Ohisashiburi no Imazu

End of March. Not much is happening as far as I can tell. My visits to Imazu are short, no chance to look carefully. This is what I found:

The American Wigeon, アメリカヒヨドリ with his girlfriend still sticking around at the usual location

A Peregrine Falcon, ハヤブサ gets mobbed by the crows

Common Sandpiper, イソシギ in the sun

It felt as if I was looking at a majestic statue on the top of a Japanese roof. Suddenly it took off

Eastern Buzzard, ノスリ

Great Crested Grebes, カンムリカイツブリ are showing summer colors now.

Chestnut-eared Bunting, ホオアカ

The winter flock of Oriental Greenfinch, カワラヒワ is not very big this year. Where are the Bramblings?

Great Egrets, ダイサギ gathered with their heads in the wind

Little Egrets, コサギ are becoming real pretty

Then April came and on the first day new Egrets appeared!

3 Intermediate Egrets, チュウサギ

It's a start

High mountains 3

At a different location, a couple of Wrens (again), small Tits and some flowers. A woodpecker dropped down briefly. 

Eurasian Wren, ミソサザイ Calling out: It's nesting time!

Come on, I'm waiting!

Eurasian Nuthatch, ゴジュウカラ

??

That was me! Splashing like a flock of elephants 

Coal Tit, ヒガラ

Some flowers...   Haru Toranoo, ハルトラノオ  -  Bistorta tenuicaulis

Yukiwari Ichige, ユキワリイチゲ  -  Anemonastrum keiskeanum

And here was my first Longhorn beetle. Winter is over!

Oak Longicorn Beetle, ゴマフカミキリ

High mountains 2

The morning was cold, but even here it warmed up to about 16 °C midday. The summer visitors had not arrived yet, but pairs of nesting resident birds supplied enough entertainment.

Eurasian Nuthatch, ゴジュウカラ

Coal Tit, ヒガラ

While the resident Tits moved about in pairs, Thrushes and Bramblings made flocks of 10-20 birds. 

Brambling, アトリ

Once on the ground, they blended in with the leaves. How many birds are there?

Japanese Andromeda, アセビ in full bloom. 

I love the shape of the flowers. Like turned-up vases. I heard they are poisonous. Would deer not eat them?

To be continued

High mountains 1

It was the first day of April. In the lowlands, the weather was warm and green fields were dotted with yellow and purple flowers. Groves of Cherry blossom trees stood out on the slopes. It looked all so pretty. However, I headed for the mountains, where the fields were still brown and grey or vague green due to a layer of frost. I realized I wasn't finished with winter yet. 

Frost-layered Purple Dead-nettle

A Eurasian Skylark, ヒバリ, sticking its head out, sniffing the cold air.

Many Thrushes, mostly Dusky, had gathered. They were moving in small flocks, eating as much as possible, preparing to migrate to the north.

Mr. Dusky Thrush, ツグミ, is about to move on.

See you next year 💗

The sun rose and warmed the air. A Japanese Green Pheasant, キジ appeared at the same location as the year before, and before, and before...

In the woods, many woodpeckers were active, but stayed high up in the tall trees. I waited a long time for one to come down, White-backed Woodpecker, オオアカゲラ

The noisiest birds around the streams, Eurasian Wren, ミソサザイ

All that energy. I got tired just from watching it.

To be continued