Tomakomai Cruise -Kittiwakes and ...-

I organized cruise at 6th, almost Shearwaters had gone away. Instead of them, thousands of Kittiwakes stayed this sea area.

In this assemblage, Buller's Shearwater was on the sea.

I saw it 5 times. It was very exciting.

Many Red-throated Diver can be seen in this season.

 Now Brent are migration.

Morning to see Geese

I got up 3:00 and went to Miyajima-numa again.

 Their calls were resounding around here.

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Coming to light, they took off all at once.
It was too dark to photo, I challenged to take video.

I found an interesting individual which was a mutation one I suspected.

Bibai, Hokkaido. 5/Oct/2010.

Geese to roost

I went to Miyajima-numa to see roosting of Geese (manly White-fronted Goose).
They come across Miyajima-numa between end September to mid October.
This day, about 50,000 stayed here.

Assemblage of geese came back to this lake at evening, it was very spectacle.

It was too dark to take fine photo, I upload video, it would catch on context.

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Bibai, Hokkaido. 3/Oct/2010.

After cruising

After birding cruising, I went to see land birds.

Skylarks came back to Hokkaido.

Although White-fronted Geese also came Hokkaido, it was still snow.

Whooper Swan.

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.

Birding in Shimane2 -Geese and Ducks-

In winter, many ducks and geese stay in Shinji-ko and Nakaumi.

Greater Scaup (Aythya marila) and Tufted Duck (Aythya fuligula) are dominant in these lake.

Tufted Duck male in Matue, Shimane prefecture. Dec/2009

Greater Scaup male in Matue, Shimane prefecture. Dec/2009.

Greater Scaup female in Matue, Shimane prefecture. Dec/2009.

Greater white-fronted goose (Anser albifrons) and Bean goose (Anser fabalis) are found around mouth of Hiikawa and Yonago waterbirds sanctuary.

Photos in Hikawa, Shimane prefecture. Dec/2009.

Common Shelduck (Tadorna tadorna) and Baikal Teal (Anas formosa), these are mainly seen in western Japan, stay around here(But I couldn't find Baikal Teal).

Photos in Higashiizumo, Shimane prefecture. Dec/2009.

I found hybrid duck (Mallard-Spotbill) in Mallards' group.

Photo in Matue, Shimane prefecture. Jan/2010.