(Taiga?) Bean Geese were also common in Urahoro….
A late autumn trip #10
Tag: Bean Goose
A late autumn trip #9
On the second say we couldn’t get near the Snow Geese…
They are very easy to pick out among the Grey Geese, as you can see here:
Greater White-fronted Geese are generally the most numerous species near Hakodate but this is not the case in Urahoro. Here are some adults and juveniles together.
Very quiet out east
We went to east Hokkaido last week but the birding was very very quiet. In Urahoro the first geese had arrived: small groups of (Taiga?) Bean and Cackling Geese mainly…………..with a few Pacific Golden Plover, a lone Ruff and several Japanese Crane keeping them company.
We were a tad early I guess. Lake Furen/Nemuro/Kiritappu were as pleasant as always but there really weren’t many birds around. Summer stuff gone, winter stuff barely arrived yet. Most interesting thing was a family of Sea Otters but they were too far away in the gloom for any decent photos.
More Beans
(Taiga) Bean Geese were very numerous but seemed to be in random small groups rather than big flocks.
Its plumage matched the autumnal hues well.
Sunshine and geese
As I said the second day with the geese saw much better weather.
The next day………..
The weather was much better the second day in Urahoro. At first the geese were in a different area from the day before. Except for a few Whooper Swan and Bean Geese. The long neck/bill and head shape seem to indicate Taiga Bean Goose.
But presently other species arrived including Cackling Geese. We had seen these flocks newly arrive around 4 weeks previously.
Geese in the rain #2
Snow Goose were the main target but there 3 other species including (Taiga) Bean Goose.
White birds are nice when it’s dark though……………
East Hokkaido September Trip #17
So Bean Goose has been split into 2 species: Taiga and Tundra Bean Goose. And they both appear to have eastern and western subspecies just to confuse matters even further. Until now I’ve just ticked them all as ‘Bean Goose’ and left it at that.
I’d assumed almost all ‘Bean’ Geese passing through Hokkaido were Taiga Bean Goose. They have longer bills. longer necks and a less rounded head than Tundra. I think.
So the top one I’m pretty sure is Taiga and I think these below may be Tundras.
East Hokkaido September Trip #14
On our way back from east Hokkaido we went through Urahoro and turned off the main road onto a quiet road for a ‘short cut’…………….
We noticed some Japanese Cranes in a field so we stopped to take a look.
Then we noticed lots of geese at the back of the field with more arriving all the time. Just White-fronts and Beans I thought. But no…………………
The other grey goose
The thousands of White-fronted Geese at Onuma were very dramatic but there were also smaller groups of Bean Goose too.
A foggy morning in Onuma
On Monday morning we went back to Onuma to check the huge geese/swan flocks.
But it was foggy……………
Some of them were resting on the lake.
Also around were lots of ducks including large numbers of Pintail, 2 Steller’s Sea Eagle, 1 White-tailed Eagle, several Great Egret and a pair of Japanese Wagtail.
Heading north
The ricefields near Onuma had some visitors stopping by on their way north……..
Bean and White-fronted Geese, Bewick’s and Whooper Swans……….
Terrible day for photos but some interesting species around: Smew, Grey-headed Woodpecker, White-tailed and Steller’s Sea Eagles as well as the usual common stuff.