Aisatsu

Aisatsu

This blog is for family and friends, to share my feelings and photos with and for myself, to support my fading memory. Readers who have my site translated automatically, please refer to the original if necessary. Especially when it comes to identification. Any comments, anonymous or by email name are always welcome!.

Sunday, 3 February 2013

Almost spring


After a few very cold days in the north we were treated with a sunny day and temps of over 15C.
Minami koen and the botanical gardens seemed a good place to hang out.





There were the Hawfinches, シメ   Very active from early morning through the entire day.










I intended to look for Grey Bunting. They are common winter birds, feathered in grey, that in the right conditions under natural sunlight look purple-ish and quite pretty. They were everywhere, people said. But not that day. I just managed one shot.


My ONE Grey Bunting,  クロジ



Frequently flying over and frolicking in the distant trees were Japanese Grosbeaks. There must have been at least 50 of them. 






Japanese Grosbeak イカ




Might as well look at the other commoners:
Pale Thrush, シロハラ on the left.  Black-faced Bunting, アオジ on the right.




4 Bramblings stopped by briefly, アト



A Brown-eared Bulbul, ヒヨドリ that landed on a branch in front of the camera.



今日の勉強  普通の鳥,  futsuu no tori, common bird

Friday, 1 February 2013

Hokkaido snow, 北海道 の 雪


On January 26th Jaap and I flew to Sapporo with 3 friends. It was windy and snowing, but we spent a few hours skiing  in Kiroro, where only the lower lifts were operating. It felt good, after 7 years, I still could handle myself.
That evening we celebrated my birthday downtown Sapporo. The next day, back at the ski slopes, the weather was a little better, but on Monday morning the sun came out and we found ourselves in WONDERLAND!




 The best scenery was outside the safety of the marked ski slopes, where we ventured briefly, but couldn’t stop. Then… it’s good to bring a pocket camera. If nothing else…



This kind of frost is called “rijp” in Dutch












With Yumi, Noriko and Kotake-san



and Jaap-chan ofcourse もちろん


  
  
 今日の勉強    ゆき,  snow

Thursday, 24 January 2013

Yokoshima Kantaku

A great, sunny Sunday with fellow-birders in Kumamoto.
We waited, but didn't see the yamasemi. Then drove down-river to the Yokoshima Kantaku.
Again, not what we had hoped to find, but you can't have it all. Still some pix.


Flock of Bramblings,  アトリ



Peregrine Falcon,  ハヤブサ



Earasian Kestrel,  チョウゲンボウ



Russet Sparrow,  ニュウナイスズメ



female                                                                     male

 


Common Starling,  ホシムクドリ



White-naped Crane,  マナヅル



Northern Lapwing,  タゲリ







今日の勉強  干拓  ,  kantaku  land reclamation

Sunday, 20 January 2013

Kagoshima 2

In the park where we camped for 2 nights, downtown Ibusuki

Olive-backed Pipit,  ビンズイ







Blue Rock Thrush,  イソヒヨドリ

 


Daurian Redstart, male  ジョウビタキ, 



After a very wet, windy and cold marathon, but a warm party we packed up to drive back via Kasasa, where we searched for hours and finally found, thanks to old friend Yoshie-san, the ooievaar

Oriental Stork,  コウノトリ




Feathers dancing in the wind; under-exposed 2 stops, but still washed out



Confrontation with a Grey Heron



Who is the boss?



Oops, another intruder



"'Playing"' with a wagtail



Time to move on







For us too. Except for one last stop near Sendai, to see the ever so shy and distant Mandarin Ducks.

Mandarin Ducks,  オシドリ



all swimming to the right



and to the left; but never coming any closer



Oh, one got side-tracked