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.

December birds 2 オオハクチョウ, Whooper Swan;サンカノゴイ, Great Bittern

The surprise of the month: 3 Whooper Swans in Imazu. These big birds like cold water. Would they be a forebode of cold winter weather? 

オオハクチョウ, Whooper Swan

How big are these swans, compared to the Spoonbill in front!

Another surprise for me: The Bittern that's been hanging around, but never shows its face decided to leap out right in front of me! ヨシゴイ, Yellow Bittern  correction: Great Bittern, サンカノゴイ

Always glad to have you back for the season. タゲリ、Northern lapwing

On rainy days Snipes gather and seem less shy. タシギ、Common Snipes.

December birds 1

I left it way too long and today, on the last day of the year a long list of photos is waiting.
I will start with the A for Atori, the Japanese name for Brambling. Huge flocks seen in Itoshima.

アトリ, Bramblings

Ducks sometimes, when the mudflats are flooded, come resting in the fields.
ツクシガモ, Common Shelducks

コガモ,CommonTeal

オカヨシガモ, Gadwall　

And another flock, Greenfinches this time.

カワラヒワ, Oriental Greenfinches