Hikosan 1

My yearly visit to the mountain turned out a little different from what I expected. The Jays were not feeding on the cherries, as I had hoped, and neither were the Green Pigeons. I checked a few of my favorite locations, found very few butterflies and decided to go home early. At the usual place people had been waiting for the Ruddy Kingfisher all morning, apparently without success. Then when I drove by one of the last people still there told me: It's out, sitting there! By the time I had parked the car it was gone. Maybe it came back, but I don't have that much patience...

Japanese Green Woodpecker, アオゲラ

Eurasian Jay, カケス

Grey Wagtail, キセキレイ

Finally, at the bottom, a Fritillary

Palearctic Fritillary, クモガタヒョウモン

Short-tailed Blue, ツバメシジミ

Chinese Bushbrown, ヒメジャノメ

European Beak or Nettle-tree butterfly, テングチョウ

This flower appears to be a member of the Scutellaria genus, commonly known as Skullcaps

The color is so vivid blue, I love it!

Mt Kuju, part 2

 The following day I did a quick run around the same trail before we returned to the real world again. 

A Japanese Thrush, クロツグミ maybe the same bird as yesterday, was singing its beautiful song again

Narcissus Flycatcher, キビタキ - Not yesterday's

A female nearby

Aahh, a Jay again. They are too busy to pay attention to hikers and birders now.

Eurasian Jay, カケス

The deer were at the same location - asleep when I found them. They slowly got up. Lazy buggers

Japanese Shika deer, シカ

Not so lazy, too fast for me, a wild Rabbit, ノウサギ

The small Tits, that like the dark trees behind the marshes are easy to follow

Coal Tit, ヒガラ

Some other small flowers, a kind of Chickweed, I think.  Common Chickweed, コハコベ?

Jumping up from the wet soil, Silver Dragons, ギンリョウソウ! Not an army yet, but a start

Blobs of bright orange fungi. What are they called? Witch's Butter, コガネニカワタケ?

And here is that rare butterfly again. Just one. Mountain Skipper, ミヤマセセリ

Mt Kuju, part 1

In the 3rd week of April, we had a break from our busy schedules and fled to the mountains. Despite the rain we did what we liked. Jaap hiked his favorite trail and I came back with these results

A curious yellow Flycatcher came to check me out. It stayed for a few minutes.

Narcissus Flycatcher, キビタキ

Mr. Kurotsugumi could be heard from a mile away.

Japanese Thrush, クロツグミ

At the wetlands various summer visitors were getting ready to produce babies

Chestnut-eared Bunting, ホオアカ in an unusual spot

He went down to the grassy field, where his lady was waiting.

Present?

Flowers in the wetlands: Japanese Primrose, サクラソウ  

In the woods behind the marsh, Shika deer, シカ were quietly feeding. They were not very concerned with me watching them from the trail.

I looked for fawns, but the smallest deer was probably last year's

Always around, but recently difficult to capture, Eurasian Jay, カケス

On the forest floor, where the moss is bright, small delicate flowers pop up.

False Starwort, ワダソウ

Central Kyushu, June 28-30 part 2, birds and others

Not many birds in this post. It was a butterfly weekend, remember? I worked hard on keeping my gaze down and concentrating on just that. However, once a birder... And there was nobody to tell me off about cheating on my self-inflicted rules.

Japanese Green Woodpecker, アオゲラ

Narcissus Flycatcher, キビタキ

Eurasian Jay, カケス

Chinese Hwamei, ガビチョウ 

The baby deer again!

And my heart turned soft like soft cream...

Many buffers (people who go for butterflies) don't like the looks of moths. Or so it seems. But they can be pretty, too! Look at this one: Kiberi Shironamishaku, キベリシロナミシャク

What about the fair and white colored Japanese Swallowtail Edashaku, ウスキツバメエダシャク?

Or is it コガタツバメエダシャク?  シロツバメエダシャク?

Ok, this one is a bit scruffy, but whoever designed the pattern on these wings had an artful sense 

Shiromonkuro Edashaku, シロモンクロエダシャク

Lichen moths or Footman moth Gomadara Kokega, ゴマダラキコケガ

On to safer topics. Banded Darter, ミヤマアカネ 

Some of my hairy friends are caterpillars that look inviting and pettable, but I dare not touch them.

Some kind of Dokuga, maybe Akahige Dokuga, アカヒゲドクガ?

I've seen many Longhorn beetles lately, but this weekend there was only one

 Oak Longicorn Beetle, ハラアカコブカミキリ

Tsuchi akebi, ツチアケビ Orchids were blooming. They are impressive, but I would hardly call them pretty, unless very fresh. Worth a picture or 2

What a tail! Braconid Wasp sp, コマユバチ科 ?

Something lost its skin?