Ohisashiburi no Imazu

End of March. Not much is happening as far as I can tell. My visits to Imazu are short, no chance to look carefully. This is what I found:

The American Wigeon, アメリカヒドリ with his girlfriend still sticking around at the usual location

A Peregrine Falcon, ハヤブサ gets mobbed by the crows

Common Sandpiper, イソシギ in the sun

It felt as if I was looking at a majestic statue on the top of a Japanese roof. Suddenly it took off

Eastern Buzzard, ノスリ

Great Crested Grebes, カンムリカイツブリ are showing summer colors now.

Chestnut-eared Bunting, ホオアカ

The winter flock of Oriental Greenfinch, カワラヒワ is not very big this year. Where are the Bramblings?

Great Egrets, ダイサギ gathered with their heads in the wind

Little Egrets, コサギ are becoming real pretty

Then April came and on the first day new Egrets appeared!

3 Intermediate Egrets, チュウサギ

It's a start

The 1st day of February

 The first Sunday, so we started with a walk around Imazu

Finally, the Reed Buntings, オオジュリン showed up

A huge flock of Cormorants, カワウ formed an island-like black patch in the middle of the estuary.

I counted 1070 birds. Anyone wants to check?

A few minutes later they all flew up

4 Grey Plovers, ダイセン - exactly where I saw them 2 months before

American Wigeon, アメリカヒドリ - looking a bit more green

Afterwards we drove to Itoshima to see the one Greater White-fronted Goose, マガン...

...and the Tundra Swan, コハクチョウ

Imazu in December part 2

Continued from the previous post

2 Spoonbills, Eurasian and Black-faced, ヘラサギ / クロツラヘラサギ, side by side

Grey Plovers, ダイゼン staying for the winter?

3 from the 4

Eurasian Sparrowhawk, ハイタカ flying by on a sunny Sunday

The yearly American Wigeon, アメリカヒドリ visiting us again

Would it be the same bird as last year? It stays in the same location...

April 30 in Imazu

There are no water fields in the area. Where can the waders go? The images below are of a small group at the mudflats.

Red-necked Stints, トウネン. 2 birds

About 25 Dunlins, ハマシギ, a Terek Sandpiper, ソリハシシギ and a Grey-tailed Tattler, キアシシギ

Another Grey-tailed Tattler, キアシシギ. 6 birds in total

Terek Sandpiper, ソリハシシギ again.

At the opposite side a Common Greenshank, アオアシシギ

Loudly announcing its presence: "I have arrived!" Great Reed Warbler, オオヨシキリ

Among the few Wigeons the Blackhead is still active. American Wigeon, アメリカヒドリ

April 6 around Imazu

The first Sunday in April, WBSJ day. We walked, talked and counted. There were not many surprises. The highlight was the Stonechat. 

On the mudflats, we saw 1 Black-winged Stilt, セイタカシギ

The American Wigeon, アメリカヒドリ with his black head was still there

In the afternoon a few waders flew in. Wood Sandpiper, タカブシギ

A Hawk landed in the mess of lotus stalks with what? A Snipe?

Female Eurasian Sparrowhawk, ハイタカ

Some of the White Wagtails seemed different. The big apron reaching up to the chin.

Taiwan or East Siberian White Wagtail, M.a.ocularis？

Buff-bellied Pipit, タヒバリ all by itself

Last bird of the afternoon, Swinhoe's Snipe, チュウジシギ