Every year at the end of August a small number of waders pass through Hakodate. Other places in Japan get many more waders than we do here in south Hokkaido but it's still one of the highlights of the birding year I guess.
Red Necked Stints are by far the most numerous and a couple of days ago there were seven at Kamiso in the company of 1 Terek Sandpiper and several Common Sandpiper. The weather has been truly awful the last week or so with grey grey skies, humid muggy days, terrible weather for photos of fast moving shorebirds. These were the best I could manage of the Stints.
The Terek Sandpiper was even worse.
Last year there was a huge influx of Red Necked Stints as well as various other wader species, hopefully in the next 10 days or so I can get some decent pics.
We went to all the nearby wader haunts today (much brighter weather) but there was nothing. Only a few Common Sandpipers scattered around the beaches and all I got at Onuma were 3 huge mozzie bites.
The second year Glaucous Gull was still around at Kamiso. Last Wednesday there were 60-70 (!) Night Herons at Kamiso but they are a skittish bunch, the individual below was taken near my flat instead.
So that's summer almost done then. Bit of a quiet one. I'm completely indifferent about Liverpool this season and am steeling myself for the torture of enduring England's upcoming trip to Croatia. When I was a small boy I used to 'support' Carlisle Utd (the team for my birthplace). Perhaps I should go back to the fold. Third in League 1 this weekend I see. Plus who's cooler, Jimmy Glass or the likes of Frank Lampard/Dirk Kuyt?
I watched 'Tropic Thunder' last week which was pretty funny and have started watching 'The New World' which is............kind of slow.
OK I'm off to scratch my mosquito bites.
If its any consolation its dull and wet in London too.
ReplyDeleteAfter a fine day on Saturday Meg & I were up early to join an advertised birdwatch in our local Alexandra Palace Park. And on the basis that its good to know your local patch turned up with (much to the local expert's surprise) a mixed bag of 50 persons.
But the a mist had arrived, followed by rain - so we could see very little and could only hear about all the birds this fan had spotted over the last 20 years!
Big changes at Man City as I am sure you will learn - new owners and new big signing.....Cheers
Hi Stu. I'm not a Dad yet but not long to go. I enjoy reading your blog - keep up the good work! Mad times in the premiership...
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