6 April 2011

They came...........


A beautiful spring day in Hakodate saw me getting up very early to locate a small flock of Crossbill which I had found yesterday in Goryokaku Park. I got up to watch the second half of Real Madrid v Spurs and after the 3rd goal went in I'd had enough so off I went outside just as the sun was coming up.

The Crossbills have finally arrived back in town after an absence of more than 2 years. Unfortunately Goryokaku park isn't the best place in which to photograph them as the pine trees there are very tall, these pics where when the flock flew down to nibble on some cherry buds. Not the best Crossbill shots I've managed, I hope they stick around for a couple of weeks, or better still others join them.


I was spoiled 2 years ago when there were several flocks in town including ones in parks with low trees. Also that winter they stuck around for ages exhausting the pine seed crop and ending up having to feed on fallen pinecones on the ground. This probably won't happen this year...........



I hope these or others visit the small park near my flat (which is usually very quiet and also has low trees and lots of pinecones on the ground).

And here's an uncropped one in the distance, the building behind is Goryokaku Tower, well known local eyesore.


Lots of stuff in the park this morning. Flocks of Siskin, Brambling and Hawfinch, lots of Coal Tit and Dusky Thrush, Great Spotted and Grey Headed Woodpeckers. Yesterday there were 3 Pochard on the moat. After breakfast I went on a long walk to check out the sea and local harbours (nothing doing there at all) and to check a couple of other possible Crossbill spots (nothing doing there either, just more Siskin and Brambling).

The electioneering is getting noisier and noisier, only another 4 days of it.

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8 comments:

  1. Great colours. I'm still yet to see a crossbill. Things would appear peaceful if not for the elections.

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  2. Hi Stu, Two years is a long time. What cause such a long spell?

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  3. Hi Amila, dunno, I guess it depends on weather across the whole region, food supply, previous summer's breeding success.........lots of factors I suppose.

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  4. Good to get shots of Crossbill Stu, impossible around here I think.

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  5. Nice photos.
    Common Crossbills come to Hokkaido Univ.
    But they are too long distance to take photo enough...

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  6. Finally we can see your crossbill shots again! I don't think there's a record around here. All I see are siskins, greenfinches and hawfinches.

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  7. Handsome Crossbills in strong light... must have been a great sight.

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