November 2nd, 2017

During October this year, a few typhoons passed to the east of us here in Fukuoka, and they brought with them many cloudy and rainy  days.  So I was very happy when Halloween day, (a day off for me) was predicted to have clear skies.  I found myself setting up a blind just as the sun was coming over the horizon at Tataragawa estuary.  The tide was just beginning to ebb, and all sorts of birds were flying to and fro, and I was especially delighted to see some Black-faced spoonbills preparing for their flight south. My spot turned out to be a good one, as the spoonbills flew low and close to my blind on numerous occasions. I also counted five different osprey fishing, and various species of ducks in the area. It turned out to be a magical morning, and I found myself smiling at the show nature put on for me.

adult

immature (black wing tips

eyes forward, for triangulating fish underwater

about the upper size limit for getting airborne

   I happened upon a mother boar and her one, not so young piglet. I apologize for the unstabilized  camera. They were about 30 meters away and unaware of me for about 2 minutes, then she caught my scent and ran off so quickly.

The video also has a clip of a little egret using its feet to flush out prey, a perched immature male common kingfisher, and a pair of spot-billed ducks mating. It does seem to me that after the act, he skulks quickly away with his head down. Ha!