A grey Friday in May

I couldn't do much birding this week................

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

May 11th 2012.

A male Narcissus Flycatcher in one of the local parks 6 years ago today. This was in the middle of a run of several springs when this species was a common passage visitor in the various parks in Hakodate but the last several years I've not seen so many in town............

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

May 10th 2015.

A Long-toed Stint at Yakumo 3 years ago today.

Another wader we don't see so often in spring (although they are fairly common in autumn).

Another (different) Saunders Gull..................

I was surprised to find another Saunders Gull, only my 4th in Hokkaido................

End of the holidays

Just as my cold disappears, the weather improves and my toothache is a distant memory..............the holidays end.

Recovery time...............

Feeling slightly better on Saturday I could spend a couple of hours birding................

On this day (May 5th)...........................

May 5th 2011.

A Black-tailed Godwit in Hakodate 7 years ago today. This is reasonably regular in autumn but seems much scarcer in spring so it was nice to see one coming into breeding plumage for a change...............

Out of action

I've been out of action for the last 3 days. A bit annoying as this is the season when birding is the most interesting and I did have lots of free time. I spent the free time in bed with a nasty cold or at the dentist having the start of root canal work due to some sudden but violent toothache.

I felt slightly better today and we had a quick look to see if anything interesting had appeared. The Saunders Gull was still there but not much else of interest. The same place as the Saunders Gull had produced Caspian Tern and both species of Spoonbill during late April/early May in the last 2 years so this small gull has carried on the tradition of this spot for turning up local rarities.

I have 3 days off coming up but it looks like it will be raining for most of the time................

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

May 3rd 2013.

A mushy record shot of a Red-rumped Swallow in Kikonai 5 years ago today. Terrible weather..........drizzle and poor light I recall but the camera was just about up to the task of a BIF shot at least. This is a scarce overshoot visitor to Hokkaido: I've only ever seen this species twice here and both times were in early May..................

Saunders still there

The Saunders Gull was still in town on Monday.............

Another spring cliche............

The cherry blossoms are in full bloom in Hakodate.....................

Still hanging on in there..........

The Saunders Gull was still around on Sunday...............

On this day (April 29th)................

April 29th 2015.

Not a great picture but the only Collared Scops Owl I've ever seen, 3 years ago today in a park in Hakodate.

A Golden Week Visitor

Golden Week, the spring holiday in late April/early May in Japan, often brings rarities or semi-rarities...........

Blue Monday

An aptly named Blue Rock Thrush at Esashi last Monday.................

On this day (April 25th).....................

April 25th 2014.

A Pacific Golden Plover on one of the local beaches 4 years ago today. This is a regular visitor to south Hokkaido but they are usually unapproachable in the middle of the ricefields. Not this one though..............

A spring cliche

Japanese White-eyes in the cherry blossoms at Matsumae yesterday...............

Spring migration moving slowly still..........

We headed north yesterday.............

A late one

It's well into spring but there was 1 White-tailed Eagle still at Yakumo this afternoon................

No snow anywhere, Skylarks singing and a colony of Grey Herons and Great Cormorants in the trees it was perching in a few weeks ago: it must be wondering what the hell is going on out there.

Another Osprey

Another Osprey from Monday..........