A long Sunday walk to clear the head

Felicitations and greetings. The week has passed me by in a blur, as usual. A particularly long week and uneventful. TM and I met up with Rob on Saturday morning in Umeda for coffee, to discuss the trip, cameras and to put TM at ease that we wouldn't be hiking around for hours in -20C amongst the snow and ice. It was good to meet up with Rob, he's a really good bloke and a good laugh. Hokkaido is going to be immense!!! I went to the gym in the afternoon, the fifth day this week so I am getting back into it again full-time. I just bit the bullet this week and went after work each night, regardless of how tired I felt and I am glad that I have. It is a trend that I will certainly maintain.

Today was spent with Neil, walking the Yawa-gawa and Ogura plain. We must have walked about 15 miles but it was a beatiful day, perfectly blue skies, not too cold and with snow-capped hills in the background, it was certainly glorious. The birding was slow, but good, a new species for Japan in the bag (Merlin) and a couple of new species photographed (yippee I hear you all cry). A total of 8 species of bird of prey, hawfinches (photo above and last), and russet sparrows (also photo below) were the birds of the day. Oh, and the bird sitting on the ariel in the photo is a White-Cheeked Starling. I also nearly broke my leg in true Carmo fashion. While proudly tromping through some tall grass scrub in my new hiking boots, which are the berries by the way, feeling invincible and talking across to Neil, I suddenly disappeared from sight. I managed to totally ignore a gaping ditch and suddenly realising I couldn't walk on air, fell staight into it, crunching (sounds nasty doesn't it) my shin bone right into the concrete lip. Luckily I managed to stay somewhat upright (ninja reflexes), and only my sagging ass hit the water and, thankfully, not my bag. My camera and lenses were saved from what could have very easily been an expensive slip. As I was wearing my longjohns (in an elderly gentleman kind-of-way Pee Wee), I couldn't check out my leg but it hurt like hell and I couldn't walk on it for a while. I laughed hard once I got out and Neil did too. All he saw was my head vanishing and hearing a big splash...we both thought it was hilarious. Which it was. By the way, gortex is great so long as the water doesn't come up over the top of the boots. Upon my return home, I took off my wet and filthy jeans to find a blood-soaked pair of longjohns. Of course the leg was embedded into the dried blood and deep gash of the wound, so that was a joy to prise loose. All in all, we all survived and no body lost an eye. Some of you may laugh, but birding is a dangerous pursuit...

Not much else planned for the week, just working and looking forward to getting on a plane to Hokkaido in 10 days time. Before writing this, I was lying in my bed, dozing, reading Fisk and listening to Bright Eyes. A good band, you should check them out. A couple of birthdays coming up (mine included, have I mentioned that), VC on Tuesday 24th and JH on Friday...I'll be in touch when the day arrives folks. Thankfully January is nearly behind us and the glorious month of February draws near. Spring will start hitting your shores but we will retain winter for another month or so, at least into March. Every season happens a month later here than it does back on Irish soil.

As I approach my inevitable birthday (presents and cards to the usual address please), I find myself in a place where, in all my wildest dreams, I never thought I would be. It's not so much that I am here, it's the fact I am here at the age I will be. This entry will not be about depressing thoughts or ideas, I merely want to say that I find it amazing what cards life throws at you. Who would have thought 3 years ago that I would be here? Not even 3 years ago, how about 2 years ago when my life was decidedly different and had a different direction. I like to think that there is a reason for this. That there is a reason why I am here now and not elsewhere. What that reason is, only time will tell...

Carmo's Diet: this week, I've mostly been pumping iron, drinking protein shakes and falling into ditches

Carmo's Birds: Osprey, Black Kite, Goshawk, Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Kestrel, Merlin*, Peregrine Falcon, Common Buzzard, Buff-bellied Pipit, Falcated Teal, Russet Sparrow, Hawfinches, Rustic Bunting, Black-faced Bunting, Meadow Bunting, Dusky Thrush.

Carmo's Byrds: Thank you all for the thoughts on Moncia B and for those who are making a cheeserine of her...this week, it's still Monica B