Sunday, November 5th

It was a beautiful day in Imazu. Neither cold nor hot. But too bright and sunny for birds I thought. However...

A farmer was ploughing the field and some trees had edible 'berries'

so the Common Magpies, カササギ were very happy

A juvenile Black-crowned Night Heron, ゴイサギ flew over 

Who is that running towards me? Japanese Weasel, ニホンイタチ！

The Black-Kites,トビ payed more attention to each other than to me. 

Is that love? It looks lovely...

Now that we have one, sorry, two! foreign visitors I'd better take many photos. For the record

Long-tailed Shrike, タカサゴモズ again.

  

The same bird kept on coming back to catch insects and pose for us.

Common in our area, and we sure see many in Imazu, Bull-headed Shrike, モズ female

Pretty things in autumn. I wonder what these are... something you see in flower arrangements...

It was a lovely day with lots of activity.

Isahaya 2

I didn't feel like driving back yet so I camped out and woke up to the setting of a full moon.

In Isahaya many birders and photographers look for the raptors. There were Kestrels and Harriers, mostly far away, I didn't take the camera out.
Except for this young female Hen harrier, ハイロチュウヒ (2nd winter, I was told)

And for this Osprey, ミサゴ sitting in a field for quite some time. That seemed a bit odd.

I like the smaller birds and found a number of Siberian Stonechats, ノビタキ still there, dressed in their winter clothes. 

A flock of about 10 Common Starlings, ホシムクドリ sitting on the wires. 

Northern Lapwings, タゲリ gleaming in the sun

The usual winter birds. I want to go back to see some more.

Isahaya 1

The news about a Vulture in Isahaya reached me too late... too bad. But there is always something to see.

Black Stork, ナベコ, just 1 bird this year

1 single Greater White-fronted Goose, マガン among the crows, mostly Rooks, ミヤマガラス.

Where were the Jackdaws? Not here...

Of course there were lots of Water Pipits, タヒバリ. I looked for some red breasts, but didn't see any

Hooded cranes　ナベツル were flying at the end of the day.

It's November

Went out to a park to check some fruit-bearing trees. Had the Thrushes arrived? What about the flycatchers? There were Thrushes indeed, mainly Pale Thrush, xxx but also a few Eyebrowed Thrushes, xxx very nervous still. They had just arrived I think.

Eyebrowed Thrush, マミチャジナイ

Pale Thrush, シロハラ

And then there were some Bramblings, アトリ nibbling on seeds on the ground. Maple?

I'm still not good with trees and when I saw these round little things on the leaves of a "donguri" tree I actually thought they were young acorns. But I suppose I'm wrong....

 What are they???

Auttumn leaves are on their way.