Visitors for 1 day: Taiga Bean Geese, ヒシクイ

2 Blobs of grey and brown feathers. Fast asleep with their heads tucked away in their feathers. Only their size gave them away. They slept and slept, and I moved on. However, on my way home, I stopped to check and noticed they had moved and were more awake now. I decided to wait a little longer. 

Not long after...

Landing in the nearby fields, easy to spot

It's hard to see whether they are Taiga or Tundra Bean Geese. The smaller one in the back looks like Taiga to me. The other one could be either... Who knows?

Off again

5 kinds of Geese and some more

The weather was too good to go home. We did another D-tour, this time via Saga. A family of 4 Swans was floating in the middle of the lake - sleeping. We drove around and returned later to find the Geese there. 

Who is who?

From left: 3 Lesser White-fronted Geese, カリガニ 　and a juvenile Greater White-fronted Goose, マガン

From left: Tundra Bean Goose, Taiga Bean Goose, Greater White-fronted Goose

左から: ヒシクイ、オオヒシクイ、マガン

From left: Swan Goose, Greater White-fronted Goose, Taiga Bean Goose, Tundra Bean Goose

左から:  サカツラガン、オオヒシクイ、ヒシクイ

2 Oriental Storks, コウノトリ flew in from the west, resting briefly on the poles near their nesting site.

Siberian Weasel, チョウセンイタチ 

Black-winged Stilt, セイタカシギ overwintering in Kyushu, has learned to deal with the nets

鹿児島県出水 part 6: At the pond, Lesser White-fronted Goose, カリガネ and many more

Continued from part 5

There were 7 geese hanging out between the pond and the seawall. Their heads would pop out above the weeds, so I could see there whereabouts but not much else. Just once they flew up and landed in the pond. Still too far for details, but I could make out 5 Taiga Bean Geese, オオヒシクイ; 1 Greater White-fronted Goose, マガン and 1 Lesser White-fronted Goose. カリガネ. First the scenery

Buff-bellied Pipit, タヒバリ

At the pond in the east: 2 of the Geese, the Lesser White-fronted Goose, カリガネ on the left

From the left: Lesser White-fronted Goose. カリガネ;  Greater White-fronted Goose, マガン and Taiga Bean Geese, オオヒシクイ;

The smallest, the cutest: Lesser White-fronted Goose. カリガネ

Other birds in the pond included Black-faced Spoonbill, クロツラヘラサギ and Eurasian Spoonbill, ヘラサギ

Several Common Shelducks, ツクシガモ

And one single Pied Avocet, ソリハシセイタカシギ

Nostalgia; remembering my home country. Barnacle Geese in The Netherlands

Greylag Geese

Domestic Geese

Watchdog geese 😆

Back to Japan - Izumi in the morning

Eastern Buzzard, ノスリ; Geese,ガン and some more

Early morning at Hakata Bay

We are seeing so many geese this year. The group of Greater White-fronted Geese has been here for several weeks now. Bean Geese come and go. When I thought all had moved on another group appeared in the fields. I really hope to see the cute Lesser White-fronted Goose again...

Greater White-fronted Geese, マガン and probably one Tundra Bean Goose, ヒシクイ flying towards the 2 lakes in Imazu

At the other side of the river 4 new guests, Taiga Bean Geese, オオヒシクイ (Am I right?) on December 11th

On the same day: Eastern Buzzard, ノスリ

One of the Imazu Kingfishers, カワセミ let me walk passed at just a mere 2m distance.

Hello Sir, won't you fly away?

The start of December

 The last month of the year, Christmas is in the air already. The temperatures went down, the wind picked up and birds are active. Me too, just to stay warm.

More geese have come, 7 Bean Geese, maybe all Taiga Bean Geese, オオヒシクイ

Geese are grazing birds, they eat leafs, roots, shoots. What do these ones like most? 

Both falcons ハヤブサ were on the hunt. 1 Caught a white dove, 白い鳩 - only to loose it again when the crows got to him. 

The other one was having a late lunch of probably a Water Rail, クイナ

A Sparrowhawk, ハイタカ hiding in a paddy field

More Geese, ガン on the move. I think we are in for a cold winter!