Yesterday we were on the west coast.......................
There's a location I've earmarked as a potential migrant hotspot and although it is 3 or so weeks too early we checked it out. There were a few birds about already though.
2 or 3 Red Flanked Bluetails kept us occupied for an hour or so.............
This is one of my favourite species but is tricky to photograph as we only see them up here on passage when they are very active and constantly flitting in and out of the shadows and bushes.
In the same clump of bushes were Rustic Bunting, Yellow Throated Bunting and this male Daurian Redstart.
Sunshine, rain, snow, hail and strong NW winds made it an odd sort of day. Nothing much at Onuma (a few Siskin and the usual common stuff) or at Kamiiso (Goshawk). Osprey and Slavonian Grebe were near Kikonai, Little Ringed Plover at Esashi.............
Some cracking shots there Stu, especially that second one with lots of detail.
ReplyDeleteThanks Phil..........
DeleteFantastic images Stuart.
ReplyDeleteThanks Margaret
DeleteAh, so that's where our wintering Bluetails and Redstarts have gone!
ReplyDeleteYes they're flitting around the bushes a bit to the northeast in the sleet and hail..........
DeleteWonderful little birds. Makes me even more anxious to get this cold snap over and done with. It is forecast to hit seventeen by the weekend so will be out searching for migrants.
ReplyDeleteThanks David...........
DeleteTwo birds that I managed to see in Japan last time even if they didn't look quite as good in winter. Very nice captures.
ReplyDeleteThanks, 2 pretty common but enigmatic birds........
Delete