Oro

One day in March I got on the ferry to Oronoshima for a 2-days work stay. The sea was not flat and balancing the camera was quite a challenge. The Booby was really a lucky shot. The Shearwaters were all very far, but it was thanx to the waves that I saw them.

Young Brown Booby, カツオドリ

Streaked Shearwater, オオミズナギドリ

Japanese Cormorants, ウミウ

Pelagic Cormorant, ヒメウ

On the way to work, I briefly checked the fields and saw several Rustic Bunting, カシラダカ

The next day there were suddenly many Daurian Redstarts, ジョウビタキ

The first moths of the season I found right here

ユウマダラエダシャク ?

Black-crowned Hawkmoth, ホウジャク

Peeking out of the bush was a Naumann's Thrush, ハチジョウツグミ . 

I wished I had more time...

Red-breasted Merganser, ウミアイサ etc

I want to see the Boobies diving, but I'm out of luck there. Finding the Harlequin Ducks was a treat, but here is what else was around.

Pelagic Cormorants, ヒメウ

Japanese or Temminck's Cormorants, ウミウ

Other birds around included some far away female Red-breasted Mergansers, ウミアイサ ♀ 

After a while a male Red-breasted Merganser, ウミアイサ ♂ made its appearance close by

I like crab as well

Blue Rock Thrushes, イソヒヨドリ - Always fun to watch

Shikanoshima, 志賀島

December 10. Several small groups of Black-necked Grebes, ハジロカイツブリ were foraging among the rocks before they headed out to sea.

2 Brown Boobies カツドリwere cruising along the east coast. I didn't see them diving.

At the usual places Japanese Cormorants, ウミウ were perched on the rocks, with some Pelagic Cormorants, ヒメウ between them.

The unmistakable female Blue Rock Thrush, イソヒヨドリ made an appearance as well.

At the north shore many gulls, Black-tailed, ウミネコ and Vega Gulls, セグロカモメ were circling around an area where lots of Red-breasted Mergansers, ウミアイサ could be seen 

Black-tailed Gulls, ウミネコ

Sea birds

 On several occasions I set out to find seabirds, preferably Pacific Loons or Divers. It was pretty hard. I mostly had to make do with Cormorants...

Japanese Cormorant aka Temminck's Cormorant, ウミウ 

Japanese Cormorant, ウミウ and Pelagic Cormorant, ヒメウ (on the right)

Pelagic Cormorant, ヒメウ

A pair of Red-breasted Merganser, ウミアイサ quickly got out of my view

As I searched the horizon I noticed some movements, but could not identify anything other than "white dots"

Earlier this month on similar trips it wasn't much better, though I think these 2 birds could be Loons, オオハム

Loons?　オオハム

Greater Crested Grebes, カンムリカイツブリ and Red-breasted Merganser, ウミアイサ by the looks of it. Certainly no Loons

Some creature that stayed with me for a while, Japanese Weasel, ニホンイタチ

Fishermen at work

For the record: Great Cormorants, カワウ closer to shore

Tsunoshima 1

The bird I came for wasn't there and I was slightly disappointed, but others made up for it.

Cormorants on the rock. Between the big Temminck's Cormorants, ウミウ were several Pelagic Cormorants, ヒメウ. Smaller and more kind of elegant, with a metallic green glow on their feathers that shines when the light is right on sunny days.

The quiet and gentle sea of the early morning 

Between the rocks the thick soft velvety leaves of the Haeguk Aster, ダルマギク

Black Kite, トビ

Male Blue Rock Thrush イソヒヨドリmatches the colors of the red rocks and the blue sea

Eastern Buzzard, ノスリ stayed in the same place for several hours

Eurasian Kestrel, チョウゲンボウ about to move north

Lots of purple in the fields. Henbit Deadnettle, ホトケノザ

Spring green had just started to show in Sun Spurge,トウダイグサ

Flower of the Sago Palm, ソテツ

Last photos of the day: Sunset