April birds

In the beginning of the month I hauled the camera up a hill, hoping to see some hawks. I had seen some on other occasions, actually just the week before, but this day they didn't fly. Just a Grey-faced Buzzard, サシバ  in the far distance. So much for my first attempt of migrating raptors...

Barn Swallows, ツバメ had arrived at the usual nesting sites.

In the bay a flock of ducks hung around for weeks. I thought they were all Tufted Ducks, キンクロハジロ but a closer inspection of the photo revealed one Goldeneye, ホオジロガモ

There always seemed to be Bramblings, アトリ in every park

Resident Japanese Pygmy Woodpeckers, コゲラ as well of course.

And Long-tailed Tit, xxx

Then I discovered the first Gentian, ふでりんどう　on a small hill on April 5th

Butterflies appeared out of nowhere

Oh! My prince

And so it became time to check out my neighbors. About half the Grey Herons, アオサギ had left the harbor. When we visited Atago Shrine we could hear the noise of nesting birds and young chicks high up in the trees. I don't know who is who, but I like to think that some of them are our harbor fellows

It was hard to tell,but I guess there were around 50 nests of herons and egrets.

The Great Egret, ダイサギ look real handsome in their breeding feathers.

Just a few days ago I noticed the first Cattle Egrets アマサギ in a field, doing what they like most: feeding behind a ploughing machine

The mudflats were submerged in high tide, but on that dry strip were 

3 Far Eastern Curlews, ホウロクシギ and 4 Whimbrels, チュウシャクシギ among the Great Cormorants, カワウ. One Black-winged Stilt セイタカシギ flew by. (no photo)