Another spring day...............

It was a beautiful spring day, the first real warmish weather since the back end of October. I got up early and walked to Goryokaku park and there were Japanese White-eyes everywhere.

Today was a good day for migrants. In the park I saw Pale and Brown Thrush (and lots of Duskys), 4 Rustic Bunting with 2 males in summer plumage, Eastern Crowned Warbler, Red Flanked Bluetail, Asian Brown Flycatcher and this male Blue and White Flycatcher.

This is a Japanese Bush Warbler, a very common summer visitor but usually very skulking. This one wasn't............

There were lots of Red Cheeked Starling around.............

Some were even trying to muscle in on this Great Spotted Woodpecker's new spring/summer residence............

The Black Winged Stilt was still around in the morning..............

Why wasn't the weather like this on my 2 days off last week????

At least I had some free time today (and tomorrow). I was hoping for some Narcissus Flycatchers.................maybe I'll get lucky tomorrow................
Thanks for clicking this link.......
人気ブログランキングへ

A surprise visitor in the park..........

A Black Winged Stilt in Goryokaku park this afternoon. I finally got some OK shots of them up close in good light but in the most unexpected of places..................

What the hell was it doing in the park? There was no water suitable to wade in plus the park was pretty busy as the cherry blossoms are finally starting to open (slightly).

It was pretty tame though.

There must ahve been a real influx of them into south Hokkaido this last couple of weeks............

Not much else around. Lots of Red Flanked Bluetails, Dusky Thrush and Black Faced Bunting on the move. A singing Japanese Thrush and another Eastern crowned warbler near my apartment.

Thatcher gone and now Fergie retiring. The shadows are lifting......................


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

Blue and Green

A male Blue and White Flycatcher and an Eastern Crowned Warbler near my apartment this afternoon.

I had an hour or so to spare this afternoon and I was pleased to see lots of migrants in the few remaining trees and bushes next top the river.

There were 2 male Blue and White Flycatchers, one of the most stunning summer visitors to Hokkaido.

 I was looking down on them so the angles weren't so good, also most of the time they were in the shade. When they reach their breeding grounds they tend to stay high up in the canopy though..............

There were also quite a few Eastern Crowned Warblers knocking about............

Other stuff included lots of Black Faced Bunting and Dusky Thrush, a female Red Flanked Bluetail, a lone flash by Red Rumped Swallow, Hawfinch and Japanese Bush Warbler. In Goryokaku Park I tried to locate more warblers and flycatchers but all I could fund was a lone Olive Backed Pipit and a flock of Japanese White-eye.

The last few days were a washout and it was a long holiday weekend too. On Sunday I spent the afternoon at Kamiiso under leaden skies. There were quite a few divers offshore, mainly Red Throated (some coming into summer plumage) and at least one Pacific Diver. Huge rafts of Scaup were also on the sea but there were only a few other common ducks around. There was also a lone Glaucous Gull, several Osprey, 2 Whimbrel and 1 Bar Tailed Godwit. Yesterday saw very heavy rain. We had a quick look at the ricefields in Ono hoping to see some waders but couldn't find any. Flocks of Brambling, Dusky Thrush and Black Faced Bunting were passing through and I saw my first Reed Bunting of the year.


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

Linked to Wild Bird Wednesday.

On this day (May 4th)...............

May 4th 2011.

2 Wood Sandpiper, part of a flock in the ricefields in Ono 2 years ago today. I have to say I hardly ever get decent views of waders in this habitat (unlike many other local birders................what am I doing wrong?) but I got lucky this day.

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

More nice birds in awful weather

Ther first day of the 4 day Golden Week long weekend...................and it p***ed down with rain virtually all day.

At Kikonai there wan't much around except for a few hirundines skimming over the river in the rain. Mainly Asian House Martin and Barn Swallow but the flock contained 3 Red Rumped Swallows which were very tricky to get any shots of with my decrepit old lens in the terrible weather. These were all I could manage.

We headed over to Onuma but mnothing here except a few common birds in the rain.

Back nearer home the Black Winged Stilt from last week had found a friend.

I think they are both males so even if they decided to stay the summer up north we won't be hearing the pattering of little stilt feet this summer in Kamiiso...................

It was really dark when I was taking these photos, I hope they stick around and I can get them in better light as they were actually pretty tame today.

A lot of very samey shots, in mitigation this is a fairly exotic bird up here.

I tried to get some feeding shots but it was too dark to get fast shutter speeds.

Not much about today apart from the above 2 species. A pair of Gadwall and a Kingfisher at Kamiiso, several osprey here and there, a few common duck species still present.

I have to work most of tomorrow daytime, it'll probably be sunny.

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

Brown Shrike

A really really crappy photo but it is (I think) a female Brown Shrike on the river near my flat this afternoon. I know it isn't brown..........this is the lucionensis subspecies. I have seen the nominate race a couple of times before in Hokkaido but have never photographed it.This is rarer and was a nice find.  It disappeared before I could get a decent shot.

Migration is hotting up but the weather is still cold..............no cherry blossoms out yet. Birds around in Goryokaku park the last few days have included a male Brambling in summer plumage, 2 Olive Backed Pipit, lots of warblers and buntings (all of which were just Japanese Bush Warbler and Black Faced Bunting), a flock of Dusky Thrush which contained 1 Brown Thrush, Kingfisher, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Hawfinch, Common Crossbill, lots of Barn Swallow, Red Cheeked Starling, Japanese White-eye and Common Teal.

I've never photographed Olive Backed Pipit before either.................here's another crappy photo of one.

I have 3 out of the next 4 days off, hopefully we'll get nice weather AND nice birds.

Stuart Hall, Rolf Harris, Ken Barlow? My god, who will be next?


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