Bohemian Waxwing

This wild bird, said to have been a favorite in Japan since the Heian period (794-1185), has a wide breeding distribution in the frigid zones of the northern hemisphere and is seen as a winter bird in Japan, but is most commonly observed north of central Honshu.

This year it has migrated again to a park in a neighboring city.

I immediately went to that park today and captured it with my camera.

Several birds usually fly to this park, where they are known to fly in, but today's observation showed only one bird, which repeatedly stopped to rest on a twig a few metres above, after eating the berries of its favorites plant, the Liriope muscari

 

Japan's largest doll festival

 Japan's largest doll festival

A Dazzling Doll Display | Katsuura Big Hina Matsuri

2024 Dates: February 23 – March 3

Main Display: Tomisaki Shrine, Katsuura

Every year on March 3rd, the Hina Matsuri, or Doll Festival, is celebrated all over Japan. On this occasion, also known as Girls’ Day, families display ornately decorated dolls as an expression of hope for the healthy growth of girls.

Some localities, like Chiba’s Katsuura City, hold community-wide events. During the festival period (February 23 – March 3) you’ll find spots all around town that are beautifully decorated with Hina Dolls, with the main attraction being the 1,800 Hina Dolls that adorn the steep staircase leading up to Tomisaki Shrine. It’s a stunning sight you won’t want to miss if you’re in the Tokyo area during this time. Here’s how to get here by train from Tokyo:

Tomisaki Shrine is about a 10-minute walk from JR Katsuura Station.

JR Katsuura Station can be reached from Tokyo Station in about 90-minutes by a limited-express Wakashio train.

#VisitChiba #Katsuura

 

　⇩ google search

https://maruchiba.jp/event/detail_10874.html

Japanese night heron（Mizogoi in Japanese katakana）

The Japanese name for the Eurasian bittern I posted last time is "Sankanogoi", which ends with the word "goi",and this time I will do the same.

This time, it is a wild bird of the heron family called "Mizogoi", which breeds only in Japan.

There are seven species of wild birds in Japan with "goi" at the end of their bird names in Japanese, and this bird is one of them.

This bird is found in low mountain forests and is listed as an endangered species on the Red List of the Ministry of the Environment of Japan due to a drastic decline in its population since the latter half of the 20th century. It is estimated that there are currently fewer than 1,000 birds worldwide. (Wikipedia summary)

Pictures were taken for evidence on February 3rd, 2024.