On this day (December 26th).....................

December 26th 2011.

A Solitary Snipe at Yakumo 4 years ago today. This is a scarce winter visitor that inhabits frigid winter streams in the hills. I've seen the species several times at Yakumo but this was the only time I ever managed a photo................and even then it was a hastily taken massively underexposed heavy crop too.

Eagles and a Solitary Snipe

Thanks to the kind offer of a ride up to Yakumo with Tomohiro I was able to get 2 or 3 hours with the eagles early this morning. There were lots around and the weather was surprisingly clear.

Of course we were concentrating on the eagles but bird of the day turned out to be this inconspicuous little fellow. Unfortunately my camera was on BIF settings when I took this, by the time I'd managed to change (only 1 or so seconds) the bird had flown off.

A Solitary Snipe, a rare and shy winter visitor that skulks around icy mountain streams. It was a lifer for me and a very nice surprise.............


The eagles were sitting around in the trees mainly..........

There must have been a lot of snow yesterday in Yakumo as several of the places we usually stop were impassable.

I wanted to get some close up photos of eagles in the water but they fly off so quickly. I need quicker reflexes. Or an invisibility cloak. So trees it is..........

This one was very heavily backlit, I could barely see it looking into the sun and my camera could hardly focus on it either.

There were lots of adult Stellers today.........

There were also quite a lot of first year birds, hopefully the species had a successful summer in 2011.

Most of the photos today were of Stellers, here's an adult White Tailed Eagle.

Not much BIF action today, this was the best one.

I did however manage not one but TWO pictures of crapping Stellers Sea Eagles. Enjoy.

This effort was quite spectacular........

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