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!

Birds in the Southern Part of Boso I

Black-eared Kites (Tobiトビ) are seen almost everywhere, inland or on the coast in Boso, Chiba.

Resting Temminck's Cormorants (Umiuウミウ) and Great Cormorants (Kawauカワウ)

It's almost impossible to tell them apart from a distance! 

A Glaucous-winged gull (Washikamomeワシカモメ) with 3 Black-tailed gulls (Uminekoウミネコ)

The Glaucous-winged gull was on our list of birds which we wanted to see on that day. Yay! 

These were the only gulls seen in the small fishing port then and it felt very strange with so few gulls by the coast. I don't know if it's just this winter or it's normal in the area.

A Grey heron (Aosagiアオサギ) was standing on top of the rock like a lord😆

Osprey (Misagoミサゴ)

I love Ospreys! They are really magnificent (in my opinion!).