This Osprey really struggled to pluck this fish out of the water. I thought it was going to get dragged under. The action happened too far out for any photos but it flew back inland reasonably close.
A big one
Category: Raptors
Locally quiet
Had a quick drive west of town 3 days ago: not much around. A fishing Osprey, thousands of Common Gull and a flock of Rooks were the most noteworthy stuff……………
A grey Friday out west
Very dark yesterday so crap for photos but a few interesting birds around: various grebes including a couple of hundred Great Cresteds, several Black-throated Diver, a lone White-tailed Eagle, lots of Brent Geese and huge numbers of Common Gull.
And my first Osprey of the year too.
2021 Late Winter Trip #17
Damn twigs in the way……………..
2021 Late Winter Trip #13
There were a small group of White-tailed Eagles on the beach near the port in Mukawa………….
This one was in the port itself.
2021 Late Winter Trip #6
There were still quite a few eagles around the Mukawa area. Some of the White-tailed Eagles are resident, others are presumably winter visitors or passing through. The Steller’s are definitely not resident.
2021 Late Winter Trip #3
The 2nd day of our trip was very sunny and although there were quite a few interesting birds I couldn’t get many good photos. We stayed around the coast between Yufutsu and Mukawa. Stuff around included White-tailed and Steller’s Sea Eagle, Japanese Crane, and various common winter ducks and gulls.
Unlike around Hakodate, there didn’t seem to be many winter passerines except for several flocks of Eurasian Siskin.
There were groups of Whooper Swan and a few geese flying around: both Taiga Bean and Greater White-fronted.
The watcher
This Peregrine was atop an old lighthouse…………….
A hungry Eagle
A White-tailed Eagle eating a Slaty-backed Gull this afternoon.
Still working out the best settings/most comfortable customizations for my new camera.
More local Eagles
One of the rivers just to the west of town has several overwintering Eagles. There were 5 White-tailed Eagles: 1 adult and 4 immatures.
Further west there were more eagles including a couple of Steller’s but they were all high in the sky.
Some other small birds
In among the Crossbills (and Redpolls) were other winter passerines……….
Also around were Hawfinch, Brambling as well as various tits and woodpeckers, Eurasian Jay and Dusky Thrush.
Several White-tailed and at least 3 (!) Steller’s Sea Eagles were in the Esan area in addition to Eastern Buzzard, Peregrine and 2 Mountain Hawk-Eagles too.
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.
