Oriental White Storks

This weekend trip was to have been titled "migrant hunt along the north coast of the Noto Peninsular" but owing to an almost total absence of migrants (maybe that was just me) I might fall foul of some trade description legislation if I were to go ahead with it. Ultimately Oriental White Stork stole the show by default.

I spent Saturday up north around Noroshi and dropped down to Kenmin Kaihin Park in Kanazawa on Sunday morning.

Saturday morning actually started well in fact. I pulled up at a stretch of unkemp grassy beach backed with scrub then by mixed woodland. The first bird I saw was a Siberian Stonechat, atop a straggly stalk. Soon after a phylloscopus hovering in some bushes turned out to be Kamchatka Leaf. Four Mandarin Ducks were circling the bay and were later joined by two more.

This was a really promising start. So what went wrong? I didn't find a single other bird the rest of day that couldn't have been a local resident.

The fruits of a slow bird day.

I was delighted to find eight Oriental White Storks just north of Lake Biwa on my way towards home - I had to go back for one day at work that I just couldn't get out of. Interestingly one of the three I'd seen the weekend before was fitted with a satellite tracker, something none of these birds had suggesting there may be more Storks using this area.

The new neighbours checking out a local. 

A local checking out the new neighbours.

Been here five minutes and already ignoring the crossing... and it's such a busy road!