Imazu update, Oct 10th, part 1

This weekend I intended to go look for raptors, and on Saturday I went op the hill overlooking the Imazu estuary. I had not been there for a while and I was surprised how tall the trees had become! Maybe this is not such a good location anymore. There were no other people, but a social Badger kept me company for a while. I didn't see any hawks and very few other birds

Japanese Badger, アナグマ

Down to the fields, where the rice was being harvested. Egrets and  Kites were having a party with all the locusts and frogs up for grabs

Black Kites, トビ

Juvenile acting cute

The young and misbehaving Magpies were present as well.

Oriental Magpie, カササギ

It's so nice to have them in that blue autumn sky!

The noisiest birds are the Shrikes at the moment. There are at least 12 birds and they are so busy creating their territories, they forget all about me.

Young female Bull-headed Shrike, モズ

It felt like summer, temperatures were above 30C during the day. But this might be the last week

October in the harbor: Sanderlings, ミユビシギ 1

About 100 Sanderlings have come. The head of their jetty isn't big enough anymore. My first visit on a bit of a cloudy day.

A few reddish spots on the breast, left-overs from their summer plumage.

Among them were about 12 Dunlins, ハマシギ

I wonder, will they all stay?

Watching from above a Vega Gull, セグロカモメ Just a few still. They are replacing the Black-tailed Gulls.

Black-tailed Gull, ウミネコ with a hint of a smile, keeping the secret of his next destination to himself

Small stuff

A warm autumn day in the mountains of Saga. It's less than an hour's drive, yet it seems another world.

Akebonosou, アケボノソウ  (Swertia bimaculata)

Kitombo, キトンボ  (Sympetrum croceolum)

Nodake, ノダケ (Angelica decursiva)  I just got lucky with the bee

Tsuruninjin, ツルニンジン the Asian Bonnet Bellflower

A Burnt-spot Hummingbird Hawkmoth, ホシホウジャク  at Sawagikyou Lobelia, サワギキョウ

At another mountain, closer to home: Chestnut tiger (アサギマダラ)

Why do you look so sad ?

Japanese Oakblue, ムラサキシジミ

Large-billed crows (ハシブトガラス) entertainment

1st Sunday in October

Early in the morning a lot of small birds were active.

 Zitting Cisticola, セッカ with a bug (spider?) for breakfast

I'm hiding😉!

Stejneger's Stonechat, ノビタキ a few more than 2 days before

Common Snipe, タシギ on a dried up rice-paddy One of many

And a very quiet Oriental Reed Warbler, オオヨシキリ

I thought I should catch up on warblers, but din't get any more then these. Where are all those Grasshopper Warblers???

The meeting of WBSJ was well attended. Ofcourse we all wore mouthcaps and tried to keep a social distance. In Japan this is usually not a problem. People don't touch each other generally. There were no real surprises, though the talk of the sighting of a Vulture nearby had everybody kind of excited. And there was that moment of a diving duck, as small as a Gargany but with markings of a Spot Bill. Hey, What's that? 

Afterwards at Izumi River. The Chinese Egret, カシラサギ was still scuttering on the mudflats...

...chased by resident Small Egrets, コサギ as before

4 Terns on the wires. 3 Had the black cap markings, 1 had a bit of an ear patch. If only...

But no, all were Whiskered Terns, クロハラアジサシ

Stonechats, ducks and a Godwit ノビタキ、カモ、オオソリハシシギ

 It's October, most of the Corona restrictions have been lifted and we are free to go out! I felt like celebrating and went out to the fields in pursuit of new arrivals. At the 2 ponds I encountered the first ducks: 

Eurasian Wigeon, ヒドリガモ (5) and Eurasian Teal, コガモ (2)

On the other side of the river were 5 Stejneger's Stonechats, ノビタキ

Still very skitterish

At the mudflats: Some more ducks: Northern Pintail, オナガガモ (also 5)

And about 9 Wigeons, ヒドリガモ many in eclipse

Several Terek Sandpipers, ソリハシシギ were still running up and down the dry patches

And in the middle of it all was 1 Bar-tailed Godwit, オオソリハシシギ

A good start of the 4th quarter of the year