On this day (November 29th).................

November 29th 2015.

A Ural Owl 3 years ago today in Onuma.

This was taken with a full frame camera and I think it looks rather nice.............

An afternoon Egret

A Great Egret on the river near my apartment yesterday afternoon. There are several at this time of year..............

I can remember being excited by seeing egrets of any kind. The first one I  ever saw was this species: in California in 1981. My first in the UK was a Little Egret in 1987. I've seen loads around the world since then of course (and this species seems well established in the UK now) but they still seem exotic to me even now.

Not much else around. A lone female Goosander and 7 Black Kite. the latter is a very common bird in Japan but over the last few years they seem to have become much scarcer in the skies above town. These birds looked like they were heading south in what must surely be the last real mild weather of the season............

Autumnal Eagles

The Eagles at Yakumo are still skittish and mostly distant but at least they looked nice in the autumnal light............

Peregrine on a mild late late autumn day

After freezing temperatures and snow a couple of days ago the weather became mild again............

Eagles in the mist...............

Up in Yakumo this morning it was very misty................

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

November 23rd 2015.

A Lesser-spotted Woodpecker at Shiriuchi 3 years ago today, the only one I've ever seen outside the UK. In Japan this species occurs only in NE Hokkaido so I have no idea what this one was doing down here.............

A grey Monday in mid November

Still no real signs of winter weather..................

The end of autumn approaches..........

It was another mild autumn weekend, surely the last one before the weather turns.............

More winter returnees.............

It hasn't turned cold yet but the winter visitors are all arriving in force..............

On this day (November 16th)................

November 16th 2015.

A Spotted Redshank at Oshamanbe 3 years ago today. This is a regular passage visitor but is never common and this late individual was a rare chance to grab a photograph of this species for me..............

2018 Best Of #8

Some waders from spring/autumn 2018...................

2018 Eagles arrived...............

The eagles have started arriving for the winter..................

Another early morning in Onuma...........

Another early Sunday rise saw us in Onuma again...............

Late autumn in Onuma.............

A Eurasian Treecreeper in Onuma yesterday.................

Some November Woodpeckers............

A female Black Woodpecker at Onuma this morning.......................

Seven

All the regular 7 winter gull species were at Kamiiso today.....................

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

November 3rd 2011.

A Little Egret on the local river 7 years ago today. This is not especially common in south Hokkaido and generally comes in spring. This one stuck around for a few weeks that autumn.

A quiet week in late autumn

It's been a quiet week in town. In the local park there were 3 Wigeon (above), 4 Pochard, 1 Pintail and 1 Mallard with the resident Spot-billed Ducks as well as a couple of Little Grebe. On the river were 1 Great Egret, 1 Grey Heron, a small flock of Rustic Bunting and lone Daurian Redstart (male) and Red-flanked Bluetail.

Not much on the edge of town either. Last Monday at Kamiiso there was a big flock of Wigeon and 5 species of gull including Glaucous-winged. The ricefields were quiet too although there were a few Rooks in the crow flocks feeding in the stubble...............

2018 Best Of #7

In July we made a short trip to north Hokkaido................