Natsume-no-seki (Haccho-seki Reservoir)

One of the famous places for wintering ducks & swans in Chiba is Natsume-no-seki 夏目の堰 Reservoir in Tonosho-machi. The reservoir itself is not so large and located in a rather remote area from any train lines or major roads, which could be one of the factors why birds gather there. 

You can see all the tiny dots on the water, all of which are ducks!! 

The sign board by the water written a few years earlier says there are approximately 3,000 waterfowl wintering here but the number must have gone up to 10-fold, estimated around 30,000 birds on the water this winter.

Lots and lots of Mallard (magamoマガモ), Pintail (Onagagamoオナガガモ), Eurasian wigeon (Hidorigamoヒドリガモ), Baikal teal (Tomoegamoトモエガモ), fewer Spot-billed duck (Karugamoカルガモ), Northern shoveler (Hashibirogamoハシビロガモ), Common pochard (Hoshihajiroホシハジロ), Smew (Mikoaisaミコアイサ), Tufted duck (Kinkurohajiroキンクロハジロ), 

and Great-crested grebe (Kammuri-kaitsuburiカンムリカイツブリ), Little grebe (Kaitsuburiカイツブリ), Eurasian coot (Oobanオオバン)... 

Bewick's swan (Kohakuchoコハクチョウ)

cygnets too😍

Sometimes birds of prey, such as a Goshawk (Ootakaオオタカ) and a Buzzard (Nosuriノスリ) flew right over the water and the ducks were spooked by them. 

If you are a uk birdwatcher, you'd think the birds in this photo are Starlings...

but actually they are Baikal teals.

The way Baikal teals fly is totally different from the ones other ducks do.

very interesting!!

As the day went by, more and more swans were coming back from their feeding grounds,

and the ducks, which were resting during the day, were becoming more and more restless.

About half an hour after sunset, there was a whoosh sound in the almost darkness, which meant the ducks flew up at the same time heading for their feeding grounds at night. 

Interestingly, on that day, the Baikal teals went first, then the Pintails and the last was the Mallard. 

The swans stayed behind on the water.

I didn't know this coming in of swans and going out of ducks are happening every dawn and dusk! 

so fascinating!!

Hokkaido III

Lake Furen and Shunkunitai sandbar

A board walk on the sandbar called Shunkunitai between Lake Furen and the Okhotsk Sea

Gulls, ducks, swans, cranes and eagles are thriving among the drift ice.

Black scoters (Kurogamoクロガモ) & Slaty-backed gulls (Oosegurokamomeオオセグロカモメ)(?)

a family of Whooper swans (Oohakuchoオオハクチョウ)

Steller's sea eagle (Oowashiオオワシ)

Red-crowned crane (Tanchoタンチョウ)

White-tailed eagle (Ojirowashiオジロワシ)

a male Red-breasted merganser (Umiaisaウミアイサ)(?)

Swans

There are some paddy fields in Chiba where wintering Tundra Swans (Kohakuchoコハクチョウ) forage during the day and we visited one of the sites.

The weather was weird, pouring down with sunshine! 

At first, only a few families of swans were foraging on the fields but within half an hour or so the number kept growing up to 81 individuals.

here they come!

and more!

We are familiar with 'Bewick's Swans' in the UK, which I learnt are a subspecies of Tundra swans. Basically they look exactly the same to me...   but anyway, it was a great moment to observe them quite close (but far enough not to disturb them) even in the rain.

On the paddy fields, we saw a huge flock (I mean really huge, 100 or more!) of Oriental greenfinches (Kawarahiwaカワラヒワ) and Water pipits (Tahibariタヒバリ) as well as a Grey heron (Aosagiアオサギ), some White wagtails (Hakusekireiハクセキレイ), Meadow buntings (Hoojiroホオジロ), Dusky thrushes (Tsugumiツグミ), Brown-eared bulbuls (Hiyodoriヒヨドリ), White-cheeked starlings (Mukudoriムクドリ) and Thick-billed crows (Hashibutogarasuハシブトガラス).

(The exact location is not shown on the map by way of precaution.)

South Korea VI The Han River

On the way to Cheorwon, we stopped at several locations where Byoungwoo, our guide, showed us wonderful Korean birds.

The mighty Han River

Byoungwoo spotted a pair of Scaly-sided Merganser (Kourai-aisaコウライアイサ) in the middle of the river, which was too far for a photo. Argh!

BUT! There were plenty of other birds for us to watch.
Whooper Swans (Oohakuchoオオハクチョウ) - a lot of them!

A raft of Goldeneyes (Hoojirogamoホオジロガモ)

 One of them flew towards us and swam away:)

Whooper Swans, Taiga Bean Geese (Oohishikuiオオヒシクイ) and Mallard (Magamoマガモ)

familiar Spot-billed Ducks (Karugamoカルガモ) & Eurasian Teals (Kogamoコガモ)

This handsome male Daurian Redstart (Jobitakiジョウビタキ) was foraging in the shrub by the river.

At another location by the Han

We were lucky to see two species of eagles!

Steller's Sea Eagle (Oowashiオオワシ) taken by Byoungwoo. Awesome!

& a white-tailed eagle (Ojirowashiオジロワシ) with no photo.

In the river below the eagles were some sawbills.
Common Mergansers (Kawa-aisaカワアイサ)

Smews (miko-aisaミコアイサ)

It was only a couple of hours after our birding trip started but we already saw quite a few lovely birds by the river, thanks to Byoungwoo.

Byoungwoo's bird guide site:
https://www.birdingkorea.com/

South Korea V Cheorwon

Apart from the cranes and geese, we were lucky to have seen quite a few juvenile White-tailed Eagles (Ojirowashiオジロワシ) on the paddy field in the DMZ.

We could not find any carcass so we could not figure out why they were there with lots of Common Magpies (Kasasagiカササギ).

A very nice picture of a White-tailed Eagle from our guide Byoungwoo

Whooper Swans (Oohakuchoオオハクチョウ) were in the water near the paddy fields.

From the hide in the observatory, we saw a large number of ducks, mainly Mallard (Magamoマガモ).

There were a small group of Baikal Teals (Tomoegamoトモエガモ) among the mallard. (a lovely photo taken by Byoungwoo)

A Bull-headed Shrike (Mozuモズ) was posing for us:)

Water Deer (Kibanoroキバノロ) (also taken by Byoungwoo)

Korean-style dinner - Tofu hotpot & kimchi dishes

very hot (spicy) & hot (temperature) and delicious!

& Korean-style breakfast - many little dishes with rice & soup

another great photo taken by Byoungwoo in Cheorwon

Mr Byoungwoo's "Birding Korea" site is here
https://www.birdingkorea.com/

The Moat of the Imperial Palace II

For some reason, the ducks were flushed and kept flying round and round above our heads.

And eventually this flock disappeared into the other side of the palace.

On the Hirakawa Bridge (Hirakawa-bashi平川橋), one of the bridges over the moat, a White Wagtail (Hakusekireiハクセキレイ) just landed.

Hirakawa Bridge

Quite a few Cormomrants (Kawauカワウ) were resting, fishing and flying in and around the moat.

Shimizu Gate (Shimizu-mon清水門) - one of the Edo Castle gates, which was built in 1658 and which people can walk through.

Behind the gate, the roof of Nippon Budokan (日本武道館) was dominating the view.

On the other side of Shimizu Bridge, the level of water looked higher and Tufted Ducks (Kinkurohajiroキンクロハジロ) were resting peacefully.

Towards the end of my walk, there was a lone Mute Swan (Kobuhakuchoコブハクチョウ) foraging amongst the dabbling ducks.

When I was just about to turn around towards the station, something caught my eye.
It was a lovely female Daurian Redstart (Jobitakiジョウビタキ), jumping up and down to catch tiny flying insects.

I delayed my leave (of course!) and enjoyed her company for a little longer.