Wednesday 15 February 2012

15th February 2012 Karuizawa

Grey Heron 2
Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker 1
Great Spotted Woodpecker 3
Jay 3
Large-billed Crow 2
Eastern Great Tit c.25
Varied Tit 2
Willow Tit 5
Long-tailed Tit 2
Wren 2
Nuthatch 2
Pale Thrush 1
Dusky Thrush 15
Red-flanked Bluetail 5 ex. (2 males)
Daurian Redstart 1 female
Brown Dipper 8
White Wagtail 1
Oiental Greenfinch 5
Japanese Grosbeak 12 ex.
Meadow Bunting 1

 Kose Rindo

After another evening blizzard we again tried the upper Kose Rindo


 Dam in Yacho-no-mori

Despite the snowy conditions a pair of Brown Dipper were seen nestbuilding at the dam


 DC again searching for Copper Pheasant in Yacho-no-mori



 Nice reflections but little else to be seen at the Yacho-no-mori pond


 The bird garden at Shobitu Onsen


 Eastern Great Tit and Oriental Greenfinches at Shobitu Onsen


 Squirrel at Shobitu Onsen




 Eastern Great Tits at Shobitu Onsen



Japanese Varied Tit at Shobitu Onsen

The form on Honshu is the nominate P.v. varius that is the geographically most widespread occuring from northeast China, Korea, the Kurils and Japan.



 Japanese Grosbeaks at Shobitu Onsen



 Pale Thrush at Shobitu Onsen

In East Asia a migrant that's breeding and wintering ranges both overlap with those of Pallas's Leaf Warbler. Will it ever be prone to westward vagrancy...




 Wren at Shobitu Onsen






 Red-flanked Bluetail at Shobitu Onsen


The active volcano Mt. Asama dominating the Karuizawa sunset