Asigaru's Nature Diary

Squirrel

2012-05-04T10:40:00.000+09:00

Chitose, Hokkaido. 22th/Apr/2012.

April cruise

2012-05-03T10:29:00.000+09:00

I organized Tomakomai cruise, my first time held in April. Though I could not expect species observed in this time, it became good cruise.

Ancient Murrelet.

Hudreds of Short-tailed Shearwaters migrated to east.

Summer plumage of Long tail duck which is difficult to see in Hokkaido.

Flock of Velver Scoter. I could observe them at short range. Scoters are very timid, run away as soon as the boat approaches. Was it mating?

Tomakomai, Hokkaido. 22th/Apr/2012.

April in campus

2012-05-01T23:58:00.001+09:00

These photos are took in Hokkaido University. They will bleed in this campus.

Stonechat - summer visitor.

A Brown-eared Bulbul fed on sap of Japanese White Birch.

I saw two pair of Madarin ducks.

Last year, one pair of it bled here. I hope chicks will be observe in June.

Other pair.

Sapporo, Hokkaido. 20th/Apr/2012

Confusing female wigeon

2012-04-22T21:00:00.000+09:00

A confusing female Wigeon was in flock of Eurasian Wigeon at Mukawa (left one).
It is seemed to be a female American wigeon.
The feature of American is grayish head and white wind flap. But I didn't see its wind flap...
A male American Wigeon stayed here one month ago. This female was looked paired with Eurasian Wigeon (right one). Is it Hybrid?

Right one is Eurasian and left one is pending individual.

Common Scoter.

Mukawa, Hokkaido. 14th/Apr/2012.

Japanese Crane

2012-04-21T21:02:00.000+09:00

Japanese Crane!?

A man who came around here generally said two Japanese Cranes stayed in Mukawa.

Crows attacked Crane.

It will might be seen small cranes here in this summer....

Mukawa, Hokkaido. 14th/Apr/2012.

Redshank and more

2012-04-20T20:32:00.000+09:00

A Common Redshank, though it bleeds in eastern Hokkaido, it is seen central Hokkaido scarcely, was in Mukawa, it was my first time to see here. I've seen it about 8 year ago in Okinawa.

It fed on unknown things.

Little Linged Plover.

Mukawa, Hokkaido. 14th/Apr/2012.

Great Spotted Woodpecker

2012-04-19T21:29:00.000+09:00

Two Spotted Woodpeckers chased each other, competition of their territory?

Naganuma, Hokkaido. 14th/Apr/2012.

Northern Goshawk

2012-04-19T00:19:00.002+09:00

It was snowstorm day despite in April. A male Goshawk was down on the ground to avoid strong wind and aiming its prey.

Naganuma, Hokkaido. 4th/Apr/2012.

Cruise in midwinter

2012-04-15T17:20:00.000+09:00

I organized Tomakomai cruise in February.
This cruise was held under weak wind although winter tended to be rough around these sea area in general.

But there was less appearance of sea birds as much as we expected.

Though there was a number of Least Auk, one of main target of this cruise, other auks we expected (Crested Auklet and Long-billed Murrelet) were not seen.

Black-throated Diver.

Fur seal.

Black Scoters before riding on boat.

Tomakomai, Hokkaido. 19th/Feb/2012.

Human growing Pelican and thief

2012-01-30T19:00:00.000+09:00

A wild Pelican lives at Inba-numa in Inzai city Chiba prefecture.
It is tamed by human for feeding by fisher.
It is an idol of Inba-numa.

A Common Moorhen suddenly was on boat avoiding fisher's eye.

Why did it ride on boat?

!!!!

It stole fish from boat!!
It also tenaciously utilized fisher.

Inzai, Chiba prefecture. 28th/Jan/2012.

Siberian Crane and Tundra Swan

2012-01-29T23:57:00.001+09:00

Siberian Crane which was endangered and a straggler came to Chiba prefecture.

It stays at roost of Tundra Swan which comes in winter. At noon, it forage at its feeding site several km from roost.

Tundra Swan.

Siberian Crane has blackish wing, but it doesn't show it easily.

I waited its open its wing. Fortunately local people with dog passed its near, so it moved for fear of dogs.

Inzai, Chiba prefecture. 28th/Jan/2012.

Aiming fish

2012-01-22T00:31:00.001+09:00

Spotted Redshank was sweeping around small pond through opening its bill.

Surprisingly, it ate many small fish. In general, warblers eat benthos. It was my first time to see its feeding of fish.

Common Tern at shore.

Ishikari Hokkaido. 11th/Sep/2011.

Murrelets

2012-01-15T11:36:00.000+09:00

Five auks were observed around Tomakomai sea area organized cruise at 17th December.

Ancient Murrelet,

Long-billed Murrelet,

Least Auklet,

Brünnich's Guillemot, and Rhinoceros Auklet (no photo).

Tomakomai, Hokkaido. 17th/Dec/2011.

Japanese Quail

2012-01-14T18:18:00.002+09:00

Two Japanese Quails sang each other at their breeding site.

Salvaged from my HDD.

Kitahiroshima, Hokkaido. 14th/Aug/2011.

Happy new year eve

2012-01-09T00:36:00.000+09:00

I saw Snow Bunting at 31th/Dec at Atuma, it was twice to see the bunting !
The first my finding was two years ago in Kiritappu, eastern Hokkaido, so I was very happy to see it at my normal observation area.

They made a flock with Lapland Bunting (Lapland 10 and Snow3).

They ate seed of dead grass.

Laplands.

In the same day, I took photo of Falcon, Rough-legged, and Short-eared.
It was happy final day of 2011 for me.

Raptors in this winter

2012-01-08T18:41:00.000+09:00

Many raptors came around Tomakomai and Mukawa area.

Peregrine Falcon.

Rough-legged Buzzard.
Some Rough-leggeds stay around here, especially this individual was not shy.

Hen Harrier VS Large-billed Crow.

Short-eared Owl.

These photos were taken year end.
My friend went here yesterday (7th), but he couldn't see any raptors.
Probably heavy snow cleared out raptors.
Where raptors went???

Lapland Bunting

2011-12-24T16:11:00.000+09:00

In this season, flock of Lapland Bunting containing ca. 40 individuals stays in Mukawa.
It is easy to approach when they eat tiny seed.

There are many Hen Harriers in this season.
They wander around grass land and aim flock of Lapland Bunting. So they can't bear to eat its food calmly.

male

female

Mukawa, Hokkaido. 12/2011.

In the litter

2011-11-15T15:08:00.000+09:00

Forest Tube-nose Bat Murina silvatica rests in dead leaf of tall glass Polygonum sachalinense.

Kitahiroshima, Hokkaido. 14th/Aug/2011.

Shearwaters

2011-11-03T02:24:00.001+09:00

Buller's Shearwater was one of main target of this cruise.

It was often sleeping.

"I'm sleepy"

Flesh-footed Shearwater.

Another target was Red-legged Kittiwake. Although we searched flock of Kittiwake one by one, no one contained...

Tomakomai, Hokkaido. 29th/Oct/2011.

Coast

2011-11-02T23:21:00.000+09:00

Red-throated Loon stays around Tomakomai coast. We observed 100± of them.

Velvet Scotters were also observed over 100.

Tomakomai, Hokkaido. 29th/Oct/2011.

Harbour Porpoise

2011-11-02T00:19:00.001+09:00

In Tomakomai area, Harbour Porpoise can be observe around year, but it is too shy to take photo.
I have observed it but had no photo.

This day was lucky.

Left one is to be seen juvenile.

Tomakomai, Hokkaido. 29th/Oct/2011.

young Black foot

2011-11-01T18:03:00.000+09:00

I think this individual is a juvenile, because plumage is black luster and no wear compared with other individuals.

Tomakomai, Hokkaido. 29th/Oct/2011.

Skua gang

2011-11-01T01:58:00.000+09:00

Pomarine Skua attack Black-regged Kittiwake around Tomakomai sea area in October.

Five Pomarines attacked one Kittiwake... Further, Streak Shearwater aimed its drop.

Tomakomai, Hokkaido. 29/Oct/2011.

A family of Mandarin Duck

2011-06-12T12:06:00.000+09:00

A pair of Mandarin Duck bleeds in Hokkaido University.
6 chicks followed their mother.

Sapporo, Hokkaido. 6th/Jun/2011.

Cruise in Tomakomai

2011-05-20T21:08:00.000+09:00

I organized cruise in Tomakomai last Sunday.

The weather was not so good, strong wind postponed the cruise on Saturday and swayed on Sunday.

I observed interesting action of Rhinoceros Auklet: two individuals stretched their neck each other, I thought it was their display. No one knew the display of it in crew, it was strange behavior.

Brünnich's Guillemot also was seen two individual-flock as like pair.
But they doesn't bleed in Japan. Are they no-bleeding pairs?

Pacific diver was seen not only at short range but heard its voice. It was my first time to listen its voice.

Short-tailed Shearwater.

Phalaropes are main target in this season, confer this and this entries last year.
We hoped tens thousands of Phalaropes, but only hundreds of them stayed around this area. And Red Phalarope was absent. I think timing of migration delayed compared to annual.

Tomakomai, Hokkaido. 15th/May/2011.