A short trip

One of many Black Browed Reed Warblers from our weekend away.

We went up to Noboribetsu for just the 1 night, this is a hot spring resort about 3 or 4 hours drive from Hakodate. It's an OK place but a bit of a tourist trap with all the tackiness that entails.



We stopped at Yakumo both ways. Black Browed Reed Warblers were abundant here.







Also around were all the common stuff plus a lone Tern. On first impressions it was probably just the eastern race of Common Tern but Terns of any species are scarce around here (and normally only occur on passage so one at the end of June was unusual). I got some crappy record shots, I saw a Caspian Tern 3 years ago (before my DSLR days so no pics) which was apparently a first for Hokkaido but of course I had no evidence so I wasn't taking any chances this time though, I'll check it out later on my computer at 200% size to confirm ID. The only half decent BIF shot was this Black Kite.



Further up the coast we explored the wetlands (which weren't wet at all) near Oshamanbe. I'd never been here before but they looked pretty good. Common and Oriental Cuckoos, Black Browed Reed and Oriental Warblers, Stonechats, Chestnut Eared Buntings and Bullheaded Shrikes were everywhere and there were also several of these. Lathams Snipe, a bird with one of the strangest calls you'll ever hear.



And here's a male Long Tailed Rosefinch. I call these type of shots 'bird in habitat' ones (as opposed to 'tiny image of out of focus bird' ones).



We also heard lots of Grays Grasshopper Warblers, an impossible bird to find in the undergrowth. It has a cheeky little song but no songflight and it doesn't sing atop bushes either. It has a very similar call to the Little Cuckoo, another bird we heard but couldn't see........

It was pretty hot, by far the warmest weather of the year so far. With it being the weekend the hotel we stayed at was pretty full. I took a hot spring bath before it got too busy and then got drunk in the hotel room in the afternoon before eating way too much at the buffet and then passing out about 9pm............a good night then.

Here are a couple of crappy snaps from the Noboribetsu area......





And we got back to Hakodate just as the sun was going down.........



The construction work nearby continues, it looks like we're getting a new 2 storey apartment block in the vacant land next to our building. This will mean lots and lots of noise and inconvenience for 3 months. I work from home so I notice this kind of stuff, if I was an office drone leaving the house at 8am and getting home after 6pm I wouldn't even notice it but because of my lazy self employed 'lifestyle' I'm going to have to listen to every bang, clank, buzz and whirr. F***ing hell. I'll have to find some new stuff for the ipod and buy a decent cooler so I can shut the windows when I have to work..............

I'm starved of sports, can't wait for the Ashes to begin. At least England should still be in the series until the football season starts..................

Bird photography is just about over until the waders pass through at the end of August. I may get some young Night Heron shots or some more Reed Warblers at Yunokawa in the next week or 2 but apart from that there's nothing much around............

I can borrow my wife's macro lens and try to get some bug shots though. It'll make a nice change from walking around with the big 400mm at least.

Devil's Brew

I'm in a hotel in Noboribetsu drinking the local beer.Hope the photo is the right way up.

Red Cheeked Starlings

 

Not much to report in Hakodate this last week, the weather improved at last though. The Red Cheeked starlings were busy on the river feeding the young which have just left the nest.

 

Most of the action was deep inside the bushes but occasionally they sat out in the open.

 

 

Family groups of Grey Wagtails appeared a couple of days ago, they bred further upstream but move downstream after they've fledged. the Shrike family are also busy but no more grisly sparrow hunting for me to photograph.........

Midsummer in the ricefields..........

A Siberian Stonechat at Ono this afternoon.



The sun finally came out today (and I even got a nasty sunburn on my neck) and we headed out to Onuma and after that the ricefields in Ono. Lots of activity in the padis, lots of young birds and singing adults. Night Herons were everywhere feasting on the frogs and tadpoles, Skylarks were abundant, Chestnut Eared Buntings were singing from the fenceposts, Swallows and Asian House Martins were swooping low over the water and family groups Siberian Stonechats were all over the place.





This tame but bedraggled looking male was star of the day...........









Black Browed Reed Warblers occupied very patch of long grass............a shame that I couldn't get a clear shot all afternoon........





Oriental Reed Warblers were even more numerous.........



And here's a boring pic of a bird I don't get to photograph so often, a female Reed Bunting.......



Earlier we were at Onuma, I got my first mosquito bites of the summer. Not much here. There were birds in the forest but now it's so lush and overgrown they're difficult to find. Lots of Narcissus Flycatcher singing, we heard a Black Woodpecker and I got this so-so shot of a Moorhen in amongst the lotus..........





I spent a frustrating night trying to watch the Lions game on P2P last night. I have to watch this type of stuff on a Windows system alas. Sopcast doesn't seem to work on IE8 and the usually reliable JustinTV seems to be pay per view now..........

Tuesday is the 10th anniversary of my arrival in Japan. My God. I can't believe it's been 10 years. I arrived as a slightly jaded 30 year old and spent the first 4 months in a boring small town about 2 hours north of Tokyo. It was stinking hot and I wondered what I had let myself in for. Things improved when I moved to Hokkaido though........

10 years ago! That was when the internet was still a bit of a novelty (well it was to me anyway). I was single, a heavy smoker and drinker, in debt and still living life as if everything was temporary, nothing had changed since I'd left university. I had no interest in photography and was a partially lapsed birder. Man U were the top team in England and Europe, Liverpool were good but always second or third best. I still cared about music and fashion. I wasn't overweight.

I'm going to crack open a beer (note use of the singular) and think what else has changed since then..............and what hasn't.

A week around my neighbourhood

An adult Black Crowned Night Heron and a Bullheaded Shrike killing a Tree Sparrow........

Still cloudy every day and as I've been feeling a little unwell this week I just spent my free time checking out the local neighbourhood.

The breeding season is well underway and adults are busily feed ing youngsters everywhere. The young Bullheaded Shrikes and Red Cheeked Starlings have both left their nests......





The adults hang around making sure I'm not up to no good......



And the parents have been bringing food........





The Shrike caught and killed the Tree Sparrow and a a couple of minutes later flew off with the bloody head of its prey in its mouth..........

The Red Cheeked Starlings weren't quite as gruesome......





Whilst checking out some Kingfishers (no pics alas) I noticed this adult Black Crowned Night Heron standing next to the river........



It moved around a little and I shot it from a couple of different angles......





Unfortunately when it actually caught a fish f**kwit here was checking his camera settings and missed his chance.........this is just after it swallowed..........



Will the sun come out soon? I hope so, it's been the gloomiest June I can recall (and I've been here for ten of them).

I've been watching 'Blakes 7' this last week, I just have the very last episode to watch tonight (the one where Avon kills Blake). I suppose the last (and only) time I watched it was when it was originally aired back in the early 80's.

I got buzzed by a Large Billed Crow the other day. They get very aggressive in the breeding season when you walk near their nest. Pairs perch atop houses on either side of the river and call warnings to each other, if you take your eyes off them down they swoop to let you know you're not welcome..............

Erm, yet another rainy Sunday in Hokkaido.

One of several Black Browed Reed Warblers at Ono this afternoon. One of my fave summer birds, they're a little bit shy but not as cowardly as their much bigger and noisier relatives, Oriental Reed Warblers.

I still couldn't get really close though.......







Lots of activity in the ricefields, Chestnut Eared Buntings, Night Herons, Lathams Snipes...........and lots and lots of Stonechats. the ones I've been photographing a lot recently have had a new addition to the family.





And here's a baby White Wagtail...........



Not much to report from town, the common birds are still common. The Red Cheeked Starlings are very active and the first young should be leaving the nest this week.....



And ditto the Bullheaded Shrikes.......



I'll stop moaning about the weather and moan about a new topic instead. This..........



The City Hall employs a small army of men to cut the grass in town. I admit the grass does grow very quickly here in summer but these guys have become the bane of my life. See that thing he's using to cut the grass? That's something to trim the edges right? Or perhaps to get in those little nooks and crannies where a regular lawnmower can't reach? Then why the hell do they use them to cut a whole field? I could put up with the noise for the hour or so it would take (with a normal lawnmower) to cut the waste ground next to my apartment building. But it took two whole days for this clown to do it. Two days of whirring buzzing noise.

I don't think Japan is a 'let's get things done' society. Rather it's a 'let's find something to keep us all occupied' society. Efficiency is not important as long as everyone is seen to be working hard. This method of cutting the grass ticks all the right boxes in Japan. Someone is seen to be working hard (even if the task is ridiculous) and they're being as noisy as hell about it too just in case nobody noticed he was working hard in the firs place.

Imagine a factory. The manager realizes the floor needs to be swept. He could give the job to a professional floor sweeper with a big brush who could do it in an hour or so or he could give the job to a dozen other guys with toothbrushes. He tells them to get their toothbrushes ready and says it's OK to take a few days about it. That factory is every City Hall in Japan.

Why do I get annoyed about this? Because I have to listen to that f**king machine (what is it called, a Strimmer or something?) from 8.30am to 5pm.

You can tell I'm bored.

So England look like they can book their hotels in South Africa. I'm happy Ronaldo is on his way, never liked the smarmy little ba*tard anyway.

I hope the weather improves. If not, i'll have to find something else to moan about. That new noisy as hell construction project just round the corner will probably fit the bill..........