Finally! They have arrived: Stejneger's Stonechat, ノビタキ

Having the whole day off is a real treat. The rain in the morning was a little disappointing, but it didn't last long and I got a few house jobs done. I drove to Imazu and had a good long look. There were very few birds in the paddy fields. 2 R-n Stints in a far corner and 6 B-w Stilts between the rice plants at an unusual place. Not the birds I'd hoped to see.  But....:

Stejneger's Stonechat, ノビタキ

I watched the rice harvesting for a while. and noticed this White Wagtail, ハクセキレイ among the many common ones. Is it M. a. baicalensis, (ニシ)シベリアハクセキレイ?

M. a. baicalensis or dukhunensis?

Another possibilitiy is a hybrid lugens/baicalensis that apparantly exists in Northern Kyushu

Black Kites, トビ were showing off their acrobatic flying skills around the harvest machine. The young ones are so pretty!

Some of the Black-winged Stilts, セイタカシギ that were mostly hidden between rice plants. I saw 6 birds, but there could have been more.

Common Snipes, タシギ seemed to be everywhere

Curlews at high tide

Once the tide started running out some small waders appeared at the mudflat

From left to right: Terek's Sandpipersソリハシシギ, 2 Common Greenshanks, アオアシシギ and 1 Common Redshank, アカアシシギ

Common Redshank, アカアシシギ

２Terek's Sandpipers, ソリハシシギ

Far-eastern Curlew, ホオロクシギ

Eurasian Curlew, ダイシャクシギ

Kestrel, チョウゲンボウ

 The first of the season in Imazu on September 27th. Female Common or Eurasian Kestrel, チョウゲンボウ

In a park near the mountains: Varied Tit, ヤマガラ

Crazy about the fruit of Japanese Snowbell, エイゴノキ

In the meantime in Imazu

Every birder talks about the Ruff that can be seen, but I have not found it. There were other birds, of course. Also some views of Stilts and flowers

In a water-logged field some Black-winged Stilts, セイタカシギ were patroling the edge. It was lined with Red Spider Lilies , ヒガンバナ, 彼岸花, 

After the rain, green islands of Water Hyacinths, ホテイアオイcame floating down one of the rivers. Their purple-pink flowers erect, shining in the meager sunlight. Some of the Black-winged Stilts, セイタカシギ decided to come close

Nice change from all that “mud-flat-grey”

A Grey Plover, ダイセン passed by

 

Watching me with its big eyes.

Playing hide and seek: Marsh Sandpiper, コアオアシシギ

Over 20 Great Egrets, ダイサギ gathered in a ditch. I wonder what their meeting was all about..

Chestnut-cheeked Starlings, コムクドリ 2

It was cloudy and rain started to fall in the end of the morning. The Starlings were flying by, but except that first sight at the stream I hardly got any good views. They prefer high trees!

Just before I decided to leave a small group landed right in front of me.

Flowers of Showy Mistletoe, オオバヤドリギ in Sawara

Red Spider Lilies , ヒガンバナ, 彼岸花,

White-shouldered Starling, カラムクドリ and Chestnut-cheeked Starling, コムクドリ

A big flock of White-cheeked Starlings, クドリ (the common ones in Kyushu) is presently flying around Muromi River. Among them is a White-shouldered Starling, カラムクドリ. I saw just one. Their preference for high trees made it hard to detect, but I was lucky and with a little help from another birder I managed a few shots.

Besides that a flock of Chestnut-cheeked Starlings, コムクドリ is flying around the same area. These birds move very fast and are not easy to keep track of. They like to fly! I managed again a few shots before they disappeared in the foliage of tall trees.

Higambaba, Red Spider Lilies. Characteristic Autumn flower in Japan, growing along the edges of yellow green rice fields. I love this time of the year!