Orchids on the blog

6 Kinds of orchids, found in the mountains south of Fukuoka. It's beautiful out there!

Sagiso, サギソウ, White egret orchid

Miyama Uzura, ミヤマウズラ, Goodyera schlechtendaliana

Mizutonbo, ミズトンボ , Habenaria sagittifera

Shusuran, シュスラン,  Goodyera velutina

Kakiran, カキラン, Epipactis thunbergii

                      Left: Kakiran                           Right:  Nejibana, ネジバナ, Spiranthes sinensis 

Wind after the rain. Waders have to start swimming!

Strong wind on Monday, after a very wet weekend. Many waders moved on to the south. A big typhoon is waiting there, hopefully they manage to find shelter.
The water level of the fields in the west have risen. Stilts and Egrets are OK, other waders are struggling. Small birds are nowhere to be seen.

Ruff, エリマキシギ is getting a wet bum

Black-tailed Godwit, オグロシギ hugging the concrete

Greenshank, アオアシシギ learning to swim

The Black-winged Stilts, セイタカシギ with their long legs seem to be leaning into the wind.

They are mostly young birds. Have their elders preceded them?

Birding the 9th of the 9th in 90% rain

The rain didn't stop me from going out, though I changed my planned route. The mountains would be too dark plus I didn't want to walk much and get too wet with my 300 mm lens. So I returned to last week's location to see what was happening. Most of the birds were still there. But now I got to see the Long-toed Stints, ヒバリシギ a bit closer by. I stopped the car on the road leading to the farm. It was still before 7:30 am and it took only a few minutes, but the owner got angry and I had to make multiple excuses...

Long-toed Stint, ヒバリシギ

One of the Ruffs, エリマキシギ briefly stepped out

The group of Pacific Golden Plovers, ムナグロ　had crossed the road to another field

At the water-logged field a few 100 m away a very fast moving small bird got my attention.

A migrating Yellow Wagtail, ツメナガセキレイ . I wonder, is this bird already in winter plumage or is it a young bird just born this year? 

Smaller then the White Wagtail, ハクセキレイ

Our single juvenile Black-winged Stilt, セイタカシギ 幼鳥 of last week left the protection of the high weeds for a moment and a Japanese Bush Warbler, ウグイス dropped by to take a peek

So many Common Snipes, タシギ around, are they increasing?

Where are the other Snipes?

And suddenly another pair of red legs landed in this field. Finally our baby Stilt got company!

Not that I noticed any reaction, but I felt happy for her.

Adult Black-winged Stilt, セイタカシギ成鳥

Last there was another Oriental Pratincole, ツバメチドリ the plover that looks like a huge swallow in flight. This time an adult in winter feathers. Lucky!

Terek Sandpiper, ソリハシシギ and others

The weather has become cooler. Rain is in the forecast. I pay a quick visit to the fields, hoping for some colorful scenes, while the sun is still shining.

Cattle Egret, アマサギ are gathering and getting ready for their journey south. Some still have some breeding colors, others returned to all white.

A single Terek Sandpiper, ソリハシシギ is patrolling a waterlogged field.

A couple of big brothers flew in for a bath. Pacific Golden Plover, ムナグロ

All together now

At the farm. The Ruffs, エリマキシギ are still there, but like to hide in the far corner.

This year there are remarkably few Sharp-tailed sandpipers, ウズラシギ . I found only this 1 bird below.

The other bird on the left, a Dunlin, ハマシギ. Their bill always seems too big for their face. Good for big chunks of food maybe.

 Another Pacific Golden Plover, ムナグロ. Their number had increased to 6 or 7

Taking his time and still happily feeding on the mud: Red Knot, コオバシギ

Such pretty feathers! Such intricate pattern

Photo bomb! By Common Snipe, タシギ

Who is this? A young bird, born this year. White-cheeked Starling? ムクドリ ? 

The higambana, 彼岸花  is blooming. First the white flowers, then the red.