Glossy Ibis, ブロンズトキ

What a chance to see such a special bird in Japan!! Where did it come from?

At ease in a renkon field. Lots of food, lots of shade and places to hide.

From a distance

Looking for snails in a rice paddy

Looking great with wings spread 

In size a bit smaller than the Great Egret, more like Little Egret

Rainy season in Kyushu, 九州の梅雨 2

Paying an early morning visit to the harbor:

Striated Heron, ササゴイ

  

 

Having a ball in the pouring rain:  Barn Swallows, ツバメ

(me too, polishing my skills)

Rainy season in Kyushu, 九州の梅雨 1

A fantastic work of origami displayed at a vegetable store

My photo of the same thing in a park

Which do you prefer?

Crested Kingfisher, ヤマセミ 2

The day after that I got there early, but had to wait quite some time. When one bird past by flying low over the river upstream, I followed it at a distance for about 1 km. Lugging my heavy gear along was exhausting. I stopped to take a rest and saw the bird doing the same in a tree not far from the road. I quickly got up again and managed this shot:

Thank you!

Later in the morning 2 other birds were found further downstream and I got another chance. The distance was a bit larger, but I was happy anyway.

Practice diving and fishing

Coming up with just a leave, nothing edible. 

Crested Kingfisher, ヤマセミ 1

A popular bird among bird photographers here in Japan, but increasingly difficult to see around Fukuoka. I'd waited a long time for a chance, spent many mornings searching places where they'd ever been seen. A good friend jumped in and showed me a nesting site near one of the bigger rivers in the south. The first time I got there the chicks had left the nest and were going their own way already, so chances of seeing the whole family together were small. However, we found 2 siblings playing around a quiet part of the river. At one stage a 3rd bird dived in out of a tree from where it had been watching; probably a parent.

A bit of orange on the chest and malar stripe, but also under the wings. Is this a male or female?

2 birds practicing their fishing skills, but mostly caught leaves and twigs.

 My first decent images of a Crested Kingfisher in flight!

3 Crested Kingfishers!

Other birds around included Dippers, Wagtails and a Common Kingfisher.

Here is a juvenile Brown Dipper, カワカラス 幼鳥

I stopped by the next day around noon and didn't really expect anything, but one bird briefly perched on a rock before it disappeared in the greenery

Painted Snipe, タマシギ

Last year I spent quite a bit of time with them, as seen in a blog post in June 2013.

click  HERE

These images are just to confirm that they have come back.

male:

female:

forming a pair, I presume

White-cheeked Starling, ムクドリ

One of the most common birds in my area. I never have to look far. This flock visiting a freshly ploughed field has many young birds that have just left the nest. Their markings not yet defined, they appear to be a different species.