Central Kyushu June 21 - 22

June 21st, temperature up in the 20s, approximately 27°C, and rising. Intermittent rain. I started south in Minami Aso and worked my way north and up to higher and cooler elevations. It was a lonely weekend. First, the birds:

Japanese Reed Bunting,　コジュリン

Distant Common Cuckoo (カッコウ) quickly becoming a regular on the blog.

One of those that make you think: Is this an ordinary Shrike? I only saw it up front. Yet, I suppose:

  Bull-headed Shrike (モズ)

On to butterflies.   Orange Hairstreak, アカシジミ 

Black-banded Hairstreak, ミズイロオナガシジミ

Asian Comma, キタテハ

High Brown Fritillary, ウラギンヒョウモン

Next, one of my hairy friends. The face markings give it a melancholic expression. Sad beauty.

Caterpillar of a Gipsy Moth, マイマイガ 

Coffee Bee Hawkmoth, or Pellucid Hawk moth, オオスカシバ

Pale Grass Blue, ヤマトシジミ

Red-necked Assassin bug, クビアカサシガメ

Silver-washed Fritillary, ミドリヒョウモン

Oak Longicorn Beetle, ハラアカコブカミキリ

Eastern Pale Clouded Yellow, モンキチョウ

Lilacine Bushbrown, コジャノメ

Chinese Bushbrown, ヒメジャノメ

Satsumashijimi、サツマシジミ

Awl-Fly, キアブ

Kuju in July, few birds

I heard it was ok to visit THE field again, so I took my chances, hoping to find the right bird perching on the right flower. But it didn't happen...

Japanese Reed Bunting, コジュリン

At our usual hang-out: Japanese Green Woodpecker, アオゲラ in a tree with edible fruit

Twice a Japanese Thrush, クロツグミ crossed the road ahead of me, picked up a worm and disappeared

Chestnut-eared Bunting, ホオアカ on Handwort, ハンカイソウ

Chestnut-eared Bunting, ホオアカ Fledgling

Among other very young birds was this flycatcher, I presume to be Asian Brown Flycatcher, コサメビタキ

Ryukyu (Ashy) Minivet, リュウキュウサンショウクイ

Another Flycatcher

Very few birds were seen, though calls could be heard high up in the treetops.

I gave up trying to take photos with a soar neck

Aso - Kuju National Park, July part 1

We went in search of some special insects, the Blue Bees, but it was too early in the year for them. The park where they are usually seen is in the Aso area and it was our first visit, so we looked around, found some pretty bugs and left for the highland meadows

ウラギンヒョウモンHigh Brown Fritillary on Basil flowers

2 Skippers of a differend kind, セセリチョウ, hesperiidae

I have no name for these. Anyone who can help out? The dragonfly has a white tip on the tail, so it could be a White-tailed Skimmer, but it looks too thin. Who can tell me?

Dianthus, カワラナデシコ

It was past 4 pm when we strolled down a path and were surprisingly confronted with a badger, who didn't seem to be too worried about our presence.

Japanese Badger, アナグマ

Citron day-lily, ユウスゲ

The Day-lilies were just opening, turning the fields bright yellow. We waited for the birds to fly in and perch on the tallest flowers, but they seemed to prefer the ones that were not in bloom yet :-(

Japanese Reed Bunting, コジュリン

Zitting Cisticola, セッカ

I wanted to look for orchids, but it was already late and we needed a camping spot for the night.

Banded Darter, ミヤマアカネ

ツリガネニンジン, Adenophora triphylla japonica

Still trying to find a name for this flower