Japanese apricot — Nature Blog

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！

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。