Big in Japan - Alphaville Part III

 The next stop on our extended journey across all 5 of Japan's main islands was at

the largest city on the island of Hokkaido and in fact the largest in the country

and straight in with the locals,

the mandatory Temple and the waters that make for longevity?

The very few Birds started with the familiar
GREAT WHITE EGRET
which has collonised Great Britain in recent years with the far less well known

MEADOW BUNTING
and

SPOT-BILLED DUCK
while a day-long taxi into the bitter cold countryside was worth every yen if only for the

BAIKAL TEAL
and

ORIENTAL (white) STORK
now seriously endangered and on the cusp of extinction!

More street scenes and without staring too much this wonderful looking character.

The most risky in the city was left until Last as physically it could have been our Last

on a visit to a not to be missed

FUGU RESTAURANT
with the
FUGU PUFFER-FISH
being one of the most deadly in the world.

A King's Ransome as well but do no remember the price as it was the moment more than the money.

Training to become a Fugu Chef takes 7-10 years, a rigorous written exam, and an exam where he must successfully clean the poisonous fugu in front of more experienced fugu chefs. We, as this post proves survived what was considered an unmissable experience before

BITING another BULLET
to take us to our furthest north and final destination.

Through the gloom
MOUNT FUGIYAMA

along with very good numbers of

STELLA'S SEA EAGLEs

With a professional image, taken by A N Other, adorning the stern-sheets of my caravan home!

Think the geography here was a little askew but it was a long time ago!

 APOLOGIES - NORMAL SERVICE SHOULD BE RESUMED TOMORROW!

Dull as Ditch Water

 Still the lack of action subdues the Post as out of the

Early Morning Gloom
flew the

Coastguard Helicopter
and the patter of tiny feet as the 3 younger

APRENTICES (Josh and Sophie)
came to visit after a full year's absence but Oliver proving camara shy.

Reaching the Heath was more like walking into Mordor and immediately scarring the

ROE DEER

looking as if suckling her Fawn?
However, the gloom was somewhat dispelled when catching sight of a f.f.y.

MOCHA
in the first trap then followed by a

GREAT DIVING BEETLE

along with a second f.f.y.

COPPER UNDERWING
From there things went rapidly down-hill as they have been doing for a number of days now so a visit to the Airport to look for any signs of Gulls.

There were c2 juvenile

HERRING GULLS

with a still sitting parent bird making it the worst season ever for breeding at this site.

There were a couple of

GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULLs

as well which have never been recorded breeding here.

There were also c9

juvenile

MOORHENs
along with a single adult bird but apart from evidence of the

WOOD PIGEONs

shaping up to have another go at procreation there were only the

MUTE SWAN FAMILY

including the albino cygnet wallowing in the main pond.
It looks nothing like things are going to take off soon, but we will still be out there giving it a go.

Yesterday Once More - The Carpenters

 An away-day yesterday and little / no improvement across the Wild World has us publishing little more than a 'filler' today' as the demise gets closer!

This small Puddle in the Airport

and this Hard Standing where once the Solar Panel Construction Team had their base
were both once home to the

LITTLE RINGED PLOVER

during their all too short

Breeding Season

but the pond soon became overgrown as did the second site.

The construction of their nests was a joy to watch as they seemed to randomly toss tiny stones with their bills, over their heads forming the almost perfect cicular depression as a nest.

INCUBATING

Tiny Fluffy Juveniles

like the parent birds seemed to have no fear

and could usually be approached to within a matter of

a few feet.

Unfortunately, gone are the days

as lucky to see a single representative across any given year!

Will Ye No Come Back Again?