Northern Shoveler, ハシビロガモ

A bit more about those ducks of last post. They have this funny way of feeding, small groups moving in circles like turning water wheels.

Pretty green colors

What are these 2 up to?

Northern Goshawk, オオタカ juvenile female

Walking around the pond I heard a lot of noise.

Common Pochard, ホシハジロ

Many ducks taking flight all at once can mean only one thing: A raptor has arrived. I hurried to the observation point and saw this huge bird struggling to... do what?

It looked like she was drowning a Northern Shoveler, ハシビロガモ

A Black Kite dropped in, wanting his share of the excitement.

The hawk lost her meal and withdrew to the trees.

She took a long time drying her feathers. Was she frustrated?

 

Look at those strong tarsi!

Smew, ミコアイサ

The small pond nearby had more to offer. Lots of common ducks and 10 Smews. 6 males and 4 females. The clouds cleared. In my head as well as in the sky.

Smew, ミコアイサ

All 6 males and 1 female

  

The female seems much smaller. She has such a sweet face.

When the sun broke through the water colored a bit blue

All 10 together

diving

hunting   

Look at her with that fish!

bata bata

At sea

The weather was kind of bad in the morning. The fore casted clear skies didn't show up and rain clouds hoovered  above me till past midday. I had hoped to see the Black Scoters. A flock of 50 birds had been reported, but I missed them. There were some other ducks in the far distance:

Harlequin Duck, シノリガモ

2 Black-throated Loons, オオハムwere nearby 

A little disappointing

Naumann’s Thrush, ハチジョウツグミ

Afternoon cruise around Imazu and... Finally something worth blogging up.

  

The tide came in and Lapwings that had been feeding on the exposed mudflat returned to the fields - chasing the Naumann's Thrush to the far corner. They look pretty in the sun. A few weeks from now and the surroundings will have nice colors as well.