Wonder if this species will start breeding in Hokkaido?
Last stilts
Tag: Black-winged Stilt
More stilts
An annual visitor to SW Hokkaido in spring and always appreciated…
Long legs in the padis
I went back early in the morning to check if the waders from the other day were still in the ricefields…
The 2 stilts were still there.
Golden Week 2023 #10
This bird was at a tidal pool we often go to. The tide was out but the sun was in the wrong place for photos…
We returned later but the tide had come in and there was no exposed mud anywhere.
Lots of waders scattered around yesterday; in addition to the stilt there were Ruddy Turnstone, Grey Plover, Eurasian Curlew, Grey-tailed tattler, Wood Sandpiper, Little Ringed Plover and Bar-tailed Godwit.
Plus a flock of Sanderling.
The final Stilts
I don’t usually see them in this light and from this angle…
More golden light Stilts
800
The sun went behind a cloud so I upped the ISO to 800, a rarity when photographing this species this sunny spring.
More stilts from Sunday
I took a lot of shots of these on Sunday…
A less striking one
Black-winged Stilts are pretty variable. I think both the ones at Yakumo were males but one was very well marked with a black head and neck. This one was less well marked but still striking…
Stuck in the mud
This stilt was in a sticky situation…
But it broke free…
An influx
There seems to have been an influx of Black-winged Stilts into Hokkaido. I’ve seen them in 3 locations already this spring and I know of several other local sightings. Plus they’ve also been seen further north and south…
There were 2 at Yakumo the other day in beautiful afternoon light.
Golden Week 2022 #29
Heard one of these was in Southport recently!
Not quite so rare in Hokkaido but still a pretty uncommon spring overshoot.
