The two-week period of February 4-18 marks the beginning of spring, Risshun (立春) in the traditional Japanese calendar of 24 seasons. In southern Shiga Prefecture winter birds are still here, often hiding in bushes and trees as raptors patrol the skies. Sparrows are active in fields, and great cormorants return to local colonies. Pink and […]
Category Archives: Japan
Winter Birds in Daikan (大寒)
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.
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 […]