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

Chinese Egrets, カラシラサギ

On May 3rd I found the 2 Chinese Egrets, カラシラサギ feeding together in the middle of the mudflats - far away. The tide was out and the birds didn't come any closer. I left to run some errands. 

When I returned it was after midday and the waterline had risen, so I could expect the birds to be closer to shore. I found one near the island...

...and the other one towards the east.

Before the tide was completely in one bird came to rest on the partly submerged concrete slab

Besides the Great Egret,ダイサギ there were Whimbrels, チュウシャクシギ as 1 Far-Eastern Curlew, ホウロクシギ flew in

  The 2nd Chinese Egret arrived soon

All in a row, from L to R: Chinese, Great, Chinese, Great and Little Egret

カラシラサギ、ダイサギ、カラシラサギ、ダイサギ、コサギ

In the meadows were a few Cattle Egrets, アマサギ

other birds included Grey-tailed Tattler, キアシシシギ

...and Common Greenshank, アオアシシギ

Garganeys and some more

April 5th. There were 25 Garganeys, シマアジ in the pond. Maybe 30! (some seemed to be hiding in the reeds) I had never seen such a big flock. Most of them were males. Why?

Other migrators had arrived, too.

Cattle Egret, アマサギ

For lack of cattle... Have to make do with goats.

Intermediate Egret, チュウサギ

Pipits were gathering. Buff-bellied Pipits, タヒバリ

I looked for some other kinds, but could not see any

A gruffy-looking Little Egret, コサギ in a sea of yellow

Shelducks, ツクシガモ　 Getting ready for take-off?

Pacific Reef Egret, クロサギ

3 Birds were feeding at the mouth of the small river. 2 of them stayed together. A pair? One of them got upset when other birds came near. It sometimes had a very angry facial expression. So funny!

There were also 4 Little Herons, コサギ - their plumage looking quite "springy"

 

Imazu 2: After the rain

The Stilts and Stints in the 2 ponds had left. The mudflat looked empty, but Tattlers, Dunlins, Herons and Egrets were there, as well as 5 Spoonbills, 3 young Black-faced and 2 Eurasians. And some 70+ Whimbrels

Little Egret, コサギ

A Grey Heron, アオサギ with a problem

Black-faced Spoonbills, クロツラヘラサギ (3 on the left) and Eurasian Spoonbills, ヘラサギ  (2 on the right) I hope I got this right.

Moorhens, バン Are you building a nest?

Whimbrels, チュウシャクシギ at the end of the day

Time to bring out the macro lens