On this day (February19th)...................

February 10th 2014.

The Sawara Gyrfalcon 3 years ago today. It was posing nicely on some driftwood.

Although it looks like a nice day it was absolutely freezing and there was a bitterly cold north wind blowing in off the sea. The windchill was brutal. I was only out of the car about 20 or 30 minutes but I'd stupidly forgotten my gloves. My hands were exposed all the time as I was holding the camera up.

When I got back to the car and my hands warmed up again I was surprised to be in intense pain for the next 2 or 3 minutes as the blood returned to my fingertips..............the initial stages of frostbite I guess.

Still in the cherry trees

A male Bullfinch on Thursday. Still small groups of them are snacking on the cherry blossom buds around town though none as photogenically as last week.

Also in the big park near my flat were a flock of 20 or so Hawfinch, a lone Redpoll, some Coal Tit, Dusky Thrush and a single Nuthatch.

We're away for 2 or 3 nights over the weekend, hopefully some new birds to post about next week.

Some other harbour birds............

The local ports hold a lot of winter visitors and not only ducks..................

A tame one................

A tame Hawfinch in one of the local parks yesterday................

A couple of ducks.........

The beginning of the end

A White-tailed Eagle near Yakumo today. The eagles have started dispersing, there were only a few around on the river today. There were some scattered around on the coast, they are starting to move north. The beginning of the end of the 2016/17 eagle season down here in SW Hokkaido.............

A quiet Sunday out east

We spent a quiet Sunday afternoon to the east of town.................

Still gorging on the sakura

I took a walk this afternoon and the Bullfinches had relocated a little downstream.............

On this day (February 10th)............

February 10th 2014.

A male Common Crossbill in Hakodate 3 years ago today. There was a big invasion of this species in late winter/early spring that year: they were everywhere in town.

I see them pretty much every year but I've only witnessed 2 big invasions in the time I've been doing this blog: in 2009 and in 2014. I wonder what 2017 will bring?

More Bullfinches

Some more Bullfinch shots from earlier in the week............

Some (very) early signs of Spring

I had a bit of spare time yesterday afternoon............

A crappy Monday in February

Absolutely horrible weather today. Heavy wet sticky snow with very poor visibility and terrible driving conditions.

A mild Sunday afternoon

My wife was hungover this morning so we only managed a short trip out west..............

A few small surprises

A male Bullheaded Shrike and an immature Black Crowned Night Heron near my flat this afternoon......

A blue thief

A male Blue Rock Thrush in one of the local fishing ports a couple of days ago................

More parklife

There were some common species in the park yesterday..............

In the park shadows.............

We were in one of the local parks this morning. It was rather dark, the park is full of trees and is difficult to photograph birds sometimes.

This female Sparrowhawk was a nice find, looks like it was eating a Brown-eared Bulbul............................shane about the poor light.

The residents

Some of the local residents at Onuma yesterday afternoon......................

Some hungry Eagles #2

Some more shots from Sunday at Yakumo.................

Some hungry Eagles #1

 The weather was better than expected and we could go up to Yakumo for the first time in 2 weeks..........