Ohisashiburi no Imazu

End of March. Not much is happening as far as I can tell. My visits to Imazu are short, no chance to look carefully. This is what I found:

The American Wigeon, アメリカヒドリ with his girlfriend still sticking around at the usual location

A Peregrine Falcon, ハヤブサ gets mobbed by the crows

Common Sandpiper, イソシギ in the sun

It felt as if I was looking at a majestic statue on the top of a Japanese roof. Suddenly it took off

Eastern Buzzard, ノスリ

Great Crested Grebes, カンムリカイツブリ are showing summer colors now.

Chestnut-eared Bunting, ホオアカ

The winter flock of Oriental Greenfinch, カワラヒワ is not very big this year. Where are the Bramblings?

Great Egrets, ダイサギ gathered with their heads in the wind

Little Egrets, コサギ are becoming real pretty

Then April came and on the first day new Egrets appeared!

3 Intermediate Egrets, チュウサギ

It's a start

Waders and shorebirds in the west

Not many species and nothing exciting, but this is what I saw in the first week of May around the fields and the rivers in the west

May 5th: Following a Whimbrel, チュウシャクシギ was 1 Great Knot, オバシギ

Far away, but we don't see so many here, so I wanted to report it

Singing out loud; Oriental Reed Warbler, オオヨシキリ

The parents of Bull-headed Shrikes, モズ were very busy looking after their chicks

Feeding the kids? Meadow Bunting, ホオジロ

A White Wagtail with the facial markings of an Amur WW. But somehow I'm not sure

ホオジロハクセキレイ?

One of about 10  Little Ringed Plover, コチドリ busy defending its ground

Peeking out of the grass was a Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, ウズラシギ

Suddenly stepping out in front of me  Common Sandpiper, イソシギ

And that was it.

Winter trip river scenes

 Driving around Kyushu we chose our stops for the night near rivers and got up early for long morning walks.

Common Sandpipers, イソシギ at the Kikuchi River

Eurasian Teals, コガモ

Crested Kingfisher, ヤマセミ

Not a river, but a big water-logged field. Northern Lapwings, タゲリ

The reflection on this sunny windless day was perfect

A flock of Common Starlings, ホシムクドリ stopped by

Moving on to the Kuma River

Green Sandpiper, クサシギ

Sogi Falls

Female Tufted Ducks, キンクロハジロ were diving in the turbulent waters, undisturbed by the strong currents and down-pull

Near Sendai River. January 1st...

...better start early