Flying back but...

Today, I observed Siberian Flying Squirrel's coming back to its nest.
At about A.M. 6, one individual gliding back to its nest but it didn't enter at once.

It stopped for a minute in this posing.

And this individual　tried to enter its nest, but it  was rejected by other individual which entered previously.
This individual gave up to enter this wood hole and moved to another hole.

Comparison

 Photo in Matue, Shimane prefecture. Jan/2010.

Comparison between Bewick's Swan and Common Teal.

Yuhutsu & Mukawa again2

After birding in Yuhutsu, we went to Mukawa.

We saw two and twelve Lapland Buntings.
We could take photos of two-Lapland's flock.

And we saw three Rough-legged Buzzards.

Two of them are the same individual which is adult male.

Juvenile perched on antenna of mobile phone.

These species were my friend's objective species, so he was so satisfied.

Photos in Atuma and Mukawa, Hokkaido. 14/Feb/2010.

Yuhutsu & Mukawa again

My birding friend came to Hokkaido from Tokyo, and we went to Yuhutsu and Mukawa, because he wanted to see Rough-legged Buzzard and Lapland Bunting.

After picking up him at New Chitose Airport, we went forward Yufutsu.
At first, we waited ready for Great Grey Shrike's point where this shrike was seen sometimes, we had not seen this species. We cost about 20 minutes but nothing came front of our.

Magpie is an alien species but seen only in northern Kyusyu and around Tomakomai. So, he was glad to see this bird and took photos.

There was spot of Long-tailed Duck, I usually didn't go there because it was necessity for some walking to edge of coast bulwark it means we were exposed by strong wind and very cold, but this day is not so cold for "me" and he wanted to see Long-tailed, so we went there.
This decision made our lucky.
We could see not always Long-tailed, but saw Dolphines!
We saw two of Harbour Porpoise　(Phocoena phocoena). We didn't take photo. It was my lifer.
And Long-tailed Duck were very near and we observed there calls and display.

We went to Mukawa, but it continued next entry.

All photos in Tomakomai, Hokkaido. 14/Feb/2010.

Today is my birthday...

Siberian flying squirrel

I went to see getting out from nest of Siberian Flying Squirrel (Pteromys volans) after birding of Mukawa and Yuhutsu. In this day, there were a few bird, so I gave up birding early and switched to watch flying squirrels.

At c.a. 16:45,  one individual came out of their hole.

And next one came out!

And next one, next one, and next one.......
In the end, 5 individuals came out from the same nest!

They fed on winter buds on the branch and demonstrated flying between tree and next tree for me.

All photos in Tomakomai. 7/Feb/2009. No flash pictures.

Is raptors fever over?

I went Mukawa to see raptors but few raptors were seen at 7th February.
In this day, heavy snow was fallen yesterday and the strong wind blew.
I could only see a few common buzzards and a young White-tailed Eagle.
Where are Hen Harrier,  Rough-legged Buzzard, and Short-eared Owl?

I could see a male Long-tailed Rose Finch.

I gave up to see birds in Mukawa, and moved for Yuhutsu Moor in Tomakomai where took about 30 minutes by car.

On the way to Yuhutsu, I saw flock of crows, and two White-tailed Eagle were flying in the flock.

They were in battle for their prey (probably fish).

The focuses in these photos didn't match. (I used manual focus lens...)

Four Bramblings fed on small seeds on the ground.

Male.

Female.

 

All photos in Tomakomai, Hokkaido. 7/Feb/2010.

Snow shoes and bird

I went to Nishioka park, Sapporo in January 6 before noon for birding through snow shoes trek.

Brown-eared Bulbul.

Great tit.

Eurasian Nuthatch.

Great Spotted Woodpecker.

On the snow shoes trek, I usually seek foot-prints of mammals.

I could find two foot-prints.

Red fox's (Vulpes vulpes).

Mountain Hare's (Lepus timidus).

Hen Harrior

Hen Harriers (Circus cyaneus) join in "Mukawa raptors festival".

A female individual was relatively not so shy, she sought her prey in front of me.

Raptors usually were mobbed by crows.

Jungle Crow (Corvus macrorhynchos)

Occurrence frequency of males were lower than females.

All photos in Mukawa, Hokkaido. Jan/2010.

Short-eared Owl

In this season, raptors' fever happens in Mukawa.
I went there for every weekend from a New year.

In this entry, I upload Short-eared Owls (Asio flammeus).

I heard about 6 individuals stay in Mukawa at beginning of January, but they decrease gradually. My friend saw an individual was predated by a Falcon.

They had relatively low wariness against humans.

All photos in Mukawa, Hokkaido. Jan/2010.

Brants

I've never seen Brant Geese (Branta bernicla) at a close range, I only saw them from very far  away through a scope.
Recently I found a Brant spot where I can go close to them.

They were in a fishery harbor eating algae.

At some distance, other group of Brants fed on attached algae.

At full tide, they were upside down to eat algae.

Dunlin (Calidris alpina) stayed at the same fishery harbor.

Tree sparrows seemed to be cold in falling snow.

All photos in Shiraoi, Hokkaido. Jan/2010.

Hybrid duck and more

In the winter, a hybrid duck (Mallard X Pintail) stays at Tomakomai Experimental Forest in the Mallards' group from for a few years.

It's wing speculum is blue.

In this pond other duck are...

Mainly Mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) . They are tame because they are fed by humans. So when they find humans, they come closer.

Several Golden-eyes (Bucephala clangula) are usually seen in winter.

Female Goden-eye.
Additionally, on the board at the back of Golden-eye is written in Kanji, means "NO fishing".

In this season, a Falcated Duck (Anas falcata) is in this pond.