We looked around the rice fields a couple of days hoping to see a few waders and saw precisely zero…
All very quiet
Category: Hokuto
That’s about it then
The migration season has fizzled out. Not a vintage one this year…
We checked the rice fields outside town for waders but nothing doing. Just the above Pheasant (which is fairly scarce at least).
No waders or anything else of real interest on the coast although there were a few Ospreys fishing offshore.
Some more JTs
in the early early morning the park belongs to the thrushes…
Some more Maskeds
Common birds in interesting poses…
Some more park birds
Also in the park were 3 species of woodpecker, Narcissus Flycatcher, Oriental and Common Cuckoo but sadly not any interesting migrants.
Although the regular summer visitors are interesting enough…
An early morning bunting
A very common species but a bit of an underrated one I think.
An early Sunday rise
We went to our favourite local park very early this morning.
There was a relatively confiding Japanese Thrush, usually a very shy species.
Golden Week 2023 #7
A shy thrush with a great voice…
Golden Week 2023 #6
Yesterday Narcissus Flycatcher and Eastern Crowned Warbler were around in the park just outside town, as well as Pale Thrush, Wryneck and all the usual stuff but not many photo opps. Pretty quiet compared to 2021 and 2022 in this location and at this time.
The above Olive-backed Pipit was nice to see and there are always the common species like Russet Sparrow. This is a sparrow species that stays high up in the trees…
And the very common Masked Bunting…this ringed male was in exactly the same corner of the park last year.
Golden Week 2023 #1
A very early rise and we were in one of the local parks…and in anticipation of some nice birds I took my big lens.
Nice to find some thrushes that weren’t Duskys.
Not a vintage morning for photos it must be said but a few nice birds around: Wryneck, Hawfinch, Japanese Grosbeak, Oriental Cuckoo, Latham’s Snipe, Russet Sparrow, Grey-headed Woodpecker…
What else will the next few days bring?
Spring 2023 underway
Fishing Ospreys at the rivermouths carrying fish inland to their nest, flocks of Black-headed Gulls in breeding plumage and grebes in summer colours on the sea before they head north…it’s spring.
Some grebes
There were some grebes in one of the local ports…
Lots of Scaup on the sea, flocks of Pintail arriving from the south, Great Cormorants in breeding plumage…the snow is melting and spring is coming.
