The port was pretty quiet in the morning, just a few gulls sitting around in the morning sun…
I was very surprised to see these 3 stilts on one of the nearby rivers: never seen them so early in the season before. They looked cold…
Winter gulls are still much in evidence in Hokkaido in March…
We went away for a week and just got back. These were some of the regular local winter birds we saw on the way there….
Not many birds in the port at Oshamambe, only a few Scaup and Goldeneye and a small flock of Wigeon. And this Black-throated Diver, which I’ve seen several times this winter.
Gull numbers also seemed to be picking up slightly…
A slightly darker but still pale winter visitor…
The various gull winter visitors were present at the rivermouth in Yakumo last weekend..
Lots of common winter gulls and ducks around now as well as the first swans and geese.
A very quiet last 3 weeks for various reasons, these photos were all just outside town this afternoon.
3 of the common winter gull species of Hokkaido, all sitting on the port wall in Mukawa.
Beautiful clear autumn weather the last few days and a clear change in some of the bird species. Harlequin Duck and Glaucous-winged Gulls gave reappeared on the coasts.
A flock of Whooper Swan were flying south yesterday as were lots of Eurasian Jay. Lots of common ducks on the rivers and Great Egrets are becoming more numerous. Northern Goshawk and Daurian Redstart were other noteworthy species near Esan.
Hakodate is pretty quiet: a flock of Rustic Bunting were in one of the local parks today and There are still some Night Herons on the river.
And the Esan area always seems to have a Peregrine…………..
The Scallop boats were busy in the harbours and there were a lot of Gulls waiting for handouts………..
Some common winter port birds from Oshamanbe today.
Apart from the eagles birding was a bit quiet today. Glaucous and Glaucous-winged Gulls (above) were around as were Smew, Long-billed Plover, Great Egret, Eastern Buzzard, Black Scoter and the usual common winter birds of this part of the world.