Great Egret – Russell Jenkins Stoop Files

The Springing of Spring

May 18, 2022August 24, 2026 by Russell Jenkins, posted in Japanese Birds

I often feel time isn’t moving but then I awaken in the middle of the year. Winter is long gone. I keep going out and taking photos, but I spend less time downloading and looking at them. It is more fun to take them. When I do download them I just quickly upload some to Instagram or, more recently, Flickr. There are millions of amazing images being uploaded every minute and they keep flowing by me. Here are some from March to present that I just edited for Instagram. It’s good to upload them here. I can find them again myself someday.

Above is a brief encounter with a Narcissus Flycatcher. I usually only get my best views of them during Golden week in Niigata. I also saw a Eurasian Spoonbill at the end of March but it flew away before I got close enough with my little 300mm lens. Also had a nice view of an Eastern Blue Rock Thrush along the Shinano River.

Companions in the Winter Sky

February 3, 2022August 24, 2026 by Russell Jenkins, posted in Japanese Birds

I’ve been out and about all winter but haven’t had many portrait photos of any special birds. I saw about 5 Merlins between November and December but none all January. I think I have been enjoying watching distant subjects through binoculars for the last year, thus missing any close, fleeting encounters. Here are some images from this winter. The snow wasn’t as deep as last year and the fields behind the wetland areas have been providing food for lots of swans and geese. When the snow is deep the birds cannot graze. The last weekend snow covered the fields enough to send most of the swans and geese into the water areas. I also haven’t seen any goshawks since December, but have had fairly regular encounters with peregrines. I stood and photographed a young one while standing in light snow flurries this last weekend, which was a nice experience. On Saturday, a lot of geese took to the skies and I thought someone in a boat must have disturbed them, but after they mostly cleared away, I realized two magnificent White-tailed Sea-eagles were stirring everything up. I’m slow to wake to things sometimes. Don’t know if I’ll ever get fully used to this birding thing.

Sakata, Niigata

December 7, 2013 by Russell Jenkins, posted in Uncategorized

Sakata, Niigata, Japan

January 5, 2013

Although I’ve posted some images and subjects from Sakata before I haven’t mentioned what an important birding place it is for Niigata. It was the tenth designated wetland site in Japan for the Ramsar Convention. Click here for more about the Ramsar convention.

It has a wonderful glass-fronted observatory equipped with scopes and literature and heating. It is a very worthwhile place for any birder to visit.

When I first went there, I was greeted by the staff (that are usually in the office) and they happily showed me the sights. I remember being seated to watch some incredible video of a White-tailed Eagle hovering like a big kestrel in pursuit of a duck on the water, (maybe a merganser). The duck dived under water to escape but the eagle plunged in deeply, then, swam to the shore like a dog with the duck in foot. They have a large automated digital scope that can be controlled at the observatory (By anyone game to take the controls) and the extraordinary close-up footage was taken with it. That was my first visit back in 2004.

The site consists of a freshwater lake with a path encircling it. I recommend anyone to go for a stroll with scope and/or camera. Sometimes we walk past groups with scopes or individuals with tripods and cameras or visa-versa.

I’ve posted about it here as “Sakata” (Sa-ka-ta), because all their literature, as well as city and Ramsar websites spell it as Sakata. Even the Japanese writing at the actual place uses the sounds, Sa-ka-ta, but some local Niigata folk, including birders often pronoun the name “Sagata” with a “ga”, and I’m often corrected when I pronounce it, “Sakata”.

Also check out this pdf and this website

June, 2013

It’s a nice bike ride from the city

Giant Lotus almost completely covers as far as you can see in September, 2013

October, 2013

The Hiragana says Sa-ka-ta, ba-shi

Long-tailed Tit

Winter birdlife

Grey Heron

Eurasian Bittern a rare bird in Japan

I have amended this from “Yellow Bittern” and relabelled it thanks to the comment by John below.

Great Egret

January 4, 2005

There is some nice reference material
available in English and Japanese at the Observatory and Visitor’s Center
kindly provided free by Niigata City.