Some later winter miscellany

We visited the ports north of Yakumo hoping to find some Long-tailed Ducks............

Some Asian Rosy Finches

Even north of Yakumo the main roads were clear.............

Some late winter ducks...........

On Monday we ventured north of town for the first time in ages................

The nearest one..........

I've seen quite a lot of this individual eagle this winter.................

Some late February raptors............

There were quite a few White-tailed Eagles east of town today..................

On this day (February 24th)......................

February 24th 2014.

Some White-tailed Eagles at Rausu 4 years ago today. Was that really 4 years ago? Time flies............

On this day (February 23rd)................

February 23rd 2015.

A drake Long-tailed Duck near Oshamanbe 3 years ago today.

Due to the nasty weather I haven't been up that area at all recently (only once this year and there were no LTDs). They are a bit hit-and-miss there, I wonder if they around this year?

Playing the percentages..........

The snow is so deep that we gave up going to Onuma and headed east yet again where we know that a) the weather and roads are mysteriously much better and b) there are a handful eagles more or less guaranteed..........

Another snowbound Sunday...........

Another week of snow.................

A lull

 A really really slow week. Still snowing and the snow lies deep everywhere. There was a flock of Crossbills in one of the local parks but they were a bit flighty and anyway it was impossible to get close due to the knee/thigh/waist deep snow......................

I hoped they would come close enough for a shot but they didn't. The only other birds in the park were a few Coal and Great Tits and they didn't come close either. The Tree Sparrows (one above) did.

A Freezing Monday

Wow, today was cold. In Hakodate it's been snowing heavily all day and there has been a bitterly cold wind blowing in from Siberia.

The roads and weather were too nasty to head up to Onuma so we went east again where the weather always seem to be better. And indeed it was (although it was even colder there on the coast). Even blue skies sometimes.

The local Stellers Sea Eagle flew around a bit and there were a couple of White-tailed Eagles, a Common Buzzard, 2 Peregrine and the usual common ducks and gulls.

Did I say it was cold?

Eagle trio

We headed east on Sunday................

On this day (February 11th).....................

February 11th 2014.

A male Pine Bunting at Sawara 4 years ago today. This species is a scarce winter visitor, generally occurring the coast and very mobile as they move from one snowy windswept beach to another so perhaps a but overlooked.

This was part of a small flock and proved a nice sideshow to that winter's Gyrfalcon on the same location.

A walk through the snowdrifts..........

I took a walk up the river yesterday...............

On this day (February 10th).....................

February 10th 2014.

A male Crossbill in town 4 years ago today. This was the start of a huge invasion that year.............

In the bleak midwinter..............

I can't believe how much snow has fallen this winter..............

On this day (February 8th)..........................

February 8th 2015.

A female Peregrine at Sawara 3 years ago today. It was surprisingly tame and I could get very close as it devoured whatever species of bloody duck is in its talons.

Some grey visitors

Onuma was pretty quiet yesterday but the Whooper Swans briefly had some company...............

Another Monday in the ports.........

We visited several ports to the east of Onuma this afternoon.................

Some February Kittiwakes

The ports to the east of town still held quite a few Black-legged Kittiwakes on Sunday.................

A sleety Sunday

We headed out east today...................

The last stragglers

The last group of Waxwings I saw in town were a few days ago...............and now they appear to have all left.

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

February 3rd 2012.

An immature Rough-legged Buzzard just outside Hakodate 6 years ago today.

There was a big invasion of this species into southern Hokkaido 6 years ago. I saw them in 3 or 4 places that year but hadn't seen any before and haven't seen any since....................

Almost over...............

It was sunny yesterday...................

Some backstreet Waxwings...........

Yesterday I found a small flock of Waxwings on a quiet backstreet.....................