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

Lotus fields in Saga, 1

I didn't expect any waders here yet, so I was quite surprised to find these Stints. But I wonder, how long have they been here? And if they had just arrived, then where from?

Temminck's Stint, オジロトウネン

The raptors were wel represented.

Eurasian Kestrel, チョウゲンボウ

Peregrine Falcon, ハヤブサ

Osprey, ミサゴ

to be continued

Isahaya Komimi etc.

Traditionally, I went solo camping in January in Isahaya, stayed in the car and didn't do anything but hold my binos and camera. Despite the promising conditions and the number of active birds a few weeks before, there was little to see this time. Few birds, few people. However, one Owl appeared at the end of the afternoon.

Short-eared Owl, コミミズク

The large flocks of Baikal Teals, トモエガモ performed well at dusk

A young Peregrine Falcon, ハヤブサ was very cooperative, posing for a few long minutes

The next morning was rather quiet on my side of the field. Raptors were chasing the ducks as expected, but they stayed at a distance. Overall, there were very few Harriers of any kind.

Young male?

Oronoshima

The 1 night stay at Oronoshima resulted in 3 nights due to the weather. People ask: Why? It's sunny! It isn't even that windy... They can't see the waves here. So I filled in my time at school, but was allowed to come and go to walk around. The birds of 2 weeks before had nearly all left. What was still there?

Eurasian Wren, ミソサザイ I saw just once, after 4pm. 

A small flock of Yellow-throated Buntings, ミヤマホオジロ

Ms. Kestrel, チョウゲンボウ

A number of Eastern Buzzards, ノスリ. Often chased by a very fast and loud Falcon

The Peregrine Falcon, ハヤブサ at the very top of the island. Overlooking everything

The plunge dive

The usual Blue Rock Thrushes, イソヒヨドリ at their favorite places

These moths were seen along the road to school. Euonymus leaf notcher, ミノウスバ

Cat feeding time in the village. A strange cat from the mountains came down for the first time. He didn't get a chance to eat with the others. The rules are strict!

Brown Boobies, カツオドリ behind Genkaishima