Hello 2011

So 2011 has officially arrived, and this blog is going to be 3 years old in just a few days. Still I find it hard to believe how fast time has gone by. It's my first post here in January 6, 2009 after my first solo trip to Arasaki in Kagoshima Prefecture for migratory crane watching. Those memories are still fresh in my mind. I still have no idea about my future after graduation. If I decide to leave Japan, 2011 will be my last full year here in this country. Anyway, let's start the year with these cheerful photos I took earlier in December at Asami. Of course, these brightly coloured Ginko leaves have already disappeared by now, but these photos somehow give a cool refreshing feeling which suits well to the New Year vacation.

Yatsusaka Shrine (八坂神社)

As I walked around the Yatsusaka Shrine, I came across a fruiting persimmon tree which attracted lots of thrushes and white-eyes. The thrushes were very shy, so I could only get a few photos of them. There were about 20 Dusky Thrushes and around 5 Pales Thrushes. The Japanese White-eyes were, on the other hand, very friendly and visited the tree almost in every 3 minutes. A few Brown-eared Bulbuls also came to the tree, but they were all too shy to stay for long. The brightly coloured persimmons contrast well to the clear blue sky of winter, making the photos look very bright and cheerful. I wished I could take more photos of the thrushes though.

Dusky Thrush (Turdus eunomus)

Brown-eared Bulbul (Ixos amaurotis)

Male Daurian Redstart (Phoenicurus auroreus)

Japanese White-eye (Zosterops japonicus japonicus)