Escaping the heat in Saga and Itoshima

With no birds of interest to publish I decided on a photo report of a one day trip with customers: 2 nature loving people from Europe wanted to see the Japanese country side. Jaap had taken them to Raizan and the temples there a few days earlier. This time we visited Shiraito, Nanayama and Itoshima.
First some rice field art in Imajuku

Shiraito waterfall, Itoshima

Fujicho in Saga

Nanayama swamp

Hosta Sieboldii, コバギボウシ　White Egret orchid, サギソウ

Conocephalus gladiatus, オナガササキリ fem

Scarlet Dwarf, ハッチョウトンボ male

Japanese Tree frog, アマガエル

Tripterospermum Japonicum、ツルリンドウ

Akane Darter, アカネトンボ

It feels so good to share these sights with other people who care about the environment and love nature. I would like the bond it creates to extend beyond our world

Japanese Brown frog, ニホンアカガエル

Copera Annulata, モノサシトンボ

After a meal of thick fat yummy udon noodles we drove back along the coast of Itoshima and dropped by the local salt factory

 

While the others admired the view from the  hill I couldn't tear myself away from these hoppers, who all wanted to sit on the same leaf :-)  オンブバッタ

At the end of the day we all felt privileged to have seen this together and knowing that we made friends again who we would like to keep in touch with

Atagohama fireworks, the last of this summer?

Geared up we walked the 500 m to 'our' beach and stood on a wall among our neighbors to watch another amazing display with lots of Oohs, Aahs and applause. All was well. Even the heavy rain that teased the whole country skipped Fukuoka.

Oops, raindrops on my lens

The END of Obon

Imajuku hanabi

The 3rd session this year, this time with a friendly crowd squashed on a balcony. No tripod :-(

Birds in the harbor, Sanderlings、ミユビシギ

Welcome back to Fukuoka! Glad to see you all here again!

Partly dressed in summer feathers, with fading orange around the throat and an orange/black/grey pattern on the back, they remind me of the stints. But they act quite different and they come to spend the winter on a dock.

 About 36 in total

Some already pale with a white face for the winter

Many young Black-tailed Gulls, ウミネコ have come in, too

It:s nice to see the different generations side by side. It makes an opportunity to study them so it will be easier to identify them in mixed flocks later on.

Migrators: Ruddy Turnstone, キョウジョウシギ etc

The news said autumn has started. Unbelievable, in this heat. It feels more like mid summer. But the mornings and evenings seem cooler and some waders have arrived at the mudflats of Imazu. Checked out from the bridge during high tide:

Ruddy Turnstone, キョウジョウシギ

Whimbrel, チュウシャクシギ

Grey-tailed Tattler, キアシシギ

More fireworks: Ohorikoen.

Thanks to a friend I got the chance to see the show from the top of a nearby office building. So I arrived armed with my usual gear and was instantly confronted with a high wall. I was just able to look over the rim. That wouldn't do I thought, so with help I climbed on a ridge. Suddenly the whole scene 9 floors below me: the crowd, the traffic, the lights got hold of me. Wow! This was scary!!! I grabbed the wall with both hands and slowly adjusted myself. After a few minutes I felt comfortable enough to let go of one hand and I grabbed the camera. I placed it in front of me, on the wall and started shooting. Not being able to look through the viewfinder (grateful for my swiveling screen!) nor stepping down to go get a torch, a drink, a bite I just hung in there - literally - for 90 minutes....