Higashiyoka 2

 Continued from Higashiyoka 1

Waiting. Curlews in the back

Grey Plover, ダイセン in formal outfit

Some Saunders's Gulls ズグロカモメ were there. Breeding or not yet?

The Siberian Sand Plovers, メダイチドリ, were gathered in one corner

Greater sand plover, オオメダイチドリ

Bill size

2 Terek Sandpipers, ソリハシシギ

A Common Greenshank, アオアシシギ left, and a Marsh Sandpiper, コアオアシシギ right

A bit unusual here maybe, Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, ウズラシギ  Don't you prefer the lotus fields?

Uzura hiding among the Dunlins, ハマシギ

Off again, by itself

In flight

A single Kentish Plover, シロチドリ - brooding about his future...

Last, the Spoonbills. Black-faced クロツラヘラサギ and a few Eurasians, ヘラサギ

Daijugarami mid May

On May 15 high tide was around 9 in the morning. Many waders were gathered along the waterline, feeding, walking or sleeping. Every now and then the whole lot broke into flight and didn't come back for quite a while. Are birds during spring migration more nervous than in fall?

Nordmann's Greenshank, カラフトアオアシシギ . The leader of the 3

on the right

on the left

Ruff, エリマキシギ in summer plumage

Looking rather colorful among the Greenshanks

Airborne

Common Redshank, アカアシシギ

Between the Grey Plovers and the Bar-tailed Godwits a small bird: Red Knot, コオバシギ

2 Red Knots, コオバシギ 1 in winter and 1 in summer feathers

Another, slightly bigger Knot: The Great Knot, オバシギ on the right

The Nordmann's Greenshank again...  カラフトアオアシシギ

... with a crab

Red-necked Stint, トウネン looking forelorn behind the Dunlins

A few more here

Flying again

Greater Sand Plover, オオメダイチドリ

今津探鳥会, WBSJ meeting in Imazu and some more

During the meeting there were very few birds of interest at first. Just the expected ones, like Eurasian Coot, バン; Little Ringed Plover, コチドリ, Zitting Cisticola, セッカ and some summer visitors, as Intermediate Egret, チュウサギ; Cattle Egret, アマサギ (just 2 birds) and Great Reed Warbler, オオヨシキリ. But then, at the other side of the river, a single Black-winged Stilt, セイタカシギ was waiting, a Lesser (?) Sand Plover, メダイチドリ and a Ruddy Turnstone, キョウジョシギ showed up, among the many Dunlins, Whimbrels and left-over ducks. At last we found a Grey-tailed Tattler, キアシシギ among some Terek Sandpipers, ソリハシシギ

A few days later I managed to get a few better images

Ruddy Turnstone, キョウジョシギ

Lesser Sand Plover, メダイチドリ

Greater Sand Plover, オオメダイチドリ

One of over a 100 Eurasian Whimbrels, チュウシャクシギ

Red-necked Stints, トウネン

The Black-winged Stilt, セイタカシギ (I think it's the same bird) was patrolling a lotus field and came right to the edge where I was sitting. So close I could not get the whole body framed!

Daijugarami, May 1st A

Spring tide is the best for watching waders at the coast of the Ariake Sea. This year the bigger tides are at night, so the mud did not get completely submerged. Which is actually nicer for the birds. 

The first thing I noticed when I got there was a lot of red. As in reddish brown. Out of the grey and white mass jumped a Curlew Sandpiper, サルハマシギ.

And one more

When I was watching a 3rd one this banded Dunlin, ハマシギ did a photo bomb :-)

But most of the color came from the Lesser Sand Plovers, メダイチドリ

In front a Greater Sand Plover, オオメダイチオリ not yet dressed for breeding

The Red Knot, コオバヒギ was lurking in there. Hard to detect, I didn't get any good shots

As usual, the place was packed with Grey Plovers, ダイゼン and Dunlins, ハマシギ

A majestic sight when they all take to their wings

Leaving the place empty... except for these 5 Eurasian Oystercatchers, ミヤコドリ

They must have felt so lonely

But then the crowd returned

And they didn't feel lonely anymore

In fact, they were a bit overwhelmed and huddled together