31 January 2018

28 January 2018

A grey Sunday in the port...........


Sunday afternoon was grey and snowy again...............


On this day (January 28th)......................


January 28th 2009.

A Spectacled Guillemot in one of the local ports 9 years ago today. I've only ever seen this species twice in south Hokkaido although they do breed further north and east.

22 January 2018

21 January 2018

Another Sunday out east..............


On a bitterly cold Sunday we headed east of town again.................


On this day (January 21st)....................


January 21st 2011.

A Lapland Bunting on a beach in Hakodate 7 years ago today.

This is a scarce but probably overlooked winter visitor to Hokkaido. I've seen them in several places but they tend to favour windswept beaches blocked to most normal people by snowdrifts..............

20 January 2018

On this day (January 20th)...............


January 20th 2014.

An Olive-backed Pipit in Hakodate 4 years ago today. Unusual to see one in winter in Hokkaido. It is a fairly common summer visitor but is a species that seems difficult to photograph. Not this time though..............

17 January 2018

16 January 2018

WIFs


With a 1 hour break in the weather I trudged through the slush and briefly checked the local park yesterday to see if the Japanese Waxwings were still around..........


14 January 2018

A sunny Sunday


It was a fine sunny day today after several days of heavy snow. The roads were a bit nasty so we headed east..............

The above Stellers Sea Eagle seems to be in the same place every winter: there were also 2 White-tailed Eagle, 1 Goshawk, 1 Peregrine, a few Black-legged Kittiwake still around, a lone Black-necked Grebe, Brent Goose, Harlequin Duck, Red-breasted Merganser and Siberian Meadow Bunting...........

The Japanese Waxwing were still around as we drove past........................

13 January 2018

On this day (January 13th)...............


January 13th 2014.

A female Peregrine at Sawara 4 years ago today. It briefly shared the same hunting ground as that year's Gyrfalcon although I never saw them interact. It had obviously just killed and eaten something judging by the blood on its belly................

The background is an old disused lighthouse; not a public toilet exterior.

That day was one of the the coldest I've experienced in south Hokkaido. Minus 19 and it was windy too making it feel even colder.

12 January 2018

A short Waxwing window between blizzards..........


There was a heavy snowstorm in Hakodate on Thursday night/Friday morning and again on Friday afternoon..................


10 January 2018

Waxwings and blizzards


There were lots of birds feeding on berries in one of the local parks...........


9 January 2018

A lone Diver...........


A Red-throated Diver in one of the ports to the north of town yesterday...............


7 January 2018

6 January 2018

5 January 2018

Some Harlequin Ducks


We were out east yesterday and the Kittiwakes were still around...............


3 January 2018

2018 begins...........


My first birding of 2018 was yesterday.....................


On this day (January 3rd)...............


January 3rd 2014.

The Sawara Gyrfalcon 4 years ago today.............very tamely sat atop a post in a raging blizzard..............

1 January 2018

On this day (January 1st)........................


January 1st 2012.

A Ural Owl in Onuma 6 years ago today. Sadly this tree was blown over by a typhoon a few years ago. It was a shame I couldn't photograph this individual in this tree with my 500mm lens..............
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