Tokyo

First observed bird on arrival in Japan was a cormorant species. Alas I cannot tell you which one but it was aerial and I was moving very rapidly in a hitech train from the airport. Yes I made it to Tokyo and have been reunited with my telescope. Huge thanks to Moto Nakanishi of Kowa. I cannot tell you how helpful and kind Moto has been and let me just say they made it worth my while going to the trouble and expense of coming to Tokyo.  Clearly Kowa value my custom and I have little hesitation in recommending their optical products to you.

I  even managed a brief trip this afternoon to Kasai Rinkai Koen, a bayside park west of downtown Tokyo. It is freezing cold here, in fact snowing, so it was a brief trip. But lots of ducks, in particular Common Pochards, possibly some Scaups and other waterfowl species, a few Great Cormorants, the above Black Kite and lots of other birds. However I was frozen with wet feet and no warm hat or gloves, fresh from 100 ℃ heat in Thailand, so I really couldn't do it any justice. It is a brilliant park and it is set up for birders with lots of screens and some good observation faciliites. The Kite is the first picture using the repaired scope, the Nikon Coolpix P6000 and my new Kowa 25 LER eye piece. Conditions were atrocious and the light was far from ideal so I am delighted with this shot. 

More later.....possibly lots more, especially if I can get a decent hat and gloves and keep my feet dry!

Upward Learning Curve!

Some of today's captures from The King's Project, Laem Pak Bia, Phetchaburi Province. I love the spot-billed pelicans. They are such big, peaceful birds with a look of being utterly out of place. There were 19 present this morning and in fact they represent a significant challenge....becaue of the variation in their plumage, grey through bright white.  The digiscope really comes into its own here. I was able to keep my distance and not disturb the birds and manage a few decent shots.

I think this is a great cormorant which is not exactly a commoner and not a regular visitor in the King's Project. A difficult bird to photograph because it gapes, very rapid movement around the gular area, the throat, which is how it keeps cool!

I am very pleased with these shots of this great egret. They are not completely washed out and I have managed to get some shadow in the main white body. They key advance in learning has been to start shooting with the camera lens on infinity, so the autofocus is off and all the focus is done on the scope; this means no last minute operation of the autofocus as I press down the shutter. I have a new head and some other bits coming in the next few days which I hope will lead to sharper, better images. You need to remember most of these shots are taking on a 3 second timer to reduce shake. 

 And finally a little cormorant.