Low mountain birds in November

I drove to the mountains in the south, hoping to see the Crested Kingfisher. The trees had started to turn yellow and orange. The first thing I noticed were some Pipits, feeding on the ground. The grass was too tall to get a clear view; I waited for them to fly up in the trees.

Olive-backed Pipit, ビンズイ

In the river 2 pairs of Brown Dipper, カワガラス were chasing each other.

At the dam lake, as expected: Mandarin Ducks, オシドリ. But no Kingfisher 😓

A sad ending to a beautiful bird that didn't survive migration. Siberian Rubythroat, ノゴマ

On the hill side Akebono アケボノwas blooming

Asian Comma, キタテハ

Pea Blue, ウラナミシジミ -  Are those white dots eggs?

Peacock Pansy, タテハモドキ

Female Angled Sunbeam ♀ウラギンシジミ

I cannot stop looking for butterflies. The last of this year? It's a goodbye to the warm sunny days. 

Goodbye to late summer, welcome autumn... which soon turned into early winter, Br

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.

Last birds of Q1 - and some small stuff

March is over - the cold days, too? I hope so. After the snow in the 3rd week of March everything happened at once. Suddenly the swallows arrived and the cherry trees were in bloom. 2 Little Ringed Plovers roamed on the grass next to the dock in the harbor. The Blue Rock Thrushes are singing their heart out, till late at night. Checking my various points in the west:

Juvenile Sparrowhawk, ハイタカ - gender unknown

A White Wagtail. Motacilla alba leucopsis, ホオジロハクセキレイ? or lugens, ハクセキレイ without an eye line? Looking at the bill and shape of the head, I think the latter 

A Rustic Bunting, カシラダカ in Imazu. 

The American Wigeon, アメリカヒドリ has been here all winter

A female Bull-headed Shrike, モズ waiting for her mate

Little Ringed Plovers, コチドリ in the harbor

At the damlake the Mandarin Ducks, オシドリ were very active - preparing to leave.

I didn't see these flowers last year, nor the year before. So I made an effort.

Tsukushi Shojobakama, ツクシショウジョウバカマ

Japanese Ophiorrhiza, サツマイナモリ 

Corylopsis (Witch Hazel family) トサミズキ

Japanese Knotweed Leaf Beetle, イタドリハムシ 

Not many butterflies yet. Sujiguro Shirocho, スジグロシロチョウ - Pieris melete

Mandarin Ducks, オシドリand some more

There is a path behind the fence. It brings you right to the edge of the water and if you're lucky the Mandarin Ducks don't notice you. However, they fly off soon... There was a male with 2 females. The male looked spectacular!

Handsome guy!

A Ryukyu Minivet, リュウキュウサンショウクイ caught a green Grasshopper, mid-winter!

It's a Kubikirigisu, クビキリギス. They can overwinter as adults. And they can bite fiercely!

Brown-eared Bulbuls, ヒヨドリ feasting in a berry tree

About 200 Rooks, ミヤマガラス gathered in the trees and in the field at the end of the afternoon

Tankiri beans, タンキリマメ

Q Fungus