Songsters of Spring

April 18, 2022 

    Over the years, bird watchers and bird  photographers learn to identify many birds by their songs and calls. When I hear a song or call I have never heard before, I will try to locate the bird if possible in the hopes of seeing a new bird. Here are some of the birds I have photographed this month. Their songs are often quite beautiful, and sometimes startling. The recordings are all taken from the site, Bird Research Sound Collection of Japan.

https://www.bird-research.jp/1_shiryo/koe-e.html

 

Brambling Call (Dominique Guillerme)

Chinese Bamboo Partridge (Zhou Zhe)

Japanese Tit (M. Ueta)

Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker (M. Ueta)

Warbling white-eye (M. Ueta)

Narcissus Flycatcher (M. Ueta)

Long-tailed Tit (K. Kajimoto)

Red-billed Leiothrix (K. Kajimoto)

 

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A Night on the Grasslands of Aso Volcano

April 16, 2022    In the beginning of April, I started planning a trip to a magical area within the beautiful Aso-Kuju National Park.  Called Kusasenri ga hama, these grasslands, (rather rare in Japan) are situated within a one kilometer wide crater just east of the main caldera of Mt. Aso. Sweeping vistas are visible in all directions. Horses graze these grasslands, and they provided me some company all through the night while I went about composing and shooting the stars and the Milky Way. 

 

 The main idea was to try and capture some panorama shots, along with a vertical shot of the main core of the Milky Way as it slowly emerged above Mt. Eboshi a few hours before sunrise. I suppose they turned out okay, all things considered. I was also lucky to capture a meteor in one of the frames.

  Speaking of meteors, I am looking forward to the Lyrid meteor shower which will peak on the 22nd of this month. Lets hope for clear skies!