American Wigeon, アメリカヒドリ(hybrid)

A few days later I checked out the lakes to see if the Scoter was there, but no luck. The Baikal Teals had left, but the female Smew was still cruising happily along the reeds. The Wigeons were on an outing across the road and I got to see the American a bit closer by

American Wigeon, アメリカヒドリ(hybrid)

At the creek the Night herons come and go. Sometimes I don't see any, this day there were 8 birds, 5 juveniles and 3 adults. All fast asleep of cours

3 Black-crowned Night Heron, ゴイサギ 

Lady Bull-headed Shrike, モズ with her big breakfast

Baikal Teal, トモエガモ again, American Wigeon, アメリカヒドリ(hybrid)

I went to look for the Velvet Scoter that had been seen in Imazu with some birding friends, but we could not find it. The Baikal Teals however darted in and out of the reeds at the far back. There were about 10 birds, male and female

2 male Baikal Teals, トモエガモ

Much smaller than the Mallards, マガモ

♀Baikal Teal, トモエガモ

Still around, just 1 ♀ Smew, ミコアイサ

With ♀  Greater Scaup, スズガモ

 In the same lake: American Wigeon, アメリカヒドリ(hybrid)

Low tide at the mudflats: Northern Lapwing, タゲリ

Common Sandpiper, イソシギ

Baikal Teal, トモエガモ

Feeding on he low tide and taking a short nap before moving on, 9 birds, all males. Where were the ladies?

The duck scene: Many Mallards, Wigeons (Eurasian), Northern Pintails and Spot-billed Ducks, some Common Teals, Falcated Ducks, Gadwalls and Northern Shovelers.  

A different looking Pintail with a copper brownish breast. A hybrid?

 A little further out: Red-breasted Merganser, ウミアイサ - 7 birds

Buntings and a little surprise

The Buntings were everywhere in this calm day in the first week of December. Sometimes I get kind of depressed walking around Imazu, when there isn't much going on and I see yet another bit of land being cleared for buildings. I keep on thinking about the old days and what it must have been like before they put those big fences up, before I started coming here. But this day was good. It encouraged me to keep on checking 'my' points. 

Chestnut-eared Bunting, ホオアカ

Male Meadow Bunting, ホオジロ

Female Meadow Bunting, ホオジロ

Black-faced Bunting, アオジ and its friend of the day, Common Sandpiper, イソシギ

I was looking out for another bird, the Rustic Bunting, when there was some movement in the reed and instead of another bunting this little fellow appeared briefly. That fan-shaped tail must belong to the bird that I used to know as Fan-tailed Warbler, but now is called Zitting Cisticola, セッカ

Zitting Cisticola in winter plumage, セッカの冬羽 Surprise!

The Common Magpies, カササギ

 were as cheeky as usual and one flew in front of my lens. 

Then there was this place where at least a hundred Sparrows landed, all busy digging in this stuff that looked like saw dust. Eurasian Tree Sparrow, スズメ

What is this stuff? Fodder? Food for pigs?

Remember the 3 Mute Swans,コブハクチョウ? Well, They left briefly and 2 came back. So now there are just these. Does the one in front look a little more mature? Would it be parent and child? I'm not much of a birder. When there were 3 I saw the distinct difference in face between the adult and juveniles. Not paying much attention to them recently I lost track...

In front is a Eurasian Coot, オオバン

The Grey Wagtail, キセキレイwhich is called yellow in Japanese, chased off by a White Wagtail, ハクセキレイ

Farewell from our winter guest the female Hen Harrier, ハイイロチュウヒ

• 

• 
  

Common Starling, ホシムクドリ

A small flock is roaming the Imazu area. On sunny days they look magnificent! Iridescent green, blue, purple dotted with little pale stars. Properly named as Starlings.

Common Starling, ホシムクドリ

Last days of November

It was raining, but I decided to go out to the fields anyway. Soon the female Hen Harrier, ハイイロチュウヒ ♀ flew by.

Another raptor appeared. Eastern Buzzard, ノスリ. They observed each other for a while, circled around each other and then went different ways.

The small birds had all gone into hiding, but after a while a Chestnut-eared Bunting, ホオアカ came to perch on the seeding Golden Rod.

A flock of Oriental Greenfinches, カワラヒワ acting like leaves in 'their' tree.

There were quite a number of Thrushes around, mostly Dusky, but also Pale Thrush, シロハラ

Most emphatically present were the hundreds of Rooks, ミヤマガラス. No pandas in there