Ruddy-breasted Crakes, ヒクイナ and Oriental Reed Warblers, オオヨシキリ

 I just wanted to see Crake chicks. Every year I watch parents scurrying around the nesting site and I think about those little dots of furry feather, that are in there somewhere close, but distinctively out of sight. Are they really black? I got to the Lotus field with reeds along the edge early in the morning. Reed Warblers were singing their loud song all around me. Don't they ever get tired?

Oriental Reed Warbler, オオヨシキリ

Every now and then I heard the kyok kyok kyok call of a crake, but I saw no movement.

More Reed Warblers then

Suddenly an adult bird popped out of the reeds, onto the road. He or she soon noted its mistake and popped back.   Ruddy-breasted Crake, ヒクイナ

More Reed Warblers 

Aahh, on the edge of the water, another adult bird

Taking a bath

Great. But where are the babies?

Another Reed Warbler

When it was clear there were not going to be any small dots of feathers on this side of the reedbed, I moved away to get a view at another point. And thennn Yesss, something small quickly moved between the stalks. I saw it for just a second. It was black.

Winter in the west 1

February became extremely cold and I caught one cold after the other. Consequently I didn't visit all the places on my wish list and mostly hung around in the west when my condition allowed it. I had plenty of chances to see the 2 wintering thrushes, though not often together.

Naumann's Thrush, ハチジョウツグミ

Brown-cheeked Rail, クイナ often appeared, moving nervously between the reedbeds while quickly picking at some edibles

The Ruddy-breasted Crake, ヒクイナ, even more nervous and shy, hardly ever shows up, except to chase the Rall, クイナ

These 2 species don't get along with each other very well. The Crake, ヒクイナ fiercely defends its territory, though it tolerates the Moorhens, バン

A regular sight, not only in the waterlogged fields is the Common Snipe, タシギ

Doesn't pay much attention to the squabbles around him.

Northern Lapwing, タゲリ with pretty colors when the sun shines, but where has that sunlight gone?

3 Dunlins on an expedition. ハマシギ

Few birds and some other small Stuff

Observations while walking in the neighborhood, Nishi-ku. A mixture of birds, bugs, and flowers.

At lunchtime, in the middle of a hot day, a Ruddy-breasted Crake, ヒクイナ came out of the swamp in a park to get some food. Is there a nest in there?

Feeling right at home around the toilets? Barn Swallow, ツバメ

Often seen on the move, but lately very difficult to capture, Green Woodpecker, アオゲラ

Surprise visit to the Bridal Wreath, ミカドアゲハ, Common Jay

Indian Red Admiral, アカタテハ Fresh and young

Goschkevitschi's Labyrinth, サトキマダラヒカゲ 

I thought it was a Holly Blue, ルリシジミ until it opened its wings. A "lifer" for me, Common Hedge Blue, ヤクシマルリシジミ

Cabbage White, モンシロチョウ Group sex

First of the season. Lamy Longhorn, (Ramikamikiri) ラミカミキリ A bit early, on May 20?

Always a pleasure to find the first Nejiki, ネジキの花 of the year

A little off the path there were hundreds of these orchids, Usuki Muyolan, ウスキムヨウラン

What is this???

Bright orange red, it could be seen from far - as far as that is possible in dense woods

Some moths of course. Beni-ikarimonga, ベニイカリモンガ

Unmonkuchiba,  ウンモンクチバ

Sorry for the people who don't like them

Migrating birds on September 4th

 After 2 weeks absence I was keen to check the fields. At 8am I found 2 Black-winged Stilts, セイタカシギ in the first location, but nothing else.

A Ruddy Breasted Crake, ヒクイナ showed up briefly, though

Moving west I passed several potential fields with nothing but herons and egrets and eventually came across 1 Red-necked Stint, トウネン

In the back was 1 Long-toed Stint, ヒバリシギ

And that was it

But... The Snipes are back!　タシギ

The days of 30-40 birds in one field have long passed, but I was happy to count 12 birds here in this corner of the west.

It's often a bit of a guess, but I think these are all Common Snipes, タシギ

Some differ in color. Grey-ish and brown-ish. Male and female?

Among them 2 or 3 Wood Sandpipers, タカブシギ

At another field 1 more Black-winged Stilt, セイタカシギ

And last 3 Golden Plovers, ムナグロ at a dry bit of corn land

This road must have something special. There are always many Barn Swallows, ツバメ on one patch of concrete. What are they eating?