Recent birds in the West

Mid September held a few surprises. Number 1:

Male Brown Shrike, シマアカモズ　　2nd time this year

Chestnut-cheeked Starling, コムクドリ

Zitting Cisticola, セッカ among Black-browed Reed Warbler, コヨシキリ and Middendorff's Grasshopper Warblers, シマセンユウ the only bird I managed to capture 😆

Young Common Kingfisher, カワセミ

After 100s of Black-tailed Gulls, ウミネコ a flock of 60 noisy young Black Kites, トビ, lots of Great Egrets, ダイサギ and Cormorants, カワウ -  FINALLY the Black-headed Gulls, ユリカモメ came to our harbor.

2 Black-headed Gulls, ユリカモメ and 1 Black-tailed Gull, ウミネコ 1st winter

Looking forward to see you more often!

The kindergarten of Black Kites, トビ

End of an era

Brown Shrike, シマアカモズ

In the park near my home, unexpected, and a first for many. It was just this afternoon, and watching it from a cafe, while drinking ice coffee with friends, that was the most luxurious kind of birding - ever!

Other birds at the same park were the White and Japanese Wagtails. One Japanese Wagtail, セグロセキレイ stayed on the ground, sitting still, for long periods of time. I first thought it had an injury, but then I saw the chicks. It was a parent, watching out for the kids.

At a pond towards the east, a Great Cormorant, カワウ was creating pretty patterns of reflection.

Red-backed Shrike, セアカモズ

Cruising the fields I came upon a little surprise. Thinking it was a very young regular Shrike at first I nearly gave it a miss! Where did she come from?

Shrike, but whicih?  何のモズ.....?!

Red-backed Shrike,  Lanius collurio, セアカモズ  

Brown Shrike, アカモズ

Seen regularly in Malaysia and now right here in Fukuoka on the last day of August - my first sighting in Japan!

That was an exciting finale of the summer holiday.