Some more photos with the R5/100-400LM1/1.4X combo.
In addition to the Crossbills there were quite a few other things around too. Best of all was an adult Steller’s Sea Eagle that briefly shot past (only the second one I’ve ever seen in Hakodate) and there were also Brambling. Siskin, Redpoll, Coal Tit, Wren, Peregrine and Common Goldeneye.
Lots of Dusky Thrush too…………
And this is a real ‘dirtbird’ in Japan……………
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.
Lots of Dusky Thrush passing through town this week. I’ve seen both Fieldfare and Naumann’s Thrush this month but yesterday there were only the bog-standard Duskys……….
Nice light at least.
Waxwings are still visiting the local park but as food resources are disappearing fast they are encountering a new problem: Dusky Thrushes.
They compete for the same food and I guess the Thrushes see Waxwings as rivals (they leave the Bramblings and Hawfinches in peace). They aggressively chase the Waxwings away.
I had no idea Dusky Thrushes could be such b*****ds.
There were still some Waxwings around yesterday, here are the 3 other species that have been in the same places………
There was also a Long-tailed Rosefinch in the park but no pictures.
A Dusky Thrush near my apartment yesterday. Not many birds in town at all: Wren, Eastern Great Tit, Common Teal…………….only. In Kamiiso there were the usual common winter species with the addition of a couple of Smew. In the sky there were several groups of geese flying north. Bean Goose and White-fronted Goose, nothing rarer. At Onuma there were 3 White-tailed Eagles and a few Pintail in among the duck flock.