From Ume to Sakura

March 4, 2019

It’s about 10 days since I first photographed the red-breasted flycatcher in a Tokyo park. Since then, I went there two more times and found her in the Japanese apricot tree or ume garden. The number of photographers capturing that one little bird had increased since my first visit and - at best I believe- it reached some 50 people. I don’t know whether the bird is still in the park as I have been busy with other errands and the weather has also been miserable with cold and rainy days.

In my neighborhood there is a children’s play park with several trees of an early blooming cherry species, the kawazuzakura. Every year I spend a few days capturing Japanese white eyes and red-ringed parakeets enjoying the blossoms. I went to the park a few times to see how the blossoms are doing. While there are some flowers in bloom already, it seems to take some time till the trees reach full bloom. A few warmer and sunny days would probably do the trick!

I found only a few Japanese white-eyes on the cherry trees. I am sure there must have been more nearby but a flock of brown-eared bulbuls were very aggressively protecting what they think is their territory and chasing the white-eyes away. It is still difficult for the white-eyes to hide when there are very little flowers.

There were already several red-ringed parakeets in the park, some of which were perching in the nearby trees and some of which were already savouring on the pink flowers. The parakeets cut the flowers off, drink the nectar inside the flowers and and then drop the flowers. It is a waste but with their curved beaks it is the only way they can reach the nectar. The Japanese white-eyes and the brown-eared bulbuls on the other had, just drink the nectar and leave the flowers intact!

初めて都内の公園でニシオジロビタキを撮ってから、10日が過ぎました。その後二回撮りにいきまして、いつもの梅林の中で飛び交っていることが確認できましょた。天気が悪いなどのせいで最近公園に行く機会はなかったです。ニシオジロビタキはまだ公園にいるかどうか、分かりません。

毎年カワズザクラがある近所の公園でメジロやワカケホンセイインコなどを撮りに行っています。最近何回か様子を見に行きましたが、寒いせいか、まだまだ満開まで時間がかかいそうです。

あいにくメジロはまだとても少ないです。お花が少ないうちにヒ大勢で来ているヨドリから隠れるのは大変でしょうと勝手に推測しています。

ワカケホンセイインコは公園のあちこちに多く見れました。普段はなかなか近くで見れない鳥ですが、この季節だけに必ずカワズザクラに来ます。ワカケホンセイインコは一輪一輪を切って、中の蜜を吸ってから、お花を捨てるといったもったいなそうな食べ方をしています。曲がった嘴でそれが唯一出来る食べ方だろうと思います。メジロとヒヨドリは細長い嘴で中の蜜だけを吸って、桜の花を切らすにすみます。

まだまだ梅の花が続いていますが、これからの桜の季節も楽しみですね！

Red-breasted Flycatcher

February 23, 2019

I knew from many posts to social media that a female red-breasted flycatcher was wintering in some park in Tokyo and I was hoping to figure out where that was. Finally I got that information and headed to the park. Quite soon after arriving to the park I detected the beautiful bird. I was the first photographer to arrive on that day and I got to photograph her alone for about 10 minutes. She wasn’t very shy and seemed to look at me curiously. Little by little more photographers would follow and it got more difficult to find and capture her.

After some time she suddenly moved to a small Japanese apricot tree grove. The area was fenced and maybe she knew already from experience that no people would go over the fence so she could keep hunting insects without anyone coming too close. At that time the number of photographers was approximately 15-20 people. Many of them had captured her several times already but there were a few newcomers like me, too.

Red-breasted flycatchers are not very common in Japan and having to photograph one with apricot blossoms was a dream come true. Unlike males with their rusty-orange throat and breast, the females look somewhat modest with their brown backs and lighter underparts. I especially like this bird’s elegant posture and beautiful black eyes and I hope to be able to get another chance to photograph her. Hopefully on that day the light isn’t as harsh as it was this time.

ソーシャルメディア等で東京のどこかの公園でメスのニシオジロビタキがいると知っていました。やっと私もその情報をゲットし、公園に駆けつけました。着いたら直ぐにその可愛い鳥を発見しました。他のカメラマンが来るまで10分ぐらい一人だけで撮影できました。好奇心豊かな目で私を見つめたように見えました。

カメラマンが次第に増え、鳥は隠れたりして、撮るのは難しくなりましたが、しばらくしましたら、近くの梅林に移動してくれました。梅林はフェンスに囲まれて、人が入って来ないと経験から知ったかもしれません。人の存在をそれほど気にせずに梅林の中で長い間虫を探し続けました。

ニシオジロビタキのメスは少し地味ですが、綺麗な黒目に優雅なポーズでとても美しい鳥です。梅林の中で撮れたのは夢みたいでした。もう一度機会があれば、もっと柔らかい光線を願っています。

The Smallest Birds of Japan

February 20, 2019

The winter wren is the smallest bird in Japan along with the goldcrest. They are both about 10 cm in size. While goldcrest is often feeding high on trees, the winter wren is spending most of it's time on the ground moving dexterously in the cover of a dense undergrowth making it difficult to find. This week, I have tried to capture both of these tiny birds.

Earlier this week, I spent one afternoon in a garden close to my home where I was happy to encounter with a winter wren that has been living there for some weeks already. It is a rare visitor to the garden, so many photographers and bird enthusiasts have been searching for it and pointing their cameras and binoculars towards it. It is now fairly accustomed to humans and is somewhat easy to photograph, if you manage to find it in the big garden. The problem is light, though, or the lack of it to be correct, so one has to compromise on either shutter speed or ISO... or both! Still, I am happy with the captures I got!

While I have been lucky with the wren, I have been less lucky with the goldrcrest. I was tipped by acquaintances about a place where goldcrests often bade in a small pond. I spent two days waiting for the tiny birds to arrive to the pond. I detected them close by a few times, but unfortunately, they would not come down for a bath. It is possible that I will have to wait till the next winter before I can get another chance as they will leave Tokyo any day to return to cooler climates for nesting.

日本一小さい鳥

今週は日本一小さい鳥のミソサザイとキクイタダキの撮影に挑戦しました。

キクイタダキが高い木の枝で食事を探すのに対して、ミソサザイは暗い藪の中で天敵に気づかれないように動いているから、両方とも写真に収めるのは一苦労です。

運よく近所の公園にここ何週間か住み着いているミソサザイを見つけることが出来ました。多くのカメラマンのアイドルなので、人馴れしているから、簡単に近づく事が出来たのですが、暗い為、シャッター速度やISO感度を妥協しなければならなかったです。でも、撮れてとても嬉しいです。

キクイタダキに関しまして、頻繁に水浴びに来る場所の情報をゲットしました。珍しい光景なので丸２日間池のよこで粘りましたが、降りてこなかったです。そろそろ山に帰る時期なので、次のチャンスはまた今度の冬までに待たなければならないかもしれません。

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？

Water Fowl in Mizumoto Park

February 9, 2019

Some time ago I spent a few days in Mizumoto Park. Even though my aim was to capture some passerines, I did photograph some of the water fowl in and around the big pond. I find it interesting how different species make one big flock. This time a flock of Eurasian wigeons drew my attention. It is not uncommon to find American wigeons in the flock as well as crossbreds of the two species. This time was not an exception. While watching the wigeons feeding ashore I found a beautiful duck that I couldn’t immediately name. Browsing my bird guide, I learned it was a female Baikal teal, which is somewhat rare visitor in Tokyo.

Also, there were a few great crested grebes among the flock of wigeons. I spotted three, but there could have been more. It seemed that while resting, which was most of the time, they enjoyed the safety of the flock. Only while diving for food they took distance of the flock and went their own ways.

I heard from other photographers that among common teals there was also one North American green-winged teal. Unfortunately I didn’t manage to get a decent capture of it, but I spent some time watching and photographing the beautifully colored feathers of teals.

Other than ducks, I saw egrets and herons, Eurasian Coots, common moorhens, kingfishers, long-tailed rosefinches to name a few.

最近何回か水元公園に行ってきました。目的は小鳥でしたが、大きな池の水鳥も少し観察し、撮っていました。特にヒドリガモとその群れと混じった鳥を観察していました。ヒドリガモの群れの中、アメリカヒドリガモとその二種の交雑種が混じっていました。陸に上がったら、綺麗なトモエガモ１羽もいるのに気づきました。

カンムリカイツブリも寝ている時ヒドリガモと一緒でしたが、餌を探し潜る時だけ群れと離れて行動していました。

他のフォトグラファーからアメリカコガモの情報も聞き、撮りに行きましたが、満足した写真を撮れていません。しかし、コガモのカラフルで綺麗な姿を見るだけで、嬉しかったです。

カモ類の他にはサギ類、バン、オオバン、カワセミやベニマシコなどを確認出来ました。

Crossbreed of Eurasian Wigeon and American wigeon ヒドリガモとアメリカヒドリガモの交雑種

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。

In search for birds in Mizumoto Park

January 29, 2019

Instead of my usual parks in central Tokyo, in recent days I have taken the train to Mizumoto Park in Northern part of Tokyo in search for different bird species.

I came across with some new acquaintances such as Asian Brown Flycatcher, Winter Wren and Scaly Thrush as well as many species commonly found in central Tokyo, too; the Daurian Redstart, Red-flanked bluetail, Hawfinch and Bull-headed Shrike to name a few. I also found many ducks and other water fowl, which I intend to share later.

Local photographers feed some of the birds so they are rather used to photographers and are easily approachable. Otherwise, especially the winter wren, one of the smallest birds in Japan, would be very difficult to find and capture in the dense underbrushes if you don’t visit the park frequently enough to learn their usual routes.

I was very surprised to find Asian Brown Flycatcher as it usually migrates to warmer climates for winter. For some reason, it has decided to stay and I am hoping the weather doesn’t get too cold for many consecutive days so that it can survive the Tokyo winter.

Another happy encounter was the Dusky Thrush. For some reason they have been very few in numbers this year, so I was happy find one trying to camouflage among the grasses and fallen leaves.

最近はいつもの東京中心部の公園と違ってちょっと遠くの水元公園に野鳥を探しに行っています。自分はあまり縁がなかったトラツグミ、コサメビタキ（東京越冬中）、ミソサザイの他、馴染みのジョウビタキ、ルリビタキ、シメ、モズなどに出逢いました。カモ類や他の水鳥ももちろん沢山いました。今年数が少ないと感じているツグミも枯れ草や枯葉の中に隠れようとしていました。