Winter Staples

A Varied Tit at Onuma yesterday morning. We stopped en route to Yakumo and the tame Tits and Nuthatches were present and provided good photo opps in the morning light.

The Varied Tits were joined by Nuthatch and Marsh Tit.

The forest was full of all the usual resident species. Black Woodpecker was the most interesting but I couldn't get a decent photo. Although there was some snow on the ground the lake remains ice-free and there were various common ducks scattered around including flocks of Goosander and a few Goldeneye.

Varied Tits are pretty photogenic it has to be said.

The local Red Foxes look a lot better in winter than summer.........

We then headed up to Yakumo to  find some eagles. We stayed in a hot spring hotel deep in the mountains so we had plenty of time. The first day saw us arrive in great weather but the eagles weren't very approachable and tended to stay up in the skies.........like this adult White Tailed Eagle.

There seemed to be about 40-50 individuals of both species present. Most of the Stellers Sea eagles were adults. They were either high overhead up in the trees in places it was impossible to stop or approach. I walked over a slushy field to get a closer view of some (this will be impossible in a week or 2 when the first heavy snow hits).............

I have some better eagle shots i'll post in a day or 2.

Also around at Yakumo upstream with the eagles were several Crested Kingfisher, Brown Dipper, Japanese Wagtail as well as common woodland stuff and winter ducks. Lots of Black Kites too which fly much closer than the eagles...........

Not much at the river mouth, a few Great Egret..............

F**k up of the week: I accidentally washed my wallet. It was in my pants pocket and i forgot to remove it fwhen I washed said pants in the washing machine. Oops. I now have a very clean but soggy ¥13000 and even cleaner credit cards. It could have been worse: the money will dry out and the cards seem to have come through unscathed.

The hotel we stayed in was pretty basic but in a great location. The room didn't have a fridge but it was cold enough on the windowsill to keep the beer drinkable. The food was also very basic but OK. After 10 years here though the words 'Japanese Breakfast' fill me with dread. I ate several fish heads at dinner and they were much better than I could possibly have expected.

Liverpool were poor against Man City and after they get knocked out of the Champions League the 2009/10 season is shaping up to be the worst in a long long time..........can Rafa confound us all and actually buy a decent player in the January transfer window?