Apricot Trees in Bloom

February 15, 2019

Japanese apricot trees are in bloom. Unlike cherry blossoms that bloom all at once for approximately a week, apricot trees bloom gradually and therefore one can enjoy the blossoms for a rather long time. Today I decided to take a stroll in Koishikawa Botanical Garden, that has a large apricot tree grove. I was hoping to capture some birds there. I thought I would at least find Japanese white-eyes enjoying nectar of the flowers. I could smell the sweet scent of the flowers from a distance and my hopes were getting high.

Despite of waiting for a long time the apricot trees didn’t seem to attract any birds. There were some Japanese white-eyes and Japanese tits nearby but they seemed to be more interested in the seeds of Chinese tallowtrees nearby. A flock of long-tailed tits arrived merrily chirping but they disappeared as quickly as they had arrived and I thought I would return home with photos of blossoms only. Luckily, my long wait was finally rewarded; I could find a male daurian redstart and a dusky thrush, both of which were after the seeds of the Chinese tallowtrees, too.

梅の花が咲く季節です。桜と違って梅の開花期間は長くて、２−３週間ぐらい楽しめます。今日は小石川植物園の梅林に野鳥を撮りに行って来ました。梅の蜜を好むのメジロを期待していましたが、寒いせいか、梅林は静かでした。長い間待っていても、小鳥の気配はありません。近くのナンキンハゼだけにはメジロやシジュウカラがたまに実を食べに来ました。梅だけの写真で帰らなければならないかと思いましたが、やっとオスのジョウビタキとツグミが現れました。両方ともやはりナンキンハゼの実が目当てででしたが、幸い梅の枝にも止まってくれてました。

Arrival of the Blue Birds

February 13, 2019

I have been wanting to capture a male red-flanked blutail this winter but haven’t had many chances for that. I must admit that I could have made more effort to try various locations. Now however, two male bluetails have recently arrived to a garden just a walking distance from my home. Perhaps the cold wave and snowfall that recently passed over Kanto region forced them to find new locations. There had already been three female bluetails in the same garden so it is understandable that arrival of the males have caused a lot of turmoil.

Yesterday, I followed a fight between a male and a female bluetail. So far the disputes I have seen, have been rather short lived, and ended up with one of the parties giving up the right to the territory. This time, neither of them seemed to be willing to give up, and the fighting went on for at least over an hour. Most of the time they were chasing each other high on the trees too far for my lens. Today, I heard from other photographers, the two males were fighting and I believe that in the coming weeks before they leave Tokyo, there will be some chasing back and forth every now and then.

A durian redstart that has been living in the garden all winter must have also have noticed the newcomers and seemed to be on high alert.

The flock of hawfinches in the garden were cautious as usual and would still not let me near, but some individuals showed some signs of loosing their shyness. I tried not to scare them away and photographed them from afar.

最近家の近くの庭園にオスのルリビタキ二羽がやって来ました。最近の寒波のせいで、新しい居場所を探し出したのではないでしょうかと思っています。同じ庭園に以前からメス三羽がいた為、対混乱になりました。昨日オスとメスの縄張り争いは一時間以上続いていました。今日はオス同士の争いがあった、と他のカメラマンから聞きました。しばらく住み着いているジョウビタキも新しいものに気づいていて、警戒しているように見えました。

シメの大半はは相変わらず警戒心が強いですが、一部は少しだけ人馴れして来た気がします。遠くから餌探しの様子を見守りながら写真を撮って見ました。

Let It Snow!

February 10, 2019

It snowed yesterday. Apparently, it was already third time this season to snow in Tokyo, but for me it was the first time to see any. I was hoping to capture birds in snowy landscape and rushed to my favourite garden. As soon as I arrived and took my gear out of my back bag a male red-flanked bluetail greeted me. He didn’t seem to be much bothered by my presence and let me photograph from rather close distance. There wasn't much snow at all and my model avoided the areas where the layer of snow was somewhat thicker. I bet it was easier to find food where the earth was not covered with snow.

I was also lucky to find a female red-flanked bluetail. She let me know of her presence by her call. Her territory is next to the male’s and the two bluetails often have territory disputes along the borderline of their territories. This time the male wasn’t close, so I didn’t get to witness any fighting.

While it was still snowing, I went to see whether the Japanese apricot trees had reached full bloom yet and whether I could find any birds there. After some waiting a flock of Japanese tits and Japanese white-eyes arrived to savour of the blossoms, some of which were already in bloom.

I managed to see a glimpse of a male daurian redstart as well. Usually they get accustomed to people very easily, but this one, despite of the fact that it has been in the garden for long time already, is still very skittish and flies away as soon as someone approaches it.

I didn’t manage to capture the kind of images I was hoping for as the weather was a little too warm for snow to accumulate. I keep hoping to get some more snow this winter!

昨日雪が降って、所々ほんの少し積もったからカメラを持っていつものフィールドに行くことにしました。

着いたら、オスのルリビタキが直ぐに迎えに来てくれました。次第に人に慣れて来て、近い距離から撮れましたが、雪がもっと積もったところでは餌は見つかりにくいせいか、雪を避けているように行動していました。

鳥運が良いことにメスのルリビタキも見つけました。縄張りはオスの縄張りと隣接し、良く縄張り争いもあったが、今回はドラマチックなシーンに恵まれなかったです。

雪はまだ舞ううちに近くの梅林に行ってみました。梅の一部は綺麗に咲いていました。少し待ったところにメジロやシジュウカラの群れがやって来ました。オスのジョウビタキも一瞬顔を出しました。普段人懐っこい鳥ですが、この個体は中々人に慣れなくて、近づいたら、すぐに逃げます。

雪と鳥の共演を望んでいましたが、雪は思ったより少なかった為、思うような写真にならなかったです。今年の冬もう一度雪が降ってくれないかな？

Spring in the Air

January 31, 2019

After several cold and windy days yesterday’s warm weather offered a welcomed change. I headed to a local garden and noticed that there was definitely spring in the air. Japanese apricot trees had started to bloom and I found long-tailed tits very active collecting feathers and other material for nest building. Japanese tits were playing around, chasing each other around merrily, at least that's how it looked like.

Soon after entering the garden a kingfisher let me know with his call that it was around. I followed the sound and was lucky to find it bathing diving into the pond for several times.

I strolled around the garden in search for a winter wren, a rare visitor to the garden, that I know had been there for some time. I had witnessed and photographed it once and I heard other photographers capturing it before. Unfortunately, I could not find a trace of it. Instead, I found a daurian redstart and a red-flanked bluetail having territory disputes. Unfortunately, I could not capture the chasing scene, but only the two birds separately.

There were also several pale thrushes around, one of which would not make much effort to escape from me and my camera and a flock of hawfinches that would not let me near at all. There was always one watching over the field and letting the others know of any approaching danger. I decided to sit down in a bench and let them come to me instead but had not much luck. Instead I heard a Japanese bush warbler in the bamboo grasses coming closer and closer. Eventually, I could see it coming out of the bushes and managed to capture it from afar.

昨日の小春日和に近所の庭園に行って来ました。エナガがとても賑やかで巣作りのための材料集めで忙しかったです。

カワセミの鳴き声を追ったら、水遊びを始めて、松の木から何回も池に飛び込みました。大サービスをしてくれました。

ちょっと前から庭園にいるミソサザイを探しましたが、姿が見えませんでした。その代わり、ルリビタキとジョウビタキの縄張り争いを目撃し、ウグイスが笹から出てくる瞬間を写真に納めました。

６−７羽ぐらいのシメの群れを見つめましたが、近づこうとしたら、見張り役が他の鳥に警告を発して、一斉に逃げている光景を何回か見ました。