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!.

Wednesday 29 March 2017

Sake festival March 2017

After so many birds it's time for something else.

For 2 days our time and actions evolved around the Japanese rice wine called sake. We attended the festivities and enjoyed tasting all kinds of the stuff. The first day we went to Tanushimaru, a small sake town to the south of Fukuoka city. We headed for a winery first, skipped the shochu place next door (too strong), stopped briefly at a bakery - great bread! - and stranded at the sake brewery. Young girls were handing out turmeric jellies for our liver at all the events. Wow, what a precaution! The sake was great, the entertainment not less.

























Ever seen the inside of a wine vessel?



The following day saw us in Kashima, in Saga prefecture. We were promised 5 to 6 sake breweries in walking distance by our guide, but she insisted we visit the famous Yutoku Inari shrine first. No turmeric girls here, so might not be bad. 










After our duty we were free to wander. The street leading to the shrine was lined with oldold cars. There were old old engines puffing away. The shops, the people, all were in tune of this old-timer get together.














Finally, after walking up and down that street a few times and after the compulsory stomach stop we got to the real thing. 







The glory of the day: medalist Nabeshima… What a great sake!





Tuesday 28 March 2017

Fukuyoshi

I went to this place in Itoshima to study gulls. There were so many, and from a position below the wall It was hard to see their feet. I wished I hadn't forgotten my steps... :-(




A pretty adult Black-tailed Gull, ウミネコ  landed right in front of me.





This Vega Gull, セグロカモメ as well.


More gulls will follow (I hope) once I have sorted them out.
In a river nearby I watched the Eurasian Wigeons, ヒドリガモ playing in the surf.



There were 4 Pacific Reef Egrets, クロサギ











And a Grey Heron, アオサギ with a bright colored bill



I drove up the hills to a lake, but there was little bird activity and very little water







The presence of a Carrion Crow, ハシボソガラス accentuated the somber arid mood



Back in Imazu I longed for something green: Green Sandpiper, クサシギ



In the river was one single Far Eastern Curlew, ホウロクシギ