Aisatsu

Aisatsu

This blog is for family and friends, to share my feelings and photos with and for myself, to support my fading memory. Readers who have my site translated automatically, please refer to the original if necessary. Especially when it comes to identification. Any comments, anonymous or by email name are always welcome!.

Thursday 24 January 2013

Yokoshima Kantaku

A great, sunny Sunday with fellow-birders in Kumamoto.
We waited, but didn't see the yamasemi. Then drove down-river to the Yokoshima Kantaku.
Again, not what we had hoped to find, but you can't have it all. Still some pix.


Flock of Bramblings,  アトリ



Peregrine Falcon,  ハヤブサ



Earasian Kestrel,  チョウゲンボウ



Russet Sparrow,  ニュウナイスズメ



female                                                                     male

 


Common Starling,  ホシムクドリ



White-naped Crane,  マナヅル



Northern Lapwing,  タゲリ







今日の勉強  干拓  ,  kantaku  land reclamation

Sunday 20 January 2013

Kagoshima 2

In the park where we camped for 2 nights, downtown Ibusuki

Olive-backed Pipit,  ビンズイ







Blue Rock Thrush,  イソヒヨドリ

 


Daurian Redstart, male  ジョウビタキ, 



After a very wet, windy and cold marathon, but a warm party we packed up to drive back via Kasasa, where we searched for hours and finally found, thanks to old friend Yoshie-san, the ooievaar

Oriental Stork,  コウノトリ




Feathers dancing in the wind; under-exposed 2 stops, but still washed out



Confrontation with a Grey Heron



Who is the boss?



Oops, another intruder



"'Playing"' with a wagtail



Time to move on







For us too. Except for one last stop near Sendai, to see the ever so shy and distant Mandarin Ducks.

Mandarin Ducks,  オシドリ



all swimming to the right



and to the left; but never coming any closer



Oh, one got side-tracked



Saturday 19 January 2013

Kagoshima 1, Visitors from China

Every year in January we drive south to Kagoshima pref. Jaap runs the Nanohana marathon and I come along to cheer the runners and watch the wings. We took the opportunity in nearby Makurasaki and Kasasa to see some uncommon visitors, like the Chinese Grey Shrike. It took some time and many u-turns to find the right field, but once there we didn't have to search.

Chinese Grey Shrike, オオカラモズ



 




There were many other birds around, I would have loved to stay there a whole day.


A flock of Oriental Greenfinches


We moved on to Makurazaki, where quite a number of photographers were waiting to see a Red Wing, a kind of Thrush that is similar to the Dusky Thrush and Song Thrush and prefers cold climates. 


Redwing, ワキアカツグミ













   
The Redwing didn't seem much disturbed by all the attention it got from weekend-birders who surrounded it's feeding spot. Other thrushes were not so happy with its presence and a Dusky Thrush was known to fight it. However, we didn't get to see that show. Thanks to the crowd? 


Also in Makurasaki: Pacific Reef Egret,  クロサギ







 Chased by a Black-eared Kite, トビ



Rook, ミヤマカラス




Thursday 17 January 2013

Uso, it's not a lie

Last week I finally got  a chance to photograph the Bullfinches. Their name in Japanese is uso, which is also the word for lie. But these birds don't lie, they are very real.


Grey-bellied Bullfinch, fem  ウソ 








                                                      Red-flanked Bluetail, female type  ルリビタキ雌タイプ   




         Yellow-throated Bunting, male  ミヤマホオジロ


Long-tailed Rosefinch, male  ベニマシコ



A day later: Grey-bellied Bullfinch, male  ウソ 





male and female



They love the young flower buds of the Japanese Sakura. With a flock of 20 birds hanging around I wonder if we will we get any blossom this spring...





one last female



今日の勉強   = うそ,  a lie