One day in the middle of November

The weather is so unstable, I don't know what to wear. On a warm sunny day I drove around the west, stopping at some of my checkpoints, not particularly looking for anything, just enjoying the sights and the comfortable sunshine. There were lots of ducks in the various ponds. Though some ponds were frighteningly bare; I was happy to see a single Crested Grebe.

Great Crested Grebe, カンムリカイツブリ.

4 Chestnut-eared Buntings, ホオアカ were quickly moving in and out of the grasses

Zitting Cisticola, セッカ was there, too

The duck parade: 3 Common Pochards, ホシハジロ

3 Tufted Ducks, キンクロハジロ

Male and female Gadwalls, オカヨシガモ

Saunders's Gull, ズグロカモメ

In Itoshima a group of Grey Plovers, ダイゼン, who are not in a hurry to move south.

One of several Far-Eastern Curlews, ホオロクシギ

Are you all going to stay for the winter?

Last day of February around the dam lake

I drove to the dam in the south to look for Rosefinches, but I could not find any. What I saw were 2  male Bluetails, a lonesome Tufted Duck hanging out with Coots, a wandering Badger and lots of Masked Buntings. There were Pale Thrushes as well, and some Grey Buntings, Siskins and Greenfinches. It was a nice, sunny day.

Red-flanked Bluetail, ルリビタキ♂

Masked Bunting, アオジ

Tufted Duck, キンクロハジロ

Japanese Badger, アナグマ

Friendly animal, but look at those claws!

Another Red-flanked Bluetail,  ルリビタキ♂

The 2nd Bluetail wasn't shy and as it approached me it seemed to expect something. Has someone been feeding him?

The fields and the river

The weather is so nice now. Walking around the West has never been so pleasant. We surely deserve this after that unbearable summer. But the migrating birds and the wintering ducks that are slowly coming in tell me it won't last... 

Juvenile Black-winged Stilt, セイタカシギ 

New ducks! October 11th: Northern Pintail, オナガガモ

Tufted Duck, キンクロハジロ

Common Pochard, ホシハジロ (in the back)

One of the regular Ospreys, ミサゴ

Siberian Sand Plovers, メダイチドリ

The Stonechats, ノビタキ show up a bit more now, but birds in flight is still a challenge!

Also youngsters I think, a family gathering of Oriental Magpies, カササギ

More Hoojiro and Ojiro from the west

I checked the fields and waters in Imazu, but didn't see anything spectacular. Except from the hunting Hen Harrier - female of course - apon arrival. After she'd left the ducks settled down and I took a photo of these 2 male Tufted Ducks, キンクロハジロ

On the other side of the flats I met an Amur White Wagtail,  Amur White Wagtail,  ホオジロハクセキレイ  (Motacilla alba leucopsis)again. It was by itself in the fields.

A common sight, Meadow Bunting, ホオジロ

(Testing my new camera)

In the park near my home the Red-breasted Flycatcher, ニシオジロビタキis still there

The sun shone and the warm air brought out some buffs

Blue Admiral, ルリタテハ

Japanese Oakblue, ムラサキシジミ

There were very few flowers on the blossom trees. When will it happen?

Winter birds

It's cold, it's wet and it's dark. This winter lasts too long. I hardly leave the warmth of our cabin when I don't have to. Is this also part of El Nino? 

Spoonbills are wandering around Imazu. This Black-faced SB, クロツラヘラサギ has a bunch of spring feathers on its head. We are heading in the right direction!

Impaled by a Shrike I suppose. The bird will eat it when supplies are thinning out. 

On a sunny day a big flock of Greater Scaups, スズガモ drifts by. 

Spot the odd one out

Not only Scaups. There is a Tufted, キンクロハジロ in there as well

Great Cormorants, カワウ are taking a break. There must have been 500 birds

Swimming up river, 2 male Red-breasted Mergansers, ウミアイサ