23 April 2018

Spring migration moving slowly still..........


We headed north yesterday.............


The wintering flock of Dunlin are changing into summer plumage..................




Spring migration hasn't really got going yet but we did see quite a few summer visitors, some for the first time this year: Japanese Thrush. Siberian Stonechat, Red-cheeked Starling (below), Little-ringed Plover, Common Sandpiper, a lone Ruddy Turnstone, Eastern Marsh Harrier, Common Buzzard, Sparrowhawk, Osprey, Great Egret, lots of Black-faced Bunting and Japanese Bush Warbler.............

Here are some common summer birds:

Bullheaded Shrike..........


Both local species of Starling:



Lots of Dusky Thrush were on the move..............


The colony of Grey Heron and Great Cormorants was busy at Yakumo............


Lots of ducks offshore including White-winged Scoter, Great-crested Grebes, Black-headed and Common Gulls in summer plumage, a few Glaucous Gulls still around.......................

The last couple of days in April and the first few days in may always seem to bring interesting things: I wonder what will turn up this year?

2 comments:

  1. Do your Dunlin breed on Hokkaido or do they move farther north?

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    Replies
    1. Hi David. They move north: they'll be gone in a week or 2. One of this regularly wintering flock was colour-ringed and it seems this particular group breeds in Kamchatka in NE Russia.

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