New Year, New Birds.

We started the new year with pretty cold weather. In the early hours the 2 lakes in Imazu were frozen and the resident coots were struggling to move on, slipping and sliding with their big feet.

Eurasian Coot, オオバン

But then the time changed and we got a long week of sunny days. Sometimes with a lot of wind. Look at the waves bashing on the rocks off Shikanoshima. The cormorants didn't mind...

Uminonakamichi, 海の中道

The Common Shelducks, ツクシガモ are a regular sight now. Beautiful ducks with their prominent markings. 

So are the Snipes, タシギ, so just a portrait this time. 

female Daurian Redstart, ジョウビタキ

Lady Jo's not giving a damn about the weather. She just puffs herself up and she's fine.

Since I'm reporting on common birds I'd better throw in a Japanese White-eye, メジロ. For good measure.

Leftovers from the previous year, 去年の残り物

In October we went to Saga to see the Avocet (see post) but there was a lot more to see:

Earasian Curlew, ダイシャクシギ and Far Eastern Curlew, ホウロクシギ

Lining up with Great Egret, ダイサギ

And 2 Great Knots, オバシギ

  Great Knot, オバシギ

Below one Dunlin, ハマシギ

Instead of the large flocks, soaring over the purple Shichimenso fields, there was just one single bird wandering around and wondering where his mates had gone, just like us.

One single bird with one single bit of Shichimenso

Shichimenso is a kind of sea blite, found on the shores of the Ariake Sea in Kysushu.

In October the plants turn red and purple, creating colorful photo opportunities.

December birds 6

A little bit of everything

Daurian Redstart, ジョオビタキ on Nokonoshima

female                                                                             male

A Black-faced Bunting, アオジ on the seawall

Yellow-throated Bunting, ミヤマホオジロ on Sefuri yama

Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker, コゲラ  and yes, it's a boy!

December birds 5

Before Yokoshima we stopped at Lake Ezu in Kumamoto city for a little while. The lake didn't "steam", there was no spectacular sunrise, just a grey blanket of clouds, which cleared later in the day. That wasn't forecasted! However, there are many Wigeons to watch, which is always fun. And even a Japanese endemic.

Eurasian Wigeon, ヒドリガモ　

Japanese Wagtail, セグロセキレイ

Japanese Grosbeak, イカル

Shiraishi, Kikuchigawa: Grey Heron, アオサギ

December birds 4

Still at the Yokoshima area in Kumamoto.

At a great distance, but unmistakably: the Short-eared Owl, or コミミズク

A tree full of Russet Sparrows, ニュウナイスズメ

A common Eurasian Kestrel, チョウゲンボウ without her usual company of chasing crows

Very common in the Netherlands, but not in Fukuoka. In this reclaimed land area there always seem to be some around: Common Starling, ホシムクドリ

In the same tree, a male Daurian Redstart, ジョオビタキ

And again very far a Merlin, コチョウゲンボウ

Yearly winter visitors; White-naped Cranes, マナツル

December birds 3 Great Grey Shrike

On the 23rd friends took me to the Yokoshima reclaimed land area at the mouth of the beautiful Kikuchi river. It was only my 2nd visit there and it was just as nice as 2 years ago. This time a Great Grey Shrike entertained us for a few hours. It didn't come close for quite a while when we first got there, but there were other birds, like Kestrels and even a Short-eared Owl to keep us happy.
Eventually the great shrike came to sit in his tree.

Catching a lot of hoppers, I didn't know there were still that many this time of the year.