Before the deluge

A tired looking Red Throated Diver offshore near Kamiiso this afternoon. Probably an injured bird but it was a bit far off to see any damage.............this photo is already a heavy crop as it is.

There were several Gadwall around as well as a flighty Crossbill flock, some Black Headed Gulls in summer plumage, Great Egret and the usual common stuff. Spring migration will surely kick in very soon, hope it's a deluge on any days off I have coming up................

Still Still around..........

A quick look in the park and the Falcated Duck was still there..............but it hadn't gotten less shy.

Still around

The Falcated Duck was still in the park, and as jumpy as ever................

A (very) windy Monday

Last night was as windy as I can recall since a typhoon hit Hakodate 12 years ago..............

I was hoping the strong SW wind might have blown some vagrants our way but the only really visible migants were lots of Common Gull and Dusky Thrush.

Not much posing for the camera but I did see Pale Thrush, Pacific Swift, Black Faced Bunting. Gadwall, Peregrine, Osprey, Buzzard, Siskin, Hawfinch, Long Tailed Rosefinch, Great Egret, Grey Headed Woodpecker, Mandarin Duck, Harlequin Duck, Terek Sandpiper, Red Throated Diver and common stuff like the above Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker.

At Onuma lots of big trees had been blown over, it really was windy last night.

A rainy Sunday

A wet wet Sunday, a bit annoying after a hard week when it was sunny outside most of the time but I was stuck inside...............

Still, there were a few birds about in the rain.

Falcated Duck and Crossbill

2 interesting species in the local park today...............

A windy Monday

Yesterday we were on the west coast.......................

European Starling

A new bird for my Japan list..............

A windy Sunday

A cold wind was blowing from Siberia today................

One of five

A male Black Woodpecker at Onuma this morning, one of 5 woodpecker species that were around on a pleasant spring day.

Also around were big flocks of Goosander, a pair of Smew, Whooper Swan, Shoveler, Little Grebe, Brambling, Siskin and lots of Mandarin Duck as well as the usual resident tits and nuthatches.

I made the mistake of staying up to watch the 20/20 final all the way through. Well the first 39 overs were pretty tense at least..................Ben Stokes oh deary me.

At work a busy 2 or 3 weeks beckon, don't know if I'll get out so much. Luckily I'll have some free time when the migration season kicks in.

A grey Sunday afternoon............

A male Blue Rock Thrush................

First quarter gone...........

Not a great picture but some kind of Marten we saw today........................

A couple of days away..............

I just got back from a short break................

The late March lull

Some years the end of March can be a very exciting time with lots of Crossbills and Waxwings in the parks. geese in the ricefields or grebes and other aquatic birds in the harbours.................

But not this year, today we drove out west to Esaahi where the above Black Tailed Gull was one of the few birds to pose for the camera. the first Ospreys of the year were around at various places, there was a big flock of Rook on the west coast and we saw a couple of Asian Rosy Finch at Esashi too.

Hakodate was very very quiet last week, just a few Hawfinches and Dusky Thrush. Roll on spring................

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

March 23rd 2014.

A Eurasian Curlew at Esashi 2 years ago today. I grew up seeing plenty of these in the UK but in south Hokkaido they are surprisingly rare and this is the only one I've ever seen in Japan (the similar Eastern Curlew is a common passage visitor).

Its upper mandible was half missing and it was around very early for a passage wader, I hope it survived its visit to my little corner of the world...............

Still there

The Ural Owl was back in its hole in Omuma and the Pacific Diver was still in its port east of Hakodate..................

Some March BIFs

Nice light meant some BIF photo opps yesterday...............

Spring 2016 begins

A Dunlin near Oshamanbe this afternoon..................

Pacific Diver

I had an unexpected free morning and we headed out east of town where I found a Pacific Diver.................

On this day (March 15th).....................

March 15th 2009.

Some Common Crossbills in Hakodate 7 years ago today.......................