Swinhoes Egret

A Kentish Plover on a beach near Esashi last Sunday, it seemed to be part of a family of 3. I wasn't even aware these bred on the local beaches............

It has turned hot and the temperature reached 30 for the first time this year this week. I had a cold last week and still have nerve pain in my right leg so i haven't really been motivated to do much, it's easier to just lounge around in front of a fan.

Last Sunday was the only time I did any birding since my last post and in hindsight I'm glad I made the effort. This egret at Kikonai had me excited for a minute or two. It seemed to have a yellow bill so I thought it may have been a Swinhoes Egret (a very rare bird that appears fairly regularly in Hokkaido, there was apparently one in Yakumo in May). They look similar to Little Egrets but have bigger plumes, shorter legs and a shorter thicker yellow bill.

No good photos at all recently, these are heavily cropped record shots.

But I thought this was probably just a Little Egret with a slightly paler than normal bill. Little Egrets don't breed in Hokkaido but are regular visitors (I've seen several already this year).

Still it was nice to be excited for a few minutes at least.............I've put an ID query up on birdforum with some more crappy photos which should settle it, I'm beginning to have doubts now, after Ayuwat's comment below I'm beginning to think it may not just be a Little Egret.

*UPDATE*

Well according to more knowledgeable folk than me it IS a Swinhoes Egret.

Other birds around last Sunday in Asabu, Eshashi and Kikonai included Little and Common  Cuckoo, Pacific Swift, Chestnut Eared Bunting, Black Browed and Oriental Reed Warblers,  Wryneck and lots of Ospreys everywhere. This one was near Yunokawa at the end of the day.

This one was at Kamiiso, I still haven't managed a decent diving shot.........

The first waders will be passing through in 3 or 4 weeks, until then it's just a case of biding my time in the summer humidity, at least the England v India series starts next week............

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Caterpillar Attack

A Japanese Green Pigeon at Onuma this afternoon.

I've been got. By a caterpillar. On Friday afternoon I was sat on the concrete riverbank watching the Ospreys fishing (too far away for any photos) when I felt something on my neck, I brushed it off, it was soft and squishy. I later noticed a huge black and yellow caterpillar crawling up my pants. Oh well I guess that was what was on my neck before.

The next morning my neck was covered in weals and was itchy as hell, the hairy little bas**rd had left its toxic little barbs in my neck. I had inadvertently spread the infection by rubbing my neck with sunscreen, the inflammation seems to have receded after taking some medication and buying various lotions. I have a sore throat but I think that is hay fever. Or a cold. Oh and my back and leg still hurt from my slipped disc, upstairs are still noisy all the time.................one of those annoying little periods in life we all have to deal with. Still, f*****g hell.

A pair of Common Sandpiper was on the opposite bank but not much else. The 10 Goosander and 3 Harlequin Ducks were still present, here's a picture of the latter.

Today we went to Onuma, highlight of the day was a pair of Japanese Green Pigeon feeding in a tree.

Also around here were Moorhen, Mallard, Narcissus Flycatcher, lots of Red Cheeked Starlings feeding young, Grey Heron, various Tits, Nuthatches and Woodpeckers..............

We stopped off in the ricefields at Ono on the way back. 2 Intermediate Egret were a surprise, pther birds included Night Heron, Chestnut Eared Bunting, Siberian Stonechat, Oriental and Black Browed Reed Warblers, Lathams Snipe........the usual summer stuff.

Just listening to the 3rd ODI, why are England such a dull one day side?

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Half-time

There has been a feeding frenzy in the bushes along the river as the young Red Cheeked Starlings have all now left their nests, they were everywhere.

Every year they raid someone's cherry tree. These females must have been stealing from someone's garden.

Sometimes the young didn't know what to do with the cherries.........

The adults had cherry stains on their fronts.........

I tried to get some interesting shots but failed as most of the feeding was being done in the middle of the bushes.

They often perch on the tops of bushes at least..............

The Red Cheeked Starlings leaving the nests is pretty much the last thing to photograph for a while (unless something unusual pops up) and it is a nice way to end the first half of any calendar year.

The lone Siberian Stonechat and Chestnut Eared Bunting were still singing, the Oriental Reed Warblers too. In about a week or so they'll stop and the baby Starlings will be strong enough to fend for themselves and that species will no longer pose for the camera.

Lots of baby Great Tits around recently too.

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On this day (June 28th).........

June 28th 2009.

A lousy heavily cropped record shot of a genuine rarity here in Japan, a Gull Billed Tern. This was taken at Yakumo and I believe is/was only the second ever record in Hokkaido. 2 years earlier I had seen a Caspian Tern at Asabu which I'm told was the first ever in Hokkaido, shame I have no photographic evidence of that one.

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A fishy post

One of many fishing Ospreys today, this one was at Yakumo. Shame I clipped the end of its wing off.

They really are adept fishers, every time they dived they got a fish. I didn't get any decent diving shots though.............

Most of the common stuff was still around but not as much singing and displaying, slow times are just around the corner.

The main focus in July will probably be the Japanese Green Pigeons. WE spent an hour or so at the regular spot, they briefly came down to the beach but the only shots I could get were rather distant BIFs.

The day ended at Kamiiso. There were only 3 Harlequins, either the male perished or maybe his moult finished and he flew off. Here's a pic of 2 females and also a female Goosander.

I think I now know the place where the Pharalopes were last week, unfortunately they seem to have gone. There was a family of Little Ringed Plover nearby however.........

I watched England's multinational 20-20 game last night (well I gave up after England's pathetic innings) and I also saw the movie 'Priest' which was very very silly indeed.

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Slow time a comin'

A quiet week birdwise in Hakodate, the Red Cheeked Starlings have left the nest and were the main focus of the last few days, in a week or so there won't be much happening in Hakodate until the waders pass through in another 6 or 7 weeks time.

The Starlings were everywhere. These are all males.

This is a common summer visitor to Hokkaido but it has a very restricted range, Hokkaido is probably the only place where it is common.

There were a few fledgelings hanging around waiting to be fed.

Both males and females were on hand.

The birding is very predictable in town this time of year, I saw all the 20 or so species one would expect to find with the exception of Night Heron, hopefully a few young ones will appear on the river in July.

Here is a very scruffy Bullheaded Shrike that was hunting in the bushes along the river.

Not much else to report. Annoyingly noisy neighbours, I hope the little brat upstairs gets given some tranquilizers soon (or at least a playstation). I watched 'Fire in Babylon' which was rather interesting. Otherwise...........nothing much really.

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