Iroiro part 2

  Another day, another route

I received a message about Whiskered Terns, but when I arrived they were gone. Instead I saw a fox, wandering around at noon! キツネ

The only bird I stopped for was a Zitting Cisticola, セッカ

I wanted to see its fan-shaped tail. I saw it, but without a head 😖😖

Surprise! A Grass Lizard, カナヘビ with a double tail. After the original one was lost another one sprouted from the base.

I think this is the hairy caterpillar of a Maimaiga, マイマイガ (Gypsy Moth) but I'm not sure. It looks so melancholic with those eye-like markings

I was happy to find an Ikarimonga, イカリモンガ and waited for the morning sun to warm it up, but then it got eaten by a spider...

A big dragonfly again, サナエトンボ?

This day was the party day of many Small Copper, ベニシジミ butterflies

Iroiro part 1

 A selection of the Brown Hawk-owls, or Boobooks that have come to Fukuoka to breed. Well known among the birders. Can you recognize them?

Northern Boobook, アオバズク - 1st location. Sleeping most of the time this bird seems quite at ease 

Other sightings at this place were the fluffy hairy caterpillars of クスサン, Caligula japonica, the Japanese giant Silkworm

Another location. The following 2 photographs were taken at the same place

Sekkoku Orchid, セッコクラン

Green Pheasant, キジ

Number 3. An anxious looking bird. Keenly eyeing the magpies nearby

I hope they all will succeed in raising their kids

On the way back home: Common Map, イシガケチョウ

Small Green Flower Chafer, コアオハナムグリ

This one as well?

Big Dragonfly, maybe Yamasanae, ヤマサナエ

Kokulan Orchids, コクラン

No birds, but mushrooms

 I have wanted to see them for a long time. This year I got the chance. After climbing a lot of steps...        ....I finally found them!

ウスキキヌガサタケ

Phallus luteus is a species of fungus in the stinkhorn family.

And キヌガサタケ

Another Stinkhorn with various names, such as Bamboo Mushroom, Bamboo Pith, Long Net Stinkhorn, Crinoline Stinkhorn or Veiled Lady

While carrying my small lens, I also grabbed a red colored Longhorn beetle, ベニカミキリ

Back at the car another Longhorn welcomed me: Gomadara Kamikiri , ゴマダラカミキリ 

It is one of the most well-known species of longhorn beetle in Japan

It reminded me of another encounter...

Greater Painted-Snipe, タマシギ and some more

 Going east on a mission, I passed a field where I expected to see Lapwings. When I stopped there, I didn't see any lapwings, but there were 2 Painted Snipes

Male and female of Greater Painted-Snipe, タマシギ at the far end of a rice field. Fortunately, the rice plants were still small.

On the way back I dropped by again, hoping for better light conditions. I could not find the Painted Snipes anymore, but there was a Grey-headed Lapwing, ケリ...

Why are you all by yourself? Don't you have any chicks somewhere?

Young White Wagtails, ハクセキレイ - Fluffy and cute　

Calling loud, but difficult to locate was the Lesser Cuckoo, ホトトギス

Spring migration 2023

Lately birding has all been about hearing calls and songs, but seeing very little. I often went out and came back without any decent pictures How sad...

In the mountains I heard all the summer birds, but they seemed to stay high up in the canopy. Why? Weren't there enough bugs to eat down below? Even the chicks of Tits stayed up high.

Around Fukuoka I often took walks, mostly in Nishi-ku. Twice I heard the Ruddy Kingfisher, アカショウビン. It was calling in Imazu!

Also in Imazu: A Rufous hawk-cuckoo, ジュウイチ. Calling, calling, calling. I saw it for just 2 or 3 seconds.

Roaming the forests, I listened to Narcissus and Blue-and white flycatchers, Woodpeckers, tits and bulbuls. I frequently heard the Japanese Paradise Flycatchers, but managed to take only 1 so so ok photo. 

There was one big surprise: I saw the Fairy Pitta, ヤイロチョウ Right in front of me! It sat in a tree for just a short moment. I heard it coming and it came straight towards me. I briefly watched it, utterly astonished. It flew before I could point my camera. But it lifted my spirits and the sad feeling of seeing so few birds subsided for a moment.

Japanese Paradise Flycatcher, サンコウチョウ

Last year's lucky shot.

Oriental Stork, コウノトリ, breeding in Kyushu

 Last year they failed. I hope all goes well this time.

Photo's taken on May 26th.

May 26th, Oriental Stork, コウノトリ

3 Heads poking out of the nest

Changing of the guards

I didn't want to stay around that long and watched from a distance. The 3 chicks look already quite big.