Hokkaido part 4

So many foxes! Every day around 8 or 10 crossed our path. The highlight was a cub, or kit as the young ones are called, that watched is intensely from the middle of a gravel road, while waiting for a parent with food. It might just have left the den. I read they are born deaf and blind. Maybe we were the first humans it saw!

Red Fox, エゾキツネ

Mama has arrived with lunch. (Merganser chick)

Of the many (Leaf) Warblers I heard, and the others saw, one stopped in front of my lens.

I think Sakhalin, Leaf Warbler, エゾムシクイ

Several White-tailed Eagles, オジロワシ were seen along the coast, especially around Rausu

All taken from the back of T's car, whose windows would not roll down all the way....

Hokkaido part 3

I don't know what I expected, but not the absence of butterflies. I did not see one! Was it too cold? We found a cicada that didn't move, or couldn't? The temperature was way below 20C. Flowers, yes! Many and different from Kyushu. These below, what are they? In yellow and red, near the boardwalk of the Po River.

 Japanese Oxtongue? コウゾリナ?

Orange Hawkweed? コウリンタンポポ?

On to that board walk:

Long-tailed Rosefinch, ベニマシコ

Siberian Rubythroat, ノゴマ

Stonechat, ノビタキ  male

female

Common Reed Bunting, オオジュリン

All in summer feathers

Hokkaido, part 2

The second item on my wish list was the big Crane. I fully expected to see some in the fields at a distance. What we got was a family with one chick on the side of the road! They didn't seem much perturbed by the big noisy trucks that raced back and forth, but us stopping on the verge of the road made them a bit anxious.

Red-crowned Crane, タンチョウ

Parents showing the baby how to find food

Such long legs!

At a pond nearby, several common ducks were gathered. I was mainly interested in the families of Mergansers on the opposite bank. A bit far for my lens in any situation.

Common merganser, カワアイサ

A raptor flew by, and all hell broke loose

The Latham's Snipes, オオジシギ sure like those poles!

Despite the often-perfect circumstances, I wasn't able to take sharp photos. My fingers trembled, my arms were shaking, I could not concentrate. Such pain!

Hokkaido part 1

June 20th, 2026. The long-awaited trip to the north has begun. One of the first sightings was the big fish-eating eagle, 

White-tailed Eagle, オジロワシ

The first evening we watched 2 owls, the world's biggest fish owls:

Blakiston's Fish Owl, シマフクロウ

A pair flew in. While the male waited in a tree along the river, the female caught one fish after another.

When the female had enough, she left and made room for her mate.

 It was said they had a nest nearby.

The whole performance lasted 20 min at least. I never thought we could watch these birds this easily, in a relaxed way. We returned to our hotel fully satisfied. 

I saw just these 2 birds, but someone else noticed more. 9 In total!

Kusembusan in June

One day, when I was looking for butterflies, somebody told me about this mountain location between Fukuoka and Saga. I wanted to go there, to see what was there and, moreover, to explore a new place. I had not been lucky with some Fritillaries, yet here I found some. I have no confidence in determining their gender, but I guess the one below is a male.

Silver-washed Fritillary, ミドリヒョウモン

To my surprise, an Indian Awlking, アオバセセリ stopped by at the same tree. I knew the season was officially over; nevertheless, I had only once ever seen one in Hiroshima, so despite its ruffled appearance, I was very happy with this encounter.

Wings and Things also include moths. Below is one of Japan's biggest, a Japanese Moon moth, オオミズアオ. I've always felt sorry for them since I found out they don't have a mouth. If they cannot eat, they must surely die of hunger...

This marking looks like the lacking mouth

Another moth, abundant at the mountain top. The delicate wings look almost transparent. I found the Japanese name ホシベッコウカギバ and that it's probably a male, but I don't know what it's called in English, except that it belongs to the group of hook-tip moths. Does it have a mouth?

Then these caterpillars would turn into moths as well, I guess. Which one?

Owlet moth キバラケンモン? Somebody should think about the English names for these insects

Upon returning to nishi-ku I briefly stopped to check a sap tree. 

Titan Stag Beetle,ヒラタクワガタ - First one this year

Now, I must go home and get ready for the trip to Hokkaido!

Kashibaru Wetlands

Mid-June, the Dragonflies should be active. 

First one: Scarlet Dwarf, ハッチョウトンボ - male

Narrow-striped Bluet, セスジイトトンボ

Below in a mating wheel position. The male is blue, the female pale green

High brown Fritillary, ウラギンヒョウモン

Oriental Swallowtail Moth, アゲハモドキ

ツバメシジミ, Short-tailed Blue

Watershield, ジュンサイ

Arima umano suzukusa, アリマウマノスズクサ

Kakiran, カキラン Pretty as usual

Asian Pogonia,トキソウ Standing out proud by itself

Round-leaved Sundew, モウセンゴケ

This year I could not take any good pictures of it. Too much other stuff

Pygmy water-lily (ヒツジグサ)

Japanese Tree frog, 日本アマガエル

Just when I thought I didn't need to see another Tree Frog, my eye fell on this one: シュレーゲルアオガエル, Schlegel's Green Tree Frog. Look at the way his limbs fold into his body. He resembles a foetus

Then I saw another one, and another, and another... 5 or 6

Watching a firefly

At last some birds. Grey Heron's nest, アオサギ

Grey Wagtail, キセキレイ, adorning a roof ornament