What's happening in West Fukuoka - 1

Back to the birds. While reports of all kinds of exotic birds in various places in Kyushu keep coming in, I keep an eye on our own area in West Fukuoka.
The news about the Long-tailed Shrike is spreading and in the weekends many people gather there. The cheeky bird plays a difficult game with them!

Long-tailed Shrike, タカサゴモズ

Another bird in the same area, often seen together: Eurasian Wryneck, アリスイ

Later, in the very same tree 2 of the 6 local Magpies, カササギ quarreling as usual

A group of Zitting Cysticola, セッカ family had me fooled. They made soft babbling noises that didn't sound like their usual "chin chin chin" or "chat chat chat" at all

Ducks are arriving. Some of the first winter visitors: Common Pochard, ホシハジロ

Rice 2

More of the same stuff as previous post. Scenery, rice farming, flowers, insects and wonderful people!

Cosmos, コスモス

 

 

Left one of many colorful caterpillars that I don't have a name for. Right a Japanese Patanga, ツチイナゴ

Red Spider Lily or Higambana, 彼岸花

                                                      Chinese fever vine, ヘクソカズラ left

and Sweet Autumn Clematis, センンソウ right

Rice 1

The rice is ripe and the fields are that golden color green; the pattern of terraces stand out It's beautiful at Hachimandake. (Saga pref)

Ready to be harvested

The whole family pitches in

 

Lining the fields and stone walls: Red Spider Lily or Higambana, 彼岸花

The place teems with caterpillars and butterflies, like the Common Glider, コミスジ

East Asian Arrowroot, クズの花

Asiatic Dayflower, ツユクサ、

And yes, there are snakes. But we saw only one

Welcome back, Long-tailed Shrike, タカサゴモズ

October 1st, the day after typhoon nr 24. It was still quite windy and in the morning we had a few rain showers. I drove to the fields in the west, toured the familiar places and found today's surprise:

Long-tailed Shrike, タカサゴモズ

I thought it looked rather pretty and mature in the dark trees. But now on the PC it is a bit scruffy.

Like before?

 I remember seeing that roughed up tail last year. Is it a sign of moulting?

2 Siberian Stonechats, ノビタキ

Far Eastern Curlew, ホウロクシギ (2 of 6) and a Bar-tailed Godwit, オオソリハシシギ

Bar-tailed Godwit, オオソリハシシギ (3)