A couple of winter staple species from the last week: the grebe was in Esan and the egret in Hakodate.
Most of the usual species were in Esan the other day but no good photos were to be had and in Kamiiso today there were lots of ducks in the port but it was snowing too heavily for any pics.
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.
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.
It’s the time of year when Grebes appear in the ports. Black-necked Grebes are especially common in late winter/early spring.
In addition to the Slavonian Grebe there were also half a dozen Black-Neckeds and several Great Crested Grebes in the same port.
I took a quick look in one of the local ports this morning and it was pretty quiet. A lone Black-necked Grebe, a single Black Scoter and a flock of Common Gulls were the only noteworthy species……….
The ports are beginning to fill up with birds……….
East of town there were 2 or 3 Great Crested Grebe, 1 Black-necked Grebe and small flocks of Wigeon and Scaup.
Black-necked Grebes are very common here in winter and most ports seem to have a few in them until early April.
The first ‘winter’ visitors of the year appeared the last week. The above Black-necked Grebe was near Hakodate and the Glaucous-winged Gull below was at Yakumo.
Other stuff around in the last week included lots of Osprey, a single White-tailed Eagle at Yakumo, Great Egret…………
Waders included Red-necked Stint, Terek Sandpiper, Lesser Sand Plover, Wood Sandpiper, Black-tailed Godwit, Common Greenshank and Eastern Curlew. No photos though.
There were 7 Black-necked Grebes in one of the loacl ports this afternoon and some were well into their summer plumage……….
This is a common enough local species that I often photograph and they look great at this time of year. Also around were 2 Great-crested Grebe, 6 species of gull including Glaucous Gull and my first Little-ringed Plover of the year.
Whilst waiting for eagles to do stuff in the sky above there were a few birds in the port: 3 Black-necked Grebe, several Glaucous-winged and a lone Glaucous Gull in among all the Slaty-backed Gulls, small flocks of Red-breasted Merganser and Goldeneye plus 3 Harlequin Ducks.
The Black-necked Grebes are common but photogenic.
I was in the area to photograph raptors but the port to the east of town often has interesting species to check when the eagles are not doing anything. Today there was a pair of Black-necked Grebes.
The port was a bit busy with fishing boats coming and going all the time. Add in the calm seas and there wasn’t much else about.
Other species around were Yellow-throated Bunting, Blue Rock Thrush, Long-tailed Rosefinch, Glaucous-winged Gull, Great Egret, Harlequin Duck and Red-breasted Merganser.
A Black-necked Grebe this afternoon in one of the ports to the east of town. This is a common winter visitor and shares the ports with a variety of species. Today there were Goldeneye only but nearby were Brent Goose, Harlequin Duck, Whooper Swan, 8 species of gull including Glaucous and Glaucous-winged. huge flocks of Common Gull with a few Black-legged Kittiwake mixed in, a lone White-tailed Eagle and a single Peregrine.