On Monday afternoon we were in Onuma and Sawara................
Quite a lot of birds around but photowise it wasn't really happening.
No Gyrflacon ast Sawara this winter but there was a Goshawk feeding on a gull in the grass...............
At Onuma the snow was too deep to go into the forest, I couldn't get close to several active Black Woodpeckers..............one of 5 woodpecker species around today.
The usual tame birds were around..............
Also around near Hakodate were Whooper Swan (with a lone Bean Goose) in the ricefields.
Near my apartment today were Varied Tit, Daurian Redstart, Brambling, Kingfisher and Hawfinch. Yesterday at Onuma the first Great Cormorant of the year were present. Spring is starting.
The black woodpeckers show up well against the snow. They are quite striking!
ReplyDeleteJust wish they were closer..................!
DeleteWOW! 5 species of Woodpecker in 1 day. Like the shots of the Black one.
ReplyDeleteYes sometimes it's possible to see all 5 in a day, there are 2 more in Hokkaido but one is very scarce and the other is extremely rare...............and neither of them down here in the southwest.
DeleteMore happening than here, Stu. The Black Woody certainly is cool.
ReplyDeleteHi Russell, things are slowly moving, at least spring will hit soon where you are.
DeleteWaders starting to move through here, now. I really like the subtle colours of the Goshawk-in-the-long-grass shot.
ReplyDeleteHi John, actually it was pretty well camoflaged: I didn't notice it for a while...........
DeleteWell for me it would be good to see a Goshawk, never mind to actually photograph one. Black Woodpecker I think I might kill to be in at any action like that.
ReplyDeleteHi Phil, I've never seen a Goshawk in the UK, only here in Japan and Black Woodpeckers still always seem exotic to me even though they are quite widespread in Hokkaido.............
DeleteAny sighting of a Goshawk is cause for celebration in my book. Black Woodpecker was one of the birds I most wanted to see in Spain last year, but the guide we hired for a couple of days failed to deliver!
ReplyDeleteI've only ever seen one in Europe, in Bavaria when i was working in Munich many years ago. They are apparently spreading their range though. They haven't crossed the English Channel yet AFAIK....................
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