One day in the middle of November

The weather is so unstable, I don't know what to wear. On a warm sunny day I drove around the west, stopping at some of my checkpoints, not particularly looking for anything, just enjoying the sights and the comfortable sunshine. There were lots of ducks in the various ponds. Though some ponds were frighteningly bare; I was happy to see a single Crested Grebe.

Great Crested Grebe, カンムリカイツブリ.

4 Chestnut-eared Buntings, ホオアカ were quickly moving in and out of the grasses

Zitting Cisticola, セッカ was there, too

The duck parade: 3 Common Pochards, ホシハジロ

3 Tufted Ducks, キンクロハジロ

Male and female Gadwalls, オカヨシガモ

Saunders's Gull, ズグロカモメ

In Itoshima a group of Grey Plovers, ダイゼン, who are not in a hurry to move south.

One of several Far-Eastern Curlews, ホオロクシギ

Are you all going to stay for the winter?

The fields and the river

The weather is so nice now. Walking around the West has never been so pleasant. We surely deserve this after that unbearable summer. But the migrating birds and the wintering ducks that are slowly coming in tell me it won't last... 

Juvenile Black-winged Stilt, セイタカシギ 

New ducks! October 11th: Northern Pintail, オナガガモ

Tufted Duck, キンクロハジロ

Common Pochard, ホシハジロ (in the back)

One of the regular Ospreys, ミサゴ

Siberian Sand Plovers, メダイチドリ

The Stonechats, ノビタキ show up a bit more now, but birds in flight is still a challenge!

Also youngsters I think, a family gathering of Oriental Magpies, カササギ

In the city park

I occasionally go to this park to look at ducks, get a close-up and just see what's there. The usual Black-headed Gulls, ユリカモメ were at their usual spot, flying along the bank and joining the ducks and pigeons that people like to feed. Suddenly they headed for the trees, all of them, and picked at some berries. I never thought gulls would do that, but why not? They probably taste good. One of the gulls had a band and a ring. The band number is clear, but the ring isn't. Would the people at Yamashina still be interested?

The Gadwall, オカヨシガモ is one of my favorite ducks. Look at the intricate pattern of feathers!

Coming so close I thought he would sit on my lap. Common Pochard, ホシハジロ

Just so y'all know which park we are at 😁

Migrators update July 30th

Several migrating birds have arrived recently. I was particularly happy to see the Red-necked Stints. As every year. There were 5 birds on a barren field. Their feathers still showed summer colors, but on a brown field with nothing green what so ever the beauty doesn't come out well.

Red-necked Stint, トウネン

There were lots of juvenile plovers, Little Ringed Plover, コチドリ

And 1 Kentish Plover, シロチドリ   So cute!

In the river and the nearby triangular pond small ducks caught my eye. There were 2... maybe 5 Garganeys, シマアジ; 2 Falcated Ducks, オカヨシガモ and 1 female Mandarin Duck, オシドリ

Sorry for the poor quality of the photos. It is just to show who is there. 😼

And 1 single Pochard, ホシハジロ ?

Also 1 Far-Eastern Curlew, ホオロクシギ

Last week's Black-winged Stilt, セイタカシギ is still there. All by itself

Another one arrived at another field.

I thought they would team up, but that didn't happen. Nr 2 moved on.

Below some Intermediate Egrets, チュウサギ

(The Cattle Egrets, アマサギ are also still around)

December birds, the last of 2022 part 2

Continued from part 1

female Kestrel, チョウゲンボウ ♀

male Kestrel, チョウゲンボウ ♂

 

At the mudflats: Common Sandpiper, イソシギ

The Spoonbills, 3 Eurasian, ヘラサギ and 1 Black-faced, クロツラヘラサギ

Grey Plover, ダイセン forgot to migrate south?

Northern Lapwings, タゲリ and Spot-billed Ducks, カルガモ

More ducks: Gadwall, オカヨシガモ

Shelduck, ツクシガモ

Here for the 3rd year in a row now, Albi Po, a leucistic Common Pochard

Great Cormorant, カワウ

Black-headed Gull, ユリカモメ

juvenile

Blue Rock Thrush, イソヒヨドリ

Dusky Thrush, ツグミ in Imazu. I head to wait quite some time to see you there!