All the Grey Heron Chicks Are Out Of the Nest

Today the low- built Grey Heron nest at Hattori Ryokuchi Koen's Shingu Ike lake had no chicks in it -- this is the first time I've seen the nest empty of herons. There were 2 big turtles occupying the nest, and 2 nearly full-grown Grey Heron chicks perching on low-hanging tree branches very nearby.

A Blue Rockthrush Singing In My Parking Lot

I've heard a Blue Rockthrush singing in my building's parking lot at times, and at times from a perch atop nearby buildings for the past week or so.... It seemed hard to believe: a Rockthrush should be closer to a seacoast, shouldn't he? But this morning I had a good look at him: he was preening his feathers and singing atop a car in the parking lot... and was unmistakably a Blue Rockthrush.

What's he doing here in this season, I wonder....

And another oddity this year: Several days each week I still hear Grey- headed Lapwings in our rice fields even this late in the spring. Have their preferred fields been destroyed, replaced by buildings or parking lots, I wonder, so they settle for foraging in the little fields in this neighborhood...?

Two Herons and a Turtle in the Nest

There are big turtles (with shells about the size of a large dinner plate) in Shingu Ike Lake. They often sun themselves on logs or branches at the edge of the lake. Today in the Grey Heron's nest built just above the lake's surface, there was one such turtle and two of the "chicks" (now close to adult size). One of the chicks stood atop the turtle much of the time -- I think it was not a good spot for sunning by the turtle.

Immature Grey Herons Hanging Around In Their Nest

Today at noon, just before it started to rain, 2 of the Grey Herons, no longer chicks, really, now clearly "immature herons" were preening ( one heron) and sleeping ( the other heron) in their low- built nest at Singu Ike Lake in Hattori Ryokuchi Koen.

Heron Chicks Stretching Their Wings

There were 2 Grey Heron Chicks ( very big now -- close to adult size) stretching their wings, and pecking at their nest and at the lake) in the low-built nest at Shingu Ike Lake today. I wonder if they can fly, but I didn't see them try to.... Lots of wing flapping, though.

There Are Still Chicks In Three Nests In The Heronry At Hattori Ryokuchi Koen

There were still big chicks (at least half of adult-size) in the 3 Grey Heron nests I checked today surrounding Shingu Ike lake at Hattori Ryokuchi Koen.

In the nest built just above water level, 2 chicks were lazing and preening today, and one of their parents was standing on a tree branch about a meter away.

There were big chicks lazing, and parents standing guard in, 2 other Grey Heron nests higher up in trees around the lake.

The lake looks rather lonely with all its winter ducks gone north now. The herons, Little Grebes, and a few Great Cormorants and Common Kingfishers have that big lake pretty much to themselves now.

Really? Grey-Headed Lapwings In The Flooded Rice Fields This Morning

What a surprise! A couple of Grey-headed Lapwings are feeding in the flooded rice fields here this morning after heavy rain yesterday.... I thought the Lapwings would have migrated north by now....

One Heron Chick Home Alone

In the Grey Heron nest built just above water level at Shingu Ike Lake in Hattori Ryokuchi Koen, just the smallest of the 3 heron chicks was snoozing and preening at around 4 PM today. I couldn't see the other 2 chicks, or either parent.... I wonder where they were.

Three Grey Heron Chicks "Home Alone"

When I stopped by to check on the Grey Heron nest located just above the waterline at Shingu Ike Lake in Hattori Ryokuchi Koen at noon today, the 3 heron chicks were alone (no parent with them) in their nest. During the 20 minutes I was there, 2 of the chicks spent most of their time standing, looking around, preening, and stretching their legs & wings. The third chick, which was only about half as tall as the other 2, spent most of the time dozing, but got up and stretched and preened briefly a few times. Today is the first time I've seen the chicks "home alone" without a parent in the nest.

37 Species Of Birds Seen In Hattori Ryokuchi Koen In Osaka With Wild Bird Society of Japan On April 14, 2018

Species  -- Number of Birds Seen

Eurasian Wigeon 4

Spot-billed Duck  8

Northern Shoveller  1

Green-winged Teal  6

Little Grebe  5  ( 2 parents and 3 chicks)

Rufous Turtle Dove  (6)

Japanese Green Pigeon. (6)

Great Cormorant  (4)

Black- crowned Night Heron  (2)

Grey Heron  (8)  ( 2 adults and 6 chicks in 2 nests)

Little Egret  (1)

Coot  (5)

Common Kingfisher  (1)

Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker  (5)

Carrion Crow  (7)

Jungle Crow  (16)

Varied Tit  (2)

Great Tit  (12)

Barn Swallow (14)

Brown-eared Bulbul  (42)

Long-tailed Tit  (4)

Crowned Willow Warbler  (1)

Japanese White Eye  (6)

Grey Starling (2)

Black- throated Thrush. (1)

Pale Thrush. (4)

Dusky Thrush  (3)

Japanese Robin  (2)

Tree Sparrow  (50)

Grey Wagtail  (1)

White-faced Wagtail  (1)

Japanese Wagtail  (1)

Brambling  (12)

Oriental Greenfinch  (8)

Black- faced Bunting (1)

Rock Dove  (53)

I Wish I Could See The Parent Feeding The Heron Chicks

The Grey Heron chicks and parent standing guard in their nest just above water level at Hattori Ryokuchi Koen Shingu Ike lake are doing fine again today. I wish I could be there sometime when the parent feeds the chicks, just to see how they do, but I've not seen it yet. The chicks are growing and active (stretching, standing, snuggling each other, and looking at human birdwatchers, I think) though, so must be getting fed....

I haven't seen these parent birds switching places either -- one to go hunting for food, the other to stand guard in the nest. I wonder when & how they do that....

The Heron Chicks Survive Cold Rains

Yesterday and the day before, it rained much of the day, with chiily temperatures reaching a high of only about 10 degrees C. So I worried about how the heron chicks at Shingu Ike lale in Hattori Ryokuchi Koen would fare. Checking them this chilly but sunny morning, I find the three in their low nest stretching, preening, looking around... Seeming to thrive, as a parent stands with them in their nest.... Cute, very cute.

Chicks Have Hatched In One More Nest In The Heronry

Chicks ( I saw 2) have hatched in another nest (in tree branches about 7 meters above ground) in the heronry at Hattori Ryokuchi Koen, Shingu Ike Lake. And the chicks in the low, low nest are still alive.

Swallows Have Returned to Suita and Toyonaka Cities

Swallows have returned and are busy building a nest in the parking garage at Hattori Ryokuchi Koen subway station.

Three Cute Heron Chicks in the Low, Low Nest

I walked within a few meters of the water- level herons's nest at noon today and saw 3 cute, fuzzy chicks standing, then dozing, then tapping their parent's bill, then dozing again, in their nest. The bottom part of their bills was bright yellow colored. The parent stood and preened himself/ herself ( I don't know which), and occasionaly nuzzled the chicks.

How will they fare in the days and weeks to come, I wonder.... But for today, they were awfully cute....

Grey Heron Chick(s) Hatched In Their Low, Low Nest!?

People at Hattori Ryokuchi Koen are saying that Grey Heron chicks have hatched in the nest made in low-hanging tree branches and a tree stump sticking out from the the surface of Shingu Ike lake. I can't see into the nest, but I can see that the parents are no longer sitting on the nest, but rather standing in or beside it....

The Grey Herons Are Still At It

The low-nesting Grey Herons are still incubating their eggs at Shingu Ike lake in Hattori Ryokuchi Koen. Another birdwatcher told me today that 3 eggs had been laid: 1 broke, but 2 are still intact.... Will they hatch, I wonder...?

We Have 3 Pairs of Grey Herons Nesting Now

We have 3 ( perhaps 4) pairs of Grey Herons nesting at Shingu Ike pond in Hattori Ryokuchi Koen now. Including the low, low nesting pair. How will it all turn out, I wonder.

The Low-nesting Herons Are Not Giving Up

So curious.... The low- nesting Grey Herons I wrote about last time have laid egg(s) and are sitting on them this week.

Another curious thing: 2 or 3 additional pairs of Grey Herons are building nests in trees surrounding Shingu Ike lake, although in previous years I've seen only one pair nest at that lake....

Funny Grey Herons Building a Nest on a Lake's Surface

Two pairs of Grey Herons have been painstakingly constructing nests in trees bordering Shingu Ike Lake at Hattori Ryokuchi Koen park this week.

One pair is making their nest high in a treetop. That's typical of Grey Herons. But what is the other pair doing!? They have made their nest on a very low-hanging tree branch, right at the level of the lake's surface. In fact, they're using a spot where Little Grebes build their nest every spring....

What will happen to that low- level nest, I wonder.... I guess that the Grey Herons who built it are an immature pair who have a lot to learn.   :-)

Mergansers at Expo 70 Commemorative Park

Yesterday I was amazed to see male and female Red-breasted Mergansers swimming in a pond in the north part of Expo 70 Commemorative Park. They were in their own cluster at a short distance from a group of about 20 European Wigeons there. The shape and the plumage of the Red- breasted Mergansers were so showy and distinctive,  but I wasn't carrying a field guide, so I had to wait  until I got home to consult one and identify the birds. I hadn't ever noticed them in a field guide before, and also they are generally found on coasts or in bays, I read, so I'm surprised they were in this park yesterday....

I also saw many Dusky Thrushes here and there running across the lawns at the park, and a small flock of Oriental Greenfinches.

Many crows were people- watching in the park, too.

I checked whether any plum trees were blooming yet. There were many buds, but I only saw a single blossom....

Unexpected Drama Among the Grey- headed Lapwings

Three Grey- headed Lapwings are back in the nearby rice fields this chilly (about 3 degrees C), sunny morning, but they are squabbling!

There is some kind of squabble between 2 of the Lapwings: one of them tries to stick with or nearby the other 2, but one of these 2 keeps scolding and  chasing this third bird away. This bird doesn't go far away, though, and keeps trying to rejoin the other two.

What is going on? I can't see the birds well enough to determine the sexes, and all the birds are about the same size.... Is this a parent trying to chase a grown chick away? Or is the third bird a mating rival?

These two birds are so busy fighting they aren't getting any eating done this morning.

A Weasel In Hattori Ryokuchi Koen Park

I have been hearing talk among birdwatchers for the past several months that a weasel has been seen running around in the daytime in Hattori Ryokuchi Koen near the "Kotori No Mori" ( " Small-birds Woods"), also called "Chikurin No  Mori".

Yesterday at around noon, I was in Kotori No Mori, watching sparrows, thrushes, and tits, and suddenly saw a bright orange cat- sized creature running slinkingly through the woods where all those birds were, right out in the open in front of a number of people.... I asked if that was a weasel, and those people said "yes".

Yuck. I guess it is eating little birds. Well, I guess it will kill off the birds that aren't alert.... Predators should be a part of an ecosystem. But, yuck.

Three Lapwings Came Today

Almost all of the snow that fell yesterday morning has melted.

Three Lapwings came together to eat in the grassy path between ricefields today. I had been assuming that the 2 Lapwings who came together so often this winter were a mated pair... I wonder who this third one was today.... They all came and landed in the field together, and foraged very close to each other.

First Snow of the Winter Didn't Deter a Visit From the Lapwings Today

It snowed overnight and early this morning. I guess a few centimeters accumulated by dawn. This is the first, and perhaps will be the only, snowfall here this winter. The Grey-headed Lapwings came and dug through the snow down into the dirt in their favorite rice field, though.... By noon, the snow had melted except in a few spots behind buildings that blocked the sunlight....

Two crows were digging the same way in a different rice field near here the other day. They glanced at me as I passed by, to make sure I wouldn't attack them, I suppose. I wonder what delicious, nutritious thing these birds are digging out from the soil....

Camellias and Japanese Grosbeaks in Hattori Ryokuchi Botanical Garden

A visit in January to see the camellias at Hattori Ryokuchi Botanical Garden is always splendidly rewarded, and so it was today. I saw more than 20 varieties of camellia blooming there. And many more species budding, with the promise of blooming in the next couple of months. The variations among camellias are dizzying....

Daffodils were blooming too.

And  the sweet, entreating voices of Japanese Grosbeaks could be heard from high in evergreen trees....

SenriChuo Koen Park Is a Fine Place to Watch Mandarin Ducks in January and February

It was sunny and balmy yesterday, so I walked around a few ponds in the afternoon at SenriChuo Koen Park, especially hoping to watch Mandarin Ducks there.

I saw a group of  about 4 males and 4 females, gliding and diving and preening in a pond, near a few Spot-billed Ducks and a Little Grebe. I've never before seen ducks put so much energy into making a little upward leap before each dive. I wonder why they were doing that: To get down deep enough to pick up sunken acorns from the bottom of the pond?... To impress the opposite sex? To clean some unwanted muck coating their feathers...? Just for fun?...I wonder....

Our Winter Visitors, the Grey-headed Lapwings, Are Back in Our Rice Fields Today

Our winter visitors, a pair of Grey- headed Lapwings, are back feeding in our rain- flooded rice fields this bright, sunny morning. So are a few Jungle Crows. It rained all day yesterday... I guess all these birds are very hungry after not getting much to eat yesterday. I hope they find a feast today.