A Bunch of Everything Else

So this post will be a mix of photos I took within last month. There are many photos I've taken and processed but haven't put up here in this blog. Last month's birding mainly covered around Furui-chi and Sekino-e area. There were some interesting migrants passing by during the last week of May. These included Pheasant-tailed Jacana, Whiskered Tern, Cattle Egrets, Red-rumped Swallows and House Swifts. Most of these had already gone except the swift and the swallow which seem to be nesting somewhere around here.

I like the Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis coromandus). It looks so beautiful in the breeding plumage. Too bad there are not so many in Beppu. I only saw 2 birds feeding in the field. One was still in its non-breeding plumage and another one, which is the one in the above photos, has already completed its moult.

About 4-5 male Oriental Reed Warblers (Acrocephalus orientalis) were singing in the reeds both around Furui-chi and Sekino-e areas. These birds are extremely shy. I think they're much more approachable in their wintering grounds like Thailand, for example. I got many photos of this species in Thailand but those shots are not very attractive because the birds always stay close to the ground with messy backgrounds. I have to try harder to get some better shots of them while singing.

I took quite a lot of photos of this Whiskered Tern at Sekino-e. The bird only stayed for 2-3 days but it was quite obliging comparing to other special birds around there. It allowed me to get pretty close to it and often flied close to me. I tried capturing some flight shots but the results were not so good.

It used the rock in a small pond near the field as a resting spot.
Before taking off, the bird always stretches its wings first.

Here's a photo of the lotus field at Sekino-e.

Intermediate Egret

House Swifts

And the below shots were all taken at Asami on the same day I took photos of the Green Pheasant. The place was a small cultivated area located on the hill and bordered with thick forest and city. In the forest, I found several flocks of Red-billed Leiothrix, Siberian Meadow Buntings and surprisingly a Common Kingfisher. It was perching around a small stream in the forest. I've never seen the species in habitat like this before. Lots of Oriental Bush Warblers were singing on treetops in the morning and followed with lots and lots of Lesser Cuckoo's songs.

Red-billed Leiothrix

Oriental Bush Warbler

Here's a fledgling of the Meadow Bunting.

This female Grey Wagtail was very busy collecting foods for her youngs. It seemed like the nest was very far away so I just couldn't follow the bird to see its chicks.

And a panoramic view of Asami area where I photographed the pheasant to finish up with.

Hot Days Begin

Winter clothes are all packed back in the closet. The weather has been very warm and sometimes very hot for some weeks now. The rain has just come back few days ago, but now most of the clouds seem to have been blown away. Last Sunday I went birding around Beppu Ropeway again and it was very hot in the afternoon. I noticed that there were some small birds coming to a waterhole in the park near the cable car station. I then went looking for a good place to settle and found a nice shady area behind a maple tree. Too bad it was a little too close to the waterhole so some of the warier birds like the Japanese Grosbeak and Red-billed Leiothrix didn't feel comfortable enough to come down to take bath.

This female Japanese Tit was one of the first guests visiting this waterhole.

She must be feeling very good.

Many Meadow Buntings came to use the waterhole.
This is one of the females.

And here one of the males. This one has blackish scales on its upper breast.

This is another male Meadow Bunting.

This female Grey-capped Greenfinch was hopping around looking for food.

A flock of Japanese White-eyes came close to the waterhole, but was afraid to come down.

Tree Sparrow also wanted to take a bath.

This Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker later came down to another waterhole behind a thick bush.

A small flock of Red-billed Leiothrix also came near the waterhole, but they were afraid of me and later moved to the other area. It'd have been a great experience, if they come down to the waterhole.

And here's picture of a species I've been trying to get some good photos of for so long, a Hwamei. Along with the leiothrix, it's an introduced species from mainland China with a very sweet and complex song. This one was singing very loudly behind a building near the parking lot, but I couldn't get any closer than this because the bird was very wary. It is a common bird and I hear its sweet unique song everyday in the campus where these birds inhibit in thick bushes around the university area, but it is very difficult to get a good view of one.

Lively Spring

Sorry for posting multiple entries altogether but I just don't want to keep them for so long. So here are some bird photos I've taken in the forest around Beppu Ropeway last Saturday. The forest was full with birds and their sweet songs. The Blue-and-white Flycatcher's song was the main soundtrack of the day, combining with the songs of Eastern Crowned Warblers, Winter Wren, Japanese Thrush, Coal Tits and Oriental Cuckoos! Another new experience for me birding in this small Beppu.

Blue-and-white Flycatchers were numerous and very vocal.

Male Siberian Meadow Bunting

An Oriental Cuckoo; nice distance, but terrible surroundings.

And here's a very nice surroundings with terrible distance!

Red-billed Leiothrix

Juvenile Long-tailed Tits

Asian Brown Flycatcher

Male Japanese Thrush

I found lots of new species for my Beppu list as well as one personal lifer, a Japanese Thrush. The additions to the list include one female Siberian Thrush, Eyebrowed Thrush, Oriental Cuckoo, White-backed Woodpecker, Eastern Crowned Warbler and Eurasian Jay.

A chubby-looking Black-eared Kite

Eastern Crowned Warbler with prey

And some singing shots

More Blue-and-white Flycatcher

A record shot of the Eyebrowed Thrush

Japanese White-eye

Coal Tits were also actively singing.

They also have small crests too. Reminds me of the Taiwanese subspecies I've seen.

The bird on the left is a female. It kept begging another bird for more preys,
even though it could also catch preys for itself.

And a nice view of Beppu city to end this entry.