Wednesday 30 November 2016

Garden Visitors

Since the snowy day, I put out some satsuma in the garden and here they come!


A pair of Japanese White-eyes (Mejiroメジロ) found the fruit soon after I set them there and they have already become the regulars to our garden:)

Tuesday 29 November 2016

Sonnoh-no-Mori Koen

I saw a fairly large green patch on the map near where we live and of course I couldn't resist temptation to have a look.

It is called Koen (a park) but seemed more like fair-sized well-managed woods.


 



The birds seen/heard there were:
Teal (Kogamoコガモ), Kingfisher (Kawasemiカワセミ), Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker (Kogeraコゲラ), Bull-headed Shrike (Mozuモズ), Thick-billed Crow (Hashibutogarasuハシブトガラス), Eastern Great Tit (Shijukaraシジュウカラ), Japanese White-eye (Mejiroメジロ), Brown-eared Bulbul (Hiyodoriヒヨドリ), Long-tailed Tit (Enagaエナガ), Brown-headed Thrush (Akaharaアカハラ), Pale Thrush (Shiroharaシロハラ), Oriental Greenfinch (Kawarahiwaカワラヒワ), Black-faced Bunting (Aojiアオジ)


A flock of Oriental Greenfinches were foraging on the ground.


a beautiful autumnal colour in the woods

Friday 25 November 2016

Snow in November!

Snow in November in Chiba!

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/nov/24/tokyo-sees-first-november-snow-in-more-than-50-years


Views at Chiba Park

the Tea House in Chiba Park - atmospheric:)

A Little Egret (Kosagiコサギ) was foraging in the water. Brrrrr....

Tufted Ducks (Kinkurohajiroキンクロハジロ)

Most of them were just being quiet...


while some were rather active

preening even in the snow:)


A pair of Kingfishers (Kawasemiカワセミ) were around.


Grey Herons (Aosagiアオサギ) & Little Egrets (Kosagiコサギ) by the island


Oriental Turtle Dove (Kijibatoキジバト)


autumnal rather than wintery



The snow didn't last long in the mild Chiba and everything was back to normal the next day.


Saturday 19 November 2016

Chiba

A flock of more than 30 Japanese White-eyes (Mejiroメジロ) were foraging in a big tree in a Shinto shrine in Chiba.




at Chiba Park in the late afternoon




Tufted Ducks (Kinkurohajiroキンクロハジロ)


Kingfisher (Kawasemiカワセミ)

Little Grebe (Kaitsuburiカイツブリ)

Little Egret (Kosagiコサギ)


three bird species in one shot:)
👀

Saturday 12 November 2016

Ueno

Quite a few Tufted Ducks (Kinkurohajiroキンクロハジロ) arrived in Shinobazu-no-Ike, Ueno.


Tufties and Black-backed Gulls (Yurikamomeユリカモメ)

There were HUGE carp in the lake...
and not only a few but hundreds of them!!


a Black-headed Gull (Yurikamomeユリカモメ)



a female Shoveler (Hashibirogamoハシビロガモ) 


a female Pintail (Onagagamoオナガガモ)


Egrets and Herons were on the zoo-side of the lake.


Only this Little Egret was foraging near where we were.



Many many many red Toriis at Hanazono-jinja

Tuesday 1 November 2016

Tea House

the Tea House in Chiba Koen called 'Koujitsu-tei'

the gate

the Takegaki (bamboo fences)

the back garden

the side fences

the Koshikake-machiai

the tea house from the back