billed Crow took exception to one of the juveniles;

Another one in the port

June 15, 2020 by Stuart Price, posted in Hakodate, Raptors

This Osprey seems to like the local port. It was there again this afternoon.

I haven’t seen it catch anything there. Yet.

Local Ospreys

June 7, 2020 by Stuart Price, posted in Hakodate, Raptors

I sometimes complain about how dull summer birding can be around here but then I think well at least we have Ospreys fishing in the local ports………..

Also around town today were Goosander, late Scaup and Goldeneye as well as Chestnut-eared Bunting, Oriental Reed Warbler and Siberian Stonechat.

Not there

June 4, 2020June 4, 2020 by Stuart Price, posted in Hakodate

There has been a family of Oriental Scops Owls showing well in one of the local parks and we went to look for them this morning……………….but couldn’t find them.

Quite a few birds around though: Coal and Varied Tit, Grey-headed Woodpecker, Common Crossbill, Narcissus Flycatcher and Kamchatka Leaf Warbler.

End of the blossoms

May 12, 2020 by Stuart Price, posted in Hakodate

With one thing and another it wasn’t really possible to photograph many birds in Goryokaku Park this spring. The park re-opened at least but unlike some previous springs there was very little of interest around. Lots of Red-cheeked Starlings walking around though: the cherry blossoms have all fallen as you can see.

The smallest

April 17, 2020 by Stuart Price, posted in Hakodate

The smallest bird in Europe is also the smallest bird in Japan.

There were 3 of them in the trees next to the river today, presumably just arrived from across the Tsugaru Straits this morning. I also saw my first Bullheaded Shrike of the year and yesterday got my first Red-flanked Bluetail of 2020 too.