Golden Week 2013 post 1

View at an inlet up along the Shinano River Niigata, Japan

April 20, 2013

The first two pics were taken last week but hopefully this is the first post for this year's Golden Week. We just had a three day weekend with Monday off. Two more work days for me til we get a big four days off. Hope the weather will let me do another Golden Week post in a few days.

Japanese White-eye

Junsai-ike, Niigata City, Japan

April 27, 2013

Brown-eared Bulbul

Junsai-ike, April 27

Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker

Junsai-ike, April 27th.

Tulips alongside the Shinano River, Niigata City late afternoon April 27th.

Flocking

Black Falcons rounding up Feral Pigeons (Rock Dove)

North-west of Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia

as seen with Kevin Williams!!

am March 28, 2013

Been so busy lately but wanted to upload these images. Hope to have time to read other blogs soon.

Thanks for visiting.

Black Falcon

...and late one afternoon a couple of days later >

A Sulphur-crested Cockatoo launches as flocks of birds stir with the arrival of some raptor.

Late afternoon, Near Quinalow, Queensland, a few days after watching the Black Falcons.

Galahs

A couple of Little Corellas following the flock

I saw buckets of birds flocking but only two kestrels were soaring.
A Brown Falcon then appeared

Lots of Little Corellas everywhere but realised after I downloaded
 my pics that this looks like a Long-billed Corella.

Saturday Morn

Barn Swallow

Junsai-ike, Niigata, Japan

April 13, 2013

Last Saturday morn Mr Honma and myself visited Junsai-ike from 7am til it started raining at about 10. I felt cold and called it a day. Typically it became fine and warm once I got home and packed up the camera. 

Some blossoms about but also bits of melting snow under the hedges etc. I think when the weather became finer it would have been too crowded with humans for birds. 

We saw this lost bunny when we arrived. It's haunted me since. I should have tried to catch it.

Black-faced Bunting female

Thought this was an Eurasian Siskin female however, many thanks to Pat Moll with the comment below

I think: first time for me to ID these.

male Black-faced Bunting

ID thanks to Pat Moll, comment below.

Great Spotted Woodpecker female

Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker

Common Moorhen

TBO March Outing

Red-necked Wallaby
(I think?)

Cooby Dam, Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia

March 30, 2013

Enjoyed a nice outing at Cooby Dam with the kind folk from the Toowoomba Bird Observers. I think the highlight was a displaying Musk Duck. A first for me. Sadly, I failed to photograph the female and yet again, I have later thought about the benefits of having a video mode on my camera. I will have to look at it someday. 

Now that I spend time overseas, I am excited by macropods, kookaburras and go gooey over fairy-wrens. I am pleased to see them doing well. Now is the time for wildlife to benefit after fire, rain and floods. The place is looking lush. I think the last time I visited Cooby Dam it was almost completely dry due to drought.

Musk Duck displaying male

Musk Duck male

Gull-billed Terns

as I think it was concluded by TBO members?

Thanks to Mick Atzeni for pointing out an earlier error!

Laughing Kookaburra

Superb Fairy-wren male and female

This picture is a good example of how high and healthy the grasses were everywhere!
-making for lots of happy little birds.

Superb Fairy-wren male

male Superb Fairy-wren and Double-barred Finch

Too bad I didn't have a tripod with me,
 -I could have stopped down a bit to get both birds in focus.
All pics here were handheld with Nikon D800 and Nikkor AF-S 300mm f4 and TC 1.4II.

Rufous Whistler male

White-bellied Sea-eagle hiding on the opposite side of the dam.