Chiffchaff and others

 A cold but sunny day at the well-known location of the Chiffchaff. The bird was mostly absent, but halfway through the morning made an appearance across the water. The rest of the time was filled with watching other birds and talking to friends. I had a good day!

Chiffchaff, チフチャフ

Long-tailed Rosefinch, ベニマシコ male

female

Female Hen Harrier, ハイイロチュウヒ was flying all day long

Eastern Buzzard, ノスリ

Eurasian Sparrowhawk, ハイタカ

Black-faced Bunting or Masked Bunting, アオジ feasting on some spilled bait for wild pigs

 

Imazu follow-up

 After a dark grey and rainy tanchokai I went back briefly the next day, looking for what we had missed. There was just one Spotted Redshank and 2 Garganeys. The Buzzard was performing really well.

Spotted Redshank, ツルシギ

2 Garganeys, シマアジ 

Beautiful blond Eastern Buzzard, ノスリ

Was hanging around the area between the school and the 2 ponds most of the morning.

At one stage it flew right in front of me. Lucky!!

Also around: Northern Shoveler, ハシビロガモ (male)

Common Reed Bunting, オオジュリン in summer colors

Imazu tanchokai

March 3rd. The forecast was all wrong. It started raining around 9am and didn't stop till noon. Exactly the time we walked around our designated path. It was cold windy and wet, all the way. Some of us just marched down the embankment and back to the car. Like me. No wonder we missed the Garganeys and the Spotted Redshanks...

The most remarkable sight was the flock of 25 Grey Herons, アオサギ flying way up high in a formation-type pattern that none of us had ever seen before. 

They eventually landed on the mudflats, where others joined the group

The moment we were back at square 1 the weather cleared up a bit and small birds appeared

Common Reed Bunting, オオジュリン

The Spoonbills, Black-faced, クロツラヘラサギ on the right and Eurasian, ヘラサギ on the left with their springtime hair-do

A Common Kingfisher, カワセミ got its lunch

2 Chestnut-eared Buntings, ホオアカ were chasing each other

On the way back I spotted 2 Spotted Redshanks, ツルシギ deep asleep.

Or pretending to be

Winter birds

It's cold, it's wet and it's dark. This winter lasts too long. I hardly leave the warmth of our cabin when I don't have to. Is this also part of El Nino? 

Spoonbills are wandering around Imazu. This Black-faced SB, クロツラヘラサギ has a bunch of spring feathers on its head. We are heading in the right direction!

Impaled by a Shrike I suppose. The bird will eat it when supplies are thinning out. 

On a sunny day a big flock of Greater Scaups, スズガモ drifts by. 

Spot the odd one out

Not only Scaups. There is a Tufted, キンクロハジロ in there as well

Great Cormorants, カワウ are taking a break. There must have been 500 birds

Swimming up river, 2 male Red-breasted Mergansers, ウミアイサ

Isahaya in February part 5

 Last part about this place is about the Baikal Teals, トモエガモ They made the biggest impression on me, when I watched them flocking together, flying overhead, making the sound of an approaching windstorm. That was so spectacular, mind-blowing, awesome!!! 

Baikal Teals, トモエガモ😲

There is no place to observe them close by unless they venture up the river. Like these 3

Whooper Swans, オオハクチョウ, one with some kind of tracking device. Doesn't that bother him (or her)?

Every year a flock of Cranes come to spend the winter. This time there were maybe 100, mostly Hooded Cranes, ナベヅル. I didn't look for unusual markings; there are really not enough hours in a day. And, as it happened they all flew up when I walked around the fields. Did I come too close?

It was a great 3-day weekend. The weather was good on the 1st and 3rd day. The rain that was forecasted for the 2nd day did not come, so we were able to continue as usual. temperatures were freezing early in the morning, but up to 12C later on.