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..........

Spring 2018 continues..........

We planned to head to the west coast today but the mountain road we usually use was blocked by a landslide..............

A rainy Sunday in mid April

It was raining all day today...................

Surely the last time..........

The Black-necked Grebes were still in town last Monday................

Some Crossbills..................

There was a small flock of Crossbills in one of the local parks yesterday morning..............

Early spring miscellany

On Sunday we headed north.............

Ospreys on a grey morning

We were out west on Monday morning................

A summer visitor............

Despite a bitterly cold westerly and a light dusting of snow last night it was definitely spring. The above Little-ringed Plover was newly arrived at Yakumo. Shame about the background............

Still still hanging on

Some more photos from last Monday...........

Still hanging on....................

The Black-necked Grebes are still hanging on in there.................

Some more early April birds.........

We were out west on Monday.................