Muromi river's Crested Kingfisher, ヤマセミ

It's not a place I often visit, but when I do I look out for the Kingfisher. I often hear 1 or 2, but usually at the other side of the dam lake. Too far. Sometimes one comes closer.

 

Sometimes too close 😖 

But sometimes.... I get lucky

Red-billed Starling, ギンムクドリ

I saw the Red-billed Starling, ギンムクドリ again after some years, Hooray! At First it was perched on electric wires, all by itself.

It flew away and it took me some time to find it again

But, there it was, in one of the few Tallow trees that are left. (Chinese tallow, ナンキンハゼ)

with a few other Starlings, (White-cheeked Starlings, ムクドリ)

They chased each other and gathered near a sports field

Ehhh, all those nets and wires!

After a few minutes it left the flock

This autumn I saw 5 different kinds of Starlings around Fukuoka. What more could I wish for?

Kanatake meeting November 16

The walk is getting more and more popular. Many people are looking for birds and many others spend time with the flowers of this season. I decided to focus on butterflies, hopefully getting better at finding and identifying them

The start was good with a fresh Powdered Oakblue, ムラサキツバメ

I had seen them several times, but unlike their cousin the Japanese Oakblue they don't open up often. Today we were lucky.

On the Seitaka Awadachi a Small Copper, ベニシジミ

The small blue lycaenids were very active on this sunny day.

 Short-tailed Blue, ツバメシジミ

Pale Grass Blue, ヤマトシジミ

Pea Blue, ウラナミシジミ

Indian Fritillary ♀, ツマグロヒョウモン

The best location was the flowering Loquat tree

Asian Comma, キタテハ

Painted Lady, ヒメアカタテハ

Indian Red Admiral, アカタテハ

Small Branded Swift, チャバネセセリ

Not a butterfly, but a moth: Shiro Obi Meiga, シロオビノメイガ

Other remarkable sightings were: 

Thunberg's Chive, ヤマラッキョウ and flowers in the Japanese Snowbell, エゴノキ

Viola Japonica, コスミレ

Maiden's Blush, ハツユキツユクサ

A huge flock of Crows or Rooks, ミヤマガラス

We all heard the voice of the Red-flanked Bluetail.  ルリビタキ. I saw it briefly, but didn't get a good shot

4 Dead flies on a twig. Death caused by fungus?

Many dead Bullfrog tadpoles, ウシガエルのオタマジャクシ. What caused their death?

female Mayutate Akane, マユタテアカネ

So far the things I saw on November 16th at Kanatake

In the meantime in Imazu 2

Mid November, the days are sunny and though the mornings are cool, the afternoons can be quite warm. What should we wear? Birding is pleasant, as long as there is something to see. The Cormorants are forming big flocks. When they land on the surface of the water it looks like an island from afar. When they hunt together the scene is spectacular! 

Great Cormorants, カワウ

The Wryneck, アリスイ has been showing up again. To the joy of many photographers. But after a few days it withdrew and became silent.

Greater Crested Grebes, カンムリカイツブリ were in the 2 ponds, 1 a juvenile with a cute face

The juv.

Baikal Teals, トモエガモ - 6 birds are somewhere there

Thrushes have arrived as well, but are still shy. Pale Thrush, シロハラ

In the river about 14 pretty Falcated Ducks, ヨシガモ