On December 23, 2018, I was walking between fields near my home when a lone grey heron (アオサギ) appeared in the sky. As the heron began to descend, I aimed my camera at the top of an old light pole, the tallest location along the bird's flight path. When I first spotted the heron in [...]
Great Egret on a Pine Tree
On December 21, the last day of autumn in Japan, I stopped at a quiet spot on the path between two reservoirs in Ritto City. Perched on top of a tall red pine was the only great egret I have seen recently. Nearly all egrets and herons have migrated south, so it was a pleasant [...]
Late Autumn Birds
Near the end of November bird photography becomes even more interesting in the southern part of Shiga Prefecture. Some larger birds, including most egrets, herons, and cormorants, fly south for the winter, but winter migrants appear, and some species that live here throughout the year seem more prominent and attractive as the temperatures drop and [...]
A Ride to Hatonomori Park
On December 13, 2018, I rode my mountain bike down along the left bank of Yasugawa to Moriyama. Along the way quite a few Japanese black kites (トビ) were flying and roosting on the ground and in trees near the carcass of a large fish. Below the weir I rode over the embankment that divides [...]
A Walk to the River
On December 8, 2018, the sun was shining and a cold northwest wind was blowing clouds across the sky. Hoping to see an interesting horizon, I walked to the riverbank along Yasugawa (野洲川). The riverbed is mostly dry, but it supports vegetation near the left bank. On the riverbed I saw one low cosmos plant [...]
