Narcissus Flycatcher, キビタキ

 In the usual locations, around the cherry trees and the maple trees.

First Butterflies

There is a first for everything. The first butterfly of the season deserves a picture.

Asian Swallowtail, ナミアゲハ - April 3

Japanese Oakblue, ムラサキシジミ - April 3

Short-tailed blue ツバメシジミ♀ -  April 9

Small Copper, ベニシジミ -  April 5

Peacock Pansy, タテハモドキ -  April 9

Indian Fritillary ♂, ツマグロヒョウモン - April 9

Indian Fritillary ♀

Asian Green-veined White, スジグロシロチョウ April 10

These flowers would make stylish nut bowls, looking good on a party table 😀

Wildcat's Eye Grass, ヤマネコノメソウ

”Brush Gentian”フデリンド

Small birds

The weather continues to be chilly. I went out on a sunny day, but needed a thick windbreaker! There is still Cherry blossom in the parks. The people who walk around are mainly foreign tourists.

A small flock of Bramblings アトリ landed briefly in one of the trees

Varied Tit, ヤマガラ looking for food. Do you have a nest?

Coming home I found Alishan with a visitor. I'm looking forward to your next visit - with your babies

Barn Swallow, ツバメ

I'm waiting for the blue and yellow flycatchers. Shouldn't be long now!

Siberian Stonechat, ノビタキ

 The first birds are always a bit shy, but this lady cooperated nicely. 

The male stayed in the distance

Poor birds! 3 Raptors were flying around. A Peregrine Falcon, a Kestrel and repeatedly this Eastern Buzzard, ノスリ

Eurasian Kestrel, チョウゲンボウ

April 6 around Imazu

The first Sunday in April, WBSJ day. We walked, talked and counted. There were not many surprises. The highlight was the Stonechat. 

On the mudflats, we saw 1 Black-winged Stilt, セイタカシギ

The American Wigeon, アメリカヒドリ with his black head was still there

In the afternoon a few waders flew in. Wood Sandpiper, タカブシギ

A Hawk landed in the mess of lotus stalks with what? A Snipe?

Female Eurasian Sparrowhawk, ハイタカ

Some of the White Wagtails seemed different. The big apron reaching up to the chin.

Taiwan or East Siberian White Wagtail, M.a.ocularis？

Buff-bellied Pipit, タヒバリ all by itself

Last bird of the afternoon, Swinhoe's Snipe, チュウジシギ

The mudflats of the Ariake Sea

I come here mainly to watch the birds flying in swooping flocks, rising and plummeting, twisting and turning, in tune with their calls. It never stops amazing me. I could watch it for hours. My mind relaxes and the worries about the declining bird population at home ease up a bit. Nature will survive!

The 1st of April was a cloudy day. High tide was not very high, but good enough to see the birds close to shore. A little sunshine every now and then would have been nice... The Little Terns made up for that in a big way. In this post I show some of the other birds.

オオソリハシシギ · Bar-tailed Godwit

Red Knot,コオバシギ 

 Great Knot, オバシギ 

Eurasian Curlew, ダイシャクシギ 

They look odd, standing in a line like this. As if they are practicing for a marching parade

Far Eastern Curlew, ホウロクシギ 

Other birds were Grey Plovers, Dunlins, Green Shanks, Kentish Plovers, Lesser or Siberian Plovers, 

Vega Gulls, Saunders's Gulls, Red-necked Stints, and some more maybe.