Ural owl(1)

 There is a saying that the best thing to have is a friend.

I always learn a lot from this friend about birding technology.

I can think of no other word concerning his knowledge of birds other than 'astonishing knowledge'.

Today, I was able to capture a parent owl on camera for the first time in quite some time.

For the first time, this friend taught me that it is the female parent that watches over her young near the nesting tree, and that the male is not nearby.

Be that as it may, yesterday I rode my beloved assisted bicycle 30 km around the owl's nesting site. I think to myself that I'm just mad already.

Azalea(Rhododendron)

 Widely distributed, mainly in Asia, and is the national flower of Nepal.

In Japan, it can be seen in many parks, public and private gardens, mountain foothills, shrines, and temples.

Narcissus Flycatcher

 When Golden Week approaches in this region, the male Narcissus Flycatcher can be heard singing loudly in quiet parks.

Yesterday, I heard them in two places, so I went out early this morning to take pictures of them.

Please forgive the slightly out of focus image as it was shot handheld.

P.S.

The Narcissus Flycatcher breeds from Sakhalin to the whole of the Japanese archipelago and neighboring areas, as well as parts of China, and is said to migrate to the Philippines, Borneo, and other Southeast Asian countries to overwinter during the winter months.

Golden week:

One of Japan's largest holiday periods of the year, Golden Week often sees a surge in vacation travel throughout the country. Despite the name, only 4 days of the week are officially designated as public holidays, with workers often opting to take the full week off.

 

Cherry blossoms beginning to scatter

The weather in the region had been continuing rainy and cloudy until yesterday, but today it turned sunny and clear.

So I immediately went out to photograph the 179 cherry trees on the bank of the Tone River in the neighboring town of Tone.

The cherry blossoms had already started to fall, and the petals were blowing in the north wind, forming a flower snowstorm, signaling the end of spring.

 

Meadow bunting

 Meadow buntings are the only ones that perch there.

This year’s spring, I tried again to photograph Meadow bunting perched on a stem of a Brassica campestris (Brassicaceae) in full bloom on an embankment.

I went to a nearby embankment about 30 times, making several round trips along the 1 km each way, that was full of blooms, and finally managed to capture it on camera.I have been following this encountering during the flowering season of this cruciferous flower for three years and for some reason only Meadow bunting perch on cane of these flowers.                  

Long-tailed Rosefinch

 The number of migratory birds in the region has been declining year by year, and the Long-tailed Rosefinch is one of them.

In the same area as last year, it was feeding on willow flower buds.

Homecoming is imminent. 

This species can be found in Japan, China, Kazakhstan, North Korea, South Korea, and Russia.

In Japan, it breeds as a summer bird in Hokkaido and the Shimokita Peninsula of Aomori Prefecture, and migrates south of Honshu as a winter bird to overwinter. 

                                A female

                                A male

Eurasian eagle owl

For the first time, I photographed this wild bird locally yesterday, but it is difficult to believe that it was inhabited in the wild.

It appears to have either escaped from an establishment where it was kept as a pet, or was released, as it appears to be unafraid of humans and crows.