Tenzan Mountain

February 24, 2019

Tenzan Mt. is located in Saga prefecture. At over 1000 meters, it has a commanding view in all directions, as there are no trees on top to impede the view. The trail from the parking lot to the top is well maintained and a relatively easy climb of about 30 to 45 minutes. I arrived at the top at around 4:30 pm. Plenty of time to set up the camera for the time lapse, and then wander around the top with the FZ-200 bridge camera to photograph the setting sun. 

  About 90 minutes later, as the horizon rose up to meet the Sun, it became windier and the temperature began to drop. Watching the gorgeous color changes as the day turned to night was my reward for the slight discomfort. If only the camera lens could capture those colors as well as the human eye. Thanks for visiting this site and feel free to leave a comment.

Please click on the photographs below for a larger view.

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Japanese White-Eye

February 8th, 2019      The Japanese White-Eye is one of my favorite birds here in Japan. Also known as the Warbling White-Eye, for it’s beautiful voice, it is a very  common native species here in Japan. This time of year, when the plum blossoms are blooming, you can often find these colorful birds among the flowers. They sip the nectar and eat the insects they find among the petals and twigs. This double duty of pollination and pest control is very beneficial to the plum trees and other flowering trees and bushes they forage upon, such as cherry trees and camellias, for example.

  These particular photos were taken at Kanzeonji Temple; a great place for viewing flowers and watching birds. The Meijiro, (Japanese for White-Eye) were not shy at all this day, and little by little came closer to me. It was thrilling to view them within an arm’s length on occasion. When they are that close to you, you can hear a very soft twittering coming from them. I wonder if it is for letting other White-Eyes know exactly where they are, or could it be they are thanking the tree for the delicious nectar?  Thank you for visiting my site, and have a great Spring.

               (Please click on images for a larger view)