Winter trip - Saga

We're in Saga, nearly back home. Our 11-day winter trip has come to an end. This is the first post of our trip report, covering Kagoshima, Kumamoto and Saga in 12 parts. It's a long read!

Early in the morning at Higashiyoka, a Short-eared Owl was keenly patrolling the reed-covered land plots behind the sea wall. 

Short-eared Owl, コミミズク

When the sun warmed us up, a few small birds poked their head out.

Common Reed Bunting, オオジュリン

Penduline Tit, ツリスガラ

Zitting Cisticola, セッカ

with each leg on a different leaf

Female Daurian Redstart, ジョウビタキ Puffed up her feathers to stay warm

Male Hen Harrier, ハイイロチュウヒ, chasing a flock of waterbirds over the mudflats

There were 2 Common Ringed Plovers, ハジロコチドリ, whose orange legs I could just make out in the distance. Thank you for showing me, C-san!

Last, the enticing sweeping flocks of mostly Dunlins across the mudflats 💗

The last stop on the last day of our winter holiday. Billie took us safely a fair 1100 km around Kyushu in 11 days. Saga was the perfect end of what was a wonderful trip for the 2 of us.

Imazu in December part 1

It is winter, but the sun is still warm during the day. The wintering ducks have all come; however, there are few on the mudflats. The small birds are few in number as well. I can hear Reed Buntings, I see them flying, but I have yet to see one perched in the reeds near the 2 ponds. Where is everybody?

A Cattle Egret, アマサギ in winter? Apparently

Ms. Kestrel, チョウゲンボウ

Zitting Cisticola, セッカ early in the morning

Chestnut-eared Bunting, ホオアカ up in a tree!

The local gang of Oriental Magpies, カササギ

After sunset: Eurasian Woodcock, ヤマシギ

The funny colors are from the big lights above the baseball field

2 Raccoon dogs, タヌキ enjoying themselves 

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?

Recent birds in the West

Mid September held a few surprises. Number 1:

Male Brown Shrike, シマアカモズ　　2nd time this year

Chestnut-cheeked Starling, コムクドリ

Zitting Cisticola, セッカ among Black-browed Reed Warbler, コヨシキリ and Middendorff's Grasshopper Warblers, シマセンユウ the only bird I managed to capture 😆

Young Common Kingfisher, カワセミ

After 100s of Black-tailed Gulls, ウミネコ a flock of 60 noisy young Black Kites, トビ, lots of Great Egrets, ダイサギ and Cormorants, カワウ -  FINALLY the Black-headed Gulls, ユリカモメ came to our harbor.

2 Black-headed Gulls, ユリカモメ and 1 Black-tailed Gull, ウミネコ 1st winter

Looking forward to see you more often!

The kindergarten of Black Kites, トビ

End of an era