Oystercatchers, ミヤコドリ

On October 21st, I went to check out the Oystercatchers in Wajiro. The newspaper mentioned 36 birds in the bay. So many! I wanted to see them. When I arrived mid-afternoon the sky was heavily overcast. The scene looked gloomy, with little color. Birds were very much spread out over the exposed mudflats. I realized I needed to plan this differently. A couple of days later, the sky was blue, the tide a little low, starting to come in. From where I was I could see birds clearly, their red bills stood out against the black and white. They were all feeding and a few made their way in my direction.

Eurasian Oystercatchers, ミヤコドリ

First 2 birds

Then 3

A few more.

When the tide rolled in, they flew one by one

And gathered at a sandy plot at the mouth of a stream.

Counting... 45 birds!

Several Ospreys, ミサゴ were hunting. One pair got my attention

Some other waders were around, like these Far Eastern Curlews, ホウロクシギ

In a corner near the stream, 6 Mandarin Ducks, オシドリ looking tired after a long flight.