End of Golden Week

A male Blue and White Flycatcher on the river near my apartment yesterday. That branch is a tad annoying..............

Golden week (the major spring holiday week in Japan) has just finished, it is always great for birding as it co-incides with the arrival of lots of migrants from the south............

Yesterday was particularly good, in addition to the flycatcher there was a male Siberian Rubythroat, several Red Flanked Bluetails, a female Japanese Thrush, several Eastern Crowned Warblers and a flock of Russet Sparrows.

This is a common summer visitor to Onuma but I very rarely see them in Hakodate. Surprise of the day was another small flock of Japanese Waxwing. they look a bit odd with no snow or red berries anywhere.

Commoner migrants included Japanese Bush Warbler and several groups of Japanese White-eye.

Shame I couldn't get them in the cherry blossoms............

Lots of Red Cheeked Starlings around now. These are one of the summer staples, unlike the above birds they aren't just passing through town, they'll be here all summer.

And here's an Oriental Greenfinch, a very common local bird but I think this is the first halfway decent shot I've managed of one............

Very nice light yesterday as you can see. Today was hazier (and now, this evening, it's p***ing down with rain). Not many migrants present this morning, a few Dusky Thrush and Hawfinch remain and I saw my first Oriental Reed Warbler of the year.

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