In The River

Few weeks ago as I was walking along the Spa Beach, I spotted an eclipse male Red-breasted Merganser (Mergus serrator) feeding along the shoreline. Its eyes seemed to be infected and the eyelids were swollen. I took a few snapshots before it flew out towards the sea. The next day, I found the same bird feeding in the small river near my dorm along with an Eastern Great and Little Egret. It seemed to be very healthy and active despite its swollen eyelids. This time it wasn't as wary as when I saw it at the beach and I could take photos of it easily from the bridge.

Eclipse male Red-breasted Merganser (Mergus serrator)

It was feeding in the shallow area, chasing schools of fish around in circles attracting the Little and Great Egret to come and take the opportunities. I was quite amazed how it could still manage to catch the fish even with those infected eyes. It was quite entertaining watching it feeding in the river. Even though it didn't care much about my existence because I was sitting very still, whenever someone came walking by, it swam out towards the sea but always came back within a few minutes. I could identify it as an eclipse male because it already showed a few breeding feathers on its flanks.

Diving Red-breasted Merganser (Mergus serrator)

Non-breeding Eastern Great Egret (Casmerodius modesta) and Little Egret (Egretta garzetta)

Apart from the 3 species, there was a small number of Black-headed Gulls (Larus ridibundus) swimming in the river. While flock of approximately 700 birds was also seen flying around and resting in the sea near Spa Beach as well. Normally I don't feel like taking photos of these gulls anymore, but the reflection on the water surface was just so pretty that I couldn't help but taking photos of them swimming around and also while some of them were landing. I just love the shutter speeds that I got. Even with ISO200, I could get the shutter speed as fast as 1/2000sec! I love the light in Japan!

Non-breeding Black-headed Gull (Larus ridibundus)

Part of the c. 700 flock of Black-headed Gulls

Great Cormorants (Phalacrocorax carbo)

Male Osprey (Pandion haliaetus)

Recently there has been a flock of about 70 Great Cormorants (Phalacrocorax carbo) residing near my dorm. Few weeks ago when I took these photos, most of them still had black head. Yesterday, I saw the flock again and was surprised to find how many birds have moulted into breeding plumage with smart whitish head. I've never taken any decent shot of the cormorants in breeding plumage before. Maybe I would have to try taking their photos soon. Hopefully they will come closer to the shore some day.

The sun never sets in Beppu Bay

Because it can only rise...Few photos taken this morning at Spa Beach. It was so cold but the weather was brilliant and not even a faint patch of cloud in the sky. A female Red-breasted Merganser was resting on the beach along with many gulls, and one or two Japanese Pygmy-Woodpeckers were calling from the trees. It's been a long while since the last time I see the mergansers here. It was a very beautiful morning and I went to Furui-chi and the whole thing was quite productive. The spring vacation is coming soon, only a week and a half left, and I finally finished my Japanese report since Friday night so now I'm feeling really really relaxed.

Evening Mallard

Just a bunch of Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) photos from yesterday at Rokushou-en and a bit more photos of the Red-breasted Mergansers (Mergus serrator). These 5 Mallards were resting at the rocky shore just in front of the sand spa. The drake seemed to be in such a perfect plumage and its glossy green head was just awesome in evening light, so I couldn't help but taking photos of it while waiting for the mergansers to come. There were 4 more females resting beside this drake, what a lucky guy it is.

Shame about its abundance...it's a beautiful duck!

And the females

A drake Red-breasted Merganser

And the eclipse male; What a cool hair style.

A nice pair of Mallard to finish this blog.

A Day of Display

Today I went to Rokushou-en looking for the mergansers again in the afternoon after a long-night party and karaoke with all the Taiwanese Week staffs. Studying in an international university really brings in opportunities to join in many different cultural activities, which is a really good thing IMO. APU has sort of made this small town of Beppu become a multicultural city despite its very countrysidish characteristic. There are Europeans, Africans, Americans, Mexicans, Asians and lately even Pacific Islanders. All the oba-chan and oji-chan here are already becoming familiar with the differences they see in daily life and are not so surprised to find out that many people who look like Japanese but actually not Japanese; Korean, Chinese or me for example, but cannot speak Japanese at all or almost.

Okay, let's get back to the mergansers topic. It's a nice afternoon, which is strange because the whole week was like dull and grey. I was so happy to find that there were 2 drakes today. Both of them seemed to be competing in a display competition in front of the other 2 females, so I had a good time observing them doing these ridiculous acts, and since the weather has become so lovely, tomorrow I think I'll go to Oita to look for more ducks.

They look a bit like dinosaurs.

A Drake Is Found

I've been complaining in this blog about where have all the male Red-breasted Mergansers gone, last Saturday this beautiful drake completely shut my mouth up. I went to Rokushou-en without any thoughts. There were Osprey, Oriental Turtle-Dove, Great Crested Grebe, Daurian Redstart, Grey Herons, Great Cormorants and Blue Rockthrush as usual. Then I spotted this flock of merganser floating, diving far in the distant. I was already so happy to finally found the drake, although they were all too far away for me to get any shot with my 300mm lens. I waited and waited for hours as the sun slowly set. Finally my patience was paid when the birds slowy swam across the huge surface of water to the shore. The late afternoon light combining with rich indigo sea, I was able to get shots that won't make me beg for more. What's also amazing is that that day was the last day of plenty sunshine before Beppu has gone grey and snow.

The bird in the back is an eclipse male.

The drake flapping its wings against deep blue sea

An eclipse male on the right; note blackish facial pattern

Eclipse male(left), female(center), male(right)

Dream Shot

I've always dreamed of photographing a duck flapping its wings against beautiful scenery like many of those I've seen in the internet. I've finally got mine yesterday, not the perfect shot though, but a good start! A male Red-breasted Merganser (Mergus serrator) flapping its wings against deep blue ocean in the late afternoon light at Rokushou-en. I'll keep stalking the birds, if the weather is fine, to see if I'll be able to get any better shots.