Brown Booby, カツオドリ

It was late in the afternoon on January 4th when the Booby came near the harbor. I had waited for this since December, so I grabbed my gear and followed it to the bay, where it patrolled the area between Nokonoshima and Marinoa. It often came close, skirting the beach of Atagohama and diving several times right in front of me. For a while I watched its speedy, elegant flight and many spectacular nosedives. It was a marvelous end of a wonderful winter day.

The sky was turning pink in the glow of the setting sun...

... and so was Booby's belly

At the same time between the fishing vessels: Black-necked Grebe, ハジロカイツブリ

First birds of he year part 1

 

Best wishes for the New Year to all my friends and followers of the blog. Wings and Things is hoping to find a place for a link on your desktop. More birding adventures are in the planning. Wait and see!

It was the first Sunday of the year and many people gathered at the usual WBSJ meeting place in Imazu. We started off with one Northern Lapwing, タゲリ followed by some more near the river.

The 2 Peregrine Falcons, ハヤブサ were present, though one (the female) stayed hidden for me.

They sure like those tall lamp posts. The one below caught something with yellow feet for breakfast. Eet smakelijk.

2 Eurasian Spoonbills, ヘラサギ at one of the 2 ponds. 

And across the road a strange looking Common Moorhen, バン with leucistic markings like bars on its breast.

Towards the creek: Common Sandpiper, イソシギ

Common Kingfisher, カワセミ

Common Greenshank, アオアシシギ

And Common Teal, コガモ. All very common birds here, but it was good to see them all on this cold but sunny day.

Way up high a juvenile Black-crowned Night Heron, ゴイサギ. 

Correction: According to Mr. H. it's a Great Bittern, サンカノゴイ

indeed 

This winter's guests flying in for a visit at the ponds.

At high tide some ducks and Great Cormorants, カワウ take a rest at the edge of the 'Nakashima' island. One of them a Baikal Teal, トモエガモ

First birds of he year part 2

 

When the meeting was over I went back to check on that Baikal Teal, トモエガモ. I found it asleep (as usual) but with the tide going out now other ducks started to move...

... and woke him up.

Pretty boy with its green head in the sunshine

Black-faced Spoonbills, クロツラヘラサギ were still sleeping when the Eurasians, ヘラサギ, 5 of them stopped by.

In the creek I found 1 single Shelduck, ツクシガモ. 

At the 2 ponds were the winter visitors: 11 Greater White-fronted Geese, マガン

The one Tundra Bean Goose, ヒシクイ still with them.

Then, in the warm sunshine the Pallas's Reed Buntings, シベリアジュリン were feeding on the ground among other buntings. (The Falcons were blissfully absent) 

A Water Rail, クイナ joined the party...

...but got itchy feet when he saw me.

In the distance a Eurasian Sparrowhawk, ハイタカ

And last an egret that I couldn't place at first. It didn't seem to be a Great, nor a Little Egret, our regular winter birds. 

Black feet... 黒いが足

So: Intermediate Egret, チュウサギ ...

...that forgot to migrate?