Tag Archives: parks

Autumn foliage 2018

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Autumn foliage in Shiga Prefecture 2018

October 22

Konze no sato (now 滋賀日産リーフの森)

November 8

Omifuji Botanical Gardens in Kitazakura, Yasu City

Tōhōzan Anyō-ji Temple (滋賀県栗東市東方山安養寺)

November 9

Along the path to Takano Shrine (滋賀県栗東市高野神社)

November 10

Omifuji Karyoku Park woodland trail (近江富士花緑公園森林散策コース)

Omifuji Karyoku Park trail (花緑公園森林散策コース) above the Botanical Gardens in Kitazakura, Yasu City

Fallen leaves and maple tree in Omifuji Karyoku Park

Fallen leaves and maple tree in front of the Forestry Schoolhouse in Omifuji Karyoku Park (近江富士花緑公園森林のわくわく学習館) in Yasu City

Garden beside Furusatokan at Omifuji Karyoku Park (近江富士花緑公園ふるさと館) in Yasu City, Mikamiyama (三上山) in the background

Reconstructed dwellings in Yasu City Yayoinomori Historical Park (野洲市弥生の森歴史公園)

November 13

Fall colors at the ground golf course along Yasugawa in Tateirichō, Moriyama-shi, Mikamiyama (三上山) in the background

November 15

Water lily pond in Yasu City Yayoinomori Historical Park (野洲市弥生の森歴史公園)

Maple trees near Sato no Ie (里の家) in Kitazakura, Yasu City

Reservoir above Omifuji Botanical Gardens in Kitazakura, Yasu City

November 20

Fall colors at Shusse Fudoumyou (出世不動明王)

Stairs at Shusse Fudoumyou (出世不動明王) on Mount Myokoji (妙光寺山) in Yasu City

Maple leaves at Mikami Jinja (三上神社) in Myokoji, Yasu City, Mikamiyama in the background

Mikami Jinja (三上神社) across Oike (御池) reservoir at the base of Myokojiyama (妙光寺山) in Yasu City

November 25

Takano Park in Ritto City (滋賀県栗東市高野公園)

Takano Park in Ritto City

November 27

Fall colors in Omifujikaryoku Park (近江富士花緑公園), Mikamiyama in the background

Fall colors in Omifujikaryoku Park (近江富士花緑公園)

Trail above the Botanical Gardens in in Omifujikaryoku Park (近江富士花緑公園)

Along the trail above the Botanical Gardens in Omifujikaryoku Park (近江富士花緑公園)

Mallards at Hatonomori Park

Notes

Video and photos were shot hand-held with an Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II camera and a 40-150mm F2.8 PRO lens.

Music: “Perspectives” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License.

Video was edited with Kdenlive on a Fedora GNU/Linux workstation.

Yasugawa Riverside Park

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Just before noon on January 7, 2017, I made a field recording in a large park along Yasugawa in Shiga Prefecture, Japan (野洲川立入河川公園). The recording was made with a small Sony PCM-M10 digital recorder mounted on a tripod near the lower end of the park. I chose this location in order to reduce traffic and train noises from bridges upstream, as well as the rumble of water at a dam downstream. I pointed the microphones southeast toward Mikamiyama.

We can hear the rumble of a nearby dam, traffic, crows, and kids playing in the distance. These sounds are overwhelmed by a recorded public address message broadcast from speakers on a small building on the embankment above the park. The recorded message asks people to obey park rules: no golf, RC cars or aircraft, fireworks, unleashed dogs, fires, littering, or other activities that may disturb people. The same loud recorded message dominates the sonic environment of the park once every hour.

Yasugawa Riverside Park (野洲川立入河川公園), lower end just upstream from the dam in Moriyama, looking with the microphones southeast toward Mikamiyama

Yasugawa Riverside Park (野洲川立入河川公園), lower end just upstream from the dam in Moriyama

I often visit this park to look for birds. Egrets, herons, cormorants, and ducks can be found in the river both above and below the dam, and many small birds live in the vegetation along the riverbank.

Yasugawa Riverside Park (野洲川立入河川公園), lower end just upstream from the dam in Moriyama, looking downstream to the north

On January 7th, as I was recording, I walked upstream and saw a few birds.

Daurian redstart male (Phoenicurus auroreus, ジョウビタキ) along Yasugawa upstream from the dam in Moriyama

Dusky thrush (ツグミ) along Yasugawa upstream from the dam in Moriyama

Oriental Greenfinch (Chloris sinica, カワラヒワ, 河原鶸) along Yasugawa upstream from the dam in Moriyama

Activity in this park varies a lot, depending on the season, the weather, and the day of the week. But whatever they are doing, everyone in the park hears the same loud recorded message once every hour.

White-eyes in Camellias at Hatonomori Park

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Hatonomori Park in Moriyama City (守山市の鳩の森公園) has small grove of sasanqua camellias (カンツバキ) along a small stream. They bloom in early December.

Sasanqua camellias (Camellia sasanqua カンツバキ) in Hatonomori Park (鳩の森公園), Kojima-cho, Moriyama City

Sasanqua camellias (Camellia sasanqua カンツバキ) in Hatonomori Park (鳩の森公園), Moriyama City

In mid-December Japanese white-eyes (Zosterops japonicus, メジロ) gather in the camellias. These photos were taken on December 17 and 19, 2016.

Japanese white-eye (Zosterops japonicus, メジロ) in a camellia tree at Hatonomori Park (鳩の森公園), Kojima-cho, Moriyama City

Japanese white-eye (Zosterops japonicus, メジロ) in a camellia tree at Hatonomori Park (鳩の森公園) in Moriyama

See more of my photos on Flickr: Greg Peterson in Japan.

Hatonomori Park in Moriyama City

I often ride a bicycle from my home in Ritto City down along Yasugawa to Moriyama, and then on city streets over to Hatonomori Park. Usually it’s a quiet place, except when people play ground golf, and often wild birds can been seen in the trees. Last August I posted a recording and some photos:

Hatonomori Park in Summer

As we can see on the map, the park is in a residential district of a small city. As of November 30, 2016, the city reported a population of 81,126 Japanese and 858 foreigners (自治会別・地区別人口). More information about Moriyama City is on the city website in Japanese (滋賀県守山市).

Shiga Rivers – Greg Peterson in Japan

Nature and culture nourished by the rivers of Shiga Prefecture, Japan