Japanese Thrush, クロツグミ male

Also in the park. Not so easy to see, the bird didn't come down much while I was there.
Lots of other thrushes (Pale, Dusky, Eyebrowed) were feeding in the canopy. Those and the bulbuls made it kind of hard to find this single Japanese Thrush

Red-throated Thrush, ノドアカツグミ

A lifer! 嬉しい

  

World Hot Air Balloon Championships 2016 in Saga

We left Fukuoka early and were very lucky finding a place to park the car for free. Over 100 balloons flew over our heads and watching them perform their tasks was quite entertaining. The weather was perfect on this day. What a way to celebrate our anniversary!

sunrise

Other birds that day

It was all in all a 40 min. birding trip to the fields around Itoshima and Imazu. Including the owl of the previous post.
The Stilts decided to leave the grey mud for a moment. It was such a relieve to see them with a green background.

Black-winged Stilt, セイタカシギ

Pacific Golden Plover, ムナグロ

Chestnut Tiger, アサギマダラ- A migrating butterfly 

Look who came slithering across the road to sort me out?

Japanese Rat Snake, アオダイショ

Short-eared Owl, コミミズク

Unusual visitor to the Imazu area. But also easy to miss. The bird was flying low over the fields and stopped right in front of me. It sat for a few minutes on the loose hay and closely watched a small flock of wagtails. When the flock had passed he wriggled his bum into the grass, hunched his shoulders, looked out once more and... vanished. I Could not see one single feather anymore.

The last week of October

Though the weather is fine, temperatures are dropping day by day. The winter birds are arriving.
Every year I watch the first Redstarts with mixed feelings. Do I really like winter?

Daurian Redstart, ジョウビタキ female above, male below. 

Doesn't he look smug with that big hopper for lunch?

Asian Brown Flycatcher, コサメビタキ

Every year they come here, but a number of trees have been cut and this year I saw only one...

I like going to the city parks sometimes. Birds are so easy to spot and the well trimmed trees and bush are a nice environment for photography. Japanese Great Tit, シジュウカラ

male Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker, コゲラ

Always got to try capturing that red line on his head 

Daurian Redstart, ジョウビタキ again

I was hoping to see a Siberian Rubythroat, but missed it... And sometimes there are not so common birds passing by on their migration, like this one:

Red-breasted Flycatcher, オジロビタキ

Still around, the sun-loving, fast running Tiger Beetle, ハンミョウ