I arrived back to Japan after my September adventure in Australia and it was still hot. I walked around in a dream with the images of Fairy-wrens, Galahs, and kangaroos in my mind and the the days turned to nights and the bright summer light eventually faded and the winds came. Always in late October,… Continue reading
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… Continue reading
It was getting darker by the minute this evening when I saw a peregrine make a charge for a pigeon. It was almost too dark to follow the action through my optical viewfinder. Obviously I now need a Nikon Z9. (Doesn’t everyone?) Anyway, I watched the pigeon enter a falcon danger zone alone and thought… Continue reading
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
I arrived at Hyoko at 10am today and just worked and worked taking raptor action shots as soon I I got my camera out of the bag. By 11am, I had taken over 500 shots. At one stage there was a harrier, goshawk and peregrine in front of me and I had to decide where… Continue reading
Spent a few hours at Hyoko in the morning. Pretty quiet most of the time until a number of raptors became active around noon. I was waiting around trying to get shots of an Eastern Marsh Harrier. They just never come close enough. Anyway, I should keep my eyes pealed on everything happening around me… Continue reading
Eastern Buzzardlooks young Sakata, Niigata, Japan September 19, 2018 I was lucky enough to have a few days off mid-week this week and the weather was much better than the previous weekend. Sunny and warm, but not too hot. I went to Sakata yesterday and encountered a few raptors on the move: a pair of… Continue reading
Hyoko, Niigata, Japan December 27, 2017 It’s nice to get some time off for winter. It seems to have been a long year. Being in Japan, Christmas Day was a work day but I took it off and headed to Hyoko. I found an adult Northern Goshawk hunting there then. Today I headed back with… Continue reading
Blue Rock Thrush Female Sekiya Beach, Niigata, Sea of Japan, Japan November 12, 2017 I rarely visit the seaside, but decided to try something new. It was dull in the morning with strong winds but it was refreshing and dramatic. I had an exciting encounter with a young peregrine that shot over my shoulder to… Continue reading
Peregrine Falcon Fukushimagata, Niigata, Japan September 18, 2017 It’s been a while since I posted some birds on this blog. I rediscovered over the weekend that walking around and photographing birds makes me happy. I should do more of it. We all should. Black-crowned Night Heron Juvenile Great Crested Grebe Hyoko, Niigata, Japan September 19,… Continue reading
Fukushimagata Niigata, Japan January 29, 2017 I really love Mr Honma’s enthusiasm. Every winter we look for the Steller’s Sea-eagle and he is always so bright and hopeful. We set out at 6:30 in the dark and freezing cold and he is never bored with finding the same bird perched up high above us. I… Continue reading
Hodgson Creek, Cambooya, Queensland, Australia December 23, 2016 I was delighted to meet photographer Charles Dove on an outing with Michael Atzeni on Friday morning. Mick took the two of us to the Wyreema Wetlands and to Hodgson’s Creek at Cambooya for a couple of hours. The light was a bit dull and waterbirds were… Continue reading
Japanese Sparrowhawk Mount Yamamoto, Ojiya, Niigata, Japan September 24 & 25, 2016 I have a sore neck and tired arms. I had been looking forward to the raptor migration all summer long. I had also been browsing bigger and longer lenses to get me a bit closer to the action. I dreamed about big 500… Continue reading
Peregrine Falcon harassed by Large-billed Crow Nagaoka, Niigata, Japan February 14, 2015 Last week I took a movie of a Steller’s Sea-eagle being bothered by Large-billed Crows. This week it was a Peregrine’s turn. Actually I was lucky to get these shots and would have missed the falcon if the crows hadn’t cried out. We… Continue reading