Goldcrest, キクイタダキ special

It was a once in a lifetime experience. The male Goldcrest came to rest right in front of us, lifted its top feathers and showed the bright orange part on its head. Then he stayed there, looked around and... did it again!

Male Goldcrest, キクイタダキ

I followed them for a while and could catch its best moments in the lower pine trees. Most were females

Mushi! Caught an insect in the Pine

Achi kochi Around Fuk

Acollection of accidental sightings around the prefecture

Bramblings, アトリ in a Chinese Tallow tree, ナンキンハゼ

A female Kestrel, チョウゲンボウ around Kanatake

A Japanese Great Tit,シジュウカラ, picking at a cicada husk that was still attached to a tree in January

Gulls at Muromi River. Every now and then, I get the urge to study them. I'm getting so bad at identifying them! The ones below are Vega Gulls, セグロカモメ, I'm most certain. They are easy, as long as they are not too young and have pink legs 😉

What about this lot? Some have small bills. Mew Gulls? カモメ?

Common Teals and some more

When I realized I didn't have any good photos of Common Teals, I stopped at the waterlogged fields in Saga, where reflection is good on a windless day.

 Common Teals, コガモ

It's a bit the same with Spoonbills. I see them so often, I hardly care to take notice.

Black-faced Spoonbills, クロツラヘラサギ in Itoshima.

Some of the few sightings this winter of Common Reed Buntings, オオジュリン also in Itoshima

Whooper Swan, オオハクチョウ on the way back.

Isahaya Komimi etc.

Traditionally, I went solo camping in January in Isahaya, stayed in the car and didn't do anything but hold my binos and camera. Despite the promising conditions and the number of active birds a few weeks before, there was little to see this time. Few birds, few people. However, one Owl appeared at the end of the afternoon.

Short-eared Owl, コミミズク

The large flocks of Baikal Teals, トモエガモ performed well at dusk

A young Peregrine Falcon, ハヤブサ was very cooperative, posing for a few long minutes

The next morning was rather quiet on my side of the field. Raptors were chasing the ducks as expected, but they stayed at a distance. Overall, there were very few Harriers of any kind.

Young male?

Other things of interest

January was cold at last. Surprisingly, when the sun warmed the edge of the forest, a butterfly came to rest. Its purple wings right open. I hope he survives the winter.

Japanese Oakblue, ムラサキシジミ

Now that the trees have lost most of their leaves, cocoons of moths ガの繭 become visible

A cold morning walk at a local shrine, where little icicles hung a flower arrangement 

I always look out for the colorful berries of Oriental bittersweet, ツルウメモドキ

Last an image of a partly submerged leave, that looked like guttation, but wasn't.