Young birds

It is May, and baby birds are everywhere. It's so much fun, wandering around the fields to see what's there.

Parent and child, Bull-headed Shrike, モズ

Another family, kids by themselves, practice hunting, still with little success. The parents will continue to feed them for a while.

Ever so ugly, ever so cute

Mama Lapwing, ケリ checking the sky for crows and raptors

She is protecting her 3 kids, who are hanging around in the back

Little time for preening

A call from above. Another parent?

A newborn Starling, ムクドリwaiting for Mum or Dad to come with food. 

Eh? Aren't you stopping?

Greater Painted-snipes, タマシギ

 I was told they hardly ever came out of hiding. I had just missed a chance. But with little else to do I walked around and... Got lucky. The male followed the lady wherever she went. So, I could see them together most of the time. When a worker came to cut the grass, the game was over.

Greater Painted-snipes, タマシギ

However, a few hours later I stopped by and found them at another field. Is this another pair?

There were 2 Grey-headed Lapwings, ケリ as well. 

I didn't notice any chicks here.

There were many other birds. Shrikes, Starlings, all with fledglings following them around.

See the next post

Exploring the east

I hardly ever visit the other side of the city. Hence, I don't know the best time and place to see the Oystercatchers. It was all a bit far

Eurasian Oystercatcher, ミヤコドリ

Passing by the field where I used to see Lapwings before, I decided to stop and check. Sure, they are there. No chicks yet, as far as I could tell. Maybe they're on the way.

Grey-headed Lapwing, ケリ

Grey-headed Lapwing, ケリ

 I went to the east to look for Painted Snipes but could not find any. Lapwings were there, and a Plover

Grey-headed Lapwing, ケリ

Little Ringed Plover, コチドリ

Maybe I should stick to the mountains...

Around Shiga prefecture

Driving around Shiga prefecture during our summer break, we saw few birds, but many deer and monkeys.

One field held a surprising number of Grey-headed Lapwings, ケリ

A different looking tree frog, that I haven't seen around Fukuoka

Japanese Tree Frog, ニホンアマガエル

Japanese Macaques enjoying a meal of chestnuts

So cute, young Sika deer, しか

2 Plovers, maybe Long-billed, イカルチドリ

Caterpillar of Burnt-spot Hummingbird Hawkmoth, ホシホウジャクの幼虫

Kentish Plovers, シロチドリ

 I drove to the east to look at the Little Terns, but I found none there. The big sandhill was gone, there would not be a safe place for them anymore...

I stopped to look at 2 Kentish Plovers, シロチドリ. Wouldn't they have a nest somewhere?

On the way back I saw a Grey-headed Lapwing, ケリ in a rice field