Wader season again

Another hot humid day........................

Moulting

A family of scruffy moulting Goosander are on the river at Kamiiso every summer. They can't fly at the moment and if they need to move quickly they thrash and paddle away in a flurry of stubby wings and splashes........it seems to be effective in a desperate kind of way and they just about get the job done. Probably some metaphor in there somewhere.

The heat/humidity seems to have receded slightly...........hopefully not just a temporary respite.

Summer Pigeons

It's been a quiet hot hot couple of weeks.....................

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

July 28th 2014.

A Spectacled Guillemot near Esashi 2 years ago today. Only the second one I'd seen in southern Hokkaido, it must have been blown inshore by strong westerlies. It looks a bit scruffy...........probably an adult beginning its moult. They look great in full summer plumage but I only see them as distant specks off the capes of east Hokkaido then....................

A real struggle

I noticed some unusual Osprey behaviour a few days ago.................

East/North Hokkaido Summer 2016 #9

My final batch of photos from last week's trip..........................

East/North Hokkaido Summer 2016 #8

There are 3 locustella warblers breeding in Hokkaido.............

East/North Hokkaido Summer 2016 #7

The breeding season was in full swing in the grasslands of North Hokkaido................

East/North Hokkaido Summer 2016 #6

We camped for 3 nights on the Ohotsk coast. It was our 3rd consecutive time at this campsite, I chose it because it has Siberian Rubythroats singing in front of the tent..........

East/North Hokkaido Summer 2016 #5

Some birds from the grasslands of the Ohotsk coast of North Hokkaido..................

East/North Hokkaido Summer 2016 #4

2 roadside raptors from last week................

East/North Hokkaido Summer 2016 #3

A Middendorffs Warbler at Kiritappu last week......................

East/North Hokkaido Summer 2016 #2

A Pacific Swift, an abundant breeder on the capes of east Hokkaido............................

East/North Hokkaido Summer 2016 #1

We just got back from a weeklong camping trip to east and north Hokkaido.

The above White Tailed Eagle was at Kiritappu in the east of the island. It was sat on a concrete wall, I took these photos out of the car window

We spent most of the first day driving. It was great to be in this part of Hokkaido again................more to follow over the next few days...............after I catch up on some sleep.

Unfledged Ospreys

The Ospreys are nesting on the same offshore stack as last year............

Peregrines have fledged

A very young Peregrine west of town yesterday afternoon.......................and a rather scruffy adult.

The Peregrine nest we found a few weeks ago must have been very busy whilst we were away, the young have fledged...............

Midsummer 2016

An Oriental Reed Warbler singing from the bushes near my apartment this afternoon. A warm midsummers day....................the quiet time is here as the local birds are now generally busy feeding young and all the action occurs deep in the bushes/greenery.

Oh England...............please don't play like that again after I get up at 4am to watch.

Rainy season

Well it poured down with rain all today and it's been raining on and off all week..................

On this day (June 16th)...............

June 16th 2014.

Some baby Ural Owls at Onuma 2 years ago today.....................

A walk around the neighbourhood

I had a free morning (for a change )so I took a walk near my apartment...........................and despite the grey overcast skies there were a few birds for my trusty old recently cleaned and fixed 100-400 lens.