Goldeneye, ホオジロガモ

  Just one bird as far as I could see in the mouth of the river. Moving up and down, not coming any closer. The light was not too bad, the golden eye stood out, but I would have liked to see the green colors as well.

Male Ferruginous Duck, メジロガモ♂ and Baikal Teals, トモエガモ

It finally has become cold. People stay inside in their warm rooms. Birds fly and seem to enjoy it. Me, I hang in there somewhere in between.

On this dark grey day I went out and had a good time bird-watching, but my  photos are the pits 😒😒😒😒😒 I had to call on the photo doctor to create this image that singels out the Ferruginous Duck, メジロガモ so you can actually see it:

Normally it would look like this

The 10 Baikal Teals, トモエガモ were a little easier on me, but not much

The 5 Smews, ミコアイサ  were there as well, just so far away...

Other birds that could be counted for: Eastern Buzzard, ノスリ

15 Shelducks, ツクシガモ in the sky

A pretty female Kestrel, チョウゲンボウ

The Buzzard, ノスリ again

Brown Booby, カツオドリ in Hakata Bay

It was a grey winter day, when I received a message about a Boobie in the Bay. Despite the rain clouds I took the bino's and camera on my brisk walk along the beach. Something I normally don't do, because I end up spending more time skimming the sky than burning calories. But this time it worked out OK. I saw the Boobie and did most of my my exercises. And I didn't get too cold. Dangerous; this might cause bad habits!

One bird was flying between Hakata Port and Imajuku's coastline. It covered great distances in no time. Was it hungry? desperately looking for food? I saw it diving just a few times. Maybe there is not enough fish in the bay.

About 100m from the beach were 2 Black-necked Grebes, ハジロカイツブリ

Too far to see their red eyes.

A Common Sandpiper, イソシギ skirting the waves

Followed by a Kentish Plover, シロチドリ

My neighbor the Blue Rock Thrush, イソヒヨドリ looking out while the fishing boats returned to the harbor

Drying its wings, a Great Cormorant, カワウ

Grey Buntings, クロジ

I was hoping to see some Elegant / Yellow-throated Buntings, but they were very much absent. Was it too early in the year? Or too warm? What I had not expected were all these Grey Buntings, クロジ hopping in and out of the dark bush.

 

Finally, a few km further south I found a small flock. They took off right away, I just managed 2 shots

Yellow-throated Bunting, ミヤマホオジロ