Happy New Year 2023

 

A vagrant bird or new species?

In Japan, the long-tailed tit is a kind of cute little bird, and four subspecies have been confirmed.

The subspecies a. c. japonicus that lives in Hokkaido has almost white plumage.

On the other hand, in the northwestern part of Chiba Prefecture, where I live, individuals similar to the subspecies that have inhabited Hokkaido since the Edo period have been confirmed.

Its name is called Chiba Enaga.

This is a colloquial name, not a scientific name.

I can't find an academic report about this long-tailed tit that has a white color inhabiting my residence.

Speaking of which, I wonder if there are wild bird researchers in this country, I have no idea

Remarks:

Chiba is one of the prefectures in Japan close to Tokyo, and Enaga is the Japanese name for the bird.

The Edo period (江戸時代, Edo jidai) or Tokugawa period (徳川時代, Tokugawa jidai) is the period between 1603 and 1867 in the history of Japan

This is exactly what I have believed for a long time to be the subspecies "a. c. japonicus".👇

Aegithalos caudatus trivirgatus⇩

A website of a subspecies "a. c. japonicus"　⇩

https://www.qkamura.or.jp/cms/cash/815_20221215130134.jpg

 

 

Short-eared owl,hovering

 Taken 8th December 2022

Short-eared owl

These are taken on 7th December 2022, which is the first photo of this season.

I have never taken photos of the short-eared owl in early December.

The short-eared owl migrates from the Eurasian mainland to Japan in winter to overwinter (winter bird).

This bird is one of the favorites of bird photographers in Japan.

 

The Fall colors

 We got late fall in Japan.

As you may know, Japan has four clear seasons and has highlighted spring and fall in particular.

The cherry blossoms in the spring and the colors of leaves go away in autumn.

And well-known places are displayed on the site.

This time I will post a place not so famous, but commonplace in the city of Abiko, Chiba Prefecture, which is located in the northwestern part of Tokyo where I live.

On the website of the famous autumn-colored leaves.

⇩

https://sp.jorudan.co.jp › leaf › rank
https://tenki.jp › 

https://restaurant.ikyu.com › kouyou

a kingfisher male inhabiting in town

 Two male and female kingfishers were born in a shell midden near my house this year. Males often come to large drains in here to catch small fish. Females also fly to come less frequently than males, but they do come from time to time, and if males are present at that time, they will be chased away. An estimated 100 small fish still inhabit the two fallen leaf stocks in this waterway. From now on, it will be cold, small fish will be slow to move, recognition will be complex, and predation will be difficult.