Birds in the rain 4, Common Snipe, タシギ

Rain comes and goes for a while and then turns solid. It provides a curtain, my natural blind. I stay dry inside Esther the Estima. What else to do on a day like this? As expected the Snipes turn out en masse. They love that water pouring down on them.

Happy together  with a Wood Sandpiper, タカブシギ on the left 

and a Terek Sandpiper, ソリハシシギ  on the right.

The rain picks some more

and more

 and more

Time to go home now. A typhoon is on its way... 

Birds in the rain 3, Broad-billed Sandpiper, キリアイ

Another small surprise that made this rainy day just a little brighter. I don't often get the chance to see them this close, so here I go overboard again:

  

below with a Red-necked Stint, トウネン on the right. 

A few more Red-necked Stints, トウネン for good measure.

Birds in the rain 2, Spotted Redshank, ツルシギ

The intricate pattern of spots on its feathers, the elegant posture and of course the orange-red legs make it one of my favorite shore birds. I'd love to see it near black in summer plumage! Who knows, next year?
Too bad it had to be such a colorless day...

The Common Greenshank, アオアシシギ  is closely related. It personifies the grey drab day.

AND LOOK AT THAT DOWNPOUR!

The surroundings fields are all green and exude a fragrance that reminds me of spring 

Who is in there? A puffed up ball of Wood Sandpiper, タカブシギ

We can always count on you guys

Here is its relative; sitting quietly on one leg, eyes half shut, enduring the heavy rain: 

a very sleepy Green Sandpiper, クサシギ

What an awful day! 

Birds in the rain 1

I hadn't been able to go and see any migrants for a while and on the day that I had the time and the car I didn't want the bad weather to keep me tied at home. So... Here we go with a lot of grey and wet stuff...

Black-winged Stilt, セイタカシギ mostly juveniles 

Terek Sandpiper, ソリハシシギ

below with one of many juvenile Little Ringed Plover, コチドリ

Chinese Sparrowhawk, アカハラダカ

A young female was one of very few birds that flew over that day

トケン Cuckoos

First bird of the day: Common Cuckoo, カッコウ Flew quickly in and out of the Sakura grove

Another bird was feeding on hairy caterpillars in the canopy: Oriental Cuckoo, ツツドリ
 It didn’t come down much...

...but suddenly swooped up a bite right in front of me!

Then there was this reddish one, also a  Oriental Cuckoo, ツツドリ

At last the small Lesser Cuckoo, オトトギス