Grey Heron
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Ducks on Lilies
I didn’t really get into the spirit of summer. When I did go out, I found everything to be quiet and unbearably hot. July and August were very dry in Niigata, and life around me seemed to be tired. I had hoped earlier to get some nice dragonfly pics, but I didn’t really find the… Continue reading
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From Winter to Spring
I have been out actively trying to get wildlife pics around Niigata. At the end of March I took a day off and had some good views of an eagle and I found another older individual a week later. Since then we’ve already had the cherry blossoms come out and go away, followed by some… Continue reading
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Birds in Isolation
I’ve been trying to keep my distance from everyone, but I have been seeking the companionship of birds. I haven’t posted for a while but I have been keeping my mind on what’s in the moment. And, if it’s a bird, then what else do I need? Great Egret White-tailed Eagle Toyanogata, Niigata Grey Heron… Continue reading
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Arrivals and Departures
Bewick’s Swan(Tundra Swan) Hyoko, Agano City, Niigata, Japan October 6, 2018 Last night’s local news was pretty exciting. They announced that the first swans arrived at Hyoko just before sunrise on Thursday. There were birders with tripods, scopes and cameras there to greet them. I wasn’t there but, welcome back! I went there today. There… Continue reading
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Sunny at Sakata
Sakata Niigata, Japan December 3, 2017 Yesterday Keiko, Jonah, and Luke kindly took me to Sakata. It was sunny but very cool when we got there. It was nice to see plenty of waterfowl out on the water including Smew, Eurasian Teal, Mallard, Northern Shovelers and maybe more. I mostly enjoyed seeing long legged birds… Continue reading
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Don’t Egret It
Great White Egret Fukushimagata, Niigata, Japan November 28, 2017 After impatiently waiting for rain to go away, Monday and Tuesday were fine. I decided to take some time off and go to Fukushimagata. Many geese and swans but few raptors. I mostly enjoyed breathing air and seeing the mountains. Maybe it will be the last… Continue reading
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Some Golden Birds 2017
Narcissus Flycatcher Junsai-ike, Niigata, Japan May 4, 2017 Golden Week Holidays now. I went to Junsai-ike for a few hours yesterday and again today. Patience pays off with some flycatcher encounters. I also saw the below heron catch a massive fish but dropped it when an excited family approached it. It’s supposed to rain tomorrow… Continue reading
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A walk around Fukushimagata
Fukushimagata Niigata, Japan May 15, 2016 It was early summer out there today. I went for bit of a walk around Fukushimagata. Didn’t really find anything new. The bird of the day was “Grey Heron”. They were everywhere. Also spot-billed Duck and Mallard. A small sprinkling of egrets and other small herons but I didn’t… Continue reading
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Sakata, Niigata
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… Continue reading
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Curious Cormorants
Grey Heron arrives behind an Eastern Great White Egret (I hope) Sakata, Niigata, Japan November 23, 2013 Looked for birds on Saturday morning at Sakata and again at Fukushimagata briefly yesterday afternoon (Sunday). At Sakata we saw lots of Great Cormorant, Spot-billed Duck, Mallard, Eurasian Teal and Whooper Swan but didn’t get any better pics than… Continue reading
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Grey Heron Action
Grey Heron in front of the Observatory at Fukushimagata, Niigata, Japan May 18, 2013 Nikon D800 AF-S Nikkor 80-400mm VR Some Grey Heron action at Fukushimagata taken on in the afternoon of my last bulbul post. Colours are so blue and green at the end of May, and although the spring migrants had gone it… Continue reading
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A Late Summer Walk Through a Japanese Garden and a Japanese Dinosaur..
Grey Heron Kenrokuen Garden, Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture, September 18, 2011 Enjoyed a long weekend and went away despite an oncoming typhoon. Actually we ended being lucky weather-wise and had a great trip. First, I was ‘like’ a big-eyed, little boy at the Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum. It was beyond my expectations and I would have… Continue reading
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Grey Heron
Grey Heron Fukushimagata, May 28, 2011. Grey Herons are common all year round in Niigata, however it seems numbers are highest in the warmer months when there are frogs and things in the rice fields. It’s easy to overlook them because they are so common. Grey Heron Summer 2010 Also at the moment Carrion Crows… Continue reading