Roost

Tree Sparrows started gathering on the other side of a stream flowing into the lake well before sunset. The number was soaring to a few thousand or possibly over ten thousand. It's a pity that we couldn't quite capture the number and the noise in the video as we were unable to reach their roosting site.

Egrets were flying in in all sort of flock sizes alongside the stream before and after sunset. Many of them were Eastern cattle egrets (Amasagiアマサギ) and Intermediate egrets (Chusagiチュウサギ) but we saw Great egrets (Daisagiダイサギ) and Little egrets (Kosagiコサギ) mixed with them. Grey herons (Aosagiアオサギ) and Black-crowned night herons (Goisagiゴイサギ) seemed loners (and not many in numbers), flying on their own freely:)
 

Although it was time for sunset, there weren't as many swallows as we had hoped. 

Just one here, one over there, flying over our heads. We nearly gave up and headed back home.

But! 

Suddenly, out of nowhere, here they came. 

Hundreds or even thousands of them were everywhere, over the water, over the reeds, high in the sky, literally all around us.

 

 

 

 

The light was so dim my camera couldn't capture the spectacle quite as well as I hoped but you may be able to get the gist. 

We were happy to experience this seasonal wonder of nature again💓

Early September in Imbanuma

 It could be a bit too late, we thought, but nevertheless, we headed for Imbanuma to see if Barn swallows (Tsubameツバメ) still use the reedbeds for their roost. 

(we went to see them in 2019 and wrote about it here.)

Before getting dark, we enjoyed the calm September afternoon.

Exclusive Cormorant club😂 (Kawauカワウ)

Cormorant & Egret joint club 

a lone Coot (Oobanオオバン) - Is it a very early one or has it stayed throughout the summer here?

 

Three terns were flying over the edge of the other side of the lake and perched on the poles.

Were they Whiskered terns (Kuroharaajisashiクロハラアジサシ)? too far to see the details.

One Osprey (Misagoミサゴ) was perching on a pole when we got there and was still there when we left the place a few hours later.

 

Young Black-crowned night herons (Goisagiゴイサギ) were playing hide & seek😁

 

They really are hard to spot!

There weren't many ducks apart from resident Spot-billed ducks (Karugamoカルガモ).  

A Pintail (Onagagamoオナガガモ) was foraging among them. 

Is this individual in eclipse plumage? or a juvenile? or a female? 

Now the sun was just over the horizon. Show time!

Summer 2021

As we decided to move, and as we found a house we liked sooner than we had thought, our summer was quite busy, no, hectic rather! So, there wasn't time to go birding at all during the ridiculously hot months (and the pandemic situations, family situations and work, etc, etc...). 

Finally, our stuff has been kind of put in the cupboards/bookshelves/chest of drawers and we found a little time to explore the area.

One of the biggest heronries in Chiba-shi is only 10 minute walk from our new home!

A single Black-crowned night heron (goisagiゴイサギ) chick sitting quietly on its rather messy😆 nest

Young Grey herons (Aosagiアオサギ) brothers/sisters

Squabbling Great egrets (Daisagiダイサギ) 

We will come down to this pond regularly to find out more👍