Glossy Ibis, ブロンズトキ

How many years since I saw these birds? There was that flock of over 1000 birds in 2016 - in Portugal. Saga was also 10 years ago. And now this year, 4 birds and easy to find. What a treat! (I took too many photos - when will we see them again?)

They flew often, but not nearby.

The best moments were when the cloud cover lightened up a bit...

  

...letting the colors come out.

Not that metalic glow that we can see on a sunny day...

...but I was happy

Cattle Egret, アマサギ in the same fields and...

... many Waxwings, ヒレンジャク

Few Flycatchers in a quiet park

A few hours in the park on April 28th. It was surprisingly quiet. He??? It's end of April, we should hear many migrating birds! Only the Thrushes were calling. I walked around, a flycatcher was quickly flying up. A female Blue-and-White. A second one stopped by, ever so briefly. Asian Brown. Around the flower beds some butterflies were active. Then, just when I wanted to leave, a Yellow Flycatcher came to take a bath.

Narcissus Flycatcher, キビタキ

Female Blue-and-White Flycatcher, オオルリ

Asian Brown Flycatcher, コサメビタキ

Chestnut Tigers, アサギマダラ

Looking for Wagtails, セキレイ in Imazu on a rainy day.

After reading about the foreign wagtails, I went out to search for them in the west. It was a rainy day; I found none. But... I saw a fox! And it was wagging its tail to me 😉

Japanese fox, キツネ

A big flock of Whimbrels, チュウシャクシギ was crossing the river. When they landed, they blended in with the concrete wall. From a distant, just the bills sticking out above the water could be seen. A closer look produced one different face. An up-turned bill, rather than downwards curved caught my eye.

Can you see it?

There is one Bar-tailed Godwit, オオソリハシシギ

Towards the south, a Grey-faced Buzzard, サシバ was crying out loud. Glad the rain had stopped

Then in the evening at a busy intersection, the noise of many wagtails! Maybe 50 birds. But no foreigners, I think

The one and only Wood Sandpiper, タカブシギ in the field, would he be glad　to have the place to himself?

Small stuff in April

We are in the middle of the spring crossing, but there are very few birds here in Fukuoka. Walking around my various checkpoints, I find orchids and insects.

Common Mapwing, イシガケチョウ

Japanese Peacock Swallowtail, カラスアゲハ

Diana Treebrown, クロヒカゲ

Golden Orchid, キンラン

Noble Orchid, シュンラン

Caterpillar of Common Mapwing, イシガケチョウ 幼虫

Caterpillar of Squeaking Silkmoth, ウスタビガ

Purple Small Fruit-piercing Moth, ムラサキヒメクチバ

Brittlestem, ナヨタケ科

Mt Kuju, part 2

 The following day I did a quick run around the same trail before we returned to the real world again. 

A Japanese Thrush, クロツグミ maybe the same bird as yesterday, was singing its beautiful song again

Narcissus Flycatcher, キビタキ - Not yesterday's

A female nearby

Aahh, a Jay again. They are too busy to pay attention to hikers and birders now.

Eurasian Jay, カケス

The deer were at the same location - asleep when I found them. They slowly got up. Lazy buggers

Japanese Shika deer, シカ

Not so lazy, too fast for me, a wild Rabbit, ノウサギ

The small Tits, that like the dark trees behind the marshes are easy to follow

Coal Tit, ヒガラ

Some other small flowers, a kind of Chickweed, I think.  Common Chickweed, コハコベ?

Jumping up from the wet soil, Silver Dragons, ギンリョウソウ! Not an army yet, but a start

Blobs of bright orange fungi. What are they called? Witch's Butter, コガネニカワタケ?

And here is that rare butterfly again. Just one. Mountain Skipper, ミヤマセセリ