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.