A pair of Longspurs

The temperatures rose for a couple of days, the rains came and now we're living a slushy nightmare.................

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

March 4th 2014.

A male Crossbill in town 4 years ago today: part of the big invasion that year..............

On this day (March 3rd).............................

March 3rd 2014.

The Gyrfalcon at Sawara 4 years ago today. It may look bright and warm, cosy even.  but it was absolutely freezing with the wind coming off the sea................

Incidentally there is some evidence that this bird may not have been quite what it seemed. I was always surprised a) how tame it was b) its odd colouring and c) its damaged tail feathers. After seeing a picture on the internet about hybrid falcons and seeing how similar they were to this bird I voiced my concerns in a couple of places including here. There are some strong arguments made against it being a wild Gyrfalcon (mainly about the aforementioned tail and also the bird's moulting details) but....................see below.

It was suggested it may have been a hybrid Gyrfalcon/Saker falcon that had escaped from a falconer. I've tried emailing the Japanese Falconry Association for their opinion but got no reply. I did however contact a falconry group on facebook and encouragingly none of them thought it was a hybrid including several folk who keep/breed hybrids themselves. It was also put forward that the tail could have been damaged naturally due to its hunting style (the wings are undamaged) and its choice of habitat. Also such falcons are very valuable and are always ringed which this bird clearly isn't.

The colouring may indicate it is a rare genetic mutation that very occasionally occurs naturally. If it was a captive bird apparently it would be very valuable due to the colour. One Japanese falconer said that Gyrs are rarely kept in Japan because they are very vulnerable to disease because of the hot humid summers, Some of the falconers are kindly making further enquiries anyway ......................

Another one visited the same place a couple of years later (but only for a short time and I couldn't see it).............

A lot of Japanese birders saw and photographed it, including the author of a famous Japanese fieldguide. It was in numerous magazines.

I thought about unticking it but I haven't yet. Maybe we'll never know its true origin.

On this day (March 2nd).........................

March 2nd 2015.

A Goshawk near Oshamanbe 3 years ago today. This species is not especially rare but I don't photograph it much for some reason: just distant immatures against grey skies usually. This adult is probably the best shot I've managed.

Some later winter miscellany

We visited the ports north of Yakumo hoping to find some Long-tailed Ducks............

Some Asian Rosy Finches

Even north of Yakumo the main roads were clear.............

Some late winter ducks...........

On Monday we ventured north of town for the first time in ages................

The nearest one..........

I've seen quite a lot of this individual eagle this winter.................

Some late February raptors............

There were quite a few White-tailed Eagles east of town today..................

On this day (February 24th)......................

February 24th 2014.

Some White-tailed Eagles at Rausu 4 years ago today. Was that really 4 years ago? Time flies............

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

February 23rd 2015.

A drake Long-tailed Duck near Oshamanbe 3 years ago today.

Due to the nasty weather I haven't been up that area at all recently (only once this year and there were no LTDs). They are a bit hit-and-miss there, I wonder if they around this year?

Playing the percentages..........

The snow is so deep that we gave up going to Onuma and headed east yet again where we know that a) the weather and roads are mysteriously much better and b) there are a handful eagles more or less guaranteed..........

Another snowbound Sunday...........

Another week of snow.................

A lull

 A really really slow week. Still snowing and the snow lies deep everywhere. There was a flock of Crossbills in one of the local parks but they were a bit flighty and anyway it was impossible to get close due to the knee/thigh/waist deep snow......................

I hoped they would come close enough for a shot but they didn't. The only other birds in the park were a few Coal and Great Tits and they didn't come close either. The Tree Sparrows (one above) did.

A Freezing Monday

Wow, today was cold. In Hakodate it's been snowing heavily all day and there has been a bitterly cold wind blowing in from Siberia.

The roads and weather were too nasty to head up to Onuma so we went east again where the weather always seem to be better. And indeed it was (although it was even colder there on the coast). Even blue skies sometimes.

The local Stellers Sea Eagle flew around a bit and there were a couple of White-tailed Eagles, a Common Buzzard, 2 Peregrine and the usual common ducks and gulls.

Did I say it was cold?

Eagle trio

We headed east on Sunday................

On this day (February 11th).....................

February 11th 2014.

A male Pine Bunting at Sawara 4 years ago today. This species is a scarce winter visitor, generally occurring the coast and very mobile as they move from one snowy windswept beach to another so perhaps a but overlooked.

This was part of a small flock and proved a nice sideshow to that winter's Gyrfalcon on the same location.

A walk through the snowdrifts..........

I took a walk up the river yesterday...............

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

February 10th 2014.

A male Crossbill in town 4 years ago today. This was the start of a huge invasion that year.............

In the bleak midwinter..............

I can't believe how much snow has fallen this winter..............