2018 Best Of #3

Some more shots from earlier in the year...............

Early spring miscellany

On Sunday we headed north.............

Pit Stops

The local fields had some visitors taking a short rest...............

On this day (March 23rd)...............................

March 23rd 2015.

2 White-fronted Geese in Hakodate 3 years ago today. Large numbers of this species passed through south Hokkaido that March and I saw them in many places. These were practically in a factory car park

Some grey visitors

Onuma was pretty quiet yesterday but the Whooper Swans briefly had some company...............

A surprise on the beach

A surprise on one of the local beaches last week...............

Beach Geese

Just outside town there was a group of 6 White-fronted Geese on the beach..............

Some visible migration.............

Flocks of Brown-eared Bulbul heading south across the Tsugaru Straits at the weekend................

Grey birds on a grey day

A very dark grey day on Monday...........with a grey goose and a Grey Heron...............

Not what I was expecting

Another typhoon hit Hokkaido meaning grey skies and rain.................and we had several (small) earthquakes last night too.

Some more signs of winter

Groups of Whooper Swans have started to arrive......it's getting very close to the start of winter..............

Redpolls up close

There were yet more Redpolls in Oshamanbe................

The last breath of winter......................

Some late blizzards hit Hakodate today, probably the last this winter......................

Geese etc

A very springlike day in south Hokkaido this Sunday.................

A short autumnal trip

A Black Legged Kittiwake, one of 7 Gull species at Yakumo this afternoon at end of a short trip away...........

Autumn Geese

A juvenile White Fronted Goose at Tomakomai last weekend.

After the pelagic trip we visited Utonai Ko, a large shallow lake near Chitose airport. It is famous as a resting place for geese in autumn on their way south. There were 2 species: White Fronted and Bean Goose.

99.9% of them were in the middle of the lake.

They feed in the rice stubble in the local padi fields I guess. We see both species near Hakodate but never in great numbers........................

We've been visiting the lake for over 6 years and there is one resident Bean Goose, presumably crippled. It is tame and spends its days with a group of similarly injured Whooper Swans.

Sadly it would call to the birds in the middle of the lake but they ignored it................

In the same area were 2 tame White Fronted Goose, as far as I know these are wild (I've never seen them before so close).....................perhaps they were just mega bold ones?

There was also a small tame flock of Pintail in various stages of moult.

Not much else around. A big flock of swans were on the other side of the lake, there was a lone Great Egret, a few Wigeon, some Little Grebe and Tomakomai's famous Magpies nearby.....................

Thanks for clicking this link.......
人気ブログランキングへ

A few migrants appearing.......

Part of a flock of White Fronted Geese in a roadside field at Yakumo yesterday.

I still haven't really figured out BIF flock shots yet.

The nasty weather continues but there have been a couple of brief sunny interludes. This morning I got up early and saw my first Eastern Crowned Warbler and Red Cheeked Starlings of the year. Crossbill (a lone male), Hawfinch, Brambling, Dusky Thrush and Teal still remain near my apartment. Yesterday's birds included Glaucous Gull, Eastern Marsh Harrier, Peregrine, Osprey, Great Egret, Reed Bunting, Scaup, Red Breasted Merganser, Wigeon, Pintail, Goosander and lots and lots of Siberian Stonechat.

They always fly off just as I'm about to press the shutter.

I think I've worked out what set off my herniated disk/nerve pains again. Last Friday when I was looking for the White Winged Crossbills I had an urgent call of nature, the only handy toilet was a traditional style squatter, I think I twisted something as I hunkered down.

Another reason to hate those type of toilets. I haven't met a single Japanese person who prefers them. Usually I avoid them but this was an 'any port in a storm' situation. Japan has more pressing problems now I know but the next PM should consider a nationwide upgrading of public toilets.

I mean you can't even check the news on your cellphone whilst using them.

Thanks for clicking this link.......

Whitefronts

A pair of White Fronted Geese at Kamiiso this afternoon. Not a vintage week for photos so far.........

Not much around in town the last week, it turned pretty icy and nothing to report from near my apartment except a couple of Red Breasted Merganser and a male Goosander on the river yesterday.

I checked out the port in Kamiiso, not much here either. Lots of Great Crested Grebe offshore, the usual common seaducks including flocks of Black Scoter and the Kentish Plover was still around too.

I headed slightly inland and the Geese were in among the Whooper Swan and ducks.

There were also Pochard, and these Goldeneye and Goosander here.......

Small birds included Japanese Wagtail, Siskin and Long Tailed Rosefinch. These 2 White Tailed Eagle were in an inaccessible place of the river, I didn't want to wade through snowdrifts to get any closer so this record shot will have to do.......

There were lots of dead salmon in the river, probably a little too deep for the eagles to get easily(and too deep for the abundant crows/kites too). Actually this spot is very good for Kite BIF shots as they fly around very close but against stone grey skies like today it's difficult to get any keepers............

Thanks for clicking this link.........

On this day (December 25th)...........

December 25th 2007.

A Goose for Christmas.

Joining the Whooper Swan flock at Onuma 3 years ago were 6 Geese, 2 Bean and 4 White Fronted. This is one of the latter. Flocks can be seen in spring especially but a few individuals, presumably stragglers from the main flocks further south, occur in winter..............

Thanks for clicking this link

A spring Sunday in Hokkaido

A pair of Red Cheeked Starlings near Yakumo this afternoon, the background is a mishmash of old fishing nets and stinky port stuff.

We got up very early and took lots of pics of this species near my apartment in amongst the cherry blossoms, I'll post those pics tomorrow................

It was warm today and there was an odd mix of winter and summer birds.

These were part of a flock of a hundred or so White Fronted Geese that briefly landed in the soon to be flooded ricefields in Ono. When they flew off I turned the dial on my 7D to 'B' instead of 'C1' (my BIF setting). 'B' is for long exposures, I messed up there.

Cuckoo, Oriental and Black Browed Reed Warbler, Siberian Stonechat, Skylark and Chestnut Eared Bunting were in the same area.

At Yakumo there were still Scaup, Black Scoter and Red Breasted Merganser offshore and elsewhere today we also saw Pintail, Shoveler and Pochard. A few Glaucous Gull were at Yakumo but the most interesting bird of the day was this, an Eastern Marsh Harrier. Here's a record shot.

Not a vintage BIF day at all. Ospreys continue to resist all attempts to get a decent pic...........

At least Black Kites fly closer.

I was hoping for some waders at Yakumo but we only saw Little Ringed Plover, the first Lathams Snipe of the year and Grey Tailed Tattler. The Red Cheeked Starlings were common here too though........

We ended up at Onuma, lots of stuff in the forest as per usual but nothing posing for the camera.

Like Ospreys, Mandarin Ducks avoid my camera........

I'm knackered and am hitting the sack, I'll sort through my Starlings in the cherry blossom shots tomorrow........

Thanks for clicking this link.