Monday, January 09, 2006

Coming of Age, Wryneck and snow-covered trees at Uji

Since I was on last, I have gone back to work and enjoyed another long-weekend as we have Monday (today) off work due to a National Holiday. Today is the Coming of Age national holiday. The Coming of Age festival is celebrated on the second Monday of January (it used to be celebrated always on January 15 until the year 1999). Its Japanese name is Seijin no hi. All young people who turn twenty years old in that year are celebrated on Seijin no hi. Twenty is the age considered as the beginning of adulthood. It is also the minimum legal age for drinking, smoking and voting. Apparently, celebrations are held nationwide in every town with most of the people turning 20 participating in formal dresses. It's been quite a while since I turned 18 now, jazuz, I'm approaching the age of Christ now...scary days!!

The two day week was quite nice last week, but like every other worker worldwide who went back to work after the holidays, it sucked big time. We had a New Years party at work on Thursday which consisted of everyone going up to the 17th floor for sandwiches, sweets, a mouthful of beer and, of course, speeches. Speeches. I'm sick of them. I just told those who were bothered to listen what I did over the New Year break. Simple and straight forward so that was fine. After that it was back to work.

Saturday was spent looking for thermals for the up and coming Hokkaido trip. The plane tickets have been booked so we are off on Feb 2nd and back on Feb 6th. I am really excited about this trip. Lots of birds to be seen and with a bit of luck, icebergs and ice floes. The rivers and lakes should be frozen and the sea aswell. With temperatures as cold as -20C, it will be a fabulous experience. I purchased thermal leggings and had the opportunity to try them out on Sunday, but first there's something else I want to share with you. I popped into Chopstick tattoo on Saturday evening, you know, just to have a look, see what the designs were like. It's not that I'm going to do anything about it. I mean, why would I need another tattoo?? You can check out the webpage below and have a look at Ton's work. He's a fantastic tattooist.
  • Chopstick Tattoo


  • Yesterday I met up with Neil at Chushijima at 7am (I was up since 4.30am) and we caught a local train to Uji for a bit of birding. Uji is a famous region throughout Japan for it's tea and also for the temples there. The temple on the back of the 10yen coin is found in Uji. However, our mission for the day was to go to a reservoir on the top of a hill there to see if there was anything about. It was a freezing cold morning, around minus 1C and I was glad I was wearing the thermal leggings unde my cords, 5 layers under my jumper, 2 hats and a pair of gloves. Baltic once again. Oh yeah, and my fab scarf my sister gave me for Christmas :) The area was beautiful with sloping hills, covered in trees, some evergreen, others naked in the winter dawn. A very hard frost coated everything in a beautiful ghostly sheen. The trees were heavy with snow, boughs bending under the weight of snow in some places, dumping their loads on our heads as we walked through some tracks in the forest. The roads were quite icy high up the hill and the snow was deep in the forests we trudged through.

    An amazing Crested Kingfisher made itself known as we walked along the Ujia-gawa river bank just below the Amagase Dam, calling loudly and perching on a rock not too far away. Unfortunately I couldn't get my camera out in time so I missed an opportunity to get a photo. This kingfisher species is stunning, black and white stripes, a big crest that was constantly erect. Fantastic. A lifer for me. In fact, I had 3 lifers yesterday. The first was a loose flock of 61 Asian House Martin, found by yours truly. The second was the Kingfisher, which is bigger than a Jackdaw!!! The third and the best bird of the day, was a WRYNECK!! Yes boys, I finally caught up with a wryneck. This normally shy woodpecker (it doesn't look like one, but it is a member of a the woodpecker family), which turns up in Ireland during migration time, sat on a branch of a tree in a ditch and moved around for us to see it in all it's glory. A beautiful bird and one of my favourites. I was delighted and thrilled to have finally seen one. The picture below really doesn't do it justice...they are a marvellous bird to watch.

    The steep road leading through the forest to the reservoir held one more surprise, in addition to the resident pair of Peregrines and the usual woodland species, a peculiar grunt preceeded a reluctant Woodcock rise from the stream-bed just below where we'd been standing for several minutes and barely clearing the ground fly no more than a few metres to disappear into a tangle of overhanging trees and bushes. Perhaps in climax it would've been fitting to find something of
    interest on the reservoir to round-off the walk but but there's something perversely appealing about the expanse of birdless water at the end of the hike. The 12 Mallards, 2 Cormorants and a Little Grebe today didn't exceed expectations; perfectly.

    An exhausted Carmo met up with TM in the afternoon, took in Harry Potter and had a bite to eat in Umeda, before heading to Kyobashi to meet up with the lads for beers to celebrates Vin's 30th birthday. It was a good laugh and I hauled my ass home for midnight. All in all, a good weekend with some socialising and birding combined to have a full day on Sunday.

    On another note, the annual Great Island Bird Race took place on Saturday, I think it's the first one I have missed in the 17 years it has been running. The eventual winning tally of 94 species was shared between the enemy (East Cork Stringers) and my team from last year, with Ciaran taking my place. It sounded like it was a good day with 5 teams partaking. Next year, I will be there...at least I hope.

    I hope everyone is back to normal now, back at work and making those January days drink-free in the hope to lift the January blues. It's a cold and beautiful day today, perfect light but I'm afraid there's work to be done here.

    Carmo's diet: This week I've mostly been eating sushimi

    Carmo's Birds: CRESTED KINGFISHER, ASIAN HOUSE MARTIN, WRYNECK, Brown Dipper, Redflanked Bluetail, Siberian Meadow Bunting (see photo above), Black-faced bunting, Dusky Thrush, Japanese White-eye, Woodcock and Peregrine Falcon. I've seen 184 species in Japan now.

    Carmo's Birds for Bydy: Tall, blonde or brown hair, long legs...the rest I'll leave up to your imagination as this is a family show afer all :)

    13 Comments:

    Anonymous Anonymous said...

    Nice wryneck shots!
    Of course now that the bogey is out of the way you will trip over them when you come home!
    Pariah

    January 09, 2006 8:34 PM  
    Anonymous Anonymous said...

    Hi Mark,
    As promised, a question: if the weather is genuinely as cold as you are saying, and I have no reason to doubt that it is, then how the feck did you get Asian House Martin (and not just one or two either) and Wryneck over the weekend? They must breed 'em tough in Asia, the nearest Wrynecks to here would be the odd bird that winters in southern Spain, I'd say, where it is a bit milder than here!
    Well done on the Wryneck especially, they really are special birds and always a pleasure to see. Bet you find one in your first autumn back here!
    H

    January 09, 2006 9:30 PM  
    Blogger Carmo said...

    H, I had a barn swallow last week flying through a blizzard!!! Aparently they winter here (house martins, not swallows) but it was exceptional to see so many together. Wrynecks winter in Japan. Neil mostly sees them in winter, rarely during breeding season and also on migration during spring and autumn. A cracker and i was delighted. It beat the Crested Kingfisher hands down!! And that is some bird. I do hope Pariah, that I will trip over them the next time I'm home. I presume they are used to the climate here...apart from that, don't know why else. Wrynecks are usually found further south in Japan in winter so this is a good record...

    January 09, 2006 10:34 PM  
    Anonymous Anonymous said...

    Hi man, NIIIICE!! When you go to Hokkaido in Feb, I'm getting a one way ticket to PariahLand - apparently they don't do returns. And whatever you see, I'll beat it hands down!

    Wrynecks are THE business, one of the best, I could lick 'em.

    As for tall leggy blondes...., maybe you should try a brunette!
    Call ya soon
    C

    January 09, 2006 10:56 PM  
    Anonymous Anonymous said...

    Hi Mark,
    By the way, that Siberian Meadow Bunting is a beauty! I can remember one of those causing a bit of a stir in the UK in recent years, despite being most likely an escape...but they are a potential vagrant....
    Are the birds in Japan migrants from further north, or an endemic race? Asking this because I found those yellow-breasted Black-faced Buntings to be totally at odds with my search image of the species for here, which is based on the Siberian birds.
    Sorry to bore all the non-birders on here!
    H

    January 09, 2006 11:47 PM  
    Anonymous Anonymous said...

    Jaysus harry THAT bored ME!!;)

    Pariah

    January 10, 2006 1:10 AM  
    Anonymous Anonymous said...

    Hi Owen,
    Sorry for boring you with such trivia, I must remember not to bother you with news of a grotty aul' Black-faced Bunting should I find one some autumn....
    H

    January 10, 2006 5:32 AM  
    Blogger swan_pr said...

    -20... that's nothing here. but I should say winter's been pretty warm so far. January and February should bring us some -25/-30 though. not many birds but some brave sparrows ;)

    January 10, 2006 1:28 PM  
    Anonymous Anonymous said...

    Tall and long legs, well thats me out then. How are you my dear? might try and skype you later on, boss away for most of the day so plan on doing sweet fa. Hope your new year went off with a bang and all those resolutions you made were realistic, unlike me own. Like when will i ever give up smoking and go to the gym. Any way talk soon babes.
    C xx

    January 10, 2006 6:35 PM  
    Anonymous Anonymous said...

    Carmo old salt,
    Glad to see that something is finally not work-based.Even if i dont understand it...Nothin much going on over here , looked into our flights home looking at takin in New York and El Salvador but looks like we are going to have to stop off in Tonga and (of all places) Rekjaviik en route.Ah well,such is life.Also,think i may have done something to my collar bone body surfing a big shore dump last night.Ate shit on a big one and it feels decidedly funny in the shower.Will keep you posted !!!

    LONG MAY YOU WEAR THERMALS LIKE THE ELDERLY GENTLEMAN YOU HAVE BECOME ! ! ! !

    P

    January 12, 2006 11:15 AM  
    Anonymous Anonymous said...

    Ugh i hate drinkin down here in the cork.How do you boys manage it?
    I mean the pubs are grand like, and the wimin are all right to look at (I would ya know)....but its the obligatory hill billies after the session thats murder on me boys.
    I mean chilli sauce and beer just done mix.Ring of fire all the way!

    January 13, 2006 12:17 AM  
    Blogger swan_pr said...

    hey :) thank you for the link! (but it leads to a 404, might want to check that :P )

    Some other people have added me on their blogroll, I'm starting to feel self centered, I should put one on my blog too.

    Hope you have a nice weekend :)

    January 15, 2006 11:44 AM  
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