I was able to get outdoors only a few days in mid-January. Fortunately, I was able to take a few photos in the last days of the traditional season, 小寒 Shōkan (Lesser cold), and the first first week of 大寒 Daikan (Greater cold).
Tag Archives: birds
Morning Walk in Ritto
Before checking into Saiseikai Shigaken Hospital (済生会滋賀県病院) on January 13, 2020, I took a photowalk in and near my neighborhood and saw a Japanese pied wagtail (ハクセキレイ), some people flying kites, a farmer in a field, and a little egret (コサギ) in a canal.
Long-tailed tit (エナガ) with cocoon
On February 24, 2018, a long-tailed tit (エナガ) struggled to remove insect cocoon material from the left side of its head, neck, and wing. A sequence of photographs shows how the bird rubbed itself against a branch to escape from the material.
Birds & Plum Blossoms in Risshun (立春)
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 […]
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.
