Red-billed Starlings, ギンムクドリ

This winter they have been entertaining us from the side. While the audience was waiting for the Chinese visitor, a flock of 8 or 10 birds moved around the tall trees, often looking for water in the nook of a big trunk. Gradually, the audience moved with them.

Red-billed Starlings, ギンムクドリ

Male and female

Move on, it's my turn now

Great views at the basin. Male

Female

In the trees, way behind. Sometimes it's not clear whether they are fighting, asking attention, acknowledging, or just teasing each other. Who is in charge?

Starlings in the park

The best place for birdwatching this winter is M park, in the city. It attracts a lot of photographers, but that can also be fun. It sure beats staying at home, despite the cold.

Red-billed Starling, ギンムクドリ

Other visitors, looking for water in the big trees, are mostly Japanese Grosbeaks, イカル... 

...and Thrushes, like this Dusky Thrush, ツグミ

Red-billed Starlings, ギンムクドリ

The day I went to the park to see the Grosbeaks the Red-billed Starlings also made an appearance. There was a flock of about 10 birds. Just one seemed to be thirsty.

A female who had been watching from above

Starlings

While on the hunt for swans that appeared to be long gone, I ran into these Starlings on the wire. 2 Red-billed and around 12 Common Starlings were in a flock of 100+ White-cheeked at the end of a sunny afternoon. All lined up on wires in long rows. 

Red-billed Starlings, ギンムクドリ

In the big flock around 10 or 12 Common Starlings, ホシムクドリ

The next day, the Red-bills had moved on, but more Commons joined the crowd

Red-billed Starling, ギンムクドリ

I saw the Red-billed Starling, ギンムクドリ again after some years, Hooray! At First it was perched on electric wires, all by itself.

It flew away and it took me some time to find it again

But, there it was, in one of the few Tallow trees that are left. (Chinese tallow, ナンキンハゼ)

with a few other Starlings, (White-cheeked Starlings, ムクドリ)

They chased each other and gathered near a sports field

Ehhh, all those nets and wires!

After a few minutes it left the flock

This autumn I saw 5 different kinds of Starlings around Fukuoka. What more could I wish for?