Garganey, シマアジ

Close to high tide in the river, 4 males and 2 females

Below in the front: 3 males in the middel and 2 females to the sides

On the wall also. How many?    Look well, there are 2: Male and female

Male Garganey, シマアジ  flapping wings

Between the Eurasian Wigeons, ヒドリガモ one bird with a different face. American DNA?

On the mudflats with the tide rolling in Far-Eastern Curlew, ホウロクシギ (3 of 6) and a Bar-tailed Godwit, オオソリハシシギ 

Bar-tailed

Still around: female Hen Harrier, ハイイロチュウヒ 

First of the year: Small Copper, ベニシジミ

In the park 2

There was no lock down in Japan yet (It was the day before) and quite a few hanami pick nicks were held. I hope we all stay safe!

Warbling White-eye, メジロ 

An Oriental Turtle Dove, キジバト taking it's time to bathe

Other birds included Hawfinch, シメ just 1...

...and female Elegant or Yellow-throated Bunting, ミヤマホオジロ Some more birds were in the grass, hidden from me 

In the park 1: Red-breasted Flycatcher, ニシオジロビタキ

It had been almost a year since I went to the park and I had not seen the2 birds that spent the winter here. Last year there was a male, now 2 females.

Miscelaneous

The first butterflies of the year, as well as some birds sighted on the sunny and warm days of mid March.

Common Sandpiper, イソシギ

Common Snipe, タシギ

We might not see this big bird around town again, so went for a 2nd glance:

Swan Goose, サカツラガン

Penduline Tit, ツリスガラ

Oriental Paper Bush, ミツマタ

Found a few on the northern tip of Shikanoshima, I wonder if they migrated. Nettle-tree Butterfly, テングチョウ

Still quite small: Old World Swallowtail, キアゲハ 

Asian Comma, キタテハ

Common Starling, ホシムクドリ

Increasing each year, the number of Common Starlings visiting in winter exceeded that of the resident White-cheeked Starlings in Imazu for the first time. There were more than 30 birds this time, feeding in the grass along the road and at the sports ground.

Shikanoshima

On a cold sunny day we toured the island in search of migrating birds. There were grebes, ducks and loons out there, but no big flocks and too far for my gear. I will stick to the rocks near the coast:

Temminck's or Japanese Cormorant, ウミウ

And a few Pelagic Cormorants, ヒメウ. Easy to distinguish from the others by their smaller size and green color.

Right in front of a small parking lot a pair of Ospreys, ミサゴ on their nest

High up on the top of the highest mast a Peregrine Falcon, ハヤブサ watching us