Summer begins..........

Despite the cool temperatures it is definitely summer in the birding world............

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

June 16th 2014.

A female Ural Owl in Onuma 4 years ago today. I don't often see adults except in their roosting holes (and I haven't found such a hole for a couple of years anyway). This one was watching ovver its fledglings high in the trees.........

Some more foxes

My wife wanted to photograph some baby foxes............

Some Narcs in the gloom

Just outside town there is a park which is good for Narcissus Flycatchers.................

A very grey June weekend.............

Some rotten weather at the weekend...............

Stonechats in the typhoon

An early typhoon just passed by Hokkaido................

Newborns

The grasslands to the north of town always seem to have a lot of Red Foxes and in late May/early June they leave the den.............

We saw 2 or 3 families and one bold cub even took a walk down the side of the road..........

Summer near my apartment

I took a short walk near my flat yesterday. For various reasons I hasn't been there for over a week and the speed at which the vegetation has grown was astonishing. This happens every year, of course, but never fails to amaze me. It's the quiet season for birds though: really not much around at all. 2 or 3 Oriental Reed Warblers (slightly fewer than in previous years), a few Red-cheeked Starling, Asian House Martin, Barn Swallow................

Last shots from the pool

The last batch of shots from the pool near Shikotsuko............

Some Long-tailed Tits

One of the most popular subjects for bird photographers here seems to be the Hokkaido race of Long-tailed Tit.........

2 Bush Warblers

Some more birds from the pool near Shikotsuko last week.............

Some early summer birds

The weather has been very warm and sunny the last few days...............

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

June 5th 2015.

A Common Tern in the Marina in Preston 3 years ago today. I wish we had a tern colony up close in Hakodate. Terns of any species are rare around here and in fact no tern species breed in Hokkaido at all.

Another fail

An Eastern Marsh Harrier today near Yakumo. Before today I had never taken a decent shot of one.

For once, one flew near the road and alongside the car. I wasn't quick enough to focus on it and get the camera settings right. I've still never taken a decent shot of one.

If I'd had my wits about me I could have gotten some killer shots of it. If.......................

A pair of Narcs

Some Narcissus Flycatchers also frequented the pool near Shikotsuko.............

A couple of Phylloscopidae

There were 2 species of leaf warbler visiting the pool....................

Some Spring Blues

We spent 3 nights camping up at Lake Shikotsuko.....................

The last arrivals...........

We stopped at Yakumo on the way and way back from our short trip..................

A Brown Dipper

We just got back from a short trip.....................

A lot of photos to sort through but this was from the start of the trip. A Brown Dipper, the east Asian species of Dipper that is common on almost every local river (upstream at least).

I've seen Dippers in Europe, Nepal, the USA and Japan.3 species in all. I recall the first ones I ever saw: on a stream high up in the hills in the Lake District near a farm where my grandparents kept a caravan. Must have been over 40 years ago............

They appear to be difficult to photograph wherever they are though.

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

May 29th 2015.

Common Eider at Seahouses 3 years ago today. This would look as exotic to japanese birders as Harlequin Ducks look to those based in the UK.................