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, 30 January 2019

January in the forests

These places are often so dark, I usually wait till spring. But as we are having so many sunny days this winter I venture out in the woods around town.

Yellow-throated Bunting, ミヤマホオジロ



Among the Mallards, マガモ a pair of Mandarin Ducks, オシドリ





Winter Wren, ミソサザイ revenge!





Pale Thrush, シロハラ



Dusky Thrush, ツグミ




Specially for my non-Japanese friends: Japanese Wagtail, セグロセキレイ



Japanese White-eye, メジロ



Bull-headed Shrike, モズ  
Laat me een poepie ruiken (Dutch proverb used to astonish someone)



Butterfly in January! It feels like summer (...sometimes)



early Plum blossom











Long-tailed Rosefinch, ベニマシコ

The second time I went to the dam I got lucky. It was a weekday, few people around. I stopped by on the way to work. The hawk was pleasantly absent, that helped!
















Red-billed Leiothrix, ソウオシチョウ





Monday, 28 January 2019

Noko

Since my work schedule changed I don't get to go to the island very often anymore. Do I miss it!
But now that I have to go on holidays I don't have to worry about lesson chimes and ferry times anymore. So I spent some time with the very first bird I encountered:


female Blue Rock Thrush, イソヒヨドリ







Took some shots of a nearby male as well, for good measure





The see was calm and there were Cormorants on some of the off shore rocks. Probably Great Cormarants, カワウ, but also Pelagic Cormorants, ヒメウ I noticed at least 5.



Behind me above the fields a Common Buzzard, ノスリ




And suddenly comming from behind a Sparrowawk, ハイタカ
Too bad I didn't notice you earlier!




Not so many Daurian Redstarts. ジョウビタキ this time, I felt lucky to see this male





and female




Muromi River: 100 Crested Grebes and 1 Falcated Duck

Between all those pretty Wigeons and Pintails is just one duck that matches them in style:

Falcated Duck, ヨシガモ 


Spring is around the corner. Looking forward to see those feathers falcating!



in company of Wigeons...


... and a Pintail. 

 Watch this beaty contest


At the river mouth: Great Crested Grebes, カンムリカイツブリ
I counted over a hundred of which at least 90 were asleep :-)


Muromi River: Northern Pintails, オナガガモ

Beautiful ducks with a long tail and long feathers, striking markings and very a elegant appearance. There are many in the river this year.










All males seem to be interested in this one female in front.




She has her suitors, but others want a closer look as well


Escorting the lady. Who will she choose?