red-breasted flycatcher — 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！

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。