I took a walk down the Matsukura-gawa, a river on the far edge of my local patch. Maybe a 1 km walk in all.....
Anyway there were absolutely LOADS of Oriental Reed Warblers (very similar to the Great Reed Warbler of Europe). Just on that short stretch there must have been at least 20 singing birds-in the scrub/reeds/trees-everywhere. And they were noisy too-like drunk amphetamine crazed frogs. They drowned out a lot of other singing birds (I was looking for Black Browed Reed Warbler for my local patch year list). 2 Common Cuckoos (Kako in Japanese) were singing-I guess some of those Oriental Reed Warbler nests will have big unwelcome guests soon.
I eventually got a Black Browed Reed warbler by sight rather than sound and another year tick-the humble Ring Necked Pheasant. There were also Stonechat, Grey Headed Bunting, a pair of Little Ringed Plover, lots of Barn Swallow and (Asian?) House Martin, Bull Headed Shrikes feeding their young with huge hairy catapillars, Oriental Turtle Dove, Black Backed Wagtail-ie the usual common summer stuff away from the coast/forest where I usually go birding.
A female Peregrine flew over the house and into the sunset as I was relaxing with a beer on the balcony at the end of the day.......
Anyway there were absolutely LOADS of Oriental Reed Warblers (very similar to the Great Reed Warbler of Europe). Just on that short stretch there must have been at least 20 singing birds-in the scrub/reeds/trees-everywhere. And they were noisy too-like drunk amphetamine crazed frogs. They drowned out a lot of other singing birds (I was looking for Black Browed Reed Warbler for my local patch year list). 2 Common Cuckoos (Kako in Japanese) were singing-I guess some of those Oriental Reed Warbler nests will have big unwelcome guests soon.
I eventually got a Black Browed Reed warbler by sight rather than sound and another year tick-the humble Ring Necked Pheasant. There were also Stonechat, Grey Headed Bunting, a pair of Little Ringed Plover, lots of Barn Swallow and (Asian?) House Martin, Bull Headed Shrikes feeding their young with huge hairy catapillars, Oriental Turtle Dove, Black Backed Wagtail-ie the usual common summer stuff away from the coast/forest where I usually go birding.
A female Peregrine flew over the house and into the sunset as I was relaxing with a beer on the balcony at the end of the day.......