The period from January 20th to February 3rd is Daikan (大寒), “Greater Cold” in English, in the Japanese traditional calendar of 24 seasons. In the cold weather I photographed quite a few species of birds within walking distance of my home. See more photos in my Flickr photostream or one of my albums.
Category Archives: Japan
Northern Shovelers
Winter brings more ducks to local ponds and wetlands. A shallow reservoir near Ono Ramp in Ritto City attracts northern shovelers (Anas clypeata, ハシビロガモ), which are conspicuous with their huge spatulate bills. They feed on aquatic invertebrates by shoveling water and mud and straining out their food. Their feeding can be very energetic, as we […]
Birds in Altered Habitats
In early January, 2019, I visited several of my favorite places to see wild birds. All of these locations have been heavily altered by human activity. Here in Ritto City farmers have been preparing fields for spring planting. Often we can see birds in freshly cultivated fields. Tree sparrows feed in and around fields and […]
Birds and Woodlands
On January 4, 2019, I rode my mountain bike (Araya Muddy Fox 650B) to Kibogaoka Culture Park (滋賀県希望が丘文化公園). Along the way I stopped to photograph several birds, beginning with a white wagtail (ハクセキレイ) beside a field near my home. In Omifuji, Yasu City, a grey heron (アオサギ) was strolling in Oyamakawa (大山川). While I watched […]
New Year’s Day 2019
On January 1, 2019, I took an early afternoon walk to Yasugawa (野洲川) here in Ritto City (滋賀県 栗東市). Along the road many Eurasian tree sparrows (スズメ) appeared in trees and bushes. Several white wagtails (ハクセキレイ) were in a field, and one was hopping along the river. A beautiful grey wagtail (キセキレイ) appeared briefly and […]
