We saw 4 Spotted Nutcrackers today......................
This is normally only a high altitude bird but we got lucky.................
This was the first time I'd seen them so close to Hakodate although I've seen them in several other locations in Hokkaido.
It was definitely the first time I'd ever taken decent pics of them anyway.............
There were a lot of deer droppings around and I noticed my left thigh was very itchy.............2 hours later I was removing a bloated tick with some tweezers. If I suddenly stop posting in a week or 2 you 'll know I've been struck down with something nasty.............
Itchiness aside it was great to be so close to these birds. The first time I saw them was when I was living in Bavaria (the only place I've had ticks too coincidentally).
This is a more typical view you'd get in some montane forest............
Bit of a grey day as you can see..............
Four Spotted Nutcracker at one time! I think that equals my total views ever for this species!
ReplyDeleteSecond comment -ticks are a way of life here. You have to check yourself thoroughly after any stroll through grassland. Mostly they are benign but one species is a vector for Lyme disease, not something you want to get.
ReplyDeleteI checked the internet for all the horrible things you can get from ticks.............there is a tiny chance of something nasty but I don't want to get too paranoid about it. If I get a fever in the next week I'll go straight to the doctor though!
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